PinkyandBrains Beginners guide
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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?
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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.Not sure, just know that with my settings the ~20 foot 1S91 Straight Flush vehicle measures 20’ in 3ds Max, 20’ in LE and is of similar scale to the existing SA-6 vehicles.
IMHO to see if your buildings are in scale look at their LE measurements first. Then work out the matching 3ds Max units/ Exporter settings and if needed scale your models (had to do it for my first animated model as it was only 3’ long in LE )
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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.
Leave the exporter option on feet.
Bad UI design there and I really need to change it. What that really does is help when people have created a model that is incorrectly sized. For instance they used metres for system units and metres for the unit scale but then took 1.5 metres to mean 1.5 feet.
Regards
Dave -
wow wow wait a minute here…
I use meters in my models. I don’t scale them. When I export In the options I choose meters. I thought there we declare what units system we used to model so that the exporter makes the correct conversion…
We should leave that to feet? whatever?
It auto converts the units or takes for granted that what ever I used it will go out as feet unconverted thus a box of 1m will end up to 1feet?
As the Falcon BMS 3DS Max LOD Exporter.pdf says clearly:
DEFAULT SCALE UNIT
Only use this option if you have changed the 3DS Max System Units and then did not create your model to real world scale.I use real scale but I changed the System Units… So as an assumption here I have to declare which system unit I used so the exporter to do the conversions…
So that is why my models are so small? I have to rescale them so to represent the correct units? so about 70% up?
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Leave on feet
Regards
Dave -
WaveyDave has answered your question but I’ll try to put a bit more flesh on his answer.
It auto converts the units
If I understand LE correctly it works in feet and 3ds Max Exporter normally exports models in feet making any necessary unit conversions.
or takes for granted that what ever I used it will go out as feet unconverted thus a box of 1m will end up to 1feet?
If you use a real world scale in 3ds Max 1 foot –> 1 foot and 1m exported equals approx 3.28 feet in LE.
If I’ve understood WaveyDave correctly the different export settings are for the rare ? occasion when the model hasn’t been built to real world scale ie. 1 m --> 1 foot and needs to be rescaled durring the export.
Normal exports use LE default real world scale - feet.
I use real scale but I changed the System Units… So as an assumption here I have to declare which system unit I used so the exporter to do the conversions…
So that is why my models are so small? I have to rescale them so to represent the correct units? so about 70% up?
If you told the exporter to use “Meters”, I’d guess it thinks you mean 1 m –> 1 foot and your buildings would be ~1/3 their expected size - but I’m only guessing.
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OK thanks guys so it works like whatever units u used I will convert them to feet.
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Anything on how to create the Level Of Details?
Also there must be a limitation in the plugin? when I go above 100.000 polys it gets crazy and crashed 3ds max… two times I had to re install and copy paste the files…
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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.
Pumpy I will need some more help on this…
when we say Type as I see it u make the selections and they end up to the type which I see from the report from the exporter.
So as I see it I must undo the smooth groups.
Apply a vertexcolor per vertex? points? I don’t get this…
My texture is bitmap and has Alpha. I have opacity at 100 shit… this does the trick? the opacity?So their glow is controlled by the Alpha and the amount of opacity? and how is this the lower the opacity the higher the glow?
Also is there a way to render and view the result in 3ds or just export and test on Falcon?
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Anything on how to create the Level Of Details?
Remove edges, weld vertices or try the pro optimiser.
Also there must be a limitation in the plugin? when I go above 100.000 polys it gets crazy and crashed 3ds max… two times I had to re install and copy paste the files…
Maybe so. I think 611-Eagle or TomCatz have created models that size. Not sure why you would have to re-install though. I’ve had Max crash many times but a re-install is never needed
Pumpy I will need some more help on this…
when we say Type as I see it u make the selections and they end up to the type which I see from the report from the exporter.
So as I see it I must undo the smooth groups.
Apply a vertexcolor per vertex? points? I don’t get this…
My texture is bitmap and has Alpha. I have opacity at 100 shit… this does the trick? the opacity?So their glow is controlled by the Alpha and the amount of opacity? and how is this the lower the opacity the higher the glow?
Also is there a way to render and view the result in 3ds or just export and test on Falcon?
For the polys you want to glow be sure they don’t have a smooth group set.
It’s not the texture having the alpha layer that triggers the correct pType, it is the way the material is set-up. So set the material as per the document.
Regards
Dave -
Well I did…
for this:Vertex Colour
Single: All vertices use the same colour i.e. there is no vertex colour channel in max.
Per Vertex: Either a vertex paint modifier or vertex colours have been changed in the edit poly.I can’t find any modifier named like that:vertex paint modifier.
So I just have to change the color of a vertex and that does what?Also u say for the glow
1. No smooth group… ok I just unset them.
2. It has to do with the material… So the whole Surface pType settings matrix has to do with the materials only?So If I see it glow in 3ds than it will glow and in Falcon?
So use Daylight system set time to night and see if it glows?Edit: Shit when I see it glow in 3ds… the exporter crashes 3ds… So…