[shaermon]

So i got into my head to try make a ship for myself, and after fording through 4 different modelling progams ended with gmax. Now i have my first model almost completed but i'm unsure how i'm supposed to add textures to the model. Are there any sources for them or do i need to make those from scratch too? And how do i post a picture here ?

[Getter Robo G]

Welcome,

  I just got off work and haven't passed out yet, so please be patient and either a Veteran or one of the Noob Squad will be by shortly to Beam you properly...

I haven't tried GMAX myself, but at some point you will need convert the file to .cob as the game tools use that format and turn it into a .pof (FS2 specific format).

I suggest you get a hold of the FREE Truespace 3.2 (linky around here someplace)... All you have to do is register.

You can use just about anything for a texture but best if you try to keep them relevant (hull plate types for hulls ect.. WIndows for a bridge or cockpit)... To get you started you can use stock FS2 textures (just convert them to bmps or what ever you need.)

Later on you can use textures from other games or make your own from scratch.

I once used a peice of Spiderman's mask and it sorta worked for a bit lol!!!

Looking forward to see what you came up with. (so get yourself a photo host)...

L8tr! (And remember, IMHO there are no stupid questions, just really stupid people!!!) 

before I forget:

Enjoy your stay, bring extra food when you browse here for Carl (Our Resident Shivan, who lives in the ducts), NEVER mention FS +  a certain numeral (That's FORBIDDEN!), Don't acknowledge the Hyper-Intelligent shade of Blue...(It's really clingy), oh and watch out for the ducks! (personal joke) 

[shaermon]

The reason i settled for Gmax was that with it i can edit points of a polygon very accuratelly. I tried truespace and couldn't seem to figure out how to construct polys from scratch, or how to even make symmetrical shapes with it. And it seems to be so unstable on my comp that every time i do something worthwhile it crashes just as i try to save

[Dark Hunter]

I am not from the noob-squad.... but I'm not sure I've been around long enough to be considered a veteran. 


Either way:

Aldo, target the new guy and OPEN FIRE!




I'd give you the speech but GRG has already given you a condensed version.



I too would like to know how to texture models. I managed to do some tinkering with one but I am a complete noob at modelling/texturing programs. I managed, somehow, to get .bmp textures on the model, but I'm stuck as to how to make said textures into .pcx, .dds, .tga or whatever else have you. (YES, I know how to convert the texture files themselves, I'm just unsure as to how to make the model use the converted textures rather than the .bmp ones.)

[Scooby_Doo]

Agreed on the vertex editing.... heck practically anything can be done with more precision in Max.  Unforunatelly you will still need Truespace 3.2 for converting COB->POF.

In max to apply a texture to an object.   (I assume gmax works just like max)

• First open the material editor (m)
• Select a slot (show up as spheres)
• Look down in Blinn Basic Parameters
• Check the button to the right of Diffuse (it has no words/pics on it)
• For Material/Map Browser select: Bitmap (hint double clicking will select and ok the window)
• Load an appropriate picture there
• The texture should appear on the slot's sphere now and the Diffuse button you clicked will have an "M" on it
• Drag that slot over to your object and the texture will be apply to it
• Note: You may need to activate the texture, simply click on the checker sphere button just below the texture slots. (Show map in viewport)

Now mapping the texture is a whole 'nother ballgame. 

[Getter Robo G]

Dark Hunter....   WHY?

IF .bmp is your native format for programs (like it is for TS3.2), you do not NEED to change the model to accept them.

After you have changed the .cob to a .pof you make final changed to texture names (if you use a convention like Xship1 - Xshipl(last number). and convert them to .pcx's. I usually make a subfolder in the model one to hold the pof and the pcx textures... I THEN copy teh ones that need to eb glow mapped and rename them from copy X to X-glow and do all that.

Lastly I open modelview and edit the texture names on the model. I change any that still say X.bmp on the model (as sometimes the textures appear no problem, other times you need to change all the entries so the PCX versions show up.. you just erase that part of the name that says .BMP)

That's it, drop your textures in the maps folder and you model in model and add a ship table entry.

As a Representative of The Unskilled (TM), you can see what a simple proceedure FS2 modding is and why I love it!!!

For a fighter conversion takes about 5-10 mins, for bigger ships it depends on how many turrets you are fixing firing points for.. average is 15-20 mins for one that's basicly set up right with 30 or less.

