Dmxedit is a command line tool for manipulating DMX model files in Source games. It focuses on flex animation and allows editing wrinkle maps, delta states, and vertex positions through Lua scripts. Functions include loading/saving DMX files, adding/removing delta states, translating/rotating vertices, and more.

1. Dmxedit
Contents
 1 Usage
 2 Lua
o 2.1 Load/Save
o 2.2 Utility
o 2.3 Delta states
o 2.4 Wrinkle maps
o 2.5 Flex controllers
o 2.6 Expression presets
o 2.7 Meshes
o 2.8 Vertices
Dmxedit is a command-line SDK tool which manipulates DMX model files. It focuses on
flex animation.
Usage
dmxedit [ -h | -help ] [ -game <$game> ] [ -nop4 ] [ -set $var=val ] [
script.lua ]
-h
prints help information, including a list of available functions.
-game
Sets the VPROJECT environment variable to the specified game.
-nop4
Disables Perforce integration.
-set
Sets the lua variable var to the specified val before the script is run.
Lua
Unusually, commands are issued to dmxedit by creating Lua scripts. Script load DMX files,
make changes to them, then save them to a location (possibly the original location).
Here is a simple script to create wrinkle maps:
Load("C:/heavy_morphs_high.dmx")
SetWrinkleScale("BrowInV", "WrinkleNose", -0.5)
SetWrinkleScale("BrowInV", "RaiseBrowIn", 2)
ComputeWrinkles()
Save("C:/heavy_morphs_high.dmx")
Valve's dmxedit scripts are available at SourceFilmmakergamesdktoolslua. These can
be used to set up your model in the same way as Valve's.

2. Load/Save
Load( < $file.dmx | $file.obj >, [ $loadType ] )
Replaces the current scene with the specified scene. The current mesh will be set to
the first mesh with a combination operator found in the new scene. $loadType is one
of "absolute" or "relative". If not specified, "absolute" is assumed.
Save( [ $file.dmx | $file.obj ], [ $saveType ], [ $delta ] )
Saves the current scene to either a single dmx file or a sequence of obj files. If $file is
not specified, the filename used in the last Load() command will be used to save the
file. $saveType is one of "absolute" or "relative". If not specified, "absolute" is
assumed. If $delta is passed and the save type is OBJ, then only a single OBJ of that
delta is saved. "base" is the base state.
Import( < $file.dmx >, [ $parentBone ] )
Imports the specified DMX model into the scene. The imported model can optionally
be parented (which implictly skins it) to a specified bone in the existing scene via
$parentBone.
Merge( < $src.dmx >, < $dst.dmx > )
Merges the current mesh onto the specified dmx file and saves to the second specified
dmx file
MergeMeshAndSkeleton( < $src.dmx >, < $dst.dmx > )
Merges the current mesh onto the specified dmx file and saves to the second specified
dmx file. This function also merges deltas.
FileExists( < $filename > )
Returns true if the given filename exists on disk, false otherwise
Utility
SetDistanceType( < $distanceType > )
Sets the way distances will be interpreted after the command. $distanceType is one of
"absolute" or "relative". By default distances are "absolute". All functions that work
with distances (Add, Interp and Translate) work on the currently selected vertices.
"absolute" means use the distance as that number of units, "relative" means use the
distance as a scale of the radius of the bounding sphere of the selected vertices.
Delta states
Add( < $delta >, [ #weight ], [ #featherDistance ], < $falloffType > )
Adds specified state to the current state of the mesh weighted and feathered by the
specified #weight, #featherDistance & $falloffType. $falloffType is one of "straight",
"spike", "dome", "bell". Note that only the specified delta is added. i.e. If Add( "A_B"
); is called then just A_B is added, A & B are not. See AddCorrected();
AddCorrected( < $delta >, [ #weight ], [ #featherDistance ], < $falloffType
> )
Same as Add() except that the corrected delta is added. i.e. If AddCorrected( "A_B" );
is called then A, B & A_B are all added. This works similarly to SetState() whereas
Add() just adds the named delta.
DeleteDelta( < $delta > )
Deletes the named delta state from the current mesh
DeltaCount( )
Returns the number of deltas in the current mesh
DeltaName( < #deltaIndex > )

