[emi_100]

HERE IS THE RELEASE OF NORMAL MAPS TEXTURE (see link below)
Please test it and let me know what do you think.
If you like it (or not) you can upload and show pictures how ship look with Nmapping.


Readme
This Release contains the Nmap texture for ALL THE TBP's SHIPS. There're 373 textures (including some new textures).
If you downloaded all the other releases, DELETE THAT FOLDER AND ALL THE OLD CONTENTS.


Requiremenst
To proper see normal map texture you will need
-Download lastest Zathras (wich contains shader support)
-Download lastet build of Freespace 2 (3_6_12 it's ok, or newer)
-And of course a graphic card with pixel shaders support.
System requirements
-Check the box "normal maps" on the graphics feature tab of the Launcher.

Install
-Just extract the "Emi's Ntextures_1.0.vp" of the rar file to your Zathras (Mod) directory, or extract it on the root directory of your TBP's instalation folder (where are the .exe files).


Note
TBP has some very small texture size (like Narn's frazi), maybe the Nmap texture don't see well.


DONWLOAD
IMPORTAT FIX:
Rename the "Emi's Ntextures_1.0.vp"file of the rar, to "0-Emi's Ntextures_1.0.vp"


Some example:

Small video showing Nmap in action..I call it Hidden in the shadows


(Default TBP texture)+Normal Map = Ship with NMap

(Default TBP texture)+Normal Map = Ship with NMap



Some info if you don't know what normal maps is:
Normal_mapping
Bump_mapping

[emi_100]

Link now working

[Dragon]

Amazing work.

[emi_100]

Updates (main post), R2 it's here.
I prefer release them in packs, because if I'll wait do all texture and only then release it, is possible that nothing comes to light.
Otherwise, is very comfortable and safe this way.
Please check it, some feedback it's wellcome.

@Dragon
thanks man!

[emi_100]

R3 is here with some news Nmaps and some updates.
More soon.

[emi_100]

R4 is available for download now.
It contains Nmaps, and new updates textures for some vorlons ships, and Baylon 5 station.
Please, feedback of this changes are welcome.

[guitarfan01]

pics?

[emi_100]

You can download it and upload some pics
I don't know why, but i cant take screenshoots (windows 7 x64), anyone have a clue?

-EDIT- Never mind, "Run as Adm" issue, I'll upload some pics

[emi_100]

Main post update with examples pics.
And here are more
                                             

[Herra Tohtori]

You know what the next release of Zathras should be named?










The coming of Shadows





YYYEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH


EDIT: Which actually reminds me. Animated normal maps are possible. Will you make such for the Shadows?

[emi_100]

You know what the next release of Zathras should be named?
The coming of Shadows
YYYEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH

hahahah

EDIT: Which actually reminds me. Animated normal maps are possible. Will you make such for the Shadows?

woo! that's sound interesting. I did not know that, can you tell me how it works please? I don't have a clue

[Herra Tohtori]

EDIT: Which actually reminds me. Animated normal maps are possible. Will you make such for the Shadows?

woo! that's sound interesting. I did not know that, can you tell me how it works please? I don't have a clue

Well it works the same as all other animations these days. You make the animation frames as filename_0000.dds, then make a filename.eff file that contains reference to the number and frame rate of the animation frames. Our Wiki has more information.

In this case you would need to first make a looping animation of the heightmap variations, then convert each heightmap frame to normal map at same settings, and there you got an animated normal map. Thankfully the surface animation is probably doable with a fairly short looping animation.


If I recall right, Shadow vessels already have animated diffuse map, or possibly a shinemap. This might or might not provide useful starting point for creating the animation. I don't remember exactly how it looks like, I should really re-acquire TBP...

[emi_100]

Thanks for the info Herra, I'll post the results soon!

[emi_100]

Well it works the same as all other animations these days. You make the animation frames as filename_0000.dds, then make a filename.eff file that contains reference to the number and frame rate of the animation frames. Our Wiki has more information.
In this case you would need to first make a looping animation of the heightmap variations, then convert each heightmap frame to normal map at same settings, and there you got an animated normal map. Thankfully the surface animation is probably doable with a fairly short looping animation.

If I recall right, Shadow vessels already have animated diffuse map, or possibly a shinemap. This might or might not provide useful starting point for creating the animation. I don't remember exactly how it looks like, I should really re-acquire TBP...

Well, I made shine maps for each individual animated *.dds file of Shadow vessel, It works.
Them i made Normal map for each individual animated *.dds file again.. but nothing. I don't know why, it's not working.

HERE is what i got.. (model, shine map, diffuse and normal).
If you see something wrong Herra, any help is useful

[Dragon]

You're doing it wrong.
It should be:
shadowa_00**
shadowa-normal_00**
shadowa-shine_00**

I'm sure that the "animated shine" effect comes from animated diffuse.

[Herra Tohtori]

Here is what works well for me..

Note, however, one thing. This does not include a shine map at all.

A shine map, for this ship, makes it look worse. The two LOD's that use the shine map (LOD0,LOD1) become visibly brighter than the other two LOD's, and in my opinion unsuitably bright for Shadows. Things simply seem to work best when there's simply the animated diffuse texture, and animated normal map. It produces quite a nice effect.

I don't know what is the best way to deal with that situation on TBP, though. If you need to have the shine map there, I guess it's best to have that animated as well, but it might benefit from some darkening. Or it may not. I'm not really feeling the urge to experiment, I'll leave that to you. But here's animated normal map that works for sure.


Oh and another thing.

Why in the name of Barduk the Two-Thousand-Faced Goat is the model file using four texture slots (shadowa, shadowb, shadowc and shadowd) when it could use just one (shadowa) mip mapped DDS file? This is just silly, unless there's some extremely good reason for it. I included a model where the texture references were changed to shadowa for the lower LOD's, but I think the model still uses four texture slots.

It would probably be a lot more efficient to change the model to use just one texture slot, as having textured LOD's has been an obsolete solution for quite a long time...

[emi_100]

Thank for the replay Dragon and Herra, a lot.
The wrong thing I was doing it was missing the "*.eff" file for the normal and shine: "shadowa-normal.eff" and "shadowa-shine.eff".
Now it works! and the result are good.
I'll made new normals, more acurrated, and I will upload the result,
Thanks again guys

[emi_100]

Well it's done, the result of the Shadows's skin with the new Nmap are truly good. Is a "must see" normal map effect. I just started again the best Campaign (in my opinion) "Dark Children".
Now I only want to see the new Shadow vessel's cloak effect in action

I will upload the texture on the next and final (..I hope) release. Just a Preview...

Default TBP's texture===>===> Nmap===>

Default TBP's model ===>===> Nmap===>

[Dragon]

Why in the name of Barduk the Two-Thousand-Faced Goat is the model file using four texture slots (shadowa, shadowb, shadowc and shadowd) when it could use just one (shadowa) mip mapped DDS file? This is just silly, unless there's some extremely good reason for it. I included a model where the texture references were changed to shadowa for the lower LOD's, but I think the model still uses four texture slots.

It would probably be a lot more efficient to change the model to use just one texture slot, as having textured LOD's has been an obsolete solution for quite a long time...

This is one of the reasons I consider TBP models so outdated. This method has been long obsolete, but you'll find it used on a lot of ships.
Hopefully, Zatharas will fix this issue (and all other bugs these models are plagued with).
Fortunately, thanks to emi_100, even these old models are getting a new life through the new textures.

[emi_100]

Here is a small video showing Nmap in action.. and new Epsilon background

http://www.megavideo.com/?v=YN4P5N4K