Discuss Gap Generator

[Madin]

A quick, simple, model and texture of the RA2 Gap generator.

 

 

3 stage GIF

Edited June 3, 2017 by Madin

[AZ-Stalker]

Novice modeller question: What is the purpose of the second picture's select part model style? Is that something game related or like an animation bone, or perhaps just the part you first made then later mirrored to complete the gap? Was wondering the same for the mammoth.

[ChopBam]

2 hours ago, AZ-Stalker said:

Novice modeller question: What is the purpose of the second picture's select part model style? Is that something game related or like an animation bone, or perhaps just the part you first made then later mirrored to complete the gap? Was wondering the same for the mammoth.

I'm assuming that's all he needed to unwrap, then duplicated the rest out. Saves UV space and texturing time.

[Raap]

26 minutes ago, ChopBam said:

I'm assuming that's all he needed to unwrap, then duplicated the rest out. Saves UV space and texturing time.

This is correct.

@Madin What tools are you using?

[Madin]

33 minutes ago, Raap said:

This is correct.

@Madin What tools are you using?

3D Max 9, and Photoshop.

[Raap]

33 minutes ago, Madin said:

3D Max 9, and Photoshop.

I don't use Photoshop (I'm not spending money on subscription locked and corporation-priced software that I intent to use for non-profit!), but I'm curious, does it offer any direct integration or support for the concept of 3D model unwrapping and texturing? I currently do all my texture work in GIMP and it's completely a manual job, but given the rate at which you seem to throw out models for your RTS project, I got curious as to what time-savers you got access to.

Side note: I typically don't do unwrapping because I have 3DS Max 8, for the reasons of W3D compatibility and licensing... Limitations. I find the whole process incredibly time consuming because the initial unwraps are a giant puzzle, and for environments I get quicker results via manual UVW mapping.

[Madin]

2 minutes ago, Raap said:

I don't use Photoshop (I'm not spending money on subscription locked and corporation-priced software that I intent to use for non-profit!), but I'm curious, does it offer any direct integration or support for the concept of 3D model unwrapping and texturing? I currently do all my texture work in GIMP and it's completely a manual job, but given the rate at which you seem to throw out models for your RTS project, I got curious as to what time-savers you got access to.

Side note: I typically don't do unwrapping because I have 3DS Max 8, for the reasons of W3D compatibility and licensing... Limitations. I find the whole process incredibly time consuming because the initial unwraps are a giant puzzle, and for environments I get quicker results via manual UVW mapping.

I am using CS2, so the answer is no. I still have a 32bit Win XP system that is over a decade old, so I am in the dark ages.

My time saver is doing decade old RTS quality models, and 512 textures.

I will only unwrap in Max 9 using plug-ins. I have Tex tools, and Chuggnuts unwrap tools.
Before that I used one of those trial auto unwrap programs (I believe it was Headus UVLayout), The older Max unwrap tools were well behind the competition, and I felt they were almost unusable for any complex unwrapping, without plug-ins.

[ChopBam]

19 minutes ago, Raap said:

Side note: I typically don't do unwrapping because I have 3DS Max 8, for the reasons of W3D compatibility and licensing... Limitations. I find the whole process incredibly time consuming because the initial unwraps are a giant puzzle, and for environments I get quicker results via manual UVW mapping.

In many cases I find Unwrapping to be easier and to have a better result than UVW mapping. All it takes is knowing how to do it.

[Raap]

47 minutes ago, ChopBam said:

In many cases I find Unwrapping to be easier and to have a better result than UVW mapping. All it takes is knowing how to do it.

As with all things, yes.

The only thing I've unwrapped in Max 8 was that small crate you now find in every map and building in APB, and that's because it is literally a box! If I tried to unwrap, say, the icebergs on Hostile Waters, well... NOPE.

I've even taken it one step further with an asset created for the upcoming HW revamp, it was created purely using UVW mapping while using a unwrap-like texture, to result in a single mesh - something I needed to do for this specific asset. For me, this process was faster than fighting the 3DS Max 8 unwrapping tool (with no plugins).

