DSHack

Archive Generated December 23rd, 2018

Tutorial - Getting Started

Author	Posted on 2016/03/11 #1554
SGC Yellow	Getting Started Hello, and welcome to DSHack.org, we hope you enjoy your stay. Alright, so you've decided that you want to make your own content for MKDS, huh? Well, allow me to teach you the basics. So, now with the introduction out of the way let's go over the tools you'll need, shall we? Things You'll need First of all, you'll need a 3D modeling program, you can use Blender, or Maya 2011, or 3DS Max 2011 Basically, you can use any 3D modeling program that can export to OBJ, or that can use the Nitro Plugins. (By the way, You only need one 3D moddeling program, not all of them). Second of all, you'll need the tools to do things, such as MKToolBox, EFE, and MKDSCM. You can download the tools from these links. MKToolBox EFE MKDSCM Alright, so now that you've downloaded the required tools, it's time to use them. Making Your Model The Nintendo DS can only have 2048 triangles on screen at a time, so you have to think about everything that's going to be on screen at the same time, such as the track model, objects, character, and karts, so the recommended amount of triangles for a course model is around 1300 triangles, but you can have even more, if you know how to work with the render engine. So, your wondering, "How am I going to know how big to make everything"? Well if your awful at maths like I am, then your going to want to use this. That white box is the size of a kart in MKDS, so model everything based on the size of that white box. Adding Textures Alright, now that you finished the model itself, you're going to add textures, correct? The Nintendo DS doesn't have much RAM, so your textures must be small, "8", "16", "32", "64", "128", "256" are the recommended sizes. There is also a requirement you must keep note of, your textures must be to the power of 2, or your model will not work. You can read more about it here. (Beware that Sketch Up's defalt UV editor isn't the best thing in the world, so be careful with it). (Do NOT texture both sides of the faces, that is a common misconception among older tutorials, it WILL cause issues in game!) Now that you're done with your model it's time to export it as an OBJ. (Your model must be triangulated, so make sure to do that. Converting Your Model Now your OBJ must be converted into an NSBMD, and NSBTX. You can do this by openeing MKDSCM, and clicking File -> New -> NSBMD, then choosing your OBJ and, choose MKDS Scale as the scale, and click create NSBTX, then click OK. (MKDSCM doesn't have any sort of progress bar, so just wait for it to react again. If it's taking an unusually long time either your texture aren't to the power of 2, or they are too big). You should find your NSBMD, and NSBTX in the same location your OBJ file is in. NSBMD = Model. NSBTX = Textures. Making The KCL So, now you need to make a KCL file, it is recommended that you make a copy of your Sketch Up model, and delete the parts of the model the player will never touch. After you do that convert that copy of the model to an OBJ file, then open EFE, and do this. File -> New from File -> Mario Kart Plugin -> Mario Kart DS Collision (KCL) A small window should open now, replace "0000" with the type of collision you want. You can download the KCL ID list I made here. After you've entered the KCL IDs you want, close the small window, then another small window should come up, do not close it, click Save, and save the KCL file in the location of your choice. Inserting The Track Now that you've done all of that, it's time to put these files into a .CARC file, and how do you do that? Well, it's rather simple actually, just open EFE, and then open a MKDS ROM, then you open the course folder inside the ROM, and then right click on a "example_course.carc", and a "example_courseTex.carc file", and extract them. Close the MKDS ROM, and open the "example_course.carc" file with EFE, so now you should see a few files inside, you need to replace course_model.nsbmd with the model you made, just right click it, and navigate to the location of your NSBMD file, then click open, and it should replace it. Now replace the KCL with the KCL you made. (If you're wondering, course_model_V.nsbmd is the sky box, so you don't need to replace it, unless you want to). Importing with Maya + Nitro Plugins (Optional) While you don't need Maya, it can be pretty nice to have, you'll have to download it from a Torrent, but I won't link any here. Maya 2011 is the recommended version that you should use. (More details will be added soon). Making the NKM Just follow this next tutorial for making the NKM: The Ultimate NKM Guide

Author

Posted on 2016/03/11

#1554

Getting Started

Hello, and welcome to DSHack.org, we hope you enjoy your stay.
Alright, so you've decided that you want to make your own content for MKDS, huh?
Well, allow me to teach you the basics.

