Tileset Addition Questions

[Legacy_Zwerkules]

               

That's some good advice Merricksdad has given.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MerricksDad]

               

Get that coffee! Makes a big difference '>

 

So to make decals in your model file, what you want to do is basically make new planes and apply a secondary texture. If you are using (3ds/G)max, and if you've loaded in your model via something like nwmax, then what you'd do is just:

 

1. create a new plane (in the example above, the goldenrod bit in the center)

   
2. position your plane to your desired xyz, where z is a fraction of a fraction higher on the z axis (or as I mentioned, changed the draw order in the trimesh helper). In the image above, it would be [0, 0, 0.001] since nwmax loads tiles for me to 0,0,0, which makes the tile centered at that position (in most cases).

   
3. (in gmax) with the texture manager/material editor, select and clone/copy any texture, doesn't matter which, and change the diffuse texture filename to your new texture.

   
4. apply your new material to your decal section

   
5. repeat the process for your dirty bits decal. You can either have all your dirty bits on one file, nicely spaced for easy use, or you can have a separate file for each. Depending on size, and use frequency, it probably won't matter one bit in game.

In the example image, you can see you can do multiple types of decals in a single file. The black on white and white on black sections with crisp edges might represent your positionable texures without alpha layers. While the ones on the top with fuzzy edges could have an alpha layer. In the case of the crisp edged bits, you would need to position them as accurately as possible to make them fit with the surrounding brickwork. Depending on useage, the fuzzy edged ones could be placed anywhere and might work for you. Probably not in the case of brickwork though.


As shown in the planes image in my last post, the green bits would all use this decal "texture atlas". You'd just adjust each planes' uvw values to fit the texture to the decal.

 

Edit: and if I am going one or two steps too technical already, I can show you a bit more later. For now I am heading out to walk a river trail with my mom. Later!

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Snugglehoof]

               

I am also looking into alternative cobbling. I want a warm sandstone look, but I am finding it difficult to find a texture that really fits well for it.

 

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Snugglehoof]

               

Awesome, I will give that a go! Thanks, MerricksDad!

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MerricksDad]

               

if warm sandstone is what you are after, research limestone textures. Most people don't know the slightest bit of difference and you can often find great sandstone colors in limestones. See also flagstone or fieldstone and specifically check out dealer pages for these items. You can sometimes find some really large texture sections, sometimes put together as cobbles, and sometimes just as straight textures of single stone plates.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MerricksDad]

               

You might also get away with finding an individual stone plate texture you like, and then in an image editor, apply the texture that matches your cobble needs (other than color) as a layer using only "darken", "burn" or something else to just make the seam darkness apply to your colored stone.

 

Alternately, you might use a "hue" or "color" layer applied over top of an existing cobble texture to create the same effect.

 

So many ways to get what you want '>

 

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               

<rubbing...>

 

One possibility is also that your texture may be being "downsampled" because of texture memory.

1024x is a large texture and depending on the card and other textures in use, you may need to put a .txi on the texture with

downsamplemin 0

downsamplemax 0

 

<...blurry eyes>

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Zwerkules]

               

I am also looking into alternative cobbling. I want a warm sandstone look, but I am finding it difficult to find a texture that really fits well for it.

 

You should look for something with roughly square cobble stones, not long rectangles. Those will work for plazas, but will look odd on the sidewalks if the pavement appears to be parallel to the buildings in some places and "pointing towards them" in other places. I guess you didn't get to replace the texture for the curbs yet because you left it dark.

 

When working with the medieval city tileset the city terrain ground appears very uniform because only one tile is used for it. All the other tiles with missing cobbles, grass patches, cracks, puddles and the like are features. Instead of those tiles appearing automatically I chose to add them as features and leave it to the builders to use them or not.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Snugglehoof]

               

Unrelated to my tileset work, I encountered a small problem with a hak update I made for a persistent world. Since it went in, all 'unique power' icons of items (on hotbar and on the radial menu) consist of a simple white box.

 

The update includes new clothing appearences, weapon options, shields, helmets, creatures, placeables, VFXes, and emotes. I am not sure where the problem is, but it definetely is related to the hak update. I am hoping someone encountered the problem before, and hence I will not have to go insane in trying to locate the source.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MannyJabrielle]

               

The only two things I can think of causing that are 1) alt-tabbing in and out of the client...that can cause icons in hakpaks to start showing as all white, or 2) the icon got replaced by one of the emote icons, and the image itself is mucked up in some way.

The only reason 2 came to mind was because it's default icon is a blurry star looking image like the default radial emote icons.  I come across the later cause quite often as I tend to alt-tab like an bipolar gerbil on a pixiestick binge while playing (and listening to audio books, checking emails, msgs, the time, ect)

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Snugglehoof]

               

I would like to make bigger painting frames to texture, and I thought that would be a good way to start with learning the ropes in GMax. But it seems I already ran into problems.

 

Once I imported the original model into GMax via NWNmax, and finish toying around with it, I seem unable to properly export the model, after I have altered it. From what I understood, under General Utilities in the NWNMax Toolbox I use the option 'Export all or Selected'. But I get the message 'SanityCheck failed for some models. See sanity check file for each model.' when I try to.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MerricksDad]

               Reading the sanity check report, or otherwise opening the maxscript listener window and reading the first few lines, should tell you what went wrong. Just because that error occurs, does not mean it is critical damage and not exportable. In fact it might simply mean you have two vertices too close to each other, which is a matter of preference. Read the exact details and we can help you work through those to see what you might be doing wrong, or if the issues are even worth fixing.

Also, I believe when exporting multiples, if one has a sanity error, all models parsed for export after that will NOT export. At least that is my experience with NwMax0.8b. This may have been upgraded.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_NWN_baba yaga]

               

I dont know if the gmax version of NWmax is any different then the 3dsmax one but i ONLY select the aurora dummy and then hit export /with or without animations. Thats it and i never use the sanity check because it always spits out something if i recall. Even there is nothing of interest in it it behaves like "i have to point fingers at you because i love it"... '>

 

So just untik the sanity check box and export your tile. When something is messup up you will notice it in the editor or later ingame. Just one thing you should always do after editing any mesh... resetX form. That is realy the number one rule for me and it always saves my stuff from errors later '>

 

About that cobble texture, well i agree with zwerkules on that. Rectancle cobble stone only realy works for sidewalks that are pretty narrow or to encircle something of interest like a well, a tree with benches etc. But the color looks nice for sure '>

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MerricksDad]

               

So just untik the sanity check box and export your tile. When something is messup up you will notice it in the editor or later ingame. Just one thing you should always do after editing any mesh... resetX form. That is realy the number one rule for me and it always saves my stuff from errors later '>

Unless you are working with animated parts, in which case you need to preserve the rotation given to the model before animation, or in the case of an imported model, preserve the rotation in the initial named animation (usually frame 10)

I know that isn't specific to what you are doing, but truly needs said
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Snugglehoof]

               

Hey Guys and Gals. I tried my hand on trying to retexture a bicep, and for some reason it crashes my toolset. Not sure where the problem lies.

 

http://www.mediafire...ctmi8/Bicep.rar
http://www.mediafire...parts_bicep.2da

 

 

This is what I am currently working on. The toolset crashes once I close the armor design window, and I get transfered back to the creature properties.