PinkyandBrains Beginners guide
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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…
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Ok I hear u… big time… ptype20 did the trick:
THANX…
One issue though… it also applies and transparency by the Alpha channel… yes logical windows should be transparent… but is there a way to avoid this?
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How is the alpha layer in your texture configured?
You may be able to get away without an alpha layer in the texture at all, otherwise if you have an alpha layer make sure it is white (i.e. opaque).
Regards
Dave -
How is the alpha layer in your texture configured?
You may be able to get away without an alpha layer in the texture at all, otherwise if you have an alpha layer make sure it is white (i.e. opaque).
Regards
DaveIt’s all white now that is why the whole building is glowing. Don’t Forget I’m still on the testing phase… At the final texture I will use window sizes and a butterfly choice so that they don’t look like a repeating ugly pattern. Also I would reduce the white to gray so that it will be less glowing…
Opacity set to 99 from 3ds controls anything else? or it’s just like an on/off switch for this effect?
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by WaveyDave
Remove edges, weld vertices or try the pro optimiser.
I already done that… if I reduce it more the model gets fubared squares get to triangles… To get the point I use the low poly setting from GhostTown so the objects are already optimized… So what do I do in this case? If I will put objects on the roofs ok there it will help a bit…
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
Well thanx I started with this testing process and not go directly for the full monty… In 2 cases of crashes I tried to my simple just a small block model and didn’t work either, so I reinstalled and than with the same model it exported it…
WaveyDave I don’t want to be graphic (:rofl: u get the Irony here) but really thanx man. Your Help and others also is great… Your push is my greatest motivation on this cause I know when I get stack there will be the divine help… This project F.B.B will be done… and all mostly thanx to u all.
Now I must test some free plugins for texturing I found TexTools 4.10 http://www.renderhjs.net/textools/ Also this is the best Flatiron: http://www.texturebaking.com/features-benefits/ and it bakes and put’s it back to the model but it’s payware damn…
Let’s hope TexTools will help also…
If u have anything to add please… do so.Next is the destruction I downloaded some plugins… one is PullDown lite which is free, the payware is just wow… let’s hope it does the trick… than It’s time for the first city or real area to become alive in Falcon…
I believe I mastered the basics to get me started.
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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.
Just to clarify for others, sometimes a texture without alpha will not let you set alpha < 100. For those cases you can duplicate the texture as .png or other alpha supporting format and then adjust the alpha of the material in 3dsMax.
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Just to clarify for others, sometimes a texture without alpha will not let you set alpha < 100. For those cases you can duplicate the texture as .png or other alpha supporting format and then adjust the alpha of the material in 3dsMax.
Instead of alpha u meant to write opacity? cause where u set alpha percentage at 3dsmax?
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Just to clarify for others, sometimes a texture without alpha will not let you set alpha < 100. For those cases you can duplicate the texture as .png or other alpha supporting format and then adjust the alpha of the material in 3dsMax.
For sure.
There are two ways to trigger the exporter to know you want the set a pType flag of transparent. One is to set the alpha value and the other is to use the opacity map.
Regards
Dave