Author Topic: 3d Modeling? (Read 957 times)

Waffle · « **on:** January 15, 2005, 07:02:38 PM »

Just curious if anyone here is practiced in the art of 3d modeling.
I've been messing around some with 3D Studio max - Luckiliy My brother in law (arch lighting designer) had a version they dont use at work anymore (all autocad and lightwave), which I now have possesion of

Anyway - I've just been doing simple objects / buildings to get the feel of things and what not. (can't even begin to contemplate complex curves as you would see in an aircraft)

Anyway - Right now I'm sorta at a loss on creating custom textures for these objects. Is the standard practice to render an elevation or view (left, right, front, back, ect....)
then take those rendered bitmaps and then combine those onto a single bitmap and then proceed to do your 2d artwork.

Once thats done - I take it this is where I have to select an object and then apply the bitmap I created. This is where it starts geting fuzzy for me.....

lmao - Great way to spend a saturday night though

Anyway - just throwing some lines out to see if anyone could explain this a little better.

streetstang · « **Reply #1 on:** January 15, 2005, 07:55:30 PM »

Fester got remarkably good at it.

I have a bit of experience with it but I'd be of little help to you as I'm a lousy teacher.

Echo · « **Reply #2 on:** January 15, 2005, 08:16:14 PM »

3dsmax has a modifier called unwrap UVW. this will "unwrap" the polygons on your model to a 2d bitmap image, which you have already created. you can then move verticies around for individual faces, to get them to line up properly with the bitmap.

You can also render elevations then paint on those. Here is a simple example. Lets say you have just a simple cube. you could render out all 6 sides of it from an orthographic view, then paint whatever on those images. go back into max, and create a multi-subobject material type. this allows you to have more than one bitmap on a single mesh object.you will then tell that material that there are 6 different material types for that one multisub material type. load the images into each individual material. you would then apply an edit mesh modifier to the cube. go into subobject face mode on the edit mesh modifier and select one face. Towards the bottom of the roll out on the right hand side of the screen is a material ID number that you can change while you still have that face selected. number each individual face 1-6, being sure to corespond which face gets which number depending on how they are numbered in the material editor. you can then exit sub-object mode, apply a UVW map set to box. Finally apply the multi-sub material to the cube and you will be all done.

Also lets say you have a little more complicated model, where box mapping wont work for all sides of it. When you apply a UVW map it also has a material ID setting on it. If you change this to lets say 2, then that UVW modifier will only apply mapping for bitmaps assigned number 2 as a material ID.

Imagine a cylinder cut in half vertically so one side is a flat wall, and the other side is arc shaped. Using the above method you could appy a planar type UVW map to the flat wall surface with a Mat ID of 1, and you could then have Cylindrical type UVW mapping applied to the curved side with a Mat ID of 2.

Hope this helps

Boozer2 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 15, 2005, 09:55:25 PM »

hell if it's that easy no wonder fester could do it

Waffle · « **Reply #4 on:** January 15, 2005, 10:55:44 PM »

Cool - that was easy enough..lol Took awhile to figure out what buttons and order to get it to do what i wanted it to do Always remember to have the modidier HIGHLIGHTED...lwhen you're trying to work with it - Lmao! After the first wall - the rest was pretty easy.

Anyway - Heres what I'm working on - a control tower. This is just the shell with the texture maps I made applied.

Kermit de frog · « **Reply #5 on:** January 15, 2005, 11:58:24 PM »

That's pretty good waffle.
I've been using 3dsmax 4 on my spare time. I've managed to make the typhoon1b in 3d. Textured it using the same textures as HTC. But, to be a perfectionist, I'd need to double the amount of time aready spent in order for me to make it perfect. I usually spend 10 hours a month with 3dsmax. Box modeling is fun. NURB modeling is awesome and yet frustrating at the same time. Right now I'm modeling kermit the frog so I can have a cool looking pilot to go with my typhy. I'll post some pics and maybe a movie sometime this year.

Kev367th · « **Reply #6 on:** January 16, 2005, 12:21:33 AM »

Used Lightwave and Imagine.
Both of these have procedural textures don't know if 3d max has.

HavocTM · « **Reply #7 on:** January 16, 2005, 12:22:16 AM »

WTF!!!

I can't find the Material ID on the UVW submap.

Can you guys help?

I mean I have a really good start. I think it's pretty realistic, just needs tweaking.

Waffle · « **Reply #8 on:** January 16, 2005, 06:00:33 AM »

Here after adding a fewthings to it.

Echo · « **Reply #9 on:** January 16, 2005, 08:31:14 AM »

Nice job. Looks professional to me. wtg.

Kev367th · « **Reply #10 on:** January 16, 2005, 08:34:26 AM »

Excellent job, don't forget your LODs.

LOD = Level Of Detail

explained here http://home.sprynet.com/~drawlins/AI_aircraft/AI_aircraft.html

Althoguh it's for aircraft the method and reason is valid for all objects.

Kermit de frog · « **Reply #11 on:** January 16, 2005, 11:39:10 AM »

You can use a modifier to create LOD's. I think it's the optimize modifier. But I forgot how to link each version of each model so that any program can use the LOD's. Try going into help and type "level of detail" and if I remember correctly, there is actually a button with "LOD" on it.

Waffle · « **Reply #12 on:** January 16, 2005, 03:43:13 PM »

Nice steep learning curve to this...lmao.

Thinking if there's gonna be a 3d editor in the new Terrain Editor - we're gonna need a 3d forum..

Anyway - I think it came out good for a first "official" run at building something, definitely something to be said for just jumping in to learn how to swim. Learn by doing and making mistakes.

LOD is one thing i'll look into....sounds good for another evening's class...probably will be nessecary if we are able to design 3d object for in game use.

BTW - I noticed you can see LOD in use ingame - I haven't look at all models, but on the b24 - if you zoom out - you can see it when you zoom out, especially on the engine nacelles from the front. Will have to look at the buildings.

EDIT: Just looked in game - can see the LOD change on the b24s, but didn't see it on the fighters - nor older bombers / or buildings.

moot · « **Reply #13 on:** January 17, 2005, 08:49:07 AM »

the bomber drones are permanent low LODs AFAIR.

Waffle · « **Reply #14 on:** January 17, 2005, 03:08:20 PM »

Bomber drones change LOD also. Zoom in/out on the runway - while looking at them - then jump to tail gun and look.