@Madin 512x512 resolutions eh? I think the last time I worked with that was around 2008. For APB, all regular materials are 1024x1024 and quite a large and growing number are becoming 2048x2048. A lot of low-res textures I still use are old and for building interiors or man made objects. They are OK to use for small objects without repeated tiling though but I'd rather re-create many of them, and often I do, but it's not like I got the time to remake every single texture in the game (and simply up-scaling is pointless since you fill all that extra space with absolutely zero extra detail!).

I'm not aware of any unwrapping plugins existing for Max 8, but even if they do exist, I doubt it works. Max 8 on Windows 10 is a barely functional application. Sluggish performance, strange graphical anomalies, unexpected mesh behaviors triggered by unknown factors at random, plugins not working properly such as the FBX importer or polyboost requiring a re-installation every single session (I'm surprised the object painting plugin works), and the list goes on and on. Yes, this is akin to a pet peeve of mine, a daily annoyance that triggers me whenever the tools throw shit at me. 

Edited June 3, 2017 by Raap

[OWA]

On 2017-6-3 at 7:35 PM, Raap said:

As with all things, yes.

The only thing I've unwrapped in Max 8 was that small crate you now find in every map and building in APB, and that's because it is literally a box! If I tried to unwrap, say, the icebergs on Hostile Waters, well... NOPE.

I've even taken it one step further with an asset created for the upcoming HW revamp, it was created purely using UVW mapping while using a unwrap-like texture, to result in a single mesh - something I needed to do for this specific asset. For me, this process was faster than fighting the 3DS Max 8 unwrapping tool (with no plugins).

@Madin 512x512 resolutions eh? I think the last time I worked with that was around 2008. For APB, all regular materials are 1024x1024 and quite a large and growing number are becoming 2048x2048. A lot of low-res textures I still use are old and for building interiors or man made objects. They are OK to use for small objects without repeated tiling though but I'd rather re-create many of them, and often I do, but it's not like I got the time to remake every single texture in the game (and simply up-scaling is pointless since you fill all that extra space with absolutely zero extra detail!).

I'm not aware of any unwrapping plugins existing for Max 8, but even if they do exist, I doubt it works. Max 8 on Windows 10 is a barely functional application. Sluggish performance, strange graphical anomalies, unexpected mesh behaviors triggered by unknown factors at random, plugins not working properly such as the FBX importer or polyboost requiring a re-installation every single session (I'm surprised the object painting plugin works), and the list goes on and on. Yes, this is akin to a pet peeve of mine, a daily annoyance that triggers me whenever the tools throw shit at me. 

If you'd like to learn move about unwrapping @Raap, take a look at my UVW unwrap tutorial!  

 

[moonsense715]

You should have linked the tutorial thread so people are more aware of the tutorial database we have here

[Raap]

On 2017-6-8 at 1:39 AM, OWA said:

If you'd like to learn move about unwrapping @Raap, take a look at my UVW unwrap tutorial!  

 

I know how it works, but I can't justify the time it takes in Max 8. The software is too old so I create the results I need via UVW mapping instead.

Note that I only do environmental assets, so I can get away with avoiding unwrapping.

Edited June 9, 2017 by Raap

[ChopBam]

4 hours ago, Raap said:

The software is too old

The unwrapping tools are very nearly the same between 3ds max 8 and 3ds max 2017.

[Raap]

Referring to application performance, responsiveness, and 3rd party support. I have not first hand experienced the differences on unwrapping functionality specifically between these versions, since I'm neither a student or a company employee with access to the software.

Truthfully unwrapping isn't something I particularly enjoy doing either.

Edited June 10, 2017 by Raap

[ChopBam]

3 hours ago, Raap said:

Truthfully unwrapping isn't something I particularly enjoy doing either.

This is the one thing you've said that I get.