PinkyandBrains Beginners guide
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If you map a model in 3DS it will export those mappings. If the mappings come from another piece of software and show up in 3DS then there should be no difference.
Regards
Dave -
It’s not another software it’s a 3ds Plugin. textures are not standard ones that the 3ds has inside. after I attach the objects together in materials I see Multi/Sub-Object Materials.
Waveydave my problem is that when I do the unwrap uvw’s the map is showing overlapping areas so the render to texture is fubared. So than I cant apply it as one or 2 materials to the object thus to have the final dds of the whole model.
I hope this is clear now.
To get it the plugin doesn’t do anything with the uvw’s map… right? So we have to make them.
Also the lodeditor gives me the map error… So I have to straighten out the map first… right?
How many textures can there be per model? is there a limitation?Also if u could give me some more info to ask the creator of the GhostTown Plugin to help on the subject.
Like some specs that the model must have… -
Looking at their website the textures are procedurally created.
Looks like you might have to manually texture map the buildings.
Regards
Dave -
Looking at their website the textures are procedurally created.
Looks like you might have to manually texture map the buildings.
Regards
Daveas I see it more and more I think this is the case… this will be easy by using 5 textures for walls and 2-3 for roof 1 for road and 1-2 for parks. Is there a limitation on how many textures a lod can have??
But still the problem with the UV map remains…
we have to declare the map to the model… right? so we have to unwrap uvw’s?
and at the render to texture we choose difuse… right?
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as I see it more and more I think this is the case… this will be easy by using 5 textures for walls and 2-3 for roof 1 for road and 1-2 for parks. Is there a limitation on how many textures a lod can have??
Not sure about a texture limit, probably technically quite large, but practically a lot smaller.
You can tile textures by making the mapping 2x, 4x, Xx larger than the texture but the texture has to be seamless and repeating. If you do this use smaller textures.
But still the problem with the UV map remains…
If by problem you mean you now have to manually texture map the buildings then yes.
we have to declare the map to the model… right? so we have to unwrap uvw’s?
Yes, just use the unwrap UVW modifier.
and at the render to texture we choose diffuse… right?
This step isn’t required.
Regards
Dave -
This step isn’t required.
Regards
Davewhy not? when I render to texture I must name the textures like 8100.dds and then after done all the unwrap I will have to apply materials to the objects only this time I have to apply the dds ones. Else my 3d object will be skin less or transparent when imported to Falcon right?
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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