Newbie Help with texturing! Please!

#1 AFAIK, number 3 is what people most often do.

#2 There is a fine art to making good textures! and the starting point is a good uv map, by the looks of your uv map, the texture is distorted and the shoulders have a bad case of stretching, Im not sure how uv mapping works in milkshape as I use Lightwave for modelling, but you should be able to adjust the uv map idependantly from the model, if u can adjust the points of the uv map, make them so that there is no distortion of the texture on your model, then you can start adding more detail to your texture.

#3 Here is a pic of a perfectly UV Mapped character:


You should create a checkerboard texture first, apply that to your UV Map, then adjust the vertices on your UV Map until the checkerboard appears uniform on your model. Adjusting the Vertices on your UV Map does not change the shape of your model.

When you are UV Mapping your character, think in terms of "flattening" the mesh.

UV Tut for reference


See how the leg's UV Map is stretched? (UV Map is in the Top Left window)

#4 Joe, that is a fantastic model! Seriously impressed, I'm trying to keep my models to less than a 1000 polys and that is the starting character that I keep morphing.

The only program I can sucessfully adjust the UV mapping in is Unwrap3D. It allows me to see what UV changes appear like on the model and I have got the mapping corrct now. Problem is I only have the demo and no money to buy it :( I'm trying to save up to buy torque first.
Does anyone know of another program that allows you to see how moving the UV co-ords affects the texture placement? I've got Lith Unwrap, Milkshape and UVmapper 0.25e but none of these allow you to see the changes in real time.

Any freeware utils that will show me in realtime how moving the co-ords affectsthe mapping?

#5 That model is done by this guy:
http://www.bobotheseal.com/

He has some great textures you can check out and some small tutorials on that site as well. Download the .avi if you can.

LithUnwrap is the older free version of Ultimate Unwrap. You can get it here:
http://files.seriouszone.com/download.php?fileid=198

You should be able to find some tutorials on this. It is the first UV mapper I used, back when I was still using MilkShape3D.

#6 Also, try out Tattoo. It is free for non-commercial stuff.

http://www.terabit.nildram.co.uk/tattoo/

#7 I think a lot of my problems are down to my video card, Milkshape randomly bombs, tattoo smudges the cursor over what I'm painting and LithUnwrap won't show me the preview window! It pops up and dissapears immediately. I'm looking on ebay for a really cheap card to get me by for the mo.

#8 A Newbie question for Blender

Trying to colorize objects rendered in Blender using the DTS exporter.

I'm still exporting solid white objects while working with the UV editor in Blender. I have so far I have been able to "load" images and have them show in the 3D window, but it's rendering white when importing into Torque. I seriously need step-by-step instruction to colorize the rendered objects. I've been looking for the DTS documentation. The documentation does not seem to be accessible at this time. The junkyardcat.net links to an GhoulNet site. Frustrated

Thanks, Tatjana

#9 @Tatjana,

It sounds like your texture is not named correctly in blender, and therefore not showing up in game.
I have only been using blender for a few days, so I dont know much about it but...
I make a UV map of the model, save the mapped image and then paint it etc.. and load it back into blender.
This allows me to see the final look of the model, but this does not afix the texture to the model as such.

You need to have a material named exactly the same as the name you made the image.
So in blender, press F5 to open the shading panel.
There is an option there to rename your Material "MA: Material" is the default.

Either way, to test if this is the problem, just rename your jpg file to Material.jpg, and put it into the same folder as the dts file.
Load up your game, and if it shows the model with the correct texture, then you know what the problem is.

-Dennis.

Edit: maybe I should take more notice of the original post date before responding next time.

#10 Dennis,

Thanks, I did get that figured out. Embarrassing enough, it took me a long while and I actually have the book from Amsterdam. My issue now is to import an image with clear background using jasc paint shop pro. I've been experimenting with raster and vector backgrounds. It's been rendering clear on one side and black on the other. Until I find out, I've been using a very low tech way of getting around things to survive.

"simpleton way"
http://www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=4662

Thanks and take care.

