So it does...had to go to wireframe mode first though...I couldn't see the selection when it's shaded...now I don't have to keep gmax open to figure out what the heck box08 is supposed to be.
Dang it...that piece I didn't know where it went...I put it in the wrong spot...I thought it might have been the back of the large building when really it was the side...
Will do better next time...I promise...
Jaye are you planning to leave the crane's cab brown like that or is it just a preliminary texturing...I was thinking it would end up being similar to the TU tractor's cab...with a little door above the steps and such...
universal advertising (Part II)
Here's a very quick, rough 'n' ready illustration of the Gmax/Chilliskinner stuff I was talking about. It took about as long to set up the capture as it did to make and unwrap the model... it's a very quick process.
This is a vid of a simple house being made:
http://www.zen44512.zen.co.uk/making_a_house.zip [12.6mb]
This is a vid of the "quick n dirty" way of unwrapping with Chilliskinner:
http://www.zen44512.zen.co.uk/unwrappin ... kinner.zip [19.7mb]
There's a better, slightly more time-consuming way of doing this with Chilliskinner that I'll do a proper tutorial on, if this seems like the sort of thing that might be helpful. It's much better to unwrap in your modelling program, I think. The only drawback with using Gmax is there's no built-in bitmap exporter for the finished template: you have to take a screencap. But you could just as easily use Lithunwrap or something for that part.
The vid's not very efficient (I don't have any editing tools etc) and you can see me trying to remember how various tools work at some points... anyway see what you think. Easy, no? :)
f
This is a vid of a simple house being made:
http://www.zen44512.zen.co.uk/making_a_house.zip [12.6mb]
This is a vid of the "quick n dirty" way of unwrapping with Chilliskinner:
http://www.zen44512.zen.co.uk/unwrappin ... kinner.zip [19.7mb]
There's a better, slightly more time-consuming way of doing this with Chilliskinner that I'll do a proper tutorial on, if this seems like the sort of thing that might be helpful. It's much better to unwrap in your modelling program, I think. The only drawback with using Gmax is there's no built-in bitmap exporter for the finished template: you have to take a screencap. But you could just as easily use Lithunwrap or something for that part.
The vid's not very efficient (I don't have any editing tools etc) and you can see me trying to remember how various tools work at some points... anyway see what you think. Easy, no? :)
f
Correct sir, just a preliminary. For the intricate/time consuming stuff I just slapped on a material and will come back to later. I'll have a look at the tractor skin and see what I can do, bu this will have to wait until later tonight for I need to sleep, then go get concert tickets and such.fhko wrote:Jaye are you planning to leave the crane's cab brown like that or is it just a preliminary texturing...I was thinking it would end up being similar to the TU tractor's cab...with a little door above the steps and such...
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fhko
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I'm back...until tomorrow...then I'm gone again...
Right now I'm trying to animate the lumber mill...it's working...but because of how the model maker blends one frame into another (directly linear) it isn't doing so well with the spinning saw and rolling log...even though I'm already using 11 keyframes they still appear to enlarge and shrink as each vertex moves straight from point A to B instead of around the circumference...
any way to clean it up apart from throwing in more keyframes?
Right now I'm trying to animate the lumber mill...it's working...but because of how the model maker blends one frame into another (directly linear) it isn't doing so well with the spinning saw and rolling log...even though I'm already using 11 keyframes they still appear to enlarge and shrink as each vertex moves straight from point A to B instead of around the circumference...
any way to clean it up apart from throwing in more keyframes?
Ah yes, the linear animation/squishy rotation issue. Couple of things you can do.
1. add more keyframes. A lot more keyframes. This is also related to...
2. add more detail to the rotating object. Not always possible, depends on the model.
So, let's say your saw has, I dunno, 16 "points" on the circumference, each of which is a blade. To make that rotate in even a vaguely smooth fashion you'd probably need 32 keyframes. If the sawblade had 32 points, then between each frame each vertex wouldn't have to travel as far, so the effect would be less linear, and you'd maybe be able to get away with 24 or perhaps 16 keyframes. It all depends, but there's a correlation between the detail of the object and the number of keyframes you need.
However. The best way of doing it is...
3. Turning the saw into a wheel submodel. Look at the tutorial on the artgroup pages for more info. Basically, you detach the rotating bit from the model; move it in Gmax so it's positioned on the origin, and then export it. Then, on the main body of the model, you need to have a single vertex in just the right position to attach the centre of the saw to (you could do this by adding a vertex to the model, or by making a tiny triangle and putting one point of it in the right place, while the other two points are hidden inside some other part of the model). Then export that main model (including any other animations).
