DR ASE Blend Exporter

[Bikerdude]

• Your materials folder is called matrials, which I guess is part of the problem. The script does not have to be shipped with the pk4, it is only used by DR to create the model. The latter must be shipped with the pk4.
  

That was just a spelling error in archive I created to send to you, its more important you look at the map as you should be able to see what I am trying to do. I've attached it to this post, just rename to bt.zip to unzip the map file.

bt.zip.txt

[Obsttorte]

Please reread the tutorial. You have to create a special material file for blending. In your case it would be

 

textures/bikerdude/stone_grass_blend
{
 surftype15
 description "dirt vine_friendly"
 bumpmap textures/darkmod/nature/grass/short_dry_grass_local
 {
blend diffusemap
map textures/darkmod/nature/grass/short_dry_grass_dark
VertexColor
 }
 bumpmap textures/darkmod/nature/dirt/dry_earth_stones_local
 {
blend diffusemap
map textures/darkmod/nature/dirt/dry_earth_stones
inverseVertexColor
 }
}

You need to ship both the material file and the model with the pk4 to get it working (should be obvious).

[Obsttorte]

[Sotha]

 

Yeppers.. That pretty much obsoletes the road wiki tutorial I made about a year ago!

[STiFU]

Hehe, that screenshot reminds me of the work I had to do for GC with his forest map. He exported the whole terrain as ASE and I did the vertex blending for him. Good thing we can do that easier now...

 

Nice work, Früchtekuchen.

[Bikerdude]

Im attempting to follow your tut, but in the meantime could you attach a zip file with the relevent files? This was I can see in DR if Im doing something wrong. It will be very small, so wont effect your broadband cap.

 

Hehe, that screenshot reminds me of the work I had to do for GC with his forest map. He exported the whole terrain as ASE and I did the vertex blending for him. Good thing we can do that easier now...

Yeah if I had of know about this when I was doing the update it would have meant a better looking floor for the forest.

[Obsttorte]

@Biker: You already have the blendtexture and the python script. Just copy the above shader in a material file, that's all you need.

[STiFU]

Yeah if I had of know about this when I was doing the update it would have meant a better looking floor for the forest.

You removed the vertex blended terrain in the update process?

[Bikerdude]

@Biker: You already have the blendtexture and the python script. Just copy the above shader in a material file, that's all you need.

Yeah I applied the new "blend texture" to the terrain patch, then exported as blend ase then imported as modle etc and there is still no blend. I will try again at work.

 

You removed the vertex blended terrain in the update process?

Now, but I had to make parts of the forest smaller and had to work around the terrain models..

[grayman]

@Biker,

 

When you get your stone/grass model working, would you please make all the parts available?

 

I'm not a model person, nor a shader person, and I'm having trouble following the tutorial, and the vids are too blurry. I suspect there are some missing steps that are intuitively filled in by folks who are used to making models and/or dealing with shaders, and I'm unable to fill those in.

 

If I have all the parts to examine, I might be able to make some progress.

 

Thanks.

[Obsttorte]

Yeah I applied the new "blend texture" to the terrain patch, then exported as blend ase then imported as modle etc and there is still no blend. I will try again at work.

Note that you have to have both the actual terrain AND the blend brushes selected when running the exporter. (This is the last thing I think you could be doing wrong).

 

If this isn't it and you can't get it to work, please post a step-by-step description of what you are doing, so I can get an idea of what may be wrong.

 

I'm not a model person, nor a shader person, and I'm having trouble following the tutorial, and the vids are too blurry.

As said I'm going to upload a new video with better resolution next month, when I have some bandwith available again. Need to buy a headset first, though, so I can comment what I'm doing.

I suspect there are some missing steps that are intuitively filled in by folks who are used to making models and/or dealing with shaders, and I'm unable to fill those in.

I know nothing about modeling and only have a vague idea of how the shader stuff works.

[Bikerdude]

@Biker, When you get your stone/grass model working, would you please make all the parts available?

When I figure out WTF I am doing wrong I will post a tut vis for you guys, because Obs bandwidth is limited etc.

[grayman]

When I figure out WTF I am doing wrong I will post a tut vis for you guys, because Obs bandwidth is limited etc.

 

tanks!

[Bikerdude]

Ok, good news, I figured out WTF I was doing wrong. I will be back here with a tut in due course.

 

@Obs,

• how do you get around the issue of textures having different scales? Eg in my case the dirt texture was at a large scale than the grass.
  
• can your script blend decals, eg texture with parts that are transparent - I would like to create a cobblestone stexture that would blend in such a way that I can see the surrounding grasse inbetween the cobble stones etc.
  
• also is there anyway to chnage the orientation of the textures in respect of each other..? I did try changing the orientation of the texture on the blend brushes but that made no difference.
  

ta.

[STiFU]

You should be able to use the scale keyword in the material definition for both blend materials separately. The same goes for the rotate keyword, to answer two of your questions, BD.

[Bikerdude]

You should be able to use the scale keyword in the material definition for both blend materials separately. The same goes for the rotate keyword, to answer two of your questions, BD.

Ah cool, can you pint me at the wiki entry..?

[Bikerdude]

Ok, here is an alpha map using part of the training mission to see if I could create a reasonable facsimile of the outside ground and I think I managed to do that.

 

The lighting is sub-optimal though because the blend material def is very basic its missing ambient lighting stage - as I mentioned before this test map is very alpha. Consider it proof of concept and I will make a tut video tomorow as promised.

 

 

blend_alpha_test.zip.txt

[Sotha]

Somehow I have a feeling this blend exporter will cause a revolution in map graphics quality levels when the mappers learn how to use it to its full potential.

The more clear the instructions are, the more quickly it will be adopted by the mappers.

[STiFU]

Ah cool, can you pint me at the wiki entry..?

No wiki entry, but here is the list of keywords you can use in your material definition.

[Lux]

Ah cool, can you pint me at the wiki entry..?

[...] could create a reasonable facimily [...]

 

[...] the blend material def is very bassic [...] Consider it proof of consempt [...]

 

 

 

I'll pint you at the wiki entry... In fact.. a pint for everyone this aftern0000n!

 

sorry, couldn't resist!

Edited September 28, 2013 by Lux

[Bikerdude]

I'll pint you at the wiki entry... In fact.. a pint for everyone this aftern0000n! sorry, couldn't resist!

Well I was half way through a good bottle of wine at the time..

[161803398874989]

Only halfway? I don't get like that until 10+ beers.

 

I think, because usually I don't remember a whole lot about those nights.

Edited September 28, 2013 by 161803398874989

[Bikerdude]

Yeah, but I can't type for crap when Im sober so....

[Obsttorte]

Ok, good news, I figured out WTF I was doing wrong. I will be back here with a tut in due course.

 

@Obs,

• how do you get around the issue of textures having different scales? Eg in my case the dirt texture was at a large scale than the grass.
  
• can your script blend decals, eg texture with parts that are transparent - I would like to create a cobblestone stexture that would blend in such a way that I can see the surrounding grasse inbetween the cobble stones etc.
  
• also is there anyway to chnage the orientation of the textures in respect of each other..? I did try changing the orientation of the texture on the blend brushes but that made no difference.
  

ta.

Can you tell me what you did wrong in the first place?

 

Beneath scale you can use rotate to rotate the texture.

 

Regarding the transparent blend. I guess it may works if you remove the second texture. I will try if that works.

[Bikerdude]

• Can you tell me what you did wrong in the first place?
  
• Beneath scale you can use rotate to rotate the texture.
  

• I was using a completely flat patch.
  
• what do you mean, I assume your not refering to the texture/scale controls in DR as thats not possible.