How-to: Exporting files from a MPQ.

[deolrin]

Difficulty:

Beginner: 1/10

Tools Needed:

Magos Model Editor

Welcome to the MPQ exporting tutorial!

Follow the steps as they appear:

A side note, about MPQ's...

MPQ's are files made by Blizzard for their various games in order to keep the game data files, such as models, skins, sounds etc. You can find MPQ's in games like Diablo(1 and 2, maybe 3 - haven't checked), Warcraft III(Including the expansion pack "The Frozen Throne"), World Of Warcraft(including the expansion packs - The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King) and Starcraft. They are pretty much like ZIP\RAR files - containing other folders and files inside them.


Intro:

This tutorial was written for beginner skinners and modelers. In the tutorial we will learn how to export models and skins from the various MPQ's of Warcraft III.


The Model Editor:

After you installed the Model Editor, and oppened it, you will see just a blank screen and the basic menus that exist in almost any Windows program(File, Edit, View, Help, Etc.). We wont get deep into it, because we need only one tool:the MPQ Browser. The MPQ Browser is under the menu Windows-the last one. there are also other tools in the model editor-but we don't need them right now. in the MPQ Browser, click on the "File" tab. You will see the following options - Open\Close MPQ Archive and War3.mpq\War3x.mpq\WarxLocal.mpq\War3Patch.mpq. The first 2 are mainly used for custom(user made) MPQ's - we don't need them. The other ones being the ingame MPQ archives -

• War3.mpq - The first MPQ that Blizzard made for Warcraft III. It contains all of the Reign Of Chaos data of Warcraft III. Old models and skins - such as the Night Elven Ballista - can be found here.
• War3x.mpq - The Frozen Throne files are contained in here. You can find newer models and skins such as the Warden hero and the Glaive Thrower here.
• War3xLocal - Little i know of this MPQ. From what i understand, it contains mainly sounds and the TFT Campaign maps. There is nothing related to modeling or skinning to search in it.
• War3Patch.mpq - it contains models and skins from one of the(not so) new patches of Warcraft - it contains all of the "new" critters(rabbits, raccoons, chickens, frogs) and the 3 "new" heroes(Tinker, Alchemist, Fire Lord).

Now that you know about the MPQ's and the Model Editor, open the War3Patch.mpq.

MPQ Browsing:

MPQ Browsing is easy, but could be a bit confusing at some points, for some people. Now that we oppened the War3Patch.mpq file in the MPQ Browser, we should learn how to browse it. the MPQ is made of categories, that include(but not limited to): Units, Buildings, Textures, Replaceable Textures, Abilities and Doodads. Of Course, there are more, but those are the main categories. Every category is split into more sub-categories, which usually split into more sub-categories, etc... for an example of this tutorial, we will export the Clockwerk Goblin from the mpq. Don't worry,the little bot will stay in the MPQ, we will simply duplicate the model and save it on our Hard Disc.

Exporting Models:

Now comes the easy part.
Open the category ''Units'', then open the sub-category ''Creeps'', and then the sub-category
''Hero Tinker Robot''. you will see some files, mostly ".wav" files(sounds), but also one mdx. double click on the mdx file and you will see the model in the main screen, where we previously saw just blank gray. Now, right click on the "HeroTinkerRobot.mdx" file in the MPQ Browser, and chose ''Export''. save it where and as you want, but remember to write the format of the file after the name. For example: instead of saving it as ''GoblinRobot'', save it as ''GoblinRobot.mdx''.

Exporting Textures:

Exporting textures is not the same as exporting models, if you need them in a different format than "blp". In order to export a texture, you have to first double-click it(open it), then go to "Windows" and then to "Texture Manager". Then you right click the texture, and chose "Export". There, you just chose where to save and in what format to save. For an example, we will take the "Bandit Lord" skin. Open the War3.mpq, and then oben the category "Units", and then the sub-category "Creeps". In there search for a folder called "BanditLord". Open it. There will be some files in there, 2 MDX's(models) and 1 BLP(texture). Double-click the BLP file(BanditLord.blp). If you will look at the main screen, you will see the skin now. Now, go to "Windows" and chose Texture Manager". Right click on the single texture that appears in the list and chose "Export". Now just save. You can also chose in what format to save the file(jpg, bmp, tga, etc...).

Now we are done!

Credits&Thanks:

Hidden information: TotallyAwesome - Taught me about the "Exporting Textures" part, thanks!

I will be glad to hear c&c regarding the tutorial. I would also like to hear comments regarding various typos and misunderstanding, if some exist. I hope someone will find this tutorial useful.

[[Ð]]

Well, it looks like it could really help a few starting modders. Good work.

[TotallyAwesome]

Explain how to export .tga, and .jpg textures.

[deolrin]

Originally Posted by TotallyAwesome

Explain how to export .tga, and .jpg textures.

The only way i know is to export the BLP and then convert using any image converter(usually Wc3 Viewer). Is that what you meant?

[Tide-Arc Ephemera]

The title is REALLY misleading.

[deolrin]

Originally Posted by Tide-Arc Ephemera

The title is REALLY misleading.

Ah, how you mean?

[TotallyAwesome]

Originally Posted by deolrin

The only way i know is to export the BLP and then convert using any image converter(usually Wc3 Viewer). Is that what you meant?

In MPQ browser thing in magos' model editor, you can open a .blp texture, then go to texture manager, right click the texture, export, and choose format you want. So you can convert BLP files with magos.

[deolrin]

Originally Posted by TotallyAwesome

In MPQ browser thing in magos' model editor, you can open a .blp texture, then go to texture manager, right click the texture, export, and choose format you want. So you can convert BLP files with magos.

Thanks, didn't knew it

+Rep, and added an "Exporting Textures" part.

[Tide-Arc Ephemera]

Hm, the title isn't as misleading as I thought, but it looked like a skinning tutorial. There ARE sounds in the MPQ, too, though.

[Captain Griffen]

Approved, moved to tutorials for beginners. Same really applies for extracting anything from the MPQs.