Topic: 3dsmax Questions

[Starfox1701]

3dsmax Questions

1 how do you setup bump maps on a model?

2 how do you setup specular maps on a model?

3 how do you setup transparent texture maps on a model?

4 is there an MOD importer/exporter for max5?

[Kreeargh]

If for sfc? 1 and 2 dont work as far as i know  #3 Im or Foas knows those tricks and #4  the max4 plugin also works in max 5 you can get it here on the Dynaverse site.

[atheorhaven]

3dsmax Questions
1 how do you setup bump maps on a model?
2 how do you setup specular maps on a model?
3 how do you setup transparent texture maps on a model?

See the attached pictures, the first one is where to find them (I'm using a really old version of 3dsmax, Max 5 may be different), and picture two shows the options for each material.  I've never used transparent textures on a mesh, but assumt that would be opacity.

4 is there an MOD importer/exporter for max5?

As Kreeargh said, the official Taldren plugin works in 3dsmax 3, 4, and 5. 

[Starfox1701]

k what about Animations?

[Rod ONeal]

These are the tutorials that came out with GMax when it was first released. They were designed to teach someone who had zero experience with Max and get you to making your own models and animating them. I think GMax and Max5 are virtually identical AFAIK. Should give you everything you need to get up and going.
gmax12_tutorials.exe
Just unzip it and click on the help file in the main folder.

Also, in case you need it, Chris Jones' "quick and dirty" break_mod tutorial.
brk.mod_tut.rar

[CaptCujo]

Where do we find this offical Taldren pugin to create .MOD files?

[atheorhaven]

Here's a good spot..

http://starfleetcommand3.filefront.com/file/3ds_max_MOD_plugins_Version_3_4_or_5;46303

Actually, this link may be better because it shows all the tools (including ModViewer and the gmax plugin):
http://starfleetcommand3.filefront.com/files/Starfleet_Command_III/Utilities/Modeling_Tools;874

[CaptCujo]

Thank you very much.

[GotAFarmYet?]

These are the tutorials that came out with GMax when it was first released. They were designed to teach someone who had zero experience with Max and get you to making your own models and animating them. I think GMax and Max5 are virtually identical AFAIK. Should give you everything you need to get up and going.
gmax12_tutorials.exe
Just unzip it and click on the help file in the main folder.

Also, in case you need it, Chris Jones' "quick and dirty" break_mod tutorial.
brk.mod_tut.rar

Hey Rod the first link is currently redirecting to a virus site you might want to remove it for now

[Starfox1701]

the gmax tut diesn't cover texture based animations; How do I do thoughs?

[Kreeargh]

the gmax tut diesn't cover texture based animations; How do I do thoughs?

a gif immage can do animations ie moveing blades for tos warps, Im not sure about a Tga though . Only Tga, jpg and bmp maps work for sfc . Jpg and bmp cant show animations as far as i know. But i know nothing here just a fan   

[Starfox1701]

I'm talking about flipbook style How do I swr thoughs up?

[FoaS_XC]

There's a couple ways. You can make a single frame per BMP and load the texture as a sequence. I know max can do this, dunno about GMax

[Rod ONeal]

These are the tutorials that came out with GMax when it was first released. They were designed to teach someone who had zero experience with Max and get you to making your own models and animating them. I think GMax and Max5 are virtually identical AFAIK. Should give you everything you need to get up and going.
gmax12_tutorials.exe
Just unzip it and click on the help file in the main folder.

Also, in case you need it, Chris Jones' "quick and dirty" break_mod tutorial.
brk.mod_tut.rar

Hey Rod the first link is currently redirecting to a virus site you might want to remove it for now

It's a free FTP file storage place. I've had it for years. I'm sure the files are safe. Nothing there that I haven't used and uploaded myself.

[Starfox1701]

There's a couple ways. You can make a single frame per BMP and load the texture as a sequence. I know max can do this, dunno about GMax

I'm tyring to keep it on 1 texture. I know it can be done I just can't find anyone who knows how

[FoaS_XC]

I don't know if you can animate UV Coordinates, but sounds like that's an idea. Honestly, even if you can, its more trouble than it is worth. Better to use a Video file as a texture.

[intermech]

There was a lengthy thread about animation in SFC years ago. The conclusion was that it was not possible given the SFC engine aside from doubling up on faces and letting them fight it out in the game engine.

