SE Blender First Model

Notes

This guide was built on the recommendations from the following locations:

• http://harag-on-steam.github.io/se-blender/#installation
• https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1168501958&searchtext=importing+fbx
• https://forum.keenswh.com/forums/modding.325599/
• https://www.youtube.com/user/Shaostoul/videos
• https://github.com/mafoo/Space-Engineers-Mods

This whole guide will be based on having followed the BE Blender Setup guide I wrote.

Mod Folder Setup

1. Navigate to D:\Modding\SpaceEngineers\Mods\
2. Copy the folder named Template to <ModName>
3. Navigate to D:\Modding\SpaceEngineers\Mods\<ModName>
4. Rename Template.blend to <ModName>.blend

Import ModSDK FBX File

1. Open <ModName>.blend
2. On the Properties pane select the Scene tab and scroll down to the Space Engineers Block section and enter the following:
   • Block Size: Enter your block size type and demission's in SE cubes.
     • Note Large block and scale down is generally not what you want. You will have a model for both large block and small block. For the our example with a Assembler select Large Block
   • Export Settings: If this field is Red, click the + symbol.
3. Select File then Import and finally click FBX (.fbx)
4. Navigate to D:\Modding\SpaceEngineers\Source\Content\Models\Cubes\large\ and select Assembler.FBX
   • Blender will appear to hang for a few minutes while it converts and opens the file.
   • Once the import finishes you should see the Assembler, but parts of it may be offset in one direction. This is normal.
5. If part of the model is offset follow these steps, otherwise skip to the next step.
   1. Select the parent (Part that is offset from the rest)
   2. Press "Ctrl + i" to invert the selection.
   3. Now press "g" to move all parts but the parent. Try locking axises by pressing the keys "x","y" or "z" until the selection is moving on the correct axis.
   4. When the correct axis is identified input 1.25. If it moves the opposite way, press "-". If it does not move far enough try the next multiple of 1.25. (1.25*2=2.5).
   5. When the part is in the correct location select all.
   6. Now you need to go to the object tree on the right and unmark all the empties (dummys/conveyormarkers/terminals). If you don't they will be moved to the middle of the object.
      • These are generally named; detector_conveyor_#, detector_terminal_#, detector_upgrade_#, or something like that.
      • They will have a symbol like an upside down Y
   7. Press "Ctrl + a" to open the apply transformation menu. Apply Location and open again to apply rotation and scale.
6. When the models are imported they come with a huge amount of garbage and duplicate materials (.001 etc), which in some cases causes lag. At the bottom of the Blender window you should see a Texts pane (has scripts). Click on the Browse Text dropdown and you will see a list of .py scripts. Click on clean_materials.py.
7. In the view pane select all by pressing A and then click on **Run Script **on the Texts pane.
   • Blender may appear to hang for a minute while it cleans materials.
8. In the Texts pane click on the Browse Text dropdown and click on replace_materials.py.
9. In the view pane select all by pressing A and then click on **Run Script **on the Texts pane.
   • Blender may appear to hang for a minute while it replaces all materials with the SE ones included with the template.
10. At this time save the file, close blender, and reopen blender. This is to free up memory now that we are not loading hundreds of materials.
11. If you change your view mode to materials, the model should look similar to what it would look like in game.

Fixing Empties

First off these can be a pain. I’ll need to add more steps here later. The main issue is the mesh will not always glow, but is generally selectable.

Creating Mount Points

1. Select the Mount Points Layer
2. If the Tools menu on the left is not showing press T
3. Select the Create tab and scroll down to the Space Engineers section.
4. Click Mount-Points
5. You can now modify the planes it created to match your model. You can create additional planes.
6. Save your blend file.

Create Collision Mesh

1. Select the Collision Mesh Layer
2. Insert a new Cube and create a low poly representation. Collision meshes must be convex! To have a concave mesh you must have multiple convex meshes that make the shape you need. You can have up to 10 collision meshes on a block.
   • For this example create a cube that is 1,2,1
3. If Shading is set to Smooth, on the Tools menu select the Tools tab and then click Flat under Shading
4. While the collision mesh is selected, on the Properties pane select the Physics tab and enter the following:
   • Click Rigid Body
5. Save your blend file.

First Time Exporting Block

1. In the Outliner pane change the view to All Scenes
2. Name your Scene, something like NewAssembler.Large
3. In the Texts pane click on the Browse Text dropdown and click on set_names.py.
4. In the view pane select all by pressing A and then click on **Run Script **on the Texts pane.
5. In the 3D View pane press . on your numpad to view the world from the camera. If you need to zoom out press Shift + F to go into first person view. Then S will move back. When happy with the view press Enter and then . to leave camera view.
6. In the Texts pane click on the Browse Text dropdown and click on render_icons.py.
7. In the view pane select all by pressing A and then click on **Run Script **on the Texts pane.
8. On the Properties pane select the Scene tab and scroll down to the Space Engineers Block section and enter the following:
   • Click Export scene as block
   • Click Update block definitions
     • This requires having a block definitions file. That is outside the scope of this guide.
9. Save your blend file.
10. In Windows Explorer, navigate to D:\Modding\SpaceEngineers\Mods\<ModName>
11. Run Deplay.bat
    • This will create and copy all needed files for the mod to your personal SE Mods folder.
12. Launch SE and Load Game/New Game and add your mod to the list.

Rapid Mod Work

Now that you have exported your mod and tested it in SE you may need to make some tweaks. Luckily you can leave SE and Blender open at the same time and quick make changes and test them.

1. In Blender make your needed tweak.
2. Save your blend file.
3. Click Export scene as block
4. Click Update block definitions
5. Run the render_icons.py if you want to update the thumbnail in game.
6. Run Deplay.bat
7. In SE press F5 to do a quick load. This will re-load the world and all mods, and any changes you have made will be in game.