Generating Doom Compatable Normal Maps?

[oDDity]

Has ayone managed to get static models in-game, complete with normal maps?

Normal maps generated by ZBrush don't seem to work properly in Doom, I think because they use tangent space instead of local space, the model I imported was 0,0,0 black everywhere except where the lights hit it. The Orb normal map program site seems to be down since all the links are broken, my lightwave notmal map plugin seems to have mysteriously stopped working, and I can get renderbunmp tool in Doom to cooperate either! :/

SO if anyone has generatd their own normal maps for an objects and it worked ok in-game, please spill the beans.

Also on poly counts, it states somwher on the forums here that character models can be up to 7-8k or something, but I think that's way too many. The model I imported was only about 4k and my perfomace went way down, even though it was the only model in an empty room. All of the Doom models are very low res - that's the point of using normal maps in the first place..you don't need high res models.

[Fingernail]

they do need to be tangent space ones.

 

Have you tried the built-in renderbump command? Otherwise, I don't know if anyone has actually got a normalmap ingame yet (from this team). Try looking on Doom3world.org for a tutorial.

[oDDity]

I have, but they're all 30 meg video tuts, and I'm stuck on 56k for at least a week.

[Fingernail]

Well then.

 

I know what you might have missed; did you make a new definition file with all the texture paths in? Did you put the textures in the right place?

 

Did you use the 'bumpmap' key in the definition?

[sparhawk]

Also on poly counts, it states somwher on the forums here that character models can be up to 7-8k or something, but I think that's way too many. The model I imported was only about 4k and my perfomace went way down, even though it was the only model in an empty room. All of the Doom models are very low res - that's the point of using normal maps in the first place..you don't need high res models.

 

On the dev site I read something about 2000 polys on the characters. But this was not specified as an upper limit, just as an average number.

If you find out how to apply the normals it would be great. I tried the bumpmapping keyword but that didn't appear to work. This should be the keyword thoug, according to the dev site.

[oDDity]

What I did to use renderbump was make a low and high poly version of a model (obviously) put them in a folder models/mapobjects/object/testobject.lwo

Then I wrote this shader and put it in the mapobjects material file:

 

 

models\mapobjects\object\testobject

{

renderbump -size 256 256 -trace 0.03 -colorMap -aa 1 models\mapobjects\object\testobject_local.tga models\mapobjects\object\testobject_hp.lwo

 

diffusemap models\mapobjects\object\testobject_d.tga

 

bumpmap models\mapobjects\object\testobject_local.tga,

 

specularmap models\mapobjects\object\testobject_s.tga

}

 

 

What I'm not sure of is where to put this shader, or what to call it at the top of the code. I read on the doom forums that you put the name of the surface of the low poly object u there, but i the material files the doom devs always write the path an the name of the object

 

what I get when I run renderbump is this

 

 

WARNING: Couldn't load image: testobject

surface 0, shader testobject

renderBump = (no action)

0.01 seconds for renderBump

 

SO you write a .def fle as well? fr the object or for the map you put the object in?

Edited December 4, 2004 by oDDity

[sparhawk]

What I'm not sure of is where to put this shader, or what to call it at the top of the code. I read on the doom forums that you put the name of the surface of the low poly object u there, but i the material files the doom devs always write the path an the name of the object

Well, that is easy.

 

I only did it with ASE format, but it should work with LWO as well.

 

Your material must have a name. The name looks like apath but it is actually of no consequence how you name it. The only consequence it really has is where it goes in the editor, because this path determines the location in the menu in the D3 editor.

 

So you name your material

model/character/builder/priest

 

then you create an entry in the material file (or create a new one, it doesn't matter):

model/character/builder/priest

{

diffusemap

model

bumpmap

etc.

// this is only for highlighting

{

if(parm11 > 0.5)

blend ...

}

}

 

If the model should highlight when frobbed (as all AI should) yo must add this if branch.

[sparhawk]

SO you write a .def fle as well? fr the object or for the map you put the object in?

The def file is also needed because it is like the entity representation for your object. It will define all properties of the object, like what model it should use, what class it belongs to when the code will spawn it, and others. In the case of doors it contains the opening rotation, the locked state and so on.

In case of AI it contains a lot more. Like what animations to use and this stuff. But the def file is only a generic description like a template. Only when the object is instantiated in the editor it will become "real".

[oDDity]

I managed to get it sorted out, I didn't need any .def file actually, just wrote a material shader.

I got the lightwave normal map plugin working (I just needed to get the LW8 version)

so I didn't have to bother pissing about with renderbump.

I can tell you now how to get a complete textured, normaled, speced static mesh into Doom using Lightwave, but since no one else here uses LW, there isn't much point

As for getiing animated characters into the game, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it...

[sparhawk]

I can tell you now how to get a complete textured, normaled, speced static mesh into Doom using Lightwave, but since no one else here uses LW, there isn't much point

As for getiing animated characters into the game, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it...

Well. It still would be usefull if you can post this into the Dcoumentaiton section. Even if nobody is using LW, the information might still be used for others. And maybe we can even figure it out for other packages as well, based on your info.

[oDDity]

Well, I've long been pestering everyone to convert to LW...and t would help if we all used the same app right, then we'd all be talking the same language)

I'll write it up in the documentaion section then.

Now I think I'll get cracking with a bunch of static mesh models that need to be done for the mansion pack, and actually get them in the game.

I'm getting really bored doing characters now, so I need the change- I must have done about a dozen in the last six months.

[DeepOmega]

Problem is, LW doesn't have a version that most people can afford. Hell, only reason I can afford 3DS is because of student pricing. Maya has the PLE, but I'm not sure how that would apply here. And I've tried using Blender and Milkshape, and I absolutely hate the interfaces for them.

 

Edit: Isn't it the same methodology, regardless of format, to get a mesh in-game? Go ahead and post it anyway.

Edited December 4, 2004 by DeepOmega

[BlackThief]

well blender can export to lwo - so that actually wouldn't be a problem.

Edited December 4, 2004 by BlackThief

[Fingernail]

Animated characters need to use the md5 model format, and have a skin, anim and mesh file...there are several exporters available.