XNA LARA MANUAL

Page 1 / 35
 Introduction
XNA Lara is made by Dusan of the Tomb Raider Forums, in
which he put so much time and attention into, and has
brought smiles to so many peoples faces. For that, we all
thank him so much.

Through this manual youll go through the basics of creating a

simple pose, to a detailed render, then going on to create
wonderful masterpieces in image editing programs.

Also, you will see words highlighted in different colours

throughout the manual. Blue refers to bones, Red means
directions in the Control Window and Green means
keyboard shortcuts.

Happy Raiding!

Page 2 / 35
 Dos And Don'ts
Sometimes, if you accidently rename or move something in XNA Lara, it will
completely mess it up and you wont be able to use it, so here are some
tips

DO NOT: Rename .mesh files the .mesh files are what give the character
the bones and other parts; Leave them as they are.

DO NOT: Move any of the folders out of the XNA Lara folder, it can mess it
up

DO: Back up your folders when making a mod, otherwise youll lose it and
have to re-download the data pack

DO: Save your POSE or SCENE often in case the worst case scenario happens
and you loose it all.

REMEMBER: The Save Pose Command only saves the pose of the currently
selected model. So if you have multiple models in your scene select
Save Scene.

Page 3 / 35
 Part One:
Getting The Basics
Before you can even get XNA Lara working, you will need to
core frameworks; Microsoft XNA and Microsoft.NET
Download and follow the on-screen instructions to install
them. Youre not far from getting XNA Lara!

Now you have to download the latest version of XNA Lara,

Here is Dusans original post to see which version you
need., and extract that to your desired location.
One final step download data packs. In the link above are
two links. Both of them say Download Data Packs. Choose
your link, then when it has finished downloading, extract
that into XNA Lara Data.

Now youre ready to get posing!

Page 4 / 35
 Part Two:
The Control Window
The control panel is the main part of the program it enables
you to control your characters.

The next page shows you what everything is and how to use
them.

By Love2Raid By fuzzycroft
Page 5 / 35
 Help
Shows the controls and Credits
File
Lets you add/remove a character,
save your image and poses
Options
Shows accessories you can add and
camera/lighting effects etc.
Window
How big you want the window
Model & Drop Down Menu
Sets the currently active models
Scale
The size you want your character
to be
X, Y, Z Axis Sliders
What lets you rotate the bones
Height
Control how far up or down the
character goes
Look At
Lets you choose what part of the
characters body you want to look at
Extended Bone Control
This makes controlling parts of the
face and other bones much easier

Page 6 / 35
Hopefully that put the basics to you, If not, further
in the manual you will find out what to do.

The Control Window is the key part when creating

poses, but sometimes it gets in the way of parts
of the characters body, so scale it to its smallest
height so its not in the way if you cant see
what you are doing when its small, scale it
bigger.

Also, on the Control Panel you can see to buttons

next to the scale box which say Show and
Lock. If you click Show, it will show and hide
the currently selected model, which makes it
easier when posing multiple models for example.
Lock locks the model you are using, so you
dont accidently select other models when using
them.

Page 7 / 35
 Part Three:
Camera Navigation in The 3D Space

To create the best poses, camera navigation is crucial.

Without it, you cant see what you are doing and it wont
give you the best results when it comes to saving your
image.

You can easily rotate the camera by using the Left Mouse
Button and dragging it around the screen this way, you
can see all around the models body. But, if you hold SHIFT
when doing this, you can pan the camera; so if you wanted
to see half of the models face, use this and zoom (Right
Mouse Button - Drag).

Play around with the camera when you open XNA Lara, see
how it can really help when navigating around the 3D area.

Page 8 / 35
 Part Four:
Adding Your Character
When you have your data packs in the correct place, you can
add your character. For our first simple pose, well create
Lara standing bored. But thats later on.

UNDERWORLD

Page 9 / 35
Step I:
When you have opened XNA Lara, go to FILE >
Add Model,

Step II:
Now go to Lara
Jungle Shorts
(lara_jungle_shorts
is the default name,
the above one is a
renamed folder). Now
click OK and when it
has loaded, your
model will appear in
the Default pose.

