Japanese 3D Modeling tools

In the last 7 days, I’m busy creating my next game/demo program.  It will be a remake of Super Contra in 3D. But the character will be in ‘Chibi’ form so hopefully it will be quite cute 🙂  (hmm… since when is a-muscle-guy-with-big-gun-shooting-a-bunch-of-aliens cute? 😐  ).

You can see the sketches of the character on my previous post or in my website (http://www.abiyasa.com/).

So, which tools do I use? Metasequoia 2.4 for 3D modeling, Mikoto for animating the 3d models,  & Mikoto2X to convert the Mikoto animation to DirectX .X file.

Although I could have used Maya or Blender to do the modeling, I found that Metasequoia is very easy to use. It is not the most complete tools but it’s good enough for modeling a low-poly character. And since version 2.4, you can use the free version (Metasequoia 2.4LE) even for commercial purpose. Download it from here (http://www.metaseq.net/) or for the English version, click here (http://www.metaseq.net/english/index.html) .

Metasequoia
metaseq 2.4 is available now!

Then you can use Mikoto (another freeware software from Japan) to animate the models from Metaseq. There is no tutorial in English (even after googling it on the Net) , so I have to read the translated manual by Babel Fish.  The manual was not enough but I found a great Japanese website explaining the details using Mikoto (http://umemori69.hp.infoseek.co.jp/umemori69_005.htm). You can download Mikoto from that page too.

 Mikoto
Mikoto 0.4

Too bad that the instructions are in JPGs (instead of HTML) so I cannot translate them using Babel fish. Luckily, I finally understand how to use Mikoto. Maybe someday I will make an introduction and step-by-step tutorials about Mikoto.

The same problem happen when I was using Mikoto2X. I couldn’t found English-speaking person who can use this tool. But I managed converting my Mikoto animations using this tools and the result is perfect!! When I play the .X animation in Irrlicht engine, I found no problems at all. All the animations are exported perfectly and the frame numbers stay the same.

So why do I use Japanese tools? I could have done everything using Blender.

I am interested in Japanese or anime character style, even the 3D ones. And most of Japanese use Metaseq or Shader to model the anime characters, at least the ones that you can download for free. And these tools are easy to use. Blender is powerful but it is very hard to use and I don’t like the interface. I’d rather spending my time polishing my model rather than figuring out how to use this and that in Blender. But that’s just my personal preference.

I hope I will have time to make tutorials about these tools so everyone can  get the same experience with me 😉

16 thoughts on “Japanese 3D Modeling tools

  1. dear sir:

    Sorry to bother you.
    I am also a big fan of Mikoto.
    But the lighting problem keeps bothering me.
    Is there any way to set up a light and save the information?
    I always need to setup lights in my scene and that costs lot of time.
    If you know any way to save the light setting, would you please share with me?

  2. Hey abiyasa,

    i am using metaseq really interested in using mikoto and somewhat able to use it, but i do not quite get how i am supposed to generate files that is used in mikoto2x

    from what i can figure i need a m2x text file with some filenames in it.
    m2x itself,mqo and mkm is ok but, how i am supposed to generate _anchor.x _bone.x and _init.mkm?

    Thanks in advance.
    -Quad

  3. Hey Quad,

    I haven’t used Mikoto & Metaseq for a looong time, but luckily I wrote something when I was using mikoto2x.

    For _anchor.x, export your metaseq model to .x, but only the anchor boxes. So your .x model only contains the mikoto-style-anchor boxes. No skin part or bones.

    For _bone.x, just export the mikoto-bones (the triangles only)

    Also for the _skin.x, just export you metaseq model without any bones or anchor.

    For _init.mkm, just create a mikoto animation file, with your model standing. no complex movement, just one single animation (like standing for example)

    Note: To make sure the .x format is valid, execute Xanimationsmooth to your _skin.x file

    Hope this will help 🙂

  4. Thanks for the info of this software!!! looking for something for my pocket, cause 3dsmax is so expensive XDD gonna play with it later 🙂 and nice journal!!

    • Thanks a lot! I tried it and it works. Some popup dialogs are still in Japanese but the main UI is in English. Really helpful 😉

      There is still no UNDO, now I remember why I left Mikoto 😀

  5. umemori69’s website is no longer live and the webarchive doesn’t have all the images.

    Do you have a copy of the images by any chance?

  6. – In 2009 I’m Used to interest about Mikoto but I’ don’t try to use it.
    (full of Japanese Letter make me dizzy and Don’t know the way to start with)

    – Badluck!! I miss to visit this Link >>> http://umemori69.hp.infoseek.co.jp/umemori69_005.htm (T-T)/
    but I’ve Scraped some of the page in other Japanese site. (Now it same of umemori69?s website the Link is dead )
    In this site make a bit toturial(in japan) But have a lot of MQO+MKM file shared if someone want I’ll upload it.

    – Now I’m learn how to Rigging 3Dmodel in 3dsMax9 ,But feel’in bad to posing my anime style model.
    I’m a noob of PaperModel Creator that making lowpoly in Metasequioa.
    I try to adjust my model in some posing but it long long time and have many errors thing to correct them /(*O*)\

    Everyone who know How to use Mikoto(or another coolwork program) adjust pose of model.
    Please tell me \(>_<)/

    PS. Sorry for my bad grammar I'm from Thailand and quit bad with writing in Enlish
    but I'm really want to comunicate with Everybody who interested in the same way.

  7. Hey i just downloaded mikoto and i am playing around woth one of the sample .mqo s, but i can’t seem to save the pose i leave it in. I press “save” and when i open it up again it is back to the previous pose. Also, is there a tutorial for this, i can’t figure out how to animate.
    Thanks, I love your website :):)

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