How to: Attach a Model or an Effect to a Unit
 

How to: Attach a Model or an Effect to a Unit
By Archian

Introduction
Have you ever wanted a Dreadlord to attack with a sword? Or a unit actually getting an item (like an axe, sword etc.) viewable on the model ingame? This tutorial is about how to attach models/effects to a unit.


This image was taken from the Lightsaber Attachment Pack By Illidan(evil)x

You can download attachment models here at Wc3Campaigns model section, to be more specific here are some examples of cool downloadable attachment models.

• Lightsaber Attachment Pack
  By Illidan(evil)x

• attachment pack - tft weapons
  By xXm0rpH3usXx

Note,You don't have to download a model or an effect to attach an effect or a model to a unit.
There are models and effects within the editor you can use.

Notice, there are also different ways to add the effect to the unit. You can for instance use an ability, a trigger or an item for that matter.

Using an Ability

NOTE - Im using the Rexxar Missle model in this toturial as the attachment.

Make a "dummy" ability to create the model effect.
Use an ability like Armor Bonus +1, this ability does not show an icon on the hero and it's very easy to change.

• Change the armor bonus to 0, so it doesn't add + 1 armor.
• Change the Art - Target field to your new model or effect file.
• Change the Art - Target Attachment Point 1 and add the point where you wan't the model/effect.
• Change the Art - Target Attachments to the number of points you added.
• Change Item Ability to false, so we can attach it to a unit or a hero.

The fields you need to change are shown bellow.



Using a Trigger
You can also just use a trigger to attach a model/effect to a unit (shown bellow).

Using an Item
For RPG (role playing games) such as Diablo, characters picks up various weapons through the game for combat use.
In warcraft, there's items aswell but unlike in Blizzard's Diablo, they don't appear on the unit when using it.

However, you can use an item to attach a model/effect to a unit to achive this "special" effect.

• Instead of a ability, change the ability to an item ability (the field shown bellow)
  
• Add the item ability to the item you wish. Then when the unit/hero etc. picks up the item, the attachment model will be shown at point you choose by using an attachment name.

Here are some of the attachment names you can use to attach a model or an effect to a unit.

Attachment Names:

• overhead
• head
• chest
• origin
• hand
• foot
• weapon (for heroes, and some units)
• sprite (for buildings)
• medium (for buildings)
• large (for buildings)
• left
• right
• mount (for mounted units)
• rear
• first (for buildings)
• second (for buildings)
• third (for buildings)
• fourth (for buildings)
• fifth (for buildings)
• sixth (for buildings)
• rallypoint (for buildings)

help?
 

ive tried your way again and again but every time i play the map the whole maps white and i cant see anything. got any ideas?

i want to put only a weapon in the hand not the missile how do we do this

As an addition to this tutorial, if you want to put an attachment that you will throw (in this case the Rexxar Axe), I recommend to use the ability "sphere". This ability has the advantage of dissapear the attached model in the first attachment point when the unit attack. It's very useful if you want to give the idea that the unit has something in his hand and he throws it to the enemy in order to attack. When the missile gets the enemy, this attachment appears again in the first attachment point.

This attachment name can be used in non hero units too.

Some models don't have attachment points . Some models don't have some attachment points. So if you try to attach something to a unit that is using a model that misses the attachment point in question, the special effect won't show up.

how do you remove a model/effect?

erm sorry if im noob but i wan to know how i can attach multiple attachments to a single model? it makes it look kind of cool XD but i hav no clue how to do it. can some1 help please T.T

Thank you.Your tutorial is appreciated.You are going to be rated.
How do you suppose to attach the model to the unit?

Give the ability to the unit you wish to attach the model/effect to.
Sorry, I'm not quite sure I understand your question.

EDIT:

Tutorial has been updated! :emote_thumbup:

Help With New additition
 

Hey, i'm a Noob Map builder here,
I have a question: Where do you put the files (the items and weapons i just downloaded) and/or where do you find them from the world editor???


Thanks aton in advance,

~Blaise~

Import Manager, look up section on importing models in World Editor.

um... lol?
practise? okay im done. good tut, though you took that picture from wc3 tutorials.

Huh :emote_eekani: ...

Anyway, yeah I was too lazy to make my own so I just used that one as a temporary replacement. But I will change it :P

Stay tunned

Cheers,
~Archian.

cool tuto. i understand wat u said, im going to try it to night[ im sure it will work]. This is really what i need, friend.

Do militias have attachments? And do you need to do anything with the unit first? :emote_confused: