PinkyandBrains Beginners guide
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What are you rendering to the texture?
Normally I would set up the material in the material editor and assign it to an object there.
Regards
Dave -
Here is my model.
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?8ljf45sxdaai2lq
Please please please take a look at it.
Maybe it will tell u more than I can. Also one of my errors??? was that I was attaching the objects like to group them or I was thinking that this would help to unwrap UVW’s but now I’m watching a tutorial that is on the subject maybe I shouldn’t attach them…Pumpy already opened my eyes… maybe u will close them back and finish for starters… I’m sure I will bust your balls again…
thanx in advance…
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Ok I kinda understood what should I do… I just parked each objects at the uveditor and scaled and packed them… I have them now all around the final tiled area of the uv editor…
Now the problem is that the town is scaled so down that the textures are so small that the only think u see is the color… so the walls that at the start have windows and balconies and others… Now it’s just a color… So I have to attach them in a way that the final texture dds will be enough to display correctly?Mainly cause those are just pictures…
Or am I doing something wrong again?
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You need to be reusing the textures. For example if you have a brick building then all four walls should use the same brick part of the texture. If you have another brick building then that building also will use the same part of the texture.
You will not be able to have each building with a unique texture (whether part of the same texture file or spread over many files).
If you use repeating tiled textures you can get better results but the textures need to repeat i.e. if you place 9 textures together you wouldn’t be able to tell where the seam is.
Regards
Dave -
No I will not have every building with unique texture but I want to use 2 - 3 different ones.
Also as I just read If I leave some areas overlapping at the UV editor they will use the same texture… so that way I can increase the detail of the texture right? or it will confuse the LODEXPORER or LODEDITOR?Is that Doable?
Edit: About the seams u say… I don’t use them.
Now about telling which part is what so to apply the correct texture I believe this is easy. U just select it and at the viewport u can see it on the model which one is chosen. -
Once you get the workflow down it is quite simple.
It took me a while to realise what to do but I figure the basics break down to the following (for me anyway - sorry no pictures):
1. Select all your polys assign them to a really high ID that won’t be used.
2. Start grouping specific polys to separate IDs indepedent to that “Piece” of your model e.g. 4 polys of table leg 1 = ID 1, 4 polys of table leg 2 = ID 2 etc.
3. Now use a poly select to select each piece of your object that you applied an ID to earlier
4. Each time you add a poly select modifier to select a piece of your model, add a UVW map to it that is appropriate to the shape of that piece and then add an Unwrap UVW ontop of that.
5. Before you move onto the next pieces click the “Edit” button on the Unwrap UVW modifier and you should see a bunch of vertices for that particular piece of your object’s mapping.
6. Drag select all of those vertices and move them out of that Grey square outline (this outline is essentially your texture map canvas). You can select the scale option to scale them down so things don’t get too cluttered later on
7. Repeat the above steps for each piece that you’ve assigned an ID, always adding a poly select with a UVW ontop and an Unwrap on top of that. Each time dragging the vertices outside the canvas.
8. Once every piece is mapped add a final poly select and select every poly. Then add a Final Unwrap.
9. Click the edit button again and you should see all of the pieces you’ve previously mapped and dragged. Using the select by ID options drag each one back into the canvas area and scale them down so that they all fit in. Try to use as much of the canvas as possible rotating pieces if necessary.
10. You can collapse the stack now(the UVW data remains), but I doubt you need to if you have a decent PC.
11. Use texporter set the parameters to what you want (I select constant with a white colour and use edges as a wire reference). Export to a TGA with a high resolution (I use 2048x2048)
12. Now just open it up in photoshop or whatever and paint away.
There’s probably alot more you can do but generally this is what I have been doing and it’s worked a treat.
I believe this is a nice text guide. Don’t you?
Only instead of TGA we use DDS.
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I believe this is a nice text guide. Don’t you?
Only instead of TGA we use DDS.
thanx for the patience and the help guys. I believe I will need u in the near future…
Now is near… lolAbout the night lights on the buildings an approach like the night tiles u believe it will work? what I mean is that in 3d objects we don’t have the day and night textures (or Do we? or could we?) Could it be done with using a channel applied above the default material?
How do u do it? Only airports are lighted? Other areas or buildings? Any hints on how u achieved the lighted airfields?