3. Returns the name of the delta at the specified index. Use DeltaCount() to get a count
of how many deltas are present
DeltaRadius( < $delta > )
Returns the radius of the specified delta, if it exists. Radius of a delta is defined as the
radius of the tight bounding sphere containing all of the deltas added to their base
state values
Interp( < $delta >, [ #weight ], [ #featherDistance ], < $falloffType > )
Interpolates the current state of the mesh towards the specified state, $weight,
#featherDistance and $falloffType. $falloffType is one of "straight", "spike", "dome",
"bell"
ListDeltas( )
Prints a list of all of the deltas present in the current mesh
MaxDeltaDistance( < $delta > )
Returns the maximum distance any vertex moves in the specified delta. Returns 0 if
the delta specified doesn't exist
ResetState( )
Resets the current mesh back to the default base state, i.e. no deltas active
SaveDelta( < $delta > )
Saves the current state of the mesh to the named delta state
SetState( < $delta > )
Sets the current mesh to the specified $delta
Wrinkle maps
See also Wrinkle maps.
ComputeWrinkle( < $delta > [ , #scale = 1 [ , $operation ] ] )
Updates the wrinkle stretch/compress data for the specified delta based on the position
deltas for the current state scaled by the scale value. If $operation isn't specified then
"REPLACE" is assumed. $operation is one of: "REPLACE", "ADD". Note that
Negative (-) values enable the compress map and Positive (+) values enable the
stretch map. This also sets the wrinkle scale to 1
ComputeWrinkles( [ #bOverwrite = false ] )
Uses the current combo rules ( i.e. The wrinkleScales, via SetWrinkleScale()) to
compute wrinkle delta values. If #bOverwrite is false, only wrinkle data that doesn't
currently exist on the mesh will be computed. If #bOverwrite is true then all wrinkle
data will be computed from the combo rules wiping out any existing data computed
using ComputeWrinkle().
SetWrinkleScale( < $controlName >, < $rawControlName >, < #scale > )
Sets the wrinkle scale of the raw control of the specified control. NOTE:
SetWrinkleScale merely sets the wrinkle scale value of the specified delta on the
combination operator. This value is only used if ComputeWrinkles() is called after all
SetWrinkleScale() calls are made. A wrinkle scale of 0 means there will be no wrinkle
deltas. The function to compute a single delta's wrinkle values, ComputeWrinkle()
does not use the wrinkle scale value at all. Negative (-) is compress, Positive (+) is
stretch.
Flex controllers
AddDominationRule( { < $dominator > [ , ... ] }, { < $supressed > [ , ... ]
} )
Create a domination rule. A lua array of strings is passed as the 1st argument which
are the controls which are the dominators and a lua array of strings is passed as the

