[tank570585]

     Hi.  I'm fairly new to modding, the only other stuff I've ever done was edit a few text files for Alpha Centauri, but anyways I've created a few fighter models, textured them, made table entries etc, but I can't get them to have glow and/or shine maps and I'm confused.  I've got the options set in the launcher, and other ships have them, but mine do not.  As far as I've been able to find I should just be able to apend a -glow or -shine onto an otherwise identically titled image file (meaning same as base texture) to get these to work.  Is there something that I am missing.  As an example of what I have been doing:

main texture:     battlepod.dds
shinemap:          battlepod-shine.dds
glowmap:           battlepod-glow.dds

Is this correct?

Since I'm here, I might as well show the models:









     As you can see, some are more done than others, but . . .



. . . this was the first version of the last of the four above, so I do think I am making progress.

Anyways, I would really appreciate help with my problem.  Comments on the models would be nice too, but are a secondary concern.

[jr2]

...Shouldn't this be stuck under FreeSpace > Modding?

[tank570585]

. . . hmmmm sorry, I meant to put it under modding.  Guess I must have been on the wrong tab or something.

[jr2]

Ask an admin to move it
(Moderators: Taristin, Flipside, ShadowWolf_IH)

[Flipside]

As if by magic.....

That might be a UV problem, but it's hard to tell. You've got the names right from the look of it.

[Water]

     Hi.  I'm fairly new to modding, the only other stuff I've ever done was edit a few text files for Alpha Centauri, but anyways I've created a few fighter models, textured them, made table entries etc, but I can't get them to have glow and/or shine maps and I'm confused. 

Anyways, I would really appreciate help with my problem.  Comments on the models would be nice too, but are a secondary concern.

Mostly questions 
How are you applying the textures to the models?
It looks like they are not unwrapped. Are you using tiled (repeating) texture maps?
Could you post a texture map?

[tank570585]

Mostly questions 
How are you applying the textures to the models?
It looks like they are not unwrapped. Are you using tiled (repeating) texture maps?
Could you post a texture map?

You are partially right.  Only two of them have been unwrapped (The top one and the fourth from the top).  The bottom one was the tiled version of the one above it.  You can see what a difference there is between them I hope.

Her are the maps for the top one:
uv map:

main texture map:

shine map:

glow map:


Ok, so I'm no great artist, and barely any better as a modeller at this point, but I'm getting better.

Anyways, on topic, the regular texture shows up just fine in game, but the shine and glow maps are doing nothing (tested by making large changes and looking in game to see no difference).

[Water]

Anyways, on topic, the regular texture shows up just fine in game, but the shine and glow maps are doing nothing (tested by making large changes and looking in game to see no difference).

They look like they should show a difference. How are you creating the DD files (software)  - and what format dxt1 dxt5. etc. To check its not a dds export problem replace all 3 files with tga. If this makes a difference then you need to sort dds export.

[tank570585]

I have used 2 different methods for creating the dds files (I have also tried using .pcx files).  One way I have created the dds files is through a plugin for GIMP, and the other way is rendering to textures from within Maya (with the textures set as color, specular, and ambient maps).

I tried the .tga files and got exactly the same result.

Here is what it looks like in game:


Yes, I know the thruster is off, but the model used to be longer.

Oh ya, I have been using DXT1 format within GIMP, but I don't remember if Maya gave me a choice.

[Getter Robo G]

No offense, but it looks like your ship might already be glowing, notice how you can see it even on the "dark side" try enhancing the contrast/brightness and you should see it get brighter. Likewise if you turn off glows you will see the model get darker.

Needs more defined textures with windows or glow points instead of a whole hull glow (that's why you're probably confused you had no idea it was already glowing)!

That's my assessment (but then again... Better get a second opinion!) I had a similar situation with a hull texture all white and glowy. I didn't realize it was entirely glowing till I flew to the dark side of it and still saw the model completely normal when it should have been darkness.  L8tr!


[I don't know about .DDS format so here's what I do with 8bit PCX's]:

Then depending on how it looks you lower the brightness a tad and simultaneously increase the contrast/saturation.  Anything that should glow should start getting brighter, while darker colors now turn dark thus less glowy.

Copy pasting black over large areas of hull isolates glowy sections better and makes them stand out more. When you get a nice balance and need to refine it save teh image and continue darkening the non glowy areas and increasign the glowy ones...

Eventually you should have textures like this:

I posed this on purpose half in darkness half out so you can see the strength of glows in and out fo light. as you can see parts fo teh ship can't be seen well in darkness except for the glows while the glows are muted or only normal as on the main map in the light.



Main Texture



Glowmap


I hope this helps you out a little.

[tank570585]

Nice ship!

Thanks, I guess a no problem is the best kind, even if I'm a little embarrassed now.  Turning off glow and shinemapping did drastically decrease the brightness in game, so I guess they were being applied.  Now I just have to work on my art skills a little (OK a lot but I'll get there).

edit: Nope, glow maps still don't show up in game.  Shine map may be working though.
edit2: I am some kind of fool, they are working 

[Getter Robo G]

heh, that's Aldo's SOC Banshee from Inferno. I just did a messy basic glow map for my own use.