-Tatjana

#11 Dennis,

When you render your UVmap, are you using it as an .obj? If so, how are you able to render the file as a .bmp? Or, which paintshop program do you know that works with an .obj extension? I was able to unwrap successfully in blender, but having an issue with extensions from one program to another. I'm trying to render as a bmp using the UVMapper to use in Jasc Paint Shop Pro, but then have problems with facets within the transition. I'm sure that this is a simple problem with a simple solution that I have yet to find.

UVMapper I'm using-http://www.newtek.com/products/lightwave/tutorials/uvmapping/uv_mapping/advanced_uv_mapping.html

Thanks and take care

-Tatjana

#12 Http://www.uvmapper.com/

#13 Tatjana,

If I understand correctly then your trying to get an image that you can "paint on", and then use that as the texture for your model?
From within blender there is an option on the UV mapping window to export it (the UV map) as a .TGA image.
The image quality is poor to say the least, but it does give a general idea of the layout of the UV map in a standard image format.
I was then taking this image, opening it in paint shop pro, and then painting my texture onto it.
Save it as a .jpg or other compatible format for blender and torque, and then load it back into blender.

-Dennis.

#14 Dennis,

Thank you for the advice. I'm still a little confused. I practiced using the targa to get the .tga, but I'm getting a 3D image. I may not be doing this step correctly.
Up until now I've been using the lightwave .obj for my export. Just still, the extension issue with Jasc paintshop, but the UVmap layout does show in the UVmapper.
How were you able to get the UVmap layout using .tga?

I'm on a second project with within the same project I'm doing now. Being that the software that I'm creating is for children, I don't see the need for the server sockets for multiplayer games. I'm looking for a way to disable them without crashing the code.

Thanks again and take care

#15 Dennis,

I found a thread that might interest both us. I noticed that you were interested in a never ending game in another thread. This thread speaks of game endurance. It also has a spot for me about single/multiplayer option.

http://www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=4223

The startMissionGui file is found C:\Torque\SDK\example\starter.fps\client\ui\startMissionGui
I opened the file with notepad.

To the best of my understanding, I hope that this would the best starting point.

Take care,

Tatjana

#16 Hi Tatjana,

I think I understand where your going wrong now.
When exporting the UV map from within blender, you don't need to use the File --> Export options.
I have a screenshot of the option you use to save a .tga file from a uvmap www.clandarkblood.com/images/blenderuvmapsave.jpg. (May take a while to load)
This is a picture of a basic sword I created, I split the UV map with alot of seams so it would layout neatly as you can see by the right side window.
Then choosing the UV's --> Save UV Face layout, you can save a simple tga file.
You can also use the UV's --> UVPainter option on the same menu. It still makes a tga file, but instead of having red lines for the layout, it has a grey background with white faces on it, in exactly the same layout as your uv mapper window.

I have to admit I learnt all this stuff form watching a video tutorial, but I cannot remember where it came from, I just downloaded the file and left it at that.

I sincerely hope this is actually what you are trying to do.

On a side note, yes I do want to make a never ending game, but not in the same context as that thread. (Although that information will definately come in handy)
I want to basically make a 3d mud. I played text muds alot in years past and I love the whole idea of it.
Some might say that a 3d mud is just another mmorpg, but that is not my aim. It will be an online rpg of sorts, but rather than having a large subscribing player base I would like to keep it smaller (max 100-300 active players) and hopefully free.
Also, unlike mmo's, I would like to be able to give your average gamer the ability (through script) to add content.
In neverending I meant that no matter how many levels you get, the game would adapt, and continually throw you against bigger and tougher foes. Upgrade your skills and equipment to beat them, only to find newer bigger tougher ones just around the corner.
(But more of that can be found in my .plan once I update it again.)

PS: You can also catch me on icq if you can match the Australian evening times that I am online and available to chat.
Might be easier than waiting a day between posts :)

-Dennis.

#17 Hey,

Just noticed in this thread the link posted to the uv tutorial I watched.
Courtesy of Nigel Symes.
www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=31539

-Dennis.

#18 Dennis,

Wonderful person! :- )

Once I got the python paths set, it worked. It also works wonderfully in Serif PhotoPlus 6.0 which is freeware.

Hope your project does well!

I am developing educational software.

Thank you so much

-Tatjana