How to Edit DAI Body Models with 3Ds Max

By Aravasia

This is a tutorial for those whom are eager to practice their own mesh modding, but are unsure of how, or
where to start. The goal of this is to teach you virtually everything you need to know in order to make simple
mesh edits to the Skyhold body models (which, if you catch on easily enough, you should be able to apply your
skills to editing any DAI model.) Some of this tutorial you may be able to skip, if you are already familiar
enough with the process, but for those whom are completely new, I will be covering these sections:

 Downloading 3Ds Max

 Downloading and using the DAI Modding Tool
 Exporting/Importing meshes with the tool
 Importing/Exporting the meshes into 3Ds Max
 Simple editing in 3Ds Max

Downloading 3Ds Max

I will not go extremely in depth with this, since it is fairly simple for those whom have basic computer skills
(and if you are a gamer, I am imagining you do.) Simply go to the 3Ds Max website here:
http://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/3ds-max, and follow the process to download the free
student version (or, purchase the full version, if you would like.) I know that not all of you are currently
students, so, when it prompts you to enter your school information, simply enter the information of the
school you attended, or one located nearby you - so long as you are using this product as a learning tool, and
not for commercial purposes. Otherwise, you will need to purchase the full version.
For the version, I use year 2015, and thus, this tutorial will be with such. It may work with other versions, but I
recommend installing and downloading the 2015 version if you are unfamiliar with the tool.
Once you have completed the download, simply begin the install and follow the instructions as you would any
other program.
Note: If the above link ever expires, simply go to the 3Ds Max website and follow the instructions.
 Downloading the Modding Tool
And thus, we move on to the ethereal modding tool. Fortunately, there is not much that is needed to be said
on this, since the wonderful tool makers have already produced a tutorial on how to download the latest
versions of the Modding Tool. Simply download the DAI suite loaded from here:
http://daitools.freeforums.org/latest-version-announcement-t1060.html and follow these instructions, kindly
provided by the user Ottemis: http://daitools.freeforums.org/using-the-loader-a-guide-by-dawnlesssky-
t1061.html
As the Tool is updated, sometimes both the method for downloading it, and where to download it change. As
such, I recommend checking the link for the forums below, for news of updates. This is the current version as
of 9/13/15.
http://daitools.freeforums.org/index.php
Credit for these tools goes entirely to the creators on this forum.

Using the Modding Tool

Once you have downloaded the tools, you should have a folder that looks something like this: (I am on
Windows 7, but I imagine other versions of Windows look similar enough.)

I have moved my folder to Documents/Bioware/DA Utilities/ but of course, yours will be wherever you have
placed it on your hard-drive - it is not entirely important. Now, go into the folder labeled Tools, then to DAI
Mod Maker/Main/Mod Maker, and start the .exe file I have highlighted.

Once you have pulled up the .exe, before you begin using the tool, it will need to scan the game’s assets,
during which, the process will look something like this:

Do not attempt to interact with the Tool at this time, and instead wait until it has indicated that it is ready, as
shown in the model below:
 Extracting Body Models with the Tool
Now is when you begin your mesh editing process. You will want to click on the down arrow for Data, and, to
navigate to the Skyhold Body Mesh, go to da3/actors/inquisitor jill or inquisitor jim – depending on the gender
of the body you wish to modify/ appearences/ var2, then select models, as I have shown below:
Now, we will want to navigate to the body mesh you are trying to edit in the right panel. In my example, I will
demonstrate how to find the Elven male body meshes. The Skyhold mesh is separated into three parts – one
for the arms, one for the torso, and one for the legs. You will need to extract all of which you plan to modify.
In the right hand panel in the search box, type in em for elf male (or dm, hm, qm – whichever race you
planning to edit.)

Remember, if you are editing a female body, you will instead by looking under
Inquisitorjill/appearences/var2/models, and be typing in ef for elf female, or hf, qf, df.
Now, you should see a list of files in the right hand panel labeled: [SkinnedMeshAsset] These are the files you
will end up extracting, however, you will need to find the right ones to extract. Within this location, and under
the other var1 and var3 locations, there are the arm, torso, and leg files for both the base Skyhold outfit, and
all of the customizable armors. In this tutorial, I will be extracting the base Skyhold outfit, but, you should have
acquired enough knowledge at the end of this to be able to figure out how to extract the other outfits, if you
would like to.
On the left side of the right panel is a list of names for each of the meshes. The base legs for any race/gender
will be named xx_inquisitor_var2_core_0001_model_mesh. The torso is labeled
xx_inquisitor_var2_core_0100_model_mesh. While the arms are labeled
xx_inquisitor_var2_core_0010_model_mesh. You will want to double click on each of the files you intend to
export to pull up the Asset Preview window:
To ensure that you have selected the correct mesh, select preview, for a glimpse of the model:
Once you have your desired model, select Import/Export in the left corner, and then select the Export Asset
option. When prompted to save your file, choose the location on your hard-drive you wish to place it, and
ensure that you are saving it as an .obj file, as shown below:

Importing the Meshes into 3Ds Max

Next, we will import our extracted mesh into 3Ds Max. Pull up the .exe for 3Ds Max 2015, click the icon in the
right hand corner, and select import:
Navigate to the location where you saved your .obj file, and select open. You will then be prompted with a
window that resembles this:

Be certain that your settings match mine exactly. This is extremely important in the process to avoid crashes
in the tool later on. Additionally, ensure that you are only importing the files that end in lod0, not lod1 or lod2.

