Nosslaks stuff

[rich_is_bored]

Yes it can. The only stipulation is that the x and y dimensions be a power of two.

[Nosslak]

Yes it can. The only stipulation is that the x and y dimensions be a power of two.

Awesome!

 

I've finished my privacy screen now. Here it is alongside the highpoly:

Yeah, it's pretty epic.

 

The textures aren't resized yet, because I don't know what size would be appropriate, right now they're all 1024x2048 px and the models are 36+220 tris. I'll try to make some more skins for it later.

 

Also here's two other versions:

Plain

Another wallpaper base

Edited August 10, 2010 by Nosslak

[Baddcog]

Looks good, Be cool to see it in use with translucency.

 

I know I keep throwing info at you, but it's hard to explain all at once

For something that low poly you can probably just skip the shadow mesh. A collision box would still be good though. With tdm_collision_carpet on it. I think that would allow arrows to stick (they'd probably peirce it).

 

If you haven't noticed yet, the model viewer show ALL tris on a model. So if your lamppost is 1000, your collision is 200, and your shadow is 500, the model viewer will say polys 1700. (Just saying they aren't the best numbers to go by if you are looking at current models for poly count).

 

-----------

tex:

 

I'm not an expert at it and haven't had the best luck on my attempts. But it's possible to have a 'colorme' shader on that. So you could actually make that material greyscale, then we could have endless color skins just by using RGB numbers. That can happen in editor, so if I want a purple one I can have it, if Fidcal wants a yellow one he can have it...

 

We use it for lamp glass but I don't think it has anything to do with glow, maybe.

[Nosslak]

Looks good, Be cool to see it in use with translucency.

Yeah, thanks!

 

I know I keep throwing info at you, but it's hard to explain all at once

For something that low poly you can probably just skip the shadow mesh. A collision box would still be good though. With tdm_collision_carpet on it. I think that would allow arrows to stick (they'd probably peirce it).

Alright, I'll try that later when I'll import it then.

 

If you haven't noticed yet, the model viewer show ALL tris on a model. So if your lamppost is 1000, your collision is 200, and your shadow is 500, the model viewer will say polys 1700. (Just saying they aren't the best numbers to go by if you are looking at current models for poly count).

Are you trying to say it's too highpoly?

 

I'm not an expert at it and haven't had the best luck on my attempts. But it's possible to have a 'colorme' shader on that. So you could actually make that material greyscale, then we could have endless color skins just by using RGB numbers. That can happen in editor, so if I want a purple one I can have it, if Fidcal wants a yellow one he can have it...

 

We use it for lamp glass but I don't think it has anything to do with glow, maybe

Yeah, sounds good, but someone will probably have to help me with that.

 

Also I posted some alternate versions in the other post (just to keep them together).

 

Which texture resolution would you recommend, lads?

Edited August 10, 2010 by Nosslak

[Fidcal]

Nosslak: I'm just catching up with this thread. The new modesty screen looks great - I'll use that in my FM.

 

I agree about the keys being very difficult to see so that's two of us against about 5000 who don't seem bothered.

 

Saint Lucia:

You just have to push the big hammer over the edge. It is huge and very heavy so naturally you have to put all your weight into it just as you would in RL. Crouch down behind and move up to it and hold down the run key. Just as in RL, I find it helps if I keep backing off and running it again, often at a slightly different point or angle. If it starts to turn then back off and run at the other side to straighten it up. It takes several seconds to push it off. Watch out you don't run off the edge after it!

 

[Nosslak]

Nosslak: I'm just catching up with this thread. The new modesty screen looks great - I'll use that in my FM.

Thanks, I look forward to seeing it.

 

I agree about the keys being very difficult to see so that's two of us against about 5000 who don't seem bothered.

Yeah, if I hadn't known where the key was supposed to be in Thiefs Den I would've never found it.

 

Saint Lucia:

You just have to push the big hammer over the edge. It is huge and very heavy so naturally you have to put all your weight into it just as you would in RL. Crouch down behind and move up to it and hold down the run key. Just as in RL, I find it helps if I keep backing off and running it again, often at a slightly different point or angle. If it starts to turn then back off and run at the other side to straighten it up. It takes several seconds to push it off. Watch out you don't run off the edge after it!

 

Thanks, I managed to beat it now. I just never tried crouch-running at it. Besides the hammer-pushing and the false doors in the catacombs and the cellar it was a pretty great mission, good job there.

 

 

EDIT: Should I make a normal map for the 'body' of the screen or should I just use a diffuse as I do now? I'm not giving it any specularity and without that it would probably be very hard to see any small details of the normal map anyway. What do you think?

 

EDIT2: Is it possible to import a map that would tell the 'hardness'/'spread' value of the specularity in Doom 3? I'm trying to make a specmap for one of the first times ever but I can't seem to be able to control the spread enough, so it doesn't look very good.

 

EDIT3: Should I make two separate meshes for the collision for my screen? I mean preferably arrows shouldn't go through the metal part of it and on the metal part there should preferably be a metal sound if hit it. What do you say?

Edited August 10, 2010 by Nosslak

[Nosslak]

OK, so today I have been trying to import my model into the game and, as expected, I have encountered many setbacks.

 

1. For starters the lighting doesn't work anymore, the upper part of my mesh gets shrouded in complete darkness I can't see anything (even though I have 2 lamps very close to it).

 

2. I cannot take any screenshots of my problem. Not only have The Dark Mod and Dark Radiant fucked me over today, no, Fraps and Windows decided to join in and refuse to make a screenshot of it, too.