I cannot comment on max itself, but transparency in SFC3 (only) is handled through file type. You can use *.tga which takes a grey scale transparency map. This file type allows you to do anything from holes in the texture, to translucency. Or you can use *.png with a single color selected as transparent which will only make holes. *.tga files are more memory intensive, *.png files are require less memory like *.jpg's.

[GotAFarmYet?]

These are the tutorials that came out with GMax when it was first released. They were designed to teach someone who had zero experience with Max and get you to making your own models and animating them. I think GMax and Max5 are virtually identical AFAIK. Should give you everything you need to get up and going.
gmax12_tutorials.exe
Just unzip it and click on the help file in the main folder.

Also, in case you need it, Chris Jones' "quick and dirty" break_mod tutorial.
brk.mod_tut.rar

Hey Rod the first link is currently redirecting to a virus site you might want to remove it for now

It's a free FTP file storage place. I've had it for years. I'm sure the files are safe. Nothing there that I haven't used and uploaded myself.

No when I clicked the link it was redirected, so it is usually the route or the host that has been hit, it usually gets cleared up in a day or two

[atheorhaven]

There was a lengthy thread about animation in SFC years ago. The conclusion was that it was not possible given the SFC engine aside from doubling up on faces and letting them fight it out in the game engine.

I cannot comment on max itself, but transparency in SFC3 (only) is handled through file type. You can use *.tga which takes a grey scale transparency map. This file type allows you to do anything from holes in the texture, to translucency. Or you can use *.png with a single color selected as transparent which will only make holes. *.tga files are more memory intensive, *.png files are require less memory like *.jpg's.

Thank you for that.. let's me try that with the Eagle top.. the "holes" might be what I need. 

[Starfox1701]

There was a lengthy thread about animation in SFC years ago. The conclusion was that it was not possible given the SFC engine aside from doubling up on faces and letting them fight it out in the game engine.

I cannot comment on max itself, but transparency in SFC3 (only) is handled through file type. You can use *.tga which takes a grey scale transparency map. This file type allows you to do anything from holes in the texture, to translucency. Or you can use *.png with a single color selected as transparent which will only make holes. *.tga files are more memory intensive, *.png files are require less memory like *.jpg's.

I didn't quite understand the second part Could you post some visual examples please?

[Kreeargh]

the gmax tut diesn't cover texture based animations; How do I do thoughs?

Are you trying to make a 3d comic ?   (How do I do thoughs?}

[Starfox1701]

single texture bussard animations for ships

[Rod ONeal]

single texture bussard animations for ships

.gif files are the easiest to do that with. SFC can't use .gif files though (AFAIK?). Maybe it's something that can be added to EAW once the guys get the source code to compile for them. It "might" also be possible if Bink video files could be applied as textures?

[USS Mariner]

Is there any possibility of using the mod plugins for Max 2010?

[FoaS_XC]

Sadly, no. They broke back when 3ds Max v6 came out. I'm chewing on the problem bit by bit. I have a bridgeing solution where you need a version of Max that can handle the plugins as well (basically it converts the scene into an old max version).

If I were more experienced with the SDK I'd TRY to write a new plugin. I may yet try to write a maxscript for newer max versions.

[CaptCujo]

Bummer, I just got my hands on 3dsMax 2012 . . .

[FoaS_XC]

You can model, map, and render to your heart's content. But you'll need something else to convert it to MOD, is all.

[atheorhaven]

You can model, map, and render to your heart's content. But you'll need something else to convert it to MOD, is all.

What kind of plugins exist for export though?  I've been converting mackie's stuff for years, and he models in Lightwave pretty well exclusively.. I'm sure that between all of us, someone could take a non-MAX exported object and convert it to .MOD..

[Kreeargh]

single texture bussard animations for ships

.gif files are the easiest to do that with. SFC can't use .gif files though (AFAIK?). Maybe it's something that can be added to EAW once the guys get the source code to compile for them. It "might" also be possible if Bink video files could be applied as textures?

   That can work but lets hope the rest of the code will work with it all.

[FoaS_XC]

Mmmmm, let it be known that this particular line of thought has been noted .

[Kreeargh]

Mmmmm, let it be known that this particular line of thought has been noted .

Gif file textures would be awesome for sfc4 SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many options could be created for EACH stock ship let alone add on versions.

