Newbie questions: Modelling with Blender

[WarKirby]

Hi all. looking for a bit of advice.

I'd like to try making models for civ. For now, I just want to start with something simple and static, like a building.

I have a bit of experience with xml editing, probably enough to not need advice on that part.

I have blender, and photoshop, as my tools. I'm hoping it's possible to do stuff with these. Most of the tutorials I can see are for 3DS Max.

Looking in blender, my first problem is that there doesn't seem to be an option to export to .nif
So I guess I'm not going to get very far without that. Is there any plugin or script to enable .nif exporting? or will I need to export a model in some other format, and convert it to .nif with another tool?

 

[Flintlock1415]

You'll need to get the Nifscripts from Here.
Then I'd suggest either going through a bit of Blender: Noob to Pro or following C. Roland's tutorial if you want to jump right into Civ modding.

 

[WarKirby]

Excellent, playing with this now.

Another question. How can I do .dds images? Is there a tool to convert them? perhaps something for photoshop ?

 

[mechaerik]

Excellent, playing with this now.

Another question. How can I do .dds images? Is there a tool to convert them? perhaps something for photoshop ?

There is a plug-in for photoshop and GIMP. I would get you a link, but the search function on the forums directs to the CFChome, which is blocked at my school. just search for Photoshop Plugins.

 

[WarKirby]

ok, got the dds plugin too. Everything was going well, but now I'm stuck

going through Roland's tutorial, this part isn't working

You need to config your exporter script. Don't worry it's really simple. You only have to go in your script window (the snake icon) and then gon in the script menu (script/system/Scripts Config Editor). In export choose the gamebryo nif exporter and than in the nif version write 4.2.2.0

When I open the scripts config editor, it gives me an error, and says to check console.

The console says

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<string>", line 789, in <module>
File "<string>", line 190, in get_keys
File "D:\Programs\Blender\.blender\scripts\bpymodules\BPyRegistry.py", line 20
6, in LoadConfigData
raise Warning(e) # Resend exception as warning
Warning: can't assign to operator (<string>, line 1)

Is this step necessary?

 

[WarKirby]

Hooray, seems that it isn't.

I successfully imported my first ever model into civ. A rainbow colored cube.

yaaay ^_^

 

[snipperrabbit!!]

Newer versions of blender doesn't need the old steps. Congrats for your success !

 

[WarKirby]

Ok, new question, but I figure it's best to not make a new thread.

What is a good poly count, and texture size, for a Civ IV building?
something that will be built in a city.

How much is too much?

 

[Flintlock1415]

under 1000 faces is pretty good, and 256*256 is what I use for buildings. 512*512 is okay, but lower end comps could struggle with a lot on the map. A lot of it may depend also on whether it is a wonder or a regular building.

 

[WarKirby]

Ok, I'm having a strange issue.

Playing around with some units, I loaded the FFH hero Gilden Silveric into blender. He's basically just a slightly retextured archer.

His weapons show up fine, but the entire body is black when in textured view. And the material window says the current image is teamcolor.bmp

I noticed mention of this sort of thing in another thread.
How can I get teamcolor units to display their ingame texture properly, in blender?

 

[Flintlock1415]

I would try going into the UV editor window, clicking on image...open--> and choose the correct dds file.

 

[WarKirby]

I would try going into the UV editor window, clicking on image...open--> and choose the correct dds file.

I thought so. But when I do that, the majority of the model still remains black, and the teamcolored parts turn completely transparent.

Most models that aren't teamcolored seem to load up perfectly on initial import with proper texturing.

 

[Flintlock1415]

Hmm, I don't know then. The teamcolor parts should be transparent, but there shouldn't be any more black. Maybe someone else knows?

 

[The_Coyote]

try to change both texture assign position, the one Flintlock1415 said and the one from Roland C export tutorial (or if you don´t want to do it in blender, change the base texture in nifscope before importing the model in Blender [it´s described picture heavy there, even it´s another 'problem': http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=317419])

 

[WarKirby]

try to change both texture assign position,

What do you mean? What is a texture assign position?


I had a look at the tutorial you linked to. tried deleting the team color block. It hasn't helped. All it's done is give me a python script error when loading the model into blender, but otherwise no apparent difference

This is what I see in blender, after doing what flintlock said, opening the image.

Notice the belt, and the bottom of the skirt, are transparent. The weapons are just fine, and everything else is pitch black

 

[Flintlock1415]

Do you have the unit selected and in edit mode?

 

[WarKirby]

Not when taking this picture, but I did when I applied the image.

 

[C.Roland]

Check the material pannel, in the texture window. You'll see 2 texture, a teamcolor.bmp (wich is in fact only a black square) and your real texture. You'll have to point the first texture to your dds and you can deleate the tamcolor.bmp

 

[WarKirby]

Check the material pannel, in the texture window. You'll see 2 texture, a teamcolor.bmp (wich is in fact only a black square) and your real texture. You'll have to point the first texture to your dds and you can deleate the tamcolor.bmp

Wierd.

That's not what I see.

Looking in the material, there's only one texture. It IS the real texture. but the model is still showing black in 3d view.

The body has a material named "Archer Body Team Color", and the weapons are using "Weapons No Team Color"

Both of them only have one texture in, which is the same image. But it works on the weapons, and doesn't on the archer mesh.

 

[WarKirby]

Ah, the above was with the fx version of the model (a concept I still don't quite get)

but it isn't working with just the plain archer.nif either. That one also only has one texture, which is pure black. But replacing it with the proper texture doesn't change anything. The model still remains black in textured view, even after saving and restarting blender.

And applying it through the uv/image editor still has the same effect as the image I posted above.