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htm Metasequoia Tutorial

What is Meta? Metasequoia is a powerful 3D CAD program that can create complex models that can be used in Tomb Raider. Using it, almost any kind of custom object can be made.

Table of Contents
Running Meta Getting an Orientation Tool Bars Creating a Primitive Editing a Primitive Saving and Scaling Importing to Strpix Opening and Scaling Final Comments

Running Meta
To open Metasequoia, double-click the Metaseq Icon:

If this is the first time you have opened Meta, you will be prompted to choose a language. This tutorial covers the basics of the English setting. Continue to Getting an Orientation

Getting an Orientation
When Meta is first opened, you are presented with the coordinate plane. If ever you have done any graphing, you may recognize the plane. Meta is essentially a 3D graphing program that reverses the process of graphing: you provide the lines and shapes, it figures out the equations. Given that Meta is 3D, there are three axis.

This picture shows the coordinate plane at a distance, the y axis, the z axis, and the x axis. In Tomb Raider, the z axis points upwards, so either the plane must be rotated when building objects, or the objects must be built on their sides to allow them to be right-wayup when in the game. Continue to Tool Bars

Tool Bars
The Command Bar:

This bar is the most functional of the toolbars, allowing you to select and move, as well as rotate and scale. Select: This option allows you to select parts of the object. Hold Shift to select multiple parts. Rect & Rope: Allow you to select with a rectangle or lasso. Move: Displays the moving axis:

By clicking and dragging the yellow cube, a selected object can be dragged.

Objects can also be moved more accurately by inputting numbers into the move input box, and clicking Ok. If you click Ok multiple times, the object will continue to rotate. Scale: Displays the moving axis like the move option. Click and drag on any of the green, blue, or red cones to scale in that direction, or click and drag on the yellow cube to scale overall.

The scale input box can also be used in the same way as the rotation input box for more accurate scaling. Rotate: Displays the moving axis again, but with spheres instead of cones. Click and drag to rotate.

The rotate input box. Rotate in the same way you would move, or scale. The Edit tool box

Allows you to select all, unselect all, undo and redo. Don't worry about the rest yet. The View Menu:

Press the Z key to activate the view menu. Click and drag to zoom, or change by clicking Move, Rotate, Perspective, or Dolly. Remember - This only changes how you LOOK at your object, it does NOT CHANGE your object in any way. (it's just to get at it on all sides) You can also rotate the view at any time by right-click dragging. Continue to Creating a Primitive

Creating a Primitive
The easiest way to make objects is to edit a primitive. A primitive is a basic shape such as a cube, sphere, or cylinder.

To make a primitive, click Primitive in the Command Menu:

You will now see the Primitive menu:

Click the primitive object you wish to create, and click Property. You will now see the Property Window:

This menu allows you to change how many sections the objects are made of. Close the properties window, and click Create to build the primitive. Continue to Editing a Primitive

Editing a Primitive
Well, now that you've made a cube, cylinder, or sphere, you are probably wondering what the heck is so great about this?! Well, now things start getting interesting. You can now edit the primitive shape using the Command Tool Box:

You can shape the object until it takes the shape of whatever you want. Multiple shapes can be fused together to form more complex objects. Fusing shapes together can be as simple as placing one next to another, or you can use the Create button to build faces from just points. Tip: Remember to keep it simple. Objects don't really need to be complex. It really is amazing what can be done using texturing. If you don't believe me, run Strpix3 and select solid mode. Most of the guns, keys, and general objects are groups of rectangles of different shapes and sizes. Texturing can be magic, so don't despair if your object looks like a stretched box or something now, it will become what you want. Continue to Saving and Scaling

Saving and Scaling

You will have to save your magnificent creation to import it into Tomb Raider. Strpix, a program that you will have to use to import your objects into Tomb Raider, only imports objects in *.dxf format. Click SaveAs, and name your file, and save as type *.dxf, or an AutoCad document. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. My first attempt at object editing was an attempt to edit Lara's pistols and give them silencers. I inadvertently made her a pair that were the size of city blocks. That brings us to Scaling: As soon as you click save, this window will pop up:

All you really have to worry about here is the size bit of this window. Here is where a bit of guesswork comes in. It helps to have Strpix3 open at the same time to check the vertices of you objects. Rough numbers: Input these numbers into the multiply input box. 0.0097 - about the size of a gun or key 0.0500 - about the size of the motorbike 0.1000 - Large (about six laras standing on their shoulders) 1.0000 - Mammoth (far too large to even tell what the objects are) Continue to Importing to Strpix

Importing to Strpix
Once your object has been scaled and saved, you can now open it in Strpix. In Strpix, scroll down to an object in the 300's that you never use. If it is a part of something else, like the tail of a rat, pick something else, like a pillar. (or else your rats may have guns for tails, or something weird) Click File, and then Import *dxf. Your object should replace the current object in the window, and be completely white. You can edit it's textures in Strpix, but as this is a Meta tutorial, I won't discuss Strpix

much. Continue to Opening and Scaling

Opening and Scaling

To Open an object in Meta, you will need to scale it again. (Grr!) Open your object, and a menu will appear:

Check Invert Face, because Tomb Raider Automatically does this to all objects, and you don't want your object to be inside-out. Then click Ok, and your object will load. Continue to Final Comments

Final Comments
I hope this basic Metasequoia Tutorial has been helpful to you and creating new Tomb Raider objects. If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at: joeverdi@excite.com If you have a picture or screenshot of an object you made, I would be happy to post

it below, send any to my email above. Thank you, and Good Luck! -Raider