So, now with the introduction out of the way let's go over the tools you'll need, shall we?

Things You'll need

First of all, you'll need a 3D modeling program, you can use Blender, or Maya 2011, or 3DS Max 2011
Basically, you can use any 3D modeling program that can export to OBJ, or that can use the Nitro Plugins. (By the way, You only need one 3D moddeling program, not all of them).

Second of all, you'll need the tools to do things, such as MKToolBox, EFE, and MKDSCM.
You can download the tools from these links.
MKToolBox
EFE
MKDSCM

Alright, so now that you've downloaded the required tools, it's time to use them.

Making Your Model

The Nintendo DS can only have 2048 triangles on screen at a time,
so you have to think about everything that's going to be on screen at the same time, such as
the track model, objects, character, and karts, so the recommended amount of triangles for a course model is around 1300 triangles,
but you can have even more, if you know how to work with the render engine.

So, your wondering, "How am I going to know how big to make everything"? Well if your awful at maths like I am,
then your going to want to use this.

That white box is the size of a kart in MKDS, so model everything based on the size of that white box.

Adding Textures

Alright, now that you finished the model itself, you're going to add textures, correct?

The Nintendo DS doesn't have much RAM, so your textures must be small, "8", "16", "32", "64", "128", "256" are the recommended sizes.
There is also a requirement you must keep note of, your textures must be to the power of 2, or your model will not work.
You can read more about it here.

(Beware that Sketch Up's defalt UV editor isn't the best thing in the world, so be careful with it).
(Do NOT texture both sides of the faces, that is a common misconception among older tutorials, it WILL cause issues in game!)

Now that you're done with your model it's time to export it as an OBJ. (Your model must be triangulated, so make sure to do that.

Converting Your Model

Now your OBJ must be converted into an NSBMD, and NSBTX.

You can do this by openeing MKDSCM, and clicking File -> New -> NSBMD, then choosing your OBJ and, choose MKDS Scale as the scale, and click create NSBTX, then click OK.

(MKDSCM doesn't have any sort of progress bar, so just wait for it to react again. If it's taking an unusually long time either your texture aren't to the power of 2, or they are too big).

You should find your NSBMD, and NSBTX in the same location your OBJ file is in.
NSBMD = Model.
NSBTX = Textures.

Making The KCL

So, now you need to make a KCL file, it is recommended that you make a copy of your Sketch Up model, and delete the parts of the model the player will never touch.

After you do that convert that copy of the model to an OBJ file, then open EFE, and do this.
File -> New from File -> Mario Kart Plugin -> Mario Kart DS Collision (KCL) A small window should open now, replace "0000" with the type of collision you want.

You can download the KCL ID list I made here.

After you've entered the KCL IDs you want, close the small window, then another small window should come up, do not close it, click Save, and save the KCL file in the location of your choice.

Inserting The Track

Now that you've done all of that, it's time to put these files into a .CARC file, and how do you do that?

Well, it's rather simple actually, just open EFE, and then open a MKDS ROM, then you open the course folder inside the ROM,
and then right click on a "example_course.carc", and a "example_courseTex.carc file", and extract them.

Close the MKDS ROM, and open the "example_course.carc" file with EFE, so now you should see a few files inside, you need to replace course_model.nsbmd with the model you made, just right click it, and navigate to the location of your NSBMD file, then click open, and it should replace it.
Now replace the KCL with the KCL you made.

(If you're wondering, course_model_V.nsbmd is the sky box, so you don't need to replace it, unless you want to).

Importing with Maya + Nitro Plugins (Optional)

While you don't need Maya, it can be pretty nice to have, you'll have to download it from a Torrent, but I won't link any here.
Maya 2011 is the recommended version that you should use. (More details will be added soon).