Page 10 / 35
 So here is your model. The X, Y and Z axis help
you rotate the bones around. Different bones are
controlled differently by each axis.
But, NumPad 1, 2, 3 or Q, W, E and Left Mouse
Button Drag also control these, and its much easier.

Page 11 / 35
If you move your mouse across Laras
body, youll see lots of dots appear,
these dots are the bones, and they
are what you control.
Page 12 / 35
 Part Five:
Posing Lara
Okay, now we are going to create the pose seen at the beginning of
Part Three.

But first, refer to the next page for the controls or carry on and start
posing.

By Alex Fly By LARA_geek

Page 13 / 35
 Controls
Here is the basic Controls used in XNA Lara.

Left Mouse Button Drag > Rotate Camera

Shift & Left/Right Mouse Button Drag > Pan Camera
Right Mouse Button Drag > Zoom Camera

Left Mouse Button Click > Select Bone

(NumPad1 or Q) & LMB drag > Rotate Selected Bone Around X axis Slider
(NumPad2 or W) & LMB drag > Rotate Selected Bone Around Y axis Slider
(NumPad3 or E) & LMB drag > Rotate Selected Bone Around Z axis Slider

NumPad0 > Reset Selected Bone

Ctrl + LMB click/drag ... position model on ground plane

(Shift +) arrow keys ... move model on ground plane (two speeds)
(Shift +) Alt + arrow keys ... move model vertically

F2 > Camera Quick Save

F3 > Camera Quick Load

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0 > Set Camera Target (Look At)

Page 14 / 35
 TIP:
In the 3D Window
(Where Your model is)
press NumPad 1, 2, 3
or Q, W & E then Drag
the Left Mouse Button
It makes
manoeuvring the
models easier
Fig. 1

Step I:

Think about how, in real life, how the human body acts, so that your pose
doesnt look abnormal. Here, I have rotated Laras PELVIS around the Z
Axis of about -10 so that it gives her a slanted look. Now with LEG LEFT
THIGH, rotate that around the Z Axis again, and then her LEG LEFT
ANKLE the same again it is best to have the ground there so that Lara
isn't standing in thin air (Options > Display Ground). The right leg is very
similar, but with that you dont have to slant it. Do that so that Lara looks
like that in Fig.1.

Page 15 / 35
 Fig. 2 Fig. 3

Step II:

Now work up the characters body with the arms, move ARM LEFT SHOULDER 2
(There is ARM LEFT SHOULDER 1, but that is further up the body) around the
Z Axis so that Laras arm is dangling down, and the same with ARM LEFT
WRIST. Do the same with ARM RIGHT, but dont make them identical
because shell look like a robot.

To zoom in to the characters body parts, go to Look At, or use the Number Pad to
look around (Go to the Controls page for help).

Page 16 / 35
 Step III:

Now comes the tricky part, the

fingers. The fingers are one of the
trickiest parts of the model to pose
as they are so delicate, especially
when trying to pose a model with
a weapon. So read carefully.

Zoom right in to the fingers to you

can see what you are doing. Each
Fig. 4 finger has three bones (Two extra
in Extended Bone Control), so
sometimes its best to rotate the
camera in some situations.

The Thumb is ARM R/L FINGER 1 a,

b and c, but the thumb never
really needs posing unless the
character is holding a weapon.
Move ARM LEFT FINGER 1a and
b slightly around the Z Axis, but
the other fingers more and more
so that it looks like her fingers are
curling up again, dont make
them look identical. Refer to the
Fig. 5 pictures if you want any help.

Page 17 / 35
 Fig. 7
Fig. 6

Step IV:

Before we move onto the hair, well sort out Laras expression and head. Zoom in quite a bit and then
go to Look At > Head or use Number Pad 1. Now you should have a clear view of her face. Click on
Extended Bone Control, and a new window will open. In here, you can control bones easier as
well as being able to pose differently.

