Author Topic: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies  (Read 88684 times)

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Offline Water

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Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies

Now I just have to figure out the texturing for the transparent canopy.
Open the glass texture - then get the eraser and set it to 50% - use it in one pass over the image. Save as TGA - Done

The higher the eraser % the more transparent it becomes.

 

Offline pecenipicek

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Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
first off. REDUCE THE NUMBER OF OBJECTS AND TEXTURES. combine as many as possible, the canopy doesnt need to be so detailed. the lowest possible number of textures possible is needed. and just so you know, i am not touching your model with a ten foot pole. modelling doesnt work that way.
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Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
first off. REDUCE THE NUMBER OF OBJECTS AND TEXTURES. combine as many as possible, the canopy doesnt need to be so detailed. the lowest possible number of textures possible is needed. and just so you know, i am not touching your model with a ten foot pole. modelling doesnt work that way.
I got the Canopy down to 250 from the original 1500.
I can take it down further but I have to figure out how to set the AA for some objects without losing the angular look of the others. As far as touching the model, I just wanted it available to find out what was preventing it from compiling before. Usually the source is the quickest way. I figured out how to reduce the number of objects last night with grouping in DE. I was just happy I finally got one to compile into a POF.


Now I just have to figure out the texturing for the transparent canopy.
Open the glass texture - then get the eraser and set it to 50% - use it in one pass over the image. Save as TGA - Done

The higher the eraser % the more transparent it becomes.
Thanks Water! I'll check into it today.
I can finally move into the texture end of things.

Again I appreciate the help guys.



 
Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
So far opacity doesnt work it is all opaque or nothing displays with the tools I am using?
I tried searching the forums but I'm finding people with the same issues back to 2003.
I can see it is possible in the MkVII pof just not sure how with PSP7.

I tried the eraser technique but the format doesnt make it partially transparent.
I tried DXTbmp with dss file formats but still all opaque or all clear.


 

Offline Water

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Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
So far opacity doesnt work it is all opaque or nothing displays with the tools I am using?
I tried searching the forums but I'm finding people with the same issues back to 2003.
I can see it is possible in the MkVII pof just not sure how with PSP7.

I tried the eraser technique but the format doesnt make it partially transparent.
I tried DXTbmp with dss file formats but still all opaque or all clear.


Attached is a tga. It is a simple cloud filter on white. Then erased by 50%

PCS2 will show it on the model as mostly transparent. If psp7 doesn't show the transparency checkers  then you would need to find out why.

In gimp and pcs2 it works fine. Search for psp transparency or alpha tutorials.

On the next model try to keep the mesh as one continuous piece.

[attachment deleted by ninja]

 
Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
Here's something that'll be useful for the future Kewl. Take your cockpit out of your model, make a pof of just it.  Then in your model make a very simiplified cockpit.   Most of my cockpits (minus the glass which isn't much in-itself) are only about 500 polys.  When they get external cockpit completely working, then you can use your fancy version.

Also I rarely make a model with just one object.  It's a bit harder to uvmap, but a lot easier to model and lod.

Oh and for your cockpit textures do something a bit like this:
« Last Edit: September 07, 2008, 10:55:56 pm by Scooby_Doo »
That's cool and ....disturbing at the same time o_o  - Vasudan Admiral

"Don't play games with me. You just killed someone I like, that is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor. And you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up."

"Quick everyone out of the universe now!"

 
Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
Thanks guys, wicked Textures m8!
I got it into the game and it flies backwards lol! I was 180 degrees off, it has to have the nose in the positive X axis in Rhino to start pointing the right way. Also it was 1/2 the size it is supposed to be. So I am changing the cob conversion factor in PCS2 to 2.0 because I tested it at 1 for this first attempt. I used meters for the model but the conversions are a bit funky on scale.

I'm also worried because the engine glow shows up 360 degrees around the ship.
I'm curious if it is because the center point was slightly inside the main hull wall so I am figuring that caused the failure.
Also I found the mesh had some stray useless internal poly's generated by one of the conversion processes so I redid the main hull completely. 
Another strange phenomenon; the guns show shooting the right way externally but they don't show up from normal FPS view.
Likely caused by some of my ships.tbl settings and the model being 180 out though.
I also found some pieces were out of alignment and actually into other parts which caused display clipping by the time it went into PCS2.
Anyway I am reducing the poly counts now and yes I am keeping all of the parts separate until I build the pof.
I can map each part individually with the entire model in lithunwrap and arrange them onto one or more sheets now though.
I figured a maximum of 3 textures I'll use now that I am getting the process figured out.
When it goes from cob to pof it will combine the parts into one object that can exceed the 250 limit, but each object alone needs to remain below that. And yes that cockpit has to go! :D

I'm finding I can add other details with small pieces and remove the details from the main pieces to become lod's.
I'll definately start messing with that glass texture as soon as I get this re-work done.
After this one is done I'm going to make the StealthStar then finally the cap ships.
I hope to make a full mission including the Hybrid Baseship and some Mk1 Raiders, but it looks like I won't be done until Christmas at this rate :p
Actually I think it will get faster as I go now that I know what I am looking at.
It really helps to have you guys around though!!! Many thanks!

