[KewlToyZ]

I got as much detail as I am going to put in the model.
The rest will be texture based. Right around 4k polys.
I have 3 KEW points, I think it only has 2 but the model parts looked like it had 3?
Anyone care either way? 3 or 2 KEW points?

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[KewlToyZ]

A few renders for those not looking at the models.

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[torc]

good job! i like it 

[KewlToyZ]

Does anyone know where I can find the BSG Viper/Fighter based text and warning labels they place on the hulls of these things?
Most pics I am finding are illegible, may end up doing something based on normal AF and Navy warnings just to get it over with =P

[KewlToyZ]

good job! i like it 

Thanks Torc, got a ways to go yet but it's finally taking shape =)

[Thaeris]

I am the last person who qualifies for asking for a status update, but were you ever able to get the fighter UV'ed, etc?

[KewlToyZ]

Hey Thaeris,
Actually I was just in process of installing the programs to create the UV Mapping for it. Its insane, and not bull****, ya caught me inspired.
The hardest thing I have is trying to get it all on one page except the canopy & the decal maps for the VIN # and Pilot Names.
I know Newman just looks at this and shakes his head, its like a 4 yr old talking to grown up building a commercial building lol!
I have 3DS Max 2012, Lithunwrap, & PCS 2 but I never UV mapped with Max before.
I've only managed to UV map one ship for FS/Btrl using Lithunwrap, Deep Exploration 5, & PCS 2 and it was a lot easier to map than this model is with its angles. I'm just trying to remember how to even add UV coords to it with LithUnwrap when it says there is no UV mapping
But I really want to get it done, if nothing else to at least get the mapping done enough to improve the textures over time.

So far Max 2012 blows goats with intuitive interface design, they changed everything I can't even find the pick objects button anywhere and nothing matches any tutorials out there. I can't find the LithUnwrap tutorials that I learned to use from before either so I have no idea what I am doing.... grrr I want to fish but the pole I got has no string, handles, or hooks visible to even begin with lol

[KewlToyZ]

Ah finally found Lithunwrap tutorial to get going again: http://spinner.northern-studios.com/tuts/lu_tut1.htm
Max has changed their interface so much its insane I can't even find a pick objects button it keeps demanding let alone what it looks like in this version.

I'm just curious if there was any potential for it with the game?
I know I would never come close to the Modeling teams stuff in place, but possibly adding it in a mission would be neat for me.
About the only thing I can do is build(hack with limited knowledge) it into a VP file with the tbl file entries for BtRL once I get the mapping and texture done.
But if one of you gents want to take it over to bring it up to speed I have enough geometry in place to act as a framework to make one of your higher quality additions. I would never have a problem with you guys re-using it because the model was a major pain to figure out based on previous content available lol! I was just thrilled with your work and love taking stuff apart to play around with and explore.
Your MOD development ability and character for doing it in the first place are quite an inspiration.

One thing I wanted to ask for you guys opinion, should I include the centerline KEW or just remove it and only add the wing KEW's?
I know the landing gear isn't used in game to my knowledge so I placed the centerline KEW over the forward landing gear port.
It doesn't really sit very well with me there. An alternative was placing it partially hidden into the nose port above or below the nose sensor package. I think I will move it below the sensor package hidden underneath inside the nose port. I'll worry about it when I finish my initial UV map, I'm about halfway through the rough draft of that with LithUnwrap.

[KewlToyZ]

Blahhhhhhhhh =P
Ok I made a compressed version of the mapping so far, I need to change locations & scale of items for proper detail, hard to keep it all straight with LithUnwrap in one night. I am working on it, just bear with me =P

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[newman]

Forget about third party UVW mapping apps, all they do is confuse you. Chuck them in the bin and go for 3ds max uvw mapping tutorials instead. This uvw layout simply won't work, you have lots and lots of overlapping surfaces, wasted space, etc. First thing to forget about is the myth that uvw-ing is complex or hard - it's neither, especially on a model that only has flat angled surfaces. If you can just use planar UVW maps and combine that with unwrap you can get a much better result in 20 minutes. Also, it's usually a good idea to not have the pilot in the same map as the fighter - as pilots are usually shared between various fighters, and having a pilot texture integrated into every fighter texture is quite wasteful.

[KewlToyZ]

Good morning Newman, thanks, Thats why I got the Max, I just can't figure out where tools are and the step progression in 2012. I'll see if I can find an up to date book for it so I can find out where the buttons are. I'm a bit more awake than I was last night and found this tutorial http://www.tutorialized.com/view/tutorial/How-To-Model-and-Texture-a-Boeing-727-Airline/73732
See if I can get up and running with it. If I don't need the pilot, I'll chuck it out, I saw the ones you folks did so I am in no hurry to try generating my own. I know the scaling of what I had above needed drastic adjustment with some pcs for the sake of detailing. I need to add the panels for the VIN #, Pilot name, & Squadron badge decals yet anyhow. I'll see if I can find the good walk throughs in the modding forum here too. I need to get hierarchy and naming conventions for cob-pof sorted out in my head again too.