Making the NKM

Just follow this next tutorial for making the NKM:
The Ultimate NKM Guide

Author	Posted on 2016/03/14 #1564
Redmat527	I've post a tutorial video on how to create a custom track model and collisions. It may not be as complete as SCG's textual tutorial, but it should be good for those who prefers watching a video.

Author	Posted on 2016/03/14 #1565
SGC Yellow	I've post a tutorial video on how to create a custom track model and collisions. It may not be as complete as SCG's textual tutorial, but it should be good for those who prefers watching a video. One thing about your tutorial that really bothers me is that, you're not supposed to texture both sides of the faces, that was debunked years ago, it's a common misconception, and doing so can cause some issues in game.

Author

Posted on 2016/03/14

#1565

SGC Yellow

I've post a tutorial video on how to create a custom track model and collisions.
It may not be as complete as SCG's textual tutorial, but it should be good for those who prefers watching a video.

One thing about your tutorial that really bothers me is that, you're not supposed to texture both sides of the faces, that was debunked years ago, it's a common misconception, and doing so can cause some issues in game.

Author	Posted on 2016/03/18 #1575
Redmat527	Whoops, I did know. I might redo all of the video, since there are some other things that I don't like about it ...

Author	Posted on 2018/05/10 #3831
mkdshacker	efe crashes if i open a .nkm file :yay:

Author	Posted on 2018/05/10 #3832
テクニカル諏訪子	Do you see an error? If so, which one?

Author	Posted on 2018/05/11 #3834
mkdshacker	it just says "evry file explorer stopped working " and MKDSCM crashes too is the same thing for each of the editors so there is no way to i can edit .nkm files no my computer

Author	Posted on 2018/05/11 #3837
SGC Yellow	Have you tried MKToolBox? MKDSCM, and EFE not working is likely an issue with your PC do you have to proper .NetFrame work isntalled? (Google it). And does it say it's missing any plugins? MKToolBox: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/398883899582840832/398889327654076417/MKToolbox.7z

Author	Posted on 2018/05/12 #3838
mkdshacker	i know itas a issue on my pc i never tried mktool box but tanks

Author	Posted on 2018/08/01 #4099
SGC Yellow	A bit of info I should mention here is that recently, it's been decided that your entire model shouldn't be triangulated, because it's a pretty big waste of resources. You should use quads in your model where ever possible, and it's recommended that you only use tris if you really need to. This only applies to people that use Maya, or 3DS Max 2011 to make NSBMD, MKDSCM's NSBMD generator does not support quads. Nintendo used quads in a lot of their models, including karts. Take Wario Colosseum here, I'm using quads where ever I possibly can, as a result, the model is only really using 1168 faces, compared to 1741 if I were to use tris on everything instead, allowing more detail in some cases, and making the model much more efficient than it would be otherwise. Please note that KCL (course collision) does not support quads, so you'll need to triangulate your model for that.

Author

Posted on 2018/08/01

#4099

SGC Yellow

A bit of info I should mention here is that recently, it's been decided that your entire model shouldn't be triangulated, because it's a pretty big waste of resources.
You should use quads in your model where ever possible, and it's recommended that you only use tris if you really need to.
This only applies to people that use Maya, or 3DS Max 2011 to make NSBMD, MKDSCM's NSBMD generator does not support quads.
Nintendo used quads in a lot of their models, including karts.

Take Wario Colosseum here, I'm using quads where ever I possibly can,
as a result, the model is only really using 1168 faces, compared to 1741 if I were to use tris on everything instead, allowing more detail in some cases, and making the model much more efficient than it would be otherwise.

Please note that KCL (course collision) does not support quads, so you'll need to triangulate your model for that.

Author	Posted on 2018/08/04 #4104
Rover	So... Basically I can just only use quads for a CT? I'm a little confused on this.

Author	Posted on 2018/11/23 #4354
rocoloco321	Updated links MKToolBox EFE MKDSCM