[boewolf]

Can anyone tell me how to make fighter textures.  I have tryed to use pre existing textures but they never quite work out for me.  but here is what i am trying to texture.

The GTVF Worrior heavy fighter.

[Star Dragon]

Since I can't make them myself, only change existing ones, this is my take...

   As you map the model try to visualize how you want to look in general. Not really having any textures in mind, just the locations you want new ones to go. Like map out a wing area, maybe anohter space for an elevator or aileron (SP?), one for the trhruster/engine, cockpit of course, weapon/gun, or socket, tail, main body...

  That way when you are ready to add the real textures you can try out different combinations until you find the ones that bring out the best look for your model. That is unless you know EXACTLY what you want the final result to be like.

If you saw Raptor's Saturn thread you can see how he mapped out working textures, and then how I interpreted it with my scheme, and then his final results... Three different texture looks, over the same areas... I hope this helps you a little...

BTW don't be afraid to experiemnt!!! A piece of th spiderman costume became the backcone of the new shivan fleet!

   http://photo.starblvd.net/Star_Dragon/6-4-2-1043929392?m=0&pg=5&ro=3&co=1

Behold Shivan-Shadow Battleship - "Septerra", model by Gevetter Lars, textured by yours truly!

[aldo_14]

find a uvunwrapper so you can create a template.  I have no idea how this works in TS - I use max - but I think IPandrews or the B5 project did a brief tutorial.  Then draw on the template.

Takes a lot of practice to get it to look good though.  Years, in fact.

[boewolf]

years i have to learn

[karajorma]

IP did the tutorial. You can find a link in my FAQ.

[Vilkacis]

If I'm not mistaken there's some serious clipping going on in your model (where the wings intersect with the hull and at it's bottom), you might want to fix that before texturing.

[boewolf]

what do you mean??  me not on your waveleingth.  and how would i fix it??

[Baron MacDoblin]

I seem to remember a tutorial over at the vegastrike site ...

[KARMA]

fso will probably render em w/o clippings, he just need to test in game first

[karajorma]

Baron MacDoblin makes a good point.
Look at the shot of the wing meeting the body. See how instead of having a nice smooth line you have a series of triangles? Your wings are a seperate object from the main body aren't they? If so that needs to change or the model will look dreadful once you put it into FS2.

[boewolf]

would puting a little more space between the wings and the body help that or not??

[IPAndrews]

Really you need to union and stabilise.

[boewolf]

ok i have unioned but how do i stabilise??

[IPAndrews]

http://underworld.fortunecity.com/pacman/106/fs2mods/shipcreationguide/creatingstablegeometry.html

[KARMA]

guys, you probably don't know, but bobbau already worked on how intersections are rendered, upgrading A LOT the z-buffer code, and we should worship him for the eternity for this (since in fs2 there were zbuffer errors even without intesectuions....)
Now even the most weird intersections are rendered PERFECTLY in game, and believe me on this since i already tested models with incredibly complex  intersections.
The only problem that may occur when using intersections is related to collision detections, since intersections give problems when the pof compiler generate the BSP tree, wich is used for collisions, as for other things.
This mean that we CAN use intersections, in a very limited way, only when they are "clean" (like small objects that intersect bigger faces withouth passing through the hull), always testing the result.
There could be problems anyway with this model, since the ventral clippings of the middle section in this model usually show up when there are geometry problems

[Carl]

if you want it to run in vanilla FS, though, there is an easy way to do it. use the NURBS tool, then extract the control mesh. all you polygons will be sliced perfectly.

[Lightspeed]

I can reccommend LithUnWrap, that's what I use for UVmapping.

Practice is vital though, it will take quite a while until you're comfortable with it. The time you need to get good results can vary from several days to years, depending on your skill and the time you spend on it.

[IPAndrews]

Originally posted by Carl
if you want it to run in vanilla FS, though, there is an easy way to do it. use the NURBS tool, then extract the control mesh. all you polygons will be sliced perfectly.

Oustanding. You also end up with about a bazillion squillion (insert your favourite child's number here) polygons. Genius

[Carl]

Originally posted by IPAndrews


Oustanding. You also end up with about a bazillion squillion (insert your favourite child's number here) polygons. Genius

i said "and extract the control mesh"

[IPAndrews]

Holy ****, he's right!  

1. Select your object.
2. Hit NURBS object.
3. Right click the NURBS object icon to bring up the NURBS toolbox.
4. Hit the destroy NURBS object icon.
5. When the diolog box appears hit NO to extract control mesh.

Your end result, one perfectly stabilised mesh!