[Angelus]

You can also check these out:

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,62304

and

http://www.republicofcode.com/tutorials/3ds/unwrap_uvw_mapping/

and, while i'm at it, here's the list to a lots of tutorials, covering pretty much every aspect of modelling, uving, texturing and modding for FSO

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=70249.0

[KewlToyZ]

Thanks Angelus 

[KewlToyZ]

Hey gents, UVW Mapping & UVW Unwrap, just a few questions...
When I map some objects, do I save a separate uvw for every part I map or do I assemble all of them into one map?
I'm not following the workflow of how I retain the mapping to the model so when I close the file I can come back to where I left off.
I hope I'm making this harder on myself than it really is. Also, I am trying to follow the scale to a 2048x2048 sheet, is that only the area it shows mapped when I set it to that size in the uvw space? In other words, I have to fit everything into the dark blue line square when scaling and placing it?
I'm just trying to follow how I show all of the objects I map at once? I keep selecting parts and mapping them but I don't see how I show the parts I previously mapped.

[Angelus]

Hey gents, UVW Mapping & UVW Unwrap, just a few questions...
When I map some objects, do I save a separate uvw for every part I map or do I assemble all of them into one map?
I'm not following the workflow of how I retain the mapping to the model so when I close the file I can come back to where I left off.
I hope I'm making this harder on myself than it really is.

in Max, just save the file to a scene (.Max), it will preserve your progress.
The next time you fire up Max again, just open the uv editor.

what you could do is, move the parts away from each other, then attach all of them ( at least those, which are supposed to share a uv map). UV them, then detach them again once finished.
Newman can shed more light on this.

[KewlToyZ]

Ok, I switched over to use Max 2010, the interface makes more sense, 2012 seems obtusely foreign to me in procedure for its tools.
From what I am seeing UVW Map a part planar, then UVW Unwrap the part to get to the UVW Preview browse/edit interface is the work pattern I have been following. It just seems over complicated compared to other interfaces so it confuses me a bit instead of simply selecting planar and opening the UVW Preview straight away because the Preview/Edit option only shows up under the Unwrap and not the Map > Planar.
Can I separate the parts into exported single files then import all of them into one model once they are UV mapped and retain their UV mapping to create one large map from the assembly?

[KewlToyZ]

I got the UVW files done and created my image map. Now on to texture my image map....
I am surprised how much the 2010 version .max file & uvw's compressed with WinRar.
I don't know Max very well at all so its been like pulling teeth for me lol!
I setup everything to fit onto a 2048x2048 single sheet.
At least now I can move the canopy and the decals (for squad tags, ship tags, pilot nickname, & VIN ID) to separate sheets.
Now photo shopping the image files for the textures begins.
Then I have to make the LOD versions of the model, but with the ship poly counts so low, it should work pretty well in a game.

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[newman]

Hey gents, UVW Mapping & UVW Unwrap, just a few questions...
When I map some objects, do I save a separate uvw for every part I map or do I assemble all of them into one map?
I'm not following the workflow of how I retain the mapping to the model so when I close the file I can come back to where I left off.
I hope I'm making this harder on myself than it really is. Also, I am trying to follow the scale to a 2048x2048 sheet, is that only the area it shows mapped when I set it to that size in the uvw space? In other words, I have to fit everything into the dark blue line square when scaling and placing it?
I'm just trying to follow how I show all of the objects I map at once? I keep selecting parts and mapping them but I don't see how I show the parts I previously mapped.

Like Angelus said, max remembers uv mapping of each polygon. Everything outside of the blue square is simply that texture repeated again - so basically, it tiles in both axis. When not doing tile mapping it's best to keep everything inside the blue square, or it'll get tough making sure you don't have overlapping parts. What I sometimes do is apply a simple box modifier to everything before I even start, then move everything outside of the blue square. Then I start actually uvw mapping piece by piece and assembling it inside the blue square. When I'm done, if there's nothing out of the square I know I didn't miss anything. If there is, easy enough to select it through the uvw editor.

[KewlToyZ]

Making some progress, UVW mapped, need to adjust reflectivity and start detailing the cockpit... a lot lol!
I might remake a few of the decals to duplicate the coloring better and place on a separate map finally.

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[KewlToyZ]

Picking this up again with a short break in work, trying to fix components with welding for smoothing appearances.
Began testing and think I found the right settings for *.cob conversions through my Rhino>Deep Exploration>PCS2.

Now going back to split up some of the geometry for better mapping. Also to make sure the cockpit dash looks right.
Painful but worthwhile.

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