ac3d and colouring

[rogerdee]

ok guys i figured how to make something now how do i colour it?

i mean say i made a wall and want to make it like vrickwork do i
 convert it int o a bitmap or something then do the colouring in psp or some thing like that.

also how do u guys work out the size if u are adding something to aces high?

thanks forr any help given

[Denholm]

I am not familiar with AC3D, so I can not tell you how to import the bitmap, but I do know how it works.

First you have to get a bitmap image, either 128 x 128 or 256 x 256. The bitmap image MUST be "256 Color Bitmap"! Then somehow you select the face of your object and tell AC3D that you want that bitmap to be the face's color. Once again, i'm not familiar with AC3D, I use the blender and they both have different techniques.

[rogerdee]

so i need  a bit map of what i want say  a brick wall then inport it to ac3d and then build my wall from the bitmap?

umm nothing is ever easy

[Denholm]

No no no, the bitmap is pretty much pasted onto your object, you can stretch the bitmap using AC3D so it fits onto your object perfectly. Once again, i'm not familiar with AC3D, so I can't tell you how to work this feature.

[rogerdee]

ok thanks i figured out the bitmap bit and i can get things that look almost how they should  .

but what do i do to get it back in the oe what folders to i put the files in in the oe export folder?

i tried converting the ac3d back to the OE and it says bitmap not there do these have to be in the same folder as the ac3 file and if so which folder.

damn things to complacted

[croduh]

Bitamp has to be in the same folder, 256 colors, name must be less than 8 letters, not larger than 512x512.Once you import into oe you should get 2 files in your aheditor/userlib folder: texture file(.htx) and object itself(.shp).

[rogerdee]

ok lets see

i have things go in to the export folder that i can change to ac3d do i need the bitmap here ?


ok i looked in the userlib and all i got was a shape file,and the item will show up but its just grey and not coloured as it was in ac3d?

can u explain nice and in simple terms how and what i have to do to make this work pls

[BlauK]

The BMP has to be in the same folder with the AC file before you load it on your object in ac3d. Then you select your object or surfaces, press F10 and place the surfaces on proper places over the visible texture.

Now you should see the texture on your model in ac3d. Save and go to OE, convert ac3d file, exit OE. You should have the filename.ac converted as filename.shp and texture.bmp as texture.htx and both of these new files are in userlib.

Re-open OE and th eobject should be in your object list marked with *.

[BlauK]

Notice, you cannot move the files after you have saved them in OE. The AC file includes a path to the texture.

[rogerdee]

i am more lost then ever now.

if you are using more then one texture that means more then one bitmap?

these have to be in the same folder but is that the export folder from the oe when it converts to ac?.


sorry guys  but i am defiently lost  i can make things in ac3d and can texture them but as for getting it back to the oe it either just crashed the oe or comes but with just shape folder and goes grey.

baluk could you run me through it step by step from when you press convert to ac3d  in the oe? would that be possible  if you can spare the time?

[BlauK]

Originally posted by rogerdee
i am more lost then ever now.

if you are using more then one texture that means more then one bitmap?

these have to be in the same folder but is that the export folder from the oe when it converts to ac?.

Yes, you can have more than one texture file for a single object. I did not talk about that in my posts though.

It does not mater in which folder you have teh AC and BMP as long as it is teh one and same folder. "Export" folder is a good place, because that is where OE exports the objects for ac3d.

sorry guys  but i am defiently lost  i can make things in ac3d and can texture them but as for getting it back to the oe it either just crashed the oe or comes but with just shape folder and goes grey.

One critical question is... have you built a "hierarchy tree" with proper object property tags in ac3d?   (read the ac3d.txt help file in the aheditor folder)

[rogerdee]

thats proberly where i am going wrong because i dont know where it goes or how to do it properly.

ill have to wai t to the weekend to try again i guess

thanks anyway

[Denholm]

All I know is the HT (Hierarchy Tree) is built like this:

World
         Model
                  Objects
                              Str0
                                    Object Name

In the blender we have to make a Hierarchy tree similar to this:

+1 model, MaxDist=20000
       +1 objects, MaxDist=20000
              +1 str0, MaxDist=20000
                    - objectname, MaxDist=20000 NoCollide=0

The "MaxDist" is a "Property tag", it explains from what distance you can see the object. A precise description of all possible tags is in the "ac3d.txt" file, all I can tell and show you is examples, because I do not use AC3D.

[rogerdee]

ac3d shows you the  heirarchy for the item ive done but i need to change it to ah specs  and thats what i dont know what to do.

the limited infoe the OE gives  is not very easy to understand for some one like me

and as for changiing it it ac3d  to what i want i dont know how and i have been trying hard

[soda72]

Originally posted by rogerdee
ac3d shows you the  heirarchy for the item ive done but i need to change it to ah specs  and thats what i dont know what to do.

the limited infoe the OE gives  is not very easy to understand for some one like me

and as for changiing it it ac3d  to what i want i dont know how and i have been trying hard

Hi rogerdee,

I have ac3d 6.0 and I feel your pain.   There a couple of steps you have follow in order to change things in the heirarchy through AC3D.  I'll try to post some pics here to show what I do to change the heirarchy.  I'm not a super expert with it, but it might help point ya in the right direction...