Or should I STFU and start digging it my self? :lol: -
Arty, GO TO BED, hahahahaha
RAM22
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@RAM22:
Arty, GO TO BED, hahahahaha
RAM22
LOL when the cement get’s in your veins there’s no stopping… cause if it get’s to the Brain it coagulates than shit high and look over… Like the Matrix kind of think…
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There are no night textures on buildings. You would have to include the lit parts in the day texture.
Regards
Dave -
There are no night textures on buildings. You would have to include the lit parts in the day texture.
Regards
Daveu light my bulbs?
lit parts?
Edit: If there is some info on how to light the windows of the buildings I would really appreciate it. I mean I put glass windows and than inside I drop omni lights? or there is a better efficient way? I saw a tutorial on how to reflect external light inside from windows but I want to do the opposite…
Also to add to this question… In Airbases the area lights light all the time (and during the day) or they just show up at night? And how is this managed?Also I just saw how to make LOD’S… any general rule please?
Third also… :lol: about the size of the objects. Other objects seem enormous compared to my buildings. Any info on this? there where some talks for scaling and etc. What is the rule I have to use?
New Edit: I believe I got the lights Street and windows… So let’s see if they work in Falcon… And how…
Oh by the way the plugin gives a 127 error code on 2013 version…
New new Edit: LOL lodeditor… is a killer… to work with big felas… how did u managed to make the Airbases?
Another new Edit… LodEditor is a real Bitch with the big ones… lol crashes and slower than a snail… Is there a way to avoid the disappearing of the 3d object when looking at it’s edge? Doesn’t look good with big city blocks in close ups… From Far 10kfeet and up is ok… cause u see the whole city…
I found a plugin for Destruction models (didn’t tested it yet… will report back).
Scaling objects cause else will be too small and too populated and tooooo low FPS will be much of a sin?
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Bump… please any one guys… Talk to me please I’m a good guy… I will be a better boy …I promise… :lol:
I want to test the LOD levels… As I seen some in LE are very close like lod1 2500ft lod2 5000ft lod3 10000ft and so on and so forth… So maybe I should follow such a rule to ease up the FPS. Also I noticed some 3d objects don’t have any LOD than LOD1 hmmm shouldn’t all have at least 3?
As I see it in 3ds u declare a resolution and than it gives a list of all objects with a percentage… that’s all done? and with the eye I choose if what I see at the distance I choose (how do I see how Far am I from the object???) is familiar to real conditions and just export it as lod and import it with LE as a LOD? I did it (LOD numbers where not serial meaning lod1=7328 lod2=7334 lod3=7332 lod4=7333) but when in the pit I had a CTD after a few sec’s every time until I reverted back to without LOD’s.
Also to add another question to the above and previous thread how can we use the BMS editor for other theaters? LE is a bitch… BMS Editor looks way better and easy to manage 3d objects…
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Edit: If there is some info on how to light the windows of the buildings I would really appreciate it. I mean I put glass windows and than inside I drop omni lights? or there is a better efficient way? I saw a tutorial on how to reflect external light inside from windows but I want to do the opposite…
Also to add to this question… In Airbases the area lights light all the time (and during the day) or they just show up at night? And how is this managed?To make things glow use pType 20
Also I just saw how to make LOD’S… any general rule please?
Just get the poly count down as quickly as possible
Third also… :lol: about the size of the objects. Other objects seem enormous compared to my buildings. Any info on this? there where some talks for scaling and etc. What is the rule I have to use?
What objects? If you made them to the correct scale in Max then all should be good.
New Edit: I believe I got the lights Street and windows… So let’s see if they work in Falcon… And how…
See the lights on an airbase.
Oh by the way the plugin gives a 127 error code on 2013 version…
I don’t recall releasing a 2013 version
New new Edit: LOL lodeditor… is a killer… to work with big felas… how did u managed to make the Airbases?
Avoid LE where possible. What are you doing in LE?
Another new Edit… LodEditor is a real Bitch with the big ones… lol crashes and slower than a snail… Is there a way to avoid the disappearing of the 3d object when looking at it’s edge? Doesn’t look good with big city blocks in close ups… From Far 10kfeet and up is ok… cause u see the whole city…
This will be affected by the hit box in the parent record.
Regards
Dave -
I want to test the LOD levels… As I seen some in LE are very close like lod1 2500ft lod2 5000ft lod3 10000ft and so on and so forth… So maybe I should follow such a rule to ease up the FPS. Also I noticed some 3d objects don’t have any LOD than LOD1 hmmm shouldn’t all have at least 3?