In the example above, there is only one file to import. However, occasionally the mesh files have multiple
components. Such as the arm file, which has the arms and hands separated. In this case, you will see two or
more lod_0 files:
You may choose to import both, or, simply import the one you intend to edit.
Once you have these settings configured, select the Import button in the lower left hand corner, which should
result in your mesh being displayed in the preview window, and its name in the left panel:
You will likely notice how the viewing window is separated into four different panels. I do most of my mesh
editing using the [Perspective][Realistic] panel. As such, you may click and drag that panel across to make it
larger:

You may as well import multiple meshes from separate files into 3Ds Max, so that you may preview them
together. For example, if you wish to completely edit the Skyhold mesh, you will likely wish to ensure that the
meshes are seamless with each other and do not clip. In this case, you may follow the same steps above to
import multiple meshes into one scene:
Often, some mesh components have the same name, in which case, upon importing, you will be prompted
with this dialogue:

Temporarily name the mesh to something else, and then select OK. Once this is done, and the mesh is loaded,
double click the name of the mesh in the left panel, to rename it to its original name. If you do not use the
original name, it will not work in-game:
 Simple Editing in 3Ds Max
And thus, we begin the editing. Select the mesh you wish to edit in the left hand corner, then, in the farthest
right panel, select the ‘Modify’ tab:
In the modify tab, under selection, select the polygon option:

You may explore with some of the other options later on, but, for now, this is likely all you will need. Among
this, ensure that you have ‘Ignore Backfacing’ selected.
In order to edit your model, you will likely need to have some basic knowledge on how to use 3Ds Max. Most
of this comes with experience. However, Youtube tutorial videos are as well helpful. For now, I will teach you
three basic functions, one is the zoom option, located in the bottom right hand corner:

I use a laptop trackpad, however, I imagine that zooming may as well be done with mouse scrolling.
Next is ‘pan view’ (the hand icon):
You may use this to move around your view in the preview window. You may as well use this on the box icon
in the upper right hand corner of the preview window to rotate your view of the mesh:

It is slightly difficult to write a written tutorial on how to use these functions. If you are completely new to 3Ds
Max, I would suggest trying to familiarize yourself with these, and other ways to navigate, before you begin.

And now is where the editing will occur. In the panel at the top of the screen, choose the ‘Select Object’
option:

Now, you may highlight parts of the mesh you wish to edit by dragging your mouse across a section of it:
You may as well select polygons of the mesh individually by clicking on them. If you wish to add on to the
polygons you already have selected, hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard while doing so. If you wish to
unselect any polygons, instead hold down the ALT key.
To reshape the mesh, the tools you will most often be using is the move tool. Once you have all desired
polygons selected, select the move tool in the upper panel:

Now, use the move tool to manipulate the polygons you have selected:

You may use this method to manipulate the model several times over, until you have your desired shape.
If you have multiple meshes loaded into the scene, you may wish to only preview one at a time. To do so, click
on the name of the mesh in the left panel, then, in the right panel go back to the create tab:

Now, back in the left panel where the names are listed, select the name of the mesh and choose ‘Hide
Selection’:

This should hide that mesh, so that you may only see the one you wish to edit. To unhide the mesh, select the
‘Unhide All’ option shown above.

One thing you will need to look out for when editing your mesh is open edges. When moving certain polygons
of the mesh, you will create a gap in it, like something as shown below:
Which will as well result in gaps in the mesh in-game. To fix this, simply move the polygons surrounding it to
close the gap.

Note: There are many types of edits that we are not able to do in 3Ds Max without causing errors in the
Modding Tool or the game. By only moving around the existing polygons as described in this tutorial, your
mesh should be importable. As a basic rule, do not delete, add, or weld anything. This may be achievable in
future versions of the tool, however, as of 9/13/15, it is not.

Exporting from 3Ds Max

Once you have edited the mesh to your liking, select your edited mesh then go to ‘Export Selected’ in the 3Ds
Max top panel:
When the Export prompt window comes up, set the file type to .obj:

Once you select Save, a window such as this will show:

Again, be certain that you have these same settings selected exactly. Any discrepancies may cause errors.
Then you may choose to Export.

You will need to repeat this export process for each individual mesh you have loaded into 3Ds Max.
 Re-importing into the Tool
Now that you are already familiar with the export process in the tool, this explanation should be simpler. Once
the Tool has loaded the previously created cache (it will display Ready in the bottom left hand corner) select
File > New, in the upper right hand corner, to begin the process of creating a new mod:

Now, again navigate back to the mesh you had exported previously, double click on it, to pull up the Asset
Preview Window, and this time, select the Import option:
A window as this will come up, have your settings as such:

Now, your mesh should be imported. To be certain that it has, select the preview option back in the ‘Asset
Preview’ window again. If the mesh appears as your edited one, congratulations, you did something right!

Sometimes, when editing a mesh, you will notice that black spots may appear on the texture of the mesh:

This is a known error with some of the models that I have yet been able to solve. So far, I have noticed it on
the human and dwarf male torsos, as well the elf female legs, and dwarf female shoulder, along with some of
the formal attires and other models. If you somehow manage to avoid this, you are a god and are morally
obligated to tell me your methods.

If you have edited multiple meshes, you may import them all before you save your mod file. Once you have
imported all desired meshes, go to File > Save as:
Once selected, a window such as the one below will show. This is where you choose the name of your mod,
the author, the description, and its version – all of which will show in the Mod Manager:

Once you have the fields filled to your desire, select create, and save your new .daimod file!