[Setekh]

Hey, Mezrein and Ratamacue! Welcome to HLP.

[den5]

It is made. Used AURORA-01a and AURORA-02a textures. You should credited developers (Beamscreensavers
) if will use their model publicly.

Deepblue, the model contains defective parts which cause a mistake at converting in PCS. Just in case I speak.

StarFury

screen1
screen2
screen3

[Bobboau]

if your going to use the max plugin talk to styxx about what you have to do to get a single object out of it. there has to be a way to merge all the objects into a single object in max, and you can always UV map it in lith.

[Bobboau]

oh, and this reminded me of something I did a long time ago hope I don't get in trouble for posting it
http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/blackwater/bobs_aurora.zip

[Deepblue]

I got the mesh textured with Mark Kanes starfury textures but not with a single map. I have so far not found a way to put all the texes into one map, and Styxx's plugin has not worked for me yet. The mesh looks ok though, and PCS did fail to convert it. If I could get Styxx's plugin to work, it would be extremely helpful.

[Bobboau]

use lith, if all the parts are UV mapped then it will just be a matter of moveing the parts

[Deepblue]

Max has a built in UV mapper that works as well if not better than Lithunwrap. The biggest problem I am having is not being able to convert my model with smoothgroups. Another is that I cant find any textures for a pilot model I made.

[Deepblue]

Nice Den5!!! I like the texes, but your right about PCS not converting properly.

EDIT: BTW Den5, would you mind texturing a modified model like the previous one if I posted it in max format? (would include cockpit details). I could try to post it in 3ds form too, but I have not been successful in making it keep its smooth groups thus far.

[DamoclesX]

did you want any help with those textures?

if you can give it to me totaly unwrapped(I HATE unwrapping) then I can put some textures together for you, at least base ones.


dont worry, WHEN I get stuck with this dilgar mod in fs2 I will come knocking with a collection plate LOL

[Omniscaper]

Styxx's 3dsmax plugin translates smoothgroups perfectly. What texture baking issues are you having?

The annoyances I first experienced involved a complete polygon breakdown. Triangles everywhere on the map. Complex models especially. I still haven't found a way to fullly controll how 3dsmax unwraps. The only advice I can give for that issue is to bump up the angle threshold, and bake only half the model since its symetrical. Then just mirror the sucker.

Why do you want the model to use only one map? Why not bake three? You'll a bit more control on the unwrapping process.

[Deepblue]

Forget everything. Everyone go and download Den5's aurora it looks PERFECT!

[Deepblue]

Here are some screens:















I personally believe this is highlight worthy material.

Now, lets do that Thunderbolt...  

[Deepblue]

Respond you fools!!!!1111222

[Bobboau]

auto-facet, it looks over smoothed.
and it's textures should be merged into one (unless someone would consiter makeing the engines destroyable in wich case haveing them as a seperate texture would be acceptable)
there is a lot of waisted texture space for example the top wings it should not have the insignia as part of the texture but rather use the in game insignia code.
there is a lot of unneeded geometry, yet the wings could use more pollies

[DamoclesX]

wayy to dark to see any detail

render it with 1.5 lighting

[Deepblue]

Originally posted by Bobboau
auto-facet, it looks over smoothed.
and it's textures should be merged into one (unless someone would consiter makeing the engines destroyable in wich case haveing them as a seperate texture would be acceptable)
there is a lot of waisted texture space for example the top wings it should not have the insignia as part of the texture but rather use the in game insignia code.
there is a lot of unneeded geometry, yet the wings could use more pollies

The insignia's are fine because there is a standard texture there anyway. Those added paint jobs are set up so you can use the texture replacement feature to use them. As far as auto-facet goes... I think they look nice with the slick smoothing. Though you could provide a link to the auto-facet build... Destroyable engines would be nice. As far as poly count is conerned, even my computer (Athlon 800 (900mhz), GeForce 2, 256mb RAM) can handle a large number without a noticeable slowdown despite the fact the model is as of yet without LODs.

[Deepblue]

Poof!

Here you go DemX:







(turned off stencil shadows and pumped the gamma up to 1.5)

[Bobboau]

well the added detail just seems waisted, I reconvert with auto-faciting to show you what I'm talking about.

[Deepblue]

I dont think so, but I will wait for your version. BTW make sure the engine pods stay smooth.

[Bobboau]

(auto-faceting and IMO unnessisary detail are unrelated, auto-faceting actualy brings these out more so this isn't to prove that the detail is unneeded, just wanted to clarify that)

ok, here, I did toy around with it, then I had flashbacks from the last time I toyed with someone elses starfury model and decided just to convert it. I did make one change, I moved all the textures into one, and made an EXTREEMLY hastely put together glow map.  

what this model needs:
1) rebuild much of the engine geometry, it's useing an 8 sided cylender replace these with at least 16 sided ones
2) a modled cockpit, in a fighter this small it's realy a lot more important, there is a pilot floating around
3) (or 2a I supose) the interior of the cockpit should be a seperate subobject (this is part of what you have to do to get transparency to work) and given a seperate _very small_ texture, wich would then be properly glow mapped.
4) texture optomiseation, about half the texture is totaly unused, or could be mapped to another part of the texture that looks identical (this is not limited to that insignia)
THIS IS IMPORTANT. THE UV SPACE IS REALY BAD ON THIS
do this after you have done everything else and keep in mind what stuff is going to be in the cockpit and what stuf is not, (if you make the engines destroyable, you can give them a seperate texture without incuring any additional penaltys)