How to create model textures?

Codexehow

Join Date 07/2009

+11

How to create model textures?

Hey guys!

I've started my star trek expansion for Sins Of Angles. I've created my first model but now I need to know how to create those cool texture sheets. I have Photo Shop CS4, Soft Image 2011 and the Nvidia new map tool..I think thats all I need? What I need to know specifically is how the game engine reads these .dds files. For example the sovereign class has a normal sheet that features (I guess) all of the textures for it's objects and I don't know how to create a sheet like that and get Softimage to apply it to specific parts of the ship. I hope I'm making sense. I've looked at all the tutorials that I could find and can honestly say that I could not find a clear explanation anywhere. Obviously I've never made a 3d video game .

I guess the road block I'm at right now is how to make a 2d image that will wrap around a 3d object and look good. I don''t know if I have to make it from scratch or if I can take an existing texture and shape it to my needs or what. Also, what is this about UVs? I get how the different channels relate to different asects of the texture, is that all there is to it?

This is a really cool project for me and I intend to learn as I go. I'll give back what I learn by writing a comprehensive tutorial once I myself understand it. The tutorials here are very ( ) fragmented and incomplete, no offence. I'll do the Hirogen Hunter Class model next and I'll post my two models in a new thread when it's done. Thanks in advance guys.

modding

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That's awesome . So UVs aren't strictly necessary?

3D Coat is the only program that I Know of that you can use Ptex, and yes with Ptex, no need to do uv's. It was created by DysneyAnimation and they have released it as Open source so there most likely will be others if there aren't already.

I have not exported as .xsi and converted a piece and put it into SoaSE yet, but everything looks good with what I have exported to SoftImage. It may well do away with having to do tangents also. I am about to start work on some new models for my mod am will test this out. I can see there may be some things to work out with doing the channels (Alpha for cl and luminosity & bloom etc. for da). 3DCoat does export dds. so I am hopeful I can come up with a work around.

Now, regarding you conversion from .xsi. Major Stress has given you an excellent description on how to do it in DOS. There is another tool you can use also if you don't want to do it that way, made by "Zanyth0x42". you can find the link here;

https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/322559

Thanks again SuperZ and Major. Hope you don't mind me quoting a lot of this for my modeling tutorial thread.

I think what you are doing is an excellent Idea, and like you am just trying to help people out. So I would be honoured if you did. It is a little surprising your tutorial hasn't been pinned, especially as many of the links in the one up there now are dead and no update has been made in some time.

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Quoting Major Stress,

reply 24

Quoting Codexehow, reply 22Hey guys...I hit my next hurtle. When I click on Convertxsi.exe it loads the doss screen and then immediatly crashes. Am I supposed to extract it to a certain folder? Thanks a lot.

ConvertXSI is a command line tool (in other words DOS). Though Harpos mod tools are useful, i like to do things "the hard way". I create a folder in my c drive called "Convert" then extract convertxsi with all of its dlls there. then i save my dotxsi's in that folder as well (xsi will also export the textures there as well).

The "Hard Way"

Create a folder in your C drive called "Convert". Then extract ConvertXSI, and its associated .dll files from the forge tools into the Convert folder. Export your model in .xsi format to the Convert folder. Any associated textures will be saved there as well. Then follow these steps.

Open your Command Prompt (found in Start menu\Accessories). Then type in the prompt cd\Convert. Then press enter. You should see C:\Convert in the next line.

Next type convertxsi C:\Convert\"yourshipname".xsi C:\Convert\"yourshipname".mesh then press enter. "yourshipname" is whatever the name of your model is. If nothing is wrong with the mesh you should see a list of materials, and mesh nulls found. Then a bounding radius. Plus points after optimization. You can use the -nooptimize modifier if you dont want the mesh optimized. You will see an error message if there is something wrong with your mesh. When you are done there should be a .mesh file along with its textures waiting inside your Convert folder to be placed in your mods mesh, and textures folder.

Or you can just download harpos mod tools, and follow his instructions. I do it the hard way because i have more control over the outcome.

Thanks a lot for the reply Major Stress. I double checked to make sure I did as you said. This is what I get when I bring up the command prompt:

C:\Documents and settings\(my name)>

{I input "cd/Convert"}

{Command prompt returns}

The system can not find the path specified

Any ideas?

----------------------------------------------------------

EDIT:

Wow, silly me. I was using the '/' instead of the '\'. Hopefully someone reading this won't make the same mistake now .

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Hey guys, does anyone else get the "Failed to save before failure" error when they try to export in .xsi format in the mod tool? Is there a work around?

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Hmmm seemed to work when saved as Binary 3.6.

Now I''m off to learn about designating nulls.

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major stress, please do NOT suggest that I have written a convertxsi gui. I have NOT.

the ONLY gui that I have written is the textbin gui

my other utilities are the mod updater for versions from entrenchment release,

the manifest maker,

the old galaxy manifest manager,

my alpha sins stringer and

my map updater.

repeating I HAVE NOT written a convertxsi wrapper, and probably will not because I have not even loaded any of the 3d design programs on my machines.

harpo

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Major Stress

Join Date 05/2006

+161

Sorry Harpo. I stand corrected.

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Codexehow, I have an off-topic proposal for you to do with textbroker. I can either discuss it here OR if that is considered inappropriate then please email me at paulbudding@yahoo.co.uk

I promise that its good for you.

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