ShadowDancer's models

[ShadowDancer]

Originally posted by nick_op
It's looking better, though the textures still seem a bit low res. If you want, I can send you a metal texture I've been working on. Though I've just realised all of the textures in that screen are low res, so perhaps you're playing on low settings?

Do you have a list of the lights that you're going to work on? I'd like to pick up a couple at some point, so it'd be nice to know what's being worked on.

Hmm, I don't really know what the settings are at in my game actually. I will have to go look at that. But its quite possible that they are set to low. As for what I am working on, so far it is just Light_Com_Torch_01 as I am learning about 3ds max along the way.

[Edit] OK, I clicked the ultra high button and adjusted up my resolution to some god awful number. Is this better for resolution on the torch?

[nick_op]

They still look a bit low res. What size are they? 512x512 would probably be alright, though you'll want to work with 1024x1024 until you're finished, so as to get more detail in.

Also, how did you UV map it? Cylindrical mapping is the way to go, it looks like the texture is being stretched on one (perhaps opposite?) sides of the model.

[ShadowDancer]

Originally posted by nick_op
They still look a bit low res. What size are they? 512x512 would probably be alright, though you'll want to work with 1024x1024 until you're finished, so as to get more detail in.

Also, how did you UV map it? Cylindrical mapping is the way to go, it looks like the texture is being stretched on one (perhaps opposite?) sides of the model.

I am learning stuff as I go. For instance, I just figured out that I can set different faces for different directions on the textures. Which explains the oddities I had in the torch that I didn't think about till now. I believe I used the planar setting, and I dont even know size, as I didn't play with that at all. I will go back and check it out though. Thanks for the input.

Uhm, If I was reading things right, the settings were at 1. I think I figured it all out, but I could be wrong. I couldn't set the texture for the wood up to 512 as it looked like just a bunch of dots until you zoomed in and then it looked like a bunch of squares, but I did change it to cylindrical and adjusted to what I thought looked decent for wood. Here are the new shots of the torch in game. Please let me know if this looks good enough to submit as done on the modelling end (although I still haven't figured out how to add the flame and attach light nodes to it). And finally, I think these torches were made by sun worshippers....because there is almost a perfect image of the sun in the center of the torch. :lmao:

[nick_op]

Originally posted by ShadowDancer
Uhm, If I was reading things right, the settings were at 1. I think I figured it all out, but I could be wrong. I couldn't set the texture for the wood up to 512 as it looked like just a bunch of dots until you zoomed in and then it looked like a bunch of squares, but I did change it to cylindrical and adjusted to what I thought looked decent for wood.

I actually meant the size of the texture in Photoshop/GIMP, not the UV settings. Are the textures you're using seamless (i.e. if you set them up to tile, there are no obvious seams on the model)?

Here are the new shots of the torch in game. Please let me know if this looks good enough to submit as done on the modelling end (although I still haven't figured out how to add the flame and attach light nodes to it). And finally, I think these torches were made by sun worshippers....because there is almost a perfect image of the sun in the center of the torch. :lmao:

It's definitely an improvement again.

Is that third image a top down view? You probably need to use planar mapping for those faces so as not to get that pattern. Also, have you looked at the 'UVW Unwrap' modifier?

While the UV map modifier allows you to assign texture co-ordinates to different faces, the Unwrap modifier actually allows you to position them with regards to where different things are on the texture. This is pretty tricky to explain, I can probably whip up some images that explain it better if this explaination doesn't make much sense.

[BusterWolF]

best to go on google and cheack it out. But really handy modifier

[Senten]

Not bad start,but its not enough for Silgrad Tower i think.

The uw isn't nice,and the model is unrealistic.

But for the start is perfect. :goodjob:

[ShadowDancer]

Originally posted by nick_op
I actually meant the size of the texture in Photoshop/GIMP, not the UV settings. Are the textures you're using seamless (i.e. if you set them up to tile, there are no obvious seams on the model)?

It's definitely an improvement again.

Is that third image a top down view? You probably need to use planar mapping for those faces so as not to get that pattern. Also, have you looked at the 'UVW Unwrap' modifier?

While the UV map modifier allows you to assign texture co-ordinates to different faces, the Unwrap modifier actually allows you to position them with regards to where different things are on the texture. This is pretty tricky to explain, I can probably whip up some images that explain it better if this explaination doesn't make much sense.

Yes that was a top down view. I just noticed it and thought it was funny that it looked like a sun over a spire on a moutain or something.

They are ones that SACarrow sent to me that were used on other torches. You should be able to find them as MetalIronRusty01 and WoodWeathered03 in the textures\ST folder. It looks to me like the wood one is 256x128 and the rusty metal one is 512x512.

I haven't really looked at the UVw map modifier, but it does make sense that it allows you to position where you are on the map. I will look into it. So should I actually be changing the UVW numbers on the UVW map? Or should I leave those at 1?

Originally posted by Senten
Not bad start,but its not enough for Silgrad Tower I think.

The uw isn't nice,and the model is unrealistic.

But for the start is perfect.

Out of curiousity, why do you say that the model is unrealistic? I admit that I don't really have a clue about the mapping yet, but I thought the model was pretty good for the image that was given as a base for the torch. Attached is the image given to work off of for this light.

[nick_op]

Originally posted by ShadowDancer
Yes that was a top down view. I just noticed it and thought it was funny that it looked like a sun over a spire on a moutain or something.

They are ones that SACarrow sent to me that were used on other torches. You should be able to find them as MetalIronRusty01 and WoodWeathered03 in the textures\ST folder. It looks to me like the wood one is 256x128 and the rusty metal one is 512x512.

I haven't really looked at the UVw map modifier, but it does make sense that it allows you to position where you are on the map. I will look into it. So should I actually be changing the UVW numbers on the UVW map? Or should I leave those at 1?

Leaving the numbers at 1 should be alright, it might be worth checking out what it looks like if you tile it vertically i.e. up the shaft. As mentioned before, check out the 'UVW Unwrap' modifier as well, it's quite different to UV Map.

Out of curiousity, why do you say that the model is unrealistic? I admit that I don't really have a clue about the mapping yet, but I thought the model was pretty good for the image that was given as a base for the torch. Attached is the image given to work off of for this light.

The model looks fine in my opinion, it might be worth posting an image of the wireframe to see if we can squeeze a few more polygons out of it, but that's probably unnecessary.

[ShadowDancer]

OK, I have turned things back from the 6 million bitmaps. :lol: I did some tweaking to the texture layout to give it a better look - just my opinion of course. I went with a more condensed wood grain pattern (thanks for the info on the cylindrical mesh Nick_op) and a less condensed version of the rust so it shows up better and because this is supposed to be a torch in a wall bracket, so I figure they are probably meant for looks (the design) as well its length of use (hence a metal crown with rust). Please let me know what you think. I am also adding a couple of the wire frames. BTW, the files size on this is only 24.3 KB, so I am not sure how much more can really be cut out of it.

[nick_op]

Looks good to me, though that wood texture still looks really low res. Looking at your previous post you said that it's 256x128, it seems that is the reason. I think it must be intended to be used in a tiled fashion, try tiling it 2 times both vertically and horizontally.