FV 432 APC

MatteM's unit modeling and retexturing workshop 2018-11-05

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The OT-64 SKOT is going to be released in a new version, based on a much more conversion-friendly model and textures, rather than the old Sketchup-conversion I posted:

SKOT preview.jpg
 
Sword_Of_Geddon said:
Wonderful new units thankyou I love what your able to do with skinning alone.
Click to expand...

Thanks, yes once you get the hang of getting models into .nif, most of the time is finding suitable models that can work in Civ4, which is not very easy, but Walter gave me a lot tips. Texture work can be time-consuming but I like it most of the time, a problem there can actually be finding pictures of the vehicle/soldier/etc to base the texture on. I try to avoid doing work on the models as much as possible because it is very time-consuming, so I am not at the level of building my own models or making custom animations yet, but my purpose is a huge mod I'm working own so I'll leave those bits to more talented persons of the community :)
 
Sword_Of_Geddon said:
I'd say that strategy makes a lot of sense. You got the texturing part down, which isn't as easy as it may seem. Matsuda123 has been making models(for citysets) but could use help with texturing for example.
Click to expand...

Ah that would be a challenge, the texture maps for cities ought to be quite advanced, well the best I could do with present level of knowledge is make a city-set .nif, but the textures would be individual for all the separate models in the .nif I'm afraid, and we would be looking at something like 15-20 structures or so :) I have to say making city-sets is an art in its own, is Matsuda stilla active? I really like his thoughts about making Korean and Japanese ironclads and could possibly helping him rigging those onto suitable .nifs, making custom animations however would require someone with more knowledge like PPQ_Purple for example. I don't really see the necessity though to always have custom animations, particularly when it comes to man-made mechanical devices from the industrial era and onwards, even though it would be neat I would hate to see unit models not being made on account of the fact that no one is available to make custom anims for them.
 
In case anyone is wondering, I have not died or anything, I'm finished as for now with Mech Infs and IFVs and have begun with artillery-units, I will start a sourceforge project page once a betaversion of my mod is nearing, in the meantime I can preview the unit-lines for the different civs in alphabetical order, starting with the Americans, let's see if you can identify these battle-taxis and tanks-wannabes :D:

US mechs and ifvs.jpg
 
MatteM said:
Ah that would be a challenge, the texture maps for cities ought to be quite advanced, well the best I could do with present level of knowledge is make a city-set .nif, but the textures would be individual for all the separate models in the .nif I'm afraid, and we would be looking at something like 15-20 structures or so :) I have to say making city-sets is an art in its own, is Matsuda stilla active? I really like his thoughts about making Korean and Japanese ironclads and could possibly helping him rigging those onto suitable .nifs, making custom animations however would require someone with more knowledge like PPQ_Purple for example. I don't really see the necessity though to always have custom animations, particularly when it comes to man-made mechanical devices from the industrial era and onwards, even though it would be neat I would hate to see unit models not being made on account of the fact that no one is available to make custom anims for them.
Click to expand...

I have begun considering that as an option, creating texture maps for each structure in the city. Which, I might know how to do if my thoughts are correct. I will test it out and see what happens when I skin one building first, and hopefully I can grasp the exporting business and conversion to .nif and .dds.

I don't think I would do custom animations, not yet anyway... ;) But yes, I would like to create those, and have begun drawing up designs for them as well. I have lots of folders on my Mac that are for "What if" style units. The idea behind all of them for those who are not yet aware, is that I want to make Civ a true history rewriting experience. It bores me when I see industrial and beyond units and cities looking like European stuff. It's accurate for real world scenarios set in those times, but I wanna see what it's like when cultures discover tech on their own. For example, what would a hot air balloon, and later airship look like if the Japanese discovered the necessary technology on their own? How about their ironclads? For the Balloon, a Japanese lantern would be the first source of inspiration I think, with an atakebune shaped undercarriage. From there, I'm designing the airship to take that concept further,but also incorporate koi fish to the shape. The casemate ironclad would descended from the Mekura Bune, while the more advanced monitor style ironclad I'm not sure about yet. I'm glad people are interested though. :) and as I told Geddon a bit ago, I still intend to create cultural wonders too. Don't like the Hagia Sophia's Byzantine architecture clashing with your Medieval Sino city? It'll be fixed, with the Hagia Sophia being made with Sui/Tang architecture instead.

Also I want to say you've done a great job working on these retextures so far, they look great. :cool:
 
Matsuda123 said:
I have begun considering that as an option, creating texture maps for each structure in the city. Which, I might know how to do if my thoughts are correct. I will test it out and see what happens when I skin one building first, and hopefully I can grasp the exporting business and conversion to .nif and .dds.

I don't think I would do custom animations, not yet anyway... ;) But yes, I would like to create those, and have begun drawing up designs for them as well. I have lots of folders on my Mac that are for "What if" style units. The idea behind all of them for those who are not yet aware, is that I want to make Civ a true history rewriting experience. It bores me when I see industrial and beyond units and cities looking like European stuff. It's accurate for real world scenarios set in those times, but I wanna see what it's like when cultures discover tech on their own. For example, what would a hot air balloon, and later airship look like if the Japanese discovered the necessary technology on their own? How about their ironclads? For the Balloon, a Japanese lantern would be the first source of inspiration I think, with an atakebune shaped undercarriage. From there, I'm designing the airship to take that concept further,but also incorporate koi fish to the shape. The casemate ironclad would descended from the Mekura Bune, while the more advanced monitor style ironclad I'm not sure about yet. I'm glad people are interested though. :) and as I told Geddon a bit ago, I still intend to create cultural wonders too. Don't like the Hagia Sophia's Byzantine architecture clashing with your Medieval Sino city? It'll be fixed, with the Hagia Sophia being made with Sui/Tang architecture instead.

Also I want to say you've done a great job working on these retextures so far, they look great. :cool:
Click to expand...

That's cool, I have always been a fan of the MesoAmerican ships- mod made by Chuggi (I think it was, correct me if I'm wrong), that was a great sort of alt history- approach. And more culturally-specific Japanese ironclads are a very plausible thing I would say. It is quite easy at least in 3ds Max in theory to make texture maps, but my attempts so far have only been half-succesful I have to admit, but then again those models were really complicated. For a city set It might be quite a challenge, but it is all trial and error, and compared to making stuff for Civ5 or Civ6 the Civ4 platform is a modders dream. Also, whoever made NifSkope deserves a Nobel Prize in modding.

And there are really good youtube-tutorials for making texture maps in both Blender and 3dsMax
 
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