Wolfshanze
CFC Historian
Shouldn't you be modeling the USS Iowa or something right now?
Hi, trying to get into new unit making
- Thread starter Joe Harker
- Start date
GeneralMatt
Emperor
No. 
I am working on the QE class BB, then the Mikasa. I am just about to upload an image of the QE class to my thread, it might be done this afternoon if I try hard.
Besides, I can take a few minutes and help a guy can't? I mean, a little time here, and maybe he will far outstrip all I do, and then you can pick on him.
I am working on the QE class BB, then the Mikasa. I am just about to upload an image of the QE class to my thread, it might be done this afternoon if I try hard.Besides, I can take a few minutes and help a guy can't? I mean, a little time here, and maybe he will far outstrip all I do, and then you can pick on him.
Wolfshanze
CFC Historian
Just joking with you Matt... you know you're the coolest in my book!Besides, I can take a few minutes and help a guy can't? I mean, a little time here, and maybe he will far outstrip all I do, and then you can pick on him.
GeneralMatt
Emperor
Oh, phew, 
You former army guys are sometimes hard to tell. I know an old chap who was in the RAF, and I still cannot tell if he is joking, being sarcastic or what. This is through the internet of course.
You former army guys are sometimes hard to tell. I know an old chap who was in the RAF, and I still cannot tell if he is joking, being sarcastic or what. This is through the internet of course.
Joe Harker
1st in the Premiership!
Oh noooooo!
I am a world away from General Matt in though so it shouldn't be any time soon!
I have done most of the texturing (it's not great) and need to finish up on a few edges here and a lick of paint there, but apart from that it's almost done.
GeneralMatt
Emperor
Wow, I can hardly wait to see it! From what I have seen it looks good already! The one thing is that it is quite high polygonal, but learning how many to use comes with practice.
Joe Harker
1st in the Premiership!
This is the blend file and the tga file, is there anything that could be improved and how do you export it out so the image projects onto the unit?
GeneralMatt
Emperor
When I meant project from view I meant a little more locally, so the top of the smokestacks would be projected by themselves and placed on a grid type on the UV map. Same with the tops of the turrets, the sides of the superstructure etc.
To get the image to work on export.
1 click "shading" (F5) Then "Texture buttons" (F6). Under textures click "add New" and in the drop down box click "Image". Under image click "load" and find your texture. Hit "Shading" again and go to the material button. Under "Map input" (beside "textures") Click the "UV" button. Then it should work fine on export!
To get the image to work on export.
1 click "shading" (F5) Then "Texture buttons" (F6). Under textures click "add New" and in the drop down box click "Image". Under image click "load" and find your texture. Hit "Shading" again and go to the material button. Under "Map input" (beside "textures") Click the "UV" button. Then it should work fine on export!
Joe Harker
1st in the Premiership!
Ok, so basically enlarge area that require more detail, essientally, right?
Joe Harker
1st in the Premiership!
That was the theroy!
I export it and then view it in nifskope and it appears white
Do i have to use the tga file or convert it to a dds file?
GeneralMatt
Emperor
I do think you have to convert it to a .dds, they should be much smaller kb size also.
Joe Harker
1st in the Premiership!
I did it!
I just need to do anmation (i think i know how to do this) and then she is done!
I just need to do anmation (i think i know how to do this) and then she is done!
GeneralMatt
Emperor
Good work! Can hardly wait to see it!
Joe Harker
1st in the Premiership!
Here is the nif file!
Any thing i missed? and is there anything else before i add it to the game? (ie the dds file do i need it, how do i prepare it?)
Edit, might help if i attach the file! 
Any thing i missed? and is there anything else before i add it to the game? (ie the dds file do i need it, how do i prepare it?)
Edit, might help if i attach the file!
GeneralMatt
Emperor
Looks good, again, in the future try to uses less detail.For example the turrets optimally would be best with just one polygon row high.
The .dds is the texture, so if you have a .tga you can just save it as a .dds and it will work.
Also, of course, you have to add the bone in for the animations, I use Nifviewer to attach the turrets to the right bones and then Nifskope to line it all up properly. There is a few nice tutorials out there on Nifviewer.