In the model converter, you then load the main model, and attach the saw as a wheel, using the special attach point vertex you just created. If the alignment's right and you choose the correct wheel mode (probably one of the "plane" modes in this case) the blade will appear on the model and the game will rotate it for you, perfectly. Only drawback is that the blade will rotate all the time, which may not be what you want.
f
If you wanna send me your gmax model i'm at the usual address :)
1. add more keyframes. A lot more keyframes. This is also related to...
2. add more detail to the rotating object. Not always possible, depends on the model.
So, let's say your saw has, I dunno, 16 "points" on the circumference, each of which is a blade. To make that rotate in even a vaguely smooth fashion you'd probably need 32 keyframes. If the sawblade had 32 points, then between each frame each vertex wouldn't have to travel as far, so the effect would be less linear, and you'd maybe be able to get away with 24 or perhaps 16 keyframes. It all depends, but there's a correlation between the detail of the object and the number of keyframes you need.
However. The best way of doing it is...
3. Turning the saw into a wheel submodel. Look at the tutorial on the artgroup pages for more info. Basically, you detach the rotating bit from the model; move it in Gmax so it's positioned on the origin, and then export it. Then, on the main body of the model, you need to have a single vertex in just the right position to attach the centre of the saw to (you could do this by adding a vertex to the model, or by making a tiny triangle and putting one point of it in the right place, while the other two points are hidden inside some other part of the model). Then export that main model (including any other animations).
In the model converter, you then load the main model, and attach the saw as a wheel, using the special attach point vertex you just created. If the alignment's right and you choose the correct wheel mode (probably one of the "plane" modes in this case) the blade will appear on the model and the game will rotate it for you, perfectly. Only drawback is that the blade will rotate all the time, which may not be what you want.
f
If you wanna send me your gmax model i'm at the usual address :)
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fhko
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I made a little traffic light for any world owners who might want a bit of scenery...the model is animated so the light swings back and forth...
http://www.tuwr.net/upload/Fhko_Models/ ... _Light.atm
http://www.tuwr.net/upload/Fhko_Models/ ... _light.JPG
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fhko
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Quick fact check: the rotation of space stations is independent of the actual model, right?...like planets?
I'm trying to make something bigger and better than the current 1-torus, 5-cylinder, 1-tube, 2-box (or whatever those doors were) thingy we have now...mine will have multi-layered retracting docking bay doors...maybe I should add a big ray-gun too...
...either way it's going to be a heck of a job to texture (Going to step up and texture it myself this time)
pst...Jaye...hows that texture coming along?
I'm trying to make something bigger and better than the current 1-torus, 5-cylinder, 1-tube, 2-box (or whatever those doors were) thingy we have now...mine will have multi-layered retracting docking bay doors...maybe I should add a big ray-gun too...
...either way it's going to be a heck of a job to texture (Going to step up and texture it myself this time)pst...Jaye...hows that texture coming along?
I've been really busy with a lot of other art stuff over at Frankly Games and I had like food poisoning and stuff. Not trying to make excuses really, just haven't found the time. And when I do have the time I more or less just let it slip my mind. I'll actually get to work on it right now. :-p I have some time.
Model Converter, Tools menu, Fix inside-out model. Or possibly invert face orientation.
One of them will fix it.
Why it happens? See my "reset transforms" comments above. You'll probably find in Gmax, if you collapse the model to its final form, then reset transforms, the faces will be inverted there too. The way you fix that in Gmax is slightly different... apply a "Normal" modifier and tick "flip normals". Then collapse, reset transforms, job done.
f
One of them will fix it.
Why it happens? See my "reset transforms" comments above. You'll probably find in Gmax, if you collapse the model to its final form, then reset transforms, the faces will be inverted there too. The way you fix that in Gmax is slightly different... apply a "Normal" modifier and tick "flip normals". Then collapse, reset transforms, job done.
f
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fhko
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hehe...silly me...I tried the two functions right below Fix inside-out model but I didn't even see that one...
(just started texturing)
anyway it fixed the problem I was having...but now the missiles and their mounts are inside out (apparently they were correct to begin with)...is there anyway to fix a specific part of the model...worse case scenario I remove them with a little blue-256
And I'm having a hard time texturing...I keep having the model converter pick up lines on the texture that aren't visible in any painting program I use...I can get rid of them by going over the area they are supposedly in with the paint brush a few more times...but it's annoying...
(just started texturing)
anyway it fixed the problem I was having...but now the missiles and their mounts are inside out (apparently they were correct to begin with)...is there anyway to fix a specific part of the model...worse case scenario I remove them with a little blue-256
And I'm having a hard time texturing...I keep having the model converter pick up lines on the texture that aren't visible in any painting program I use...I can get rid of them by going over the area they are supposedly in with the paint brush a few more times...but it's annoying...