One curiosity, how do I get the textures from a pof?
I was trying to see how the canopy was done on the Mk7
« Last Edit: September 08, 2008, 05:55:28 pm by KewlToyZ »

 
Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
Hey Water, thanks on The GIMP I forgot all about this proggy.
PSP7 is acting funky on Vista so I think this offers a good alternative :D

 

Offline Getter Robo G

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Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
Textures are not IN or attached directly with a pof, merely referenced to teh texture folder (separate file).

Textures for the M7 Viper are either in a VP texture Dir folder, a data texture folder (like one of my experiments is) or some otehr place a modeler has, maybe the same Dir as the original mesh.

I was gonna try to upload the textue but got confused:

I see 7 textures... 1 for pilot (used by all vipers) and two sets of M7 textures as if they are for two different m7's

Viperseven.dds (and glow/shine) 3 textures

and

Vipermkseven.dds (and glow/shine) 3 textures

Must be another mk7 viper pof added somewhere or to be added later?

Take a look, they are in the BTRL demo Root Vp...

L8tr! :)

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Offline Water

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Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
One curiosity, how do I get the textures from a pof?
I was trying to see how the canopy was done on the Mk7
The pof only holds the texture name. In PCS2 click on textures - It will list the texture names for all the parts. The maps directory in the vp has the actual texture files.
When it goes from cob to pof it will combine the parts into one object that can exceed the 250 limit, but each object alone needs to remain below that.
What limit is this for? PCS1 did have a limit of roughly 9k per object.

 
Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
I'm not sure about the actual valid limits but so far that seems to be where it hangs for me.
If the combination is the max limit of 9k then I got another number to look at. I've reduced the amount of polys in each object so far still working the texture mapping though before my next version.

 

Offline Water

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Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
I'm not sure about the actual valid limits but so far that seems to be where it hangs for me.
If the combination is the max limit of 9k then I got another number to look at. I've reduced the amount of polys in each object so far still working the texture mapping though before my next version.
That number was for pcs1 not 2.
Made two pofs, as is, and also combining all non cockpit stuff together. Both exported fine. You are looking at less than 3.5k all joined together.

But others have reported that the software doesn't work for them.

This is the merged version. (cob) Run it through pcs2. If it works then your export method is faulty. If not then pcs doesn't like your machine. http://files.filefront.com/ViperMkV+3zip/;11739296;/fileinfo.html

Another thing you need to take care of is that some of your meshes have normals facing both ways. Only normals facing outward will be visible in game, the faces with inverted normal will be invisible.
If you can get it to convert -have a look at the pilot to see random faces missing.


 

Offline pecenipicek

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Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
mm, about converting, how many polys per object are possible?

since my solid 120k poly mesh doesnt wish to convert :p
Skype: vrganjko
Ho, ho, ho, to the bottle I go
to heal my heart and drown my woe!
Rain may fall and wind may blow,
and many miles be still to go,
but under a tall tree I will lie!

The Apocalypse Project needs YOU! - recruiting info thread.

 
Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
mm, about converting, how many polys per object are possible?

since my solid 120k poly mesh doesnt wish to convert :p

That's the original reason I don't do solid mesh conversions.  Break it up into subobjects and start doing a binary search.
That's cool and ....disturbing at the same time o_o  - Vasudan Admiral

"Don't play games with me. You just killed someone I like, that is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor. And you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up."

"Quick everyone out of the universe now!"

 

Offline pecenipicek

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Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
binary search?
Skype: vrganjko
Ho, ho, ho, to the bottle I go
to heal my heart and drown my woe!
Rain may fall and wind may blow,
and many miles be still to go,
but under a tall tree I will lie!

The Apocalypse Project needs YOU! - recruiting info thread.

 
Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
binary search?

Take half the subobjects out... try to build.  If build failed, take another half out.  If the build successed, put half back in.  Rinse and repeat, shouldn't take very long to narrow the problamtic subobject.
That's cool and ....disturbing at the same time o_o  - Vasudan Admiral

"Don't play games with me. You just killed someone I like, that is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor. And you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up."

"Quick everyone out of the universe now!"

 

Offline pecenipicek

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Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
oh. nah, no need to be honest, it was just a random attempt to getting a model in, its basically hugely smoothed and thats pretty much the only reason it needs that polycount somewhat. i was just thinking if it'd be possible to actually punt the bugger ingame.
Skype: vrganjko
Ho, ho, ho, to the bottle I go
to heal my heart and drown my woe!
Rain may fall and wind may blow,
and many miles be still to go,
but under a tall tree I will lie!

The Apocalypse Project needs YOU! - recruiting info thread.

 
Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
Well thats what I used to end up doing with PCS1 because it would lock up so much.
That's cool and ....disturbing at the same time o_o  - Vasudan Admiral

"Don't play games with me. You just killed someone I like, that is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor. And you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up."

"Quick everyone out of the universe now!"

 
Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Never hit undo in Lithunwrap!
4 times I've had to start over  :mad: :hopping: :confused: :shaking: :eek2: :wtf: :D

 

Offline JGZinv

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Re: A Simple Texturing Tutorial (Warning to dialup users!) Updated with more goodies
Can someone explain what I'm doing wrong in regard to the original thread tut?

I applied a solid black texture to the ship as a place holder and then followed the
instructions, but I'm ending up with the ship in frontal view with the textporter output, rather
than the pieces laid out in some organized fashion.

Using Max 7 here...



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