Lets give Lara a bored look. Go to EYEBROW LEFT 1 and RIGHT 1 and move the Y Axis slider down,
but not too much, otherwise Lara will end up looking mean. Then, pose her bottom lip, LIP
LOWER MIDDLE should do the trick. But again, dont move it down too far. Once youre happy,
close the window.

Now go back to the Control Window, and on Laras model, look for HEAD NECK LOWER. Pose the neck
using the X and Y Axis I posed mine as X Axis = 9 and Y Axis = 29. Of course you can put yours
to whatever digits you like.

Page 18 / 35
 Step V:

Finally, we can pose Laras hair. This, like

the fingers, can be very tricky in some
situations. Sometimes it is best to
rotate the camera to get the best
results, especially when posing hair
like we have.

Zoom in to Laras hair to get a better

view. There are nine bones in Laras
hair, and the first 3 are close together.
So, move HEAD HAIR PONYTAIL 0,
Fig. 8 around the Y Axis to move her hair
forward and back, and the X Axis to
move it left and right. Move it so its
pointing down, but not all the way,
and again with HEAD HAIR
PONYTAIL 1 and 2, but this time,
moving it upward a little (Fig. 8)

Now, use the Y Axis on HEAD HAIR

PONYTAIL 3 and put Laras Hair in
front of her shoulder, then the X Axis
to put it into place. Carry on going
down the hair until it looks something
like that in Fig. 9.

Fig. 9

Page 19 / 35
 Part Five:
Adding Accessories
Well Done! You have successfully created your first pose. But
on its own, its looks a little bland. Lets add some things to
Lara and make her look wonderful.

Page 20 / 35
There are two ways to add accessories, through adding
another model or through the Options Menu.

If you click Thors Gear, it will add Jarngreipr and

Megingjord to Lara (The Gauntlets and Belt in other
words) and Thors Gear Glow will put a beautiful blue
aura around the artefacts. You can also add Laras
Handguns to her holsters or hands the latter meaning
youll have to pose them. Or, you can add another model
to get your character geared up.
Page 21 / 35
 Step I:

Lets put an Assault Rifle on Laras

back, and we all know how she
wears them.

Go to, File > Add Model again and

choose Weapon Assault Rifle.
Youll see it pops up strange, but
we can fix that. Turn the camera
so that its looking at Laras side.
Now, (Make sure you click the
window where Lara is) use the
arrow keys and hold SHIFT to
make it move faster, to make
the model behind Laras feet.

Use the Height option in the

Control window to make Assault
Rifle up to Laras Backpack. Click
on root and rotate the Rifle so
that it looks like that in the
bottom picture.

The Best numbers to use are:

X Axis = 119
Y Axis = -90
Z Axis = -180
Height = 1.43

Also, put in Thors Gear and glow and

Laras Handguns for added
goodness.

Page 22 / 35
 Part Six:
Lighting
Lighting brings life to a picture, so it is a nice touch to add
something. In XNA Lara, you have the option to add two light
sources and colour. Here is the window so you can see the
basics. The Lighting Parameters option is in the Options Menu.

Angle Horizontal: The way the

light passes across the body

Intensity: How bright or soft you

want the light to be
Light Colour: Which colour you
want the light to be Click to
open a new window
Angle Vertical: The way the light
passes up/down the body
Shadow Depth: How strong or
soft the shadow should be

Page 23 / 35
Now we should add light to our render. On the right is the
Lighting Parameters I used, but by any means, use your
own.
Page 24 / 35
 Part Seven:
Saving Your Image and Exporting Models

Without saving your image, there is nothing to share with the

world, so, to save it, go to FILE > Save Image. A window
will pop up and enable you to save your image in different
formats.

Ticking Save Alpha Channel will only save your render,

making it possible to open it in an image editing program
and go further with your render. You can also click the drop
down menu to save your image in different sizes; 100%
being the size it is on screen, and 800% being absolutely
huge and in the best quality.

Click OK and the program will allow you to choose where and
what format you wish to save it as; JPG or PNG. When you
have finished, click save.

Page 25 / 35
 That beauty on the left was
made by -Trangel- in
Maya. There are plenty of
tutorials in which you can
create similar things in
3D Model programs such
as Maya and 3Ds Max.

