Guns Out Of Place

[kathiana]

hi guys im having trouble with something , all my guns appear in different positions when i import them into udk.
I cant solve this problem just by changing x.y.z positions because from what i see they are bigger too so using something like 3ds or other program can i put them on the right position and size without losing anything ? and how do i know the normal size i should put on my guns ?
tks in advance

[Snipe34]

There's a lot of messing around until you get skeletal meshes (your guns in this case) positioned correctly, nothing unusual. First import in the Browser have your guns pointing in the X direction. X is the direction the player looks. 'Normal size?' Whatever looks right.

Previously though in the 3d program try keeping your guns fairly relative to true centre: x,y and z. xyz directions do vary from program to program, (UDK Z up), but consistent through all programs is true centre. Be careful: the centre of your actual mesh can be moved from the 'true centre' of your 3d program which you may have done accidentally. Your mesh's centre and your 3d program's true centre should be in exactly the same position. (Although in the 3d program your mesh can be moved around without disturbing it's centre, depending on the mode. Usually edit mode you can only move the mesh around, not affecting the centre, whereas Object Mode, you can move the mesh' centre. As I say, true centre in your 3d program and UDK will be the same.)

Scale and centre in your 3d program is also important so you get consistent sizes in UDK - saves messing around later. Usually in 3d programs skeletal meshes have to be massive for UDK, but by comparison static meshes are tiny.

In UDK's Browser window you can make adjustments x y z to the gun aiming - raising, lowering, left right. And if your gun is wrong way up, etc, the rotations. Also finally in the weapon's code, PlayerViewOffset and Scale also change positioning.

[kathiana]

i did something like this , i have the hands that will be shown holding the gun so in 3ds i open them and put the gun pointing to the other side

[Snipe34]

Sure, turn the mesh to the right direction in your 3d program.

Before I joined my skeleton and mesh and proceeded to animate, I would import my mesh to UDK and check scale and direction are ok.

Although you can make all the adjustments in UDK!

Only problem I had was if my gun had to be scale up a massive amount (eg: Scale=15.00)in UDK the gun's lighting would sometimes be weird. So I always try to match scale for scale, UDK and my 3d program.

edit: and huge scale up, eg 15.00, and the muzzle flash becomes tiny. So yeah, try to get your guns the same scale or you'll make yourself work on new muzzle flashes etc for your guns.

[kathiana]

that was the problem i dont know why but i did the same to all but when i open things on udk the size is diferent and the position wich is just stupid

[Snipe34]

I think in your 3d program your weapon is not centred. Check some tutorials on centre / centering