This is just raw conversion for testing and not pathing or dockpoints, ect.. I'm sure you can make things go faster by importing existing data, ect...

Hope this helps you in some way.

[shaermon]

Ok i got something splattered on the ship. Now the problem is that it doesn't stay on the ship after i start converting it towards the formats used by truespace or fs2. And i haven't yet found a good real texture for the ship so i'm just trying to get technique right.

[Getter Robo G]

Not quite sure what's going, on but from the derscription sounds like a format conversion error... If the UV coords are maintained then that's not a real problem, it's just a momentary annoyance...

Can you post the model and texture in the version where it's mapped but pre-converted, and also the other version after with no texture visible? 

BTW please save as a .3ds if you current have in in MAX format, (as I can't open or even view those)?

If I can open it in 3dexploration and reasssign the proper texture and then save it as a .cob I can then orient it to face the right direction for you and possibly resize it if you tell me the proper length. Height and width don't matter as much for numbers if the base model has right look already.

I just ran into that problem with a ship I'm converting for someone with pre-existing stats. the model's porportions look fine but if I alter it to match their data it will be deformed so I chose to alter its length to make it long enough but at same time alter the other fields by the same factor so it's uniform and not stretched...

l8tr!

[Dark Hunter]

Dark Hunter....   WHY?

Like I said, I'm a complete and total noob when it comes to modelling. 
Thanks for the help.

[Mobius]

ha hem sorry for this interruption,but how I add textures using TrueSpace?

[Wanderer]

My way.... skip any attempts to use TrueSpace for adding textures. Just paint the model in single color, save it. Open LithUnWrap and uv-map the model there. Add texture. Open the textured model in TrueSpace.

[Vasudan Admiral]

Exactly what Wanderer said.

Any and all texturing capability is so limited in TS 3.2 that it's not funny. Don't even bother trying it.

FS-related LithUnWrap tutorial and download link by IPAndrews

[Getter Robo G]

FS2 now supports up to 1024x1024 for ship textures (HIgh res), in case you didn't  know.

[Wanderer]

FS2 now supports up to 1024x1024 for ship textures (HIgh res), in case you didn't  know.

AFAIK FS2 supports much, much larger textures than that.. but most of the cards cant really deal with anything larger than 2048x2048 - that is they are mostly just waste of memory -  so for now that is the maximum reasonable size for any given texture...

[Vasudan Admiral]

Up to 2048², yeah. Any higher than that and IIRC, the game will resize it down to 2048 upon loading.

Also keep in mind that the whole point of being able to use large textures is that you use less of them, since it's faster for the game to draw more of one large texture than it is to switch between multiple smaller ones. That and you get a heck of a lot more detail onto your ship.

(so if you begin using 2048 or even 1024 res textures as tile maps, you'll get tied up, stuffed in a brown paper lunch bag and thrown up into the air vents. )

[Mobius]

I stopped modelling because of the textures...damn...

[shaermon]

M'okay there is a rough model picture, ~170 polygons. I can now paste textures on it but i have nothing worthwhile to put on it yet. Trying to fix up something.




http://www.geocities.com/shaermon/picturet/rustbucket.JPG

How can i make a .pof file out of it with truespace? Pof wasn't listed in available saveformats
(Edit: Nevermind i found some way of doing it that didn't need truespace.)

[shaermon]

Okay so the problem now seems to be that some of the conversion programs eats the textures, what would people here recomend for a nubu texturer to practice with since i want to see my ship with some skin before x-mas

[Wanderer]

Here is what i do...

i) Create a model with TS (until now atleast)
ii) UV-map the thing with Lithunwrap...
iii) Make some texture for the UV-map if necessary
iv) Rebuild model hierarchy with TrueView if necessary
v) Convert the model (not scene) using PCS (Conversion -> COB to POF)

[Scooby_Doo]

If your still using gmax (or max)
1) Create model
2) UV map it
3) texture it
4) export to 3DS (gmax will need some other format, doesn't support 3ds i think)
5) load with 3d exploration
6) save as COB (make sure to place checkmark for save textures to bmp)
7) Load in truespace
8) Setup lod's, engine, gun, glow, eye...etc points (also scale and rotate) using trueview
9) Save as a cob (preferrably to another cob file)
10) Convert with PCS