I personally have each of the turrets as a separate identity, this allows you, in nifviewer, to attach that part specifically to the turret bone which then is what animates in the game. It is not the mesh, it is the bones that the animations control, and the mesh just moves along with the bone it is attached to.
Hope that helps as a start..
The .dds is the texture, so if you have a .tga you can just save it as a .dds and it will work.
Also, of course, you have to add the bone in for the animations, I use Nifviewer to attach the turrets to the right bones and then Nifskope to line it all up properly. There is a few nice tutorials out there on Nifviewer.
I personally have each of the turrets as a separate identity, this allows you, in nifviewer, to attach that part specifically to the turret bone which then is what animates in the game. It is not the mesh, it is the bones that the animations control, and the mesh just moves along with the bone it is attached to.
Hope that helps as a start..
Joe Harker
1st in the Premiership!
I forgot to say she uses destroyer anmation
GeneralMatt
Emperor
Ok, cool, I must have missed the bones in my quick lookover..
Edit: Ahh, verry good! That wil look great in-game!
Edit: Ahh, verry good! That wil look great in-game!
Joe Harker
1st in the Premiership!
In theroy the last problem !
I put it in the game, but only a shadow appears, the effects work but you can't see the ship.
What i am doing is importing the file from blender to gmax, adding destroyer animation export it to nif skope and align the bones correctly, import back to gmax to paint the weights on the turrets and then export it to the art file in the game, with the texture dds file saved from my orginal tga texture file. What i am i doing wrong!
! I put it in the game, but only a shadow appears, the effects work but you can't see the ship.
What i am doing is importing the file from blender to gmax, adding destroyer animation export it to nif skope and align the bones correctly, import back to gmax to paint the weights on the turrets and then export it to the art file in the game, with the texture dds file saved from my orginal tga texture file. What i am i doing wrong!
GeneralMatt
Emperor
Hmm, that is hard to tell, exporting directly from Gmax does not always work for me. These are my steps.
1- In Gmax, model the Ship leaving each turret as a separate object.
2- I export from Gmax into a .nif file.
3- I import that Nif into Blender.
4- I UV map it in Blender.
5- I import the .nif of the model x and try to line up my model correctly and size it properly so my turrets line up with x's turrets. After that is accomplished I delete the model and bones of x.
6- I export from Blender into a .nif file.
7- I open up the x's nif file in NifViewer and add my model into the same Nifviewer window.
8- I then drag the mesh for the hull into x's area in the tree. If x is the destroyer I drag it into the "DUMMY_Destroyer_Hull" node.
9- I drag the turrets into their appropriate place. So if x is the destroyer, the front turret goes into the "DUMMY_Destroyer_ForeGun01" node, the second turret from front on my model into the "DUMMY_Destroyer_ForeGun02" node
and so on.
10- I then delete x's mesh in nifviewer and save x's mesh.
11- I open y's mesh in Nifskope and get all the turrets to align properly. I also attach animations for x's mesh to y in nifskope to make sure that all turrets fire properly.
12- I save y's mesh when done and she is ready for Civ!
x = the model whose animations I am using
y = the mesh after save in step 10
1- In Gmax, model the Ship leaving each turret as a separate object.
2- I export from Gmax into a .nif file.
3- I import that Nif into Blender.
4- I UV map it in Blender.
5- I import the .nif of the model x and try to line up my model correctly and size it properly so my turrets line up with x's turrets. After that is accomplished I delete the model and bones of x.
6- I export from Blender into a .nif file.
7- I open up the x's nif file in NifViewer and add my model into the same Nifviewer window.
8- I then drag the mesh for the hull into x's area in the tree. If x is the destroyer I drag it into the "DUMMY_Destroyer_Hull" node.
9- I drag the turrets into their appropriate place. So if x is the destroyer, the front turret goes into the "DUMMY_Destroyer_ForeGun01" node, the second turret from front on my model into the "DUMMY_Destroyer_ForeGun02" node
and so on.
10- I then delete x's mesh in nifviewer and save x's mesh.
11- I open y's mesh in Nifskope and get all the turrets to align properly. I also attach animations for x's mesh to y in nifskope to make sure that all turrets fire properly.
12- I save y's mesh when done and she is ready for Civ!
x = the model whose animations I am using
y = the mesh after save in step 10
Joe Harker
1st in the Premiership!
I will give it a try! Thanks!
