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Quick Start

This guide will get you viewing W3D models in minutes.

Running the Viewer

After building the project, launch the viewer:

.\build\release\VulkanW3DViewer.exe

./build/release/VulkanW3DViewer

Loading a Model

Using the GUI

  1. Launch the viewer without arguments
  2. The File Browser panel opens automatically
  3. Navigate to your W3D files
  4. Click a .w3d file to load it

Using Command Line

Load a model directly:

./VulkanW3DViewer path/to/model.w3d

With custom texture path:

./VulkanW3DViewer model.w3d -t /path/to/textures

Basic Navigation

Once a model is loaded:

Action Control
Rotate camera Left mouse drag
Zoom in/out Mouse scroll wheel
Pan camera Middle mouse drag

Understanding the Interface

The viewer has several UI panels:

Viewport Window

The main 3D view showing your model. This is where you interact with the camera.

Model Info Panel

Displays information about the loaded model:

  • Mesh count and names
  • Vertex/triangle counts
  • Texture information
  • Bone hierarchy

Animation Panel

If the model has animations:

  • Play/pause animation
  • Adjust playback speed
  • Select different animations
  • Scrub through timeline

LOD Panel

For models with multiple LOD levels:

  • View available LOD levels
  • Force specific LOD level
  • See LOD switching thresholds

Console Window

Shows debug output and loading messages. Useful for troubleshooting.

Example Workflow

  1. Launch the viewer 

    ./VulkanW3DViewer

  2. Open a model using the file browser

  3. Explore the model

  4. Rotate with left mouse drag
  5. Zoom with scroll wheel

  6. Check the Model Info panel for details

  7. Play animations (if available)

  8. Open the Animation panel
  9. Select an animation from the dropdown

  10. Click Play

  11. Inspect LOD levels

  12. Open the LOD panel
  13. Toggle between LOD levels

Obtaining W3D Files

W3D files come from Command & Conquer: Generals and Zero Hour:

  1. Locate your game installation directory
  2. Look in the Data folder
  3. W3D files may be inside .big archives
  4. Use a BIG extractor tool to access individual files

Legal Notice

Ensure you own a legitimate copy of the game. W3D files are copyrighted by Electronic Arts.

Debug Mode

Enable verbose output for troubleshooting:

./VulkanW3DViewer model.w3d --debug

This prints detailed information about:

  • File parsing progress
  • Chunk types encountered
  • Texture loading status
  • Any warnings or errors

Next Steps