4. 2nd argument which are the controls to be supressed by the dominators.e.g.
AddDominationRule( { "foo" }, { "bar", "bob" } );
GroupControls( < $groupName > [ , $rawControlName ... ] )
Groups the specified raw controls under a common group control. If the group control
already exists, the raw controls are added to it
ImportComboRules( < $rules.dmx >, [ #bOverwrite ], [ #bPurgeDeltas ] )
Imports the combintion rules from the specified dmx file and replaces the current
rules with those from the file is #bOverwrite specified or is true. If #bOverwrite is
false then any existing controls that are not in the imported rules file are preserved. If
#bPurgeDeltas is specified and is true, then any delta states which are no longer
referred to by any combination rule or control will be purged.
ReorderControls( < $controlName [ , ... ] > )
Reorders the controls in the specified order. The specified controls will be moved to
the front of the list of controls. Not all of the controls need to be specified.
Unspecified controls will be left in the order they already are after the specified
controls
SetEyelidControl( < $controlName > [ , < true | false > ] )
Sets the specified morph control to be an eyelid control if the 2nd argument is true.If
the 2nd argument is omitted, true is assumed
SetStereoControl( < $controlName > [ , < true | false > ] )
Sets the specified morph control to be stereo if the 2nd argument is true.If the 2nd
argument is omitted, true is assumed
Expression presets
CachePreset( < $preset.pre >, [ $expression.txt ] )
Caches the specified $preset file for later processing by a call to
CreateDeltasFromCachedPresets(). If an $expression.txt file pathname is specified, an
expression file will be written out for this preset file
ClearPresetCache( )
Removes all preset filenames that have been specified via CachePreset() calls
CreateDeltasFromCachedPresets( [ #bPurgeExisting = true ], [ { "NoPurge1",
... } ] )
Creates a new delta state for every preset defined in the preset files specified by
previous CachePreset() calls. Calling this calls ClearPresetCache(). #bPurgeExisting
specifies whether existing controls should be purged. If #bPurgeExisting is true, then
an optional array of deltas to not purge can be specified.
CreateDeltasFromPresets( < $preset.pre >, [ #bPurgeExisting = true ], [ {
"NoPurge1", ... } ], [ $expression.txt ] )
Creates a new delta state for every present defined in the specified preset file.
#bPurgeExisting specifies whether existing controls should be purged. If
#bPurgeExisting is true, then an optional array of deltas to not purge can be specified.
CreateExpressionFileFromPresets( < $preset.pre >, < $expression.txt > )
Creates a faceposer expression.txt and expression.vfe file for the specified preset file
CreateExpressionFilesFromCachedPresets( )
Creates a faceposer expression.txt and expression.vfe file for each of the
preset/expression file pairs specified by previous CachePreset calls
Meshes
Mirror( [ $axis ] )

5. Mirrors the mesh in the specified axis. $axis is one of "x", "y", "z". If $axis is not
specified, "x" is assumed (i.e. "x" == mirror across YZ plane)
RemapMaterial( < #index | $srcMaterial >, < $dstMaterial > )
Remaps the specified material to the new material, material can be specified by index
or name
RemoveFacesWithMaterial( < $material > )
Removes faces from the current mesh which have the specified material
RemoveFacesWithMoreThanNVerts( < #vertexCount > )
Removes faces from the current mesh which have more than the specified number of
faces
Vertices
Select( < $delta >, [ $type ] )
Changes the selection based on the vertices present in the specified $delta. $type is
one of "add", "subtract", "toggle", "intersect", "replace". If $type is not specified,
"add" is assumed.
SelectHalf( < $halfType > )
Selects all the vertices in half the mesh. $halfType is one of left or right. Left means
the X value of the position is >= 0, right means that the X value of the position is <=
0. So it's the character's left (assuming they're staring down -z)
SelectionRadius( )
Returns the radius of the currently selected vertices, if nothing is selected, returns 0.
Radius of a the vertices defined as the radius of the tight bounding sphere containing
all of the vertices.
GrowSelection( < #size > )
Grows the current selection by the specified $size
ShrinkSelection( < #size > )
Shrinks the current selection by the specified $size (integer)
Translate( < #xTranslate, #yTranslate, #zTranslate >, [ #falloffDistance,
$falloffType ] )
Translates the selected vertices of the mesh by the specified amount
Rotate( < #xRotate, #yRotate, #zRotate >, [ #xOffset, #yOffset, #zOffset ],
[ #falloffDistance, $falloffType ] )
Rotates the current selection around the center of the selection by the specified Euler
angles (in degrees). The optional offset is added to the computed pivot point.
Scale( < #xScale >, [ #yScale, #zScale ] )
Scales the position values by the specified amount. If only 1 scale value is supplied a
uniform scale in all three dimensions is applied
ComputeNormals( )
Computes new smooth normals for the current mesh and all of its delta states.
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