But first, you must export

the posed model. Go to
FILE > Export Posed
Model. From there, you
can choose where to save
the Wavefront (.obj) file.
When you have exported
it, import it into your 3D
program and work from
there.

At the end of the manual,

there is a page which will
link you to helpful
tutorials.

Page 26 / 35
 Part Eight:
Making Fully Fledged Scenes
Alright, it may take a bit of time and attention, but once you
get the hang of it, youll be on your way to making scenes
that look like they fell from heaven. For example

By Sir Croft By James-Croft

It is as simple as adding more models, posing, then

editing
Give it a go!

Page 27 / 35
 Part Nine:
Making The Perfect Picture
In XNA Lara, we can assign a background image either for
reference when creating a pose or to place a posed model
into an existing background. All you do is go to Options >
Assign Background Image, if you dont like it or want to
remove it, click Remove Background Image

But, we can also export our render into an image editing

program such as Photoshop, Paint.NET or GIMP to put all
sorts of effects into our image. Instructions to create a
simple wallpaper are on the next page.

By TRKO

By Vanity

Page 28 / 35
Right, Ive found a picture I think will suite my render, but there is an
obstruction Lara is in the way, so, I have to save my render quite
large in order to make it good quality. Now in your image editing
program, you open this picture, and your render. Select what part
of the render you like, and CUT it (Usually Ctrl+X). Then, go to
your chosen background and PASTE IN A NEW LAYER
(Ctrl+Shift+V). You can scale your render so that it covers the
obstruction. The finished product is

Page 29 / 35
 You can do so much more when you have the
initiative and determination to, so go on and give it a
shot

Page 30 / 35
 Part Ten:
Other
There are parts in the Control Window that havent been
explained in full detail, so this section will fill in them small
details.

Skydome Parameters: The Thailand Skydrome can be

displayed when Display Skydome is ticked, from there you
can control the elevation and rotation of the scene.

Camera Parameters: Helps control the Field of view in the

camera angle.

Set Background Colour: The colour of the background.

Reset Selected Pose: Resets everything on the selected model,

so be careful.

Page 31 / 35
 Part Eleven:
XNA Lara Modding
You can mod the textures of the models in their respective
data packs and give the characters a new light. Some
excellent mods are already available, so check them out on
the Useful Links page. Here are some previews.
By Legend Killer

By tomb4radier
By XNAaraL

By drak0r
By |{eith

Page 32 / 35
 To use mods, follow these instructions:

Download a mod you like, lets say the Classic by

XNAaraL.
When its downloaded, Copy the folder it replaces
Lara Jungle Shorts for the Classic mod.
Rename the folder you copied to Classic (Or
something like -Classic- if you want to keep all your
mods together)
Extract all the files in the .zip/.rar to the Classic folder
but make sure you DO NOT rename the .mesh or
the textures a different mesh will stop the model
from working and different named textures will
appear black.

Now your mod should work and you can be posing with
all sorts of different looking characters.

Page 33 / 35
 Useful Links
If you want to use extra models, or read tutorials, follow these links.

XNA Lara Modding Thread > Download mods to use in XNA Lara
Recapitulative Of The Additional Objects For XNA Lara > Use extra
models in XNA Lara
Reflections by fuzzycroft > Learn how to make reflections in
Photoshop
Combining Models by fuzzycroft > Learn how to combine different
models in Photoshop and create different renders
Underwater Effects by fuzzycroft > Learn how to make water effects
in Photoshop
Lighting Effects by [Tomb Raider] > Learn how add nice light effects
in Photoshop and others
Applying Textures in Maya by -Trangel- > Learn how to bring models
alive in Maya
Lighting Effects in Maya by -Trangel- > Same as [Tomb Raider]s
tutorial, only in Maya

Page 34 / 35
 Credits
XNA Lara Dusan Pavlicek

All images used herein are of their

respective owners, no images can be used
or copied.

XNA Lara Manual by LaraRules81, with the

help of Dusan.

Many thanks for your time, enjoy XNA Lara!

Page 35 / 35