Too close? On some aircraft models I have the LOD 1 value as low as 50.
For such large models you will have to experiment.
Regards
Dave -
To make things glow use pType 20
ok got u… but the illumination? the Alpha channel in the texture is for illumination the map, right? So on the material I just set the self ilumination and maybe add glow and I’m done? I have to do this with mental ray materials or stock 3ds materials?
Just get the poly count down as quickly as possible
How? remember they are already boxes (underneath are cut.) I mean with the LOD tool like from the Hummer button-> utilities-> more… and select Level Of Detail… ain’t that the correct? there ain’t poly’s but resolution to set… and below that gives a list with a percentage infront…
What objects? If you made them to the correct scale in Max then all should be good.
If when u mean scale u mean real measurement? than yes this is what I did but they look like dwarfs compared to other buildings and from a height of 5 to 10kf they look like pins.
example:
Also look how big the F-16 is compared to a whole condo:
See the lights on an airbase.
I did couldn’t understand something. I just create a light and import it as I do now? that simple or I must declare something?
I don’t recall releasing a 2013 version
I know I just informed.
Avoid LE where possible. What are you doing in LE?
LOL… u are joking right? everything as for import and manipulation for Falcon… I spend more than a week (some sleepless nights there) to understand how to… what else should I use?
This will be affected by the hit box in the parent record.
ok and how do I set it up correctly? there is radius and X Y Z. I set them all or just Radius auto adjusts XYZ? Also Radius is in Feet?
Regards
Dave -
If when u mean scale u mean real measurement? than yes this is what I did but they look like dwarfs compared to other buildings and from a height of 5 to 10kf they look like pins.
example:
…
Also look how big the F-16 is compared to a whole condo:Still learning myself but for scale check your measurements in LE. You’ll know you have it right when the 3ds Max measurements match LE’s.
I’m using cm for the 3ds Max System Unit
and Exporting to LE in feet
Other combinations probably work - be guided by LE’s measurement and find a compatible 3ds Max system unit if things aren’t right.
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I don’t think pType 20 does requires alpha in the texture to illuminate, it just requires an alpha texture to set up in 3dsMax to export properly.
For example, if you are wanting to light something up and map it to a non-alpha texture 1234.dds, set up a second material in 3dsMax using 1234.png and assign those polys that you want lit to 1234.png. You also have to have no smooth groups and per vertex coloring in order to get pType 20 if I recall correctly.
If you insist on using large models in LE, there is a button in the panning arrow area that is labeled “fast pan” that you can turn on. (I asked Fred to put that in ages ago and he was kind enough to comply).
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@Ramsay First pic means u use meters not cm… sub scale is cm meaning 33.34 is 33meters and 34cm
Second one u must be wrong also… If u use meters in the nits then when in export u should select that and not feet. that way u change it wrongly and your objects get smaller…??? if I got it right? Or bigger If I got it wrong. -
I don’t think pType 20 does requires alpha in the texture to illuminate, it just requires an alpha texture to set up in 3dsMax to export properly.
For example, if you are wanting to light something up and map it to a non-alpha texture 1234.dds, set up a second material in 3dsMax using 1234.png and assign those polys that you want lit to 1234.png. You also have to have no smooth groups and per vertex coloring in order to get pType 20 if I recall correctly.
If you insist on using large models in LE, there is a button in the panning arrow area that is labeled “fast pan” that you can turn on. (I asked Fred to put that in ages ago and he was kind enough to comply).
thanx will try that.
u must mean the lighting map… right?I know about fast pan but still way slow, crashes often, and if i populate a vast city block lol needs 5 to 10 minutes to display in editor… if i move it a bit… well another 10 minutes…
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thanx will try that.
u must mean the lighting map… right?pType 20 does not need a special lighting map, no. Basically pType 20 polygons are unshaded (so they “glow”) and can be mapped to alpha channel textures if needed, but you can map them to a regular non-alpha texture and they will still glow.
I know about fast pan but still way slow, crashes often, and if i populate a vast city block lol needs 5 to 10 minutes to display in editor… if i move it a bit… well another 10 minutes…
If you are using LE to move things around, why not create a proxy model consisting of just the ground plan and a few buildings to see where you want to move things around and then commit with the final model once everything is planned out? Or is that not really what you are doing?