[FoaS_XC]

APNG: Animated PNG. Good stuff.

Like I said - I've noted this - I dare not say more, but graphical enhancements, while awesome, should take a back seat to more important things (and remember: this is the the Official Xenocorp/Dynaverse graphic design Junkie, talking.)

[Starfox1701]

I like DDS files roo because they can have all the texture LOD stuff in 1 file so it saves time and space. On the animation question I have found some more info of sorts. You guys have stated that it won't work for SFC but I'm also working for A2. This is from the BBOM by Westworld on seting up node trees for the models in max

Command Nodes:
Command nodes are special nodes the modify the export behavior of their parent mesh.
The are any node whose name
begins "c_". Specifically, they are:
"c_tm_[name]" Use the texture material [name].
"c_anim_[identifier]_[playback_offset]_nn" Texture animation.
"c_borg_[texture]" specify a borg assimilation texture for the parent node.

and Achillies posted this on the subject of texture based animations

well, experiment with the ore node and go from there. The mesh animation I covered in the link but texture animation is completely different.

It's basically frame animation and then using a command node to tell it which animation to use. If you need more info just say, I will post a quick how to.... it's never as complex as it sounds.
Like

Now heres my questions

1 would I need 2 C nodes or just the 2nd one to make the animation work?
2 in the 2nd node what would be the identifier and what would be the playback_offset?
Also I am having really bad trouble trying to properly scale the meshes for export in max.

[FoaS_XC]

DDS files are decent, but they use a lossy compression, even if the compression is decent, it's still lossy.

PNGs are my prefered format for anything: lossless compression, support for 32bits per pixel (8 bits for each of 4 channels) or 64bits per pixel (16 for 4 channels). Better than BMPs: smaller file size and greater bit-depth.

[Starfox1701]

New problem Geting these strange black spots on the model after export. Any ideas whats causing them?

[FoaS_XC]

Looks like smoothing errors.

[Starfox1701]

How would I fix them?

[Kreeargh]

How would I fix them?

Check to see if more than 1 vert is in the same place if so weld them.  Im retired now tech advice best proof . Just my thoughts here.

[FoaS_XC]

Check your smoothing groups on the original model - I think I cover them in one of my video tutorials :/

[Centurus]

I've got nothing but smoothing issues with models I make, after conversion attempts that is.  I think it was you Fury that said that SFC doesn't smooth models in a practical way or something like that, when I was having my smoothing issues.

[Kreeargh]

I've got nothing but smoothing issues with models I make, after conversion attempts that is.  I think it was you Fury that said that SFC doesn't smooth models in a practical way or something like that, when I was having my smoothing issues.

Thats true but also check if any verts are duplicated more than 1 in any spot will show problems. Sorry 

[Centurus]

I'm always welding verts during the modeling process.  I've must have welded a half million verts alone when making the Resurrection, and before she was mapped, all the parts were sealed, no unwelded verts.  But during the conversion process, smoothing errors popped up.  Not dark spots mind you.  Just the smoothing would come undone and the areas of the model wouldn't take any new smoothing.  I still have that problem, and I gave up trying to fix it.  When I need a ship converted to game format, I'll send it to someone with more experience in such things.

[Terradyhne]

New problem Geting these strange black spots on the model after export. Any ideas whats causing them?

are you useing bumpmaps for that A2 model ?? A2 uses a complete other 3d-file and node structure than SFC.
for getting rid of smoothing errors you have to weld the correct vertexs and weld and .......

[Kreeargh]

New problem Geting these strange black spots on the model after export. Any ideas whats causing them?

are you useing bumpmaps for that A2 model ?? A2 uses a complete other 3d-file and node structure than SFC.
for getting rid of smoothing errors you have to weld the correct vertexs and weld and .......

Good question, some errors are also fixed by slightly moveing the verts or turn some poly edges to get the poly to shape right.  Gmax sucks for fine detal like that btw.

[Tus-XC]

Those are definatly smoothing issues.  The first one looks to be a rogue vertex causing you problems, might have been the result of a mirroring.  The second one looks as if the leading edge shares the same smoothing group.  Could also be a duplicate face on the backside causing it as well.  The last one looks to be a rogue face.  Probably very small, like a hair line but its in the same smoothing group and thus its jacking up the smoothing.  It probably looks exactly like the edge unless you zoom way in on it.