 

3. The model turns completely black if I use the alpha-mapped diffuse even though I use this:

{
blend diffusemap
alphatest 0.2
map models/darkmod/props/texture/privacy_screen_frame
}

It doesn't help to invert the alpha-channel either. I can use the diffuse with this but the alpha won't work:

diffusemap models/darkmod/props/textures/privacy_screen_frame

 

4. The testmodel command doesn't seem to work on .ASE's. I tried with "testmodel privacy_screen", "testmodel privacy_screen.ase", "testmodel furniture/privacy_screen" and "testmodel [privacy_screen]", but of course none of it works.

 

5. I cannot believe it but every fucking time I start Dark Radiant it has removed my brushes but kept all my model/lights/whatever. This makes no sense.

 

I have spent hours trying to get the model in-game and am honestly getting sick of this BS. All I wanted to do was to make some models for a game and then everything comes crashing down on me and refuses to work. Why does it have to be like this?

Edited August 11, 2010 by Nosslak

[Serpentine]

2. I cannot take any screenshots of my problem. Not only have The Dark Mod and Dark Radiant fucked me over today, no, Fraps and Windows decided to join in and refuse to make a screenshot of it, too.

The screenshot key in TDM will output it to the current FM that is loaded, into the directory /doom3/fm/screenshots/, its tricky if you're not set up correctly. I'm going to try write a quick thing on the wiki about setting up for mapping/contrib.

 

3. The model turns completely black if I use the alpha-mapped diffuse even though I use this:

This is usually caused by file formats, if you're using alpha chances are either use a black/white alpha tga (24bit) or include it into the DDS. I've had issues with doing it any other way. If Doom3 has aaaaaany issues with formats it will just give you a black material, made me rage for a good while when I was trying to get 'good' compressed normal maps... turns out you cant and instead you will just want to punch a wall after seeing you 50th black wall. That said, an easy way to check textures is to just apply the material to a brush and spawn a lantern for playing around with moving lights... or set up moving lights and be fancy.

 

4. The testmodel command doesn't seem to work on .ASE's. I tried with "testmodel privacy_screen", "testmodel privacy_screen.ase", "testmodel furniture/privacy_screen" and "testmodel [privacy_screen]", but of course none of it works.

Never used it personally, but it most likely depends on how you're working with the files, are they sitting in darkmod folders or a test map folder etc. lemme go write how I like things set up.

 

5. I cannot believe it but every fucking time I start Dark Radiant it has removed my brushes but kept all my model/lights/whatever. This makes no sense.

Hah, I sometimes get that if I minimize and work on very memory hungry stuff. generally I just leave it in the background. To fix it without restarting I usually just go and change the window layout to floating and back again to embedded or whatever. But that happens like once a week to me :/

 

Why does it have to be like this?

Because it wouldn't be doom3 if it wasn't covered in a million problems, impossibilities, arbitrary requirements and general "poke at the black box, maybe it'll work". Over time you start to work out the mythical beast's logic, but even at the best times it will surprise in the usually most annoying way.

[aidakeeley]

Sometimes itzepissa. But there are some great people here who will help you figure it out and you'll definitely be the better for it. So just maybe stop for the moment; step away and come back later.

 

Sorry to hear you're frustration but glad you are able to express it.

 

Like I and so many have said, you have done some really excellent "stuff" so far.

 

ETA:

 

There's Serpentine already!

Edited August 11, 2010 by aidakeeley

[Baddcog]

I think maybe you need

 

NoShadows

 

On your alpha material. If it's ion front of the other it would cast a shadow.

 

Also, make sure you haven't checked 'filter' brushes. That'll hide them all but it'll still compile.

[rich_is_bored]

If you archive everything up into a *.zip I'll take a look at it.

[Serpentine]

Setting up a Workspace.

 

I have no idea how much of this stuff people know from the A-Z guide, or even if other people work like this... but I'm pretty sure you know most of it.

[Nosslak]

This is usually caused by file formats, if you're using alpha chances are either use a black/white alpha tga (24bit) or include it into the DDS. I've had issues with doing it any other way. If Doom3 has aaaaaany issues with formats it will just give you a black material, made me rage for a good while when I was trying to get 'good' compressed normal maps... turns out you cant and instead you will just want to punch a wall after seeing you 50th black wall. That said, an easy way to check textures is to just apply the material to a brush and spawn a lantern for playing around with moving lights... or set up moving lights and be fancy.

It might have had to do with the fact that I tried using NoSelfShadow to remedy the problem with nothing showing though the alpha. I'm not sure but after disabling that and changing some other stuff it suddenly worked.

 

Never used it personally, but it most likely depends on how you're working with the files, are they sitting in darkmod folders or a test map folder etc. lemme go write how I like things set up.

I've just put all my files in the darkmod folder as that is what I thought you were supposed to.

 

Because it wouldn't be doom3 if it wasn't covered in a million problems, impossibilities, arbitrary requirements and general "poke at the black box, maybe it'll work". Over time you start to work out the mythical beast's logic, but even at the best times it will surprise in the usually most annoying way.

Haha, yeah. I outsmarted the beast this time, though.

 

Sometimes itzepissa. But there are some great people here who will help you figure it out and you'll definitely be the better for it. So just maybe stop for the moment; step away and come back later.

Yeah, I had put off trying to get it in-game to a couple hours before I was going to bed for this reason. I knew I would rage, just as last time, but I didn't want to ruin the whole day so I waited till the evening where I could then sleep and take a look at it with fresh eyes.

 

Sorry to hear you're frustration but glad you are able to express it.

I'm sorry that I raged, everything just stopped working for me.

 

Like I and so many have said, you have done some really excellent "stuff" so far.

Thanks!

 

I think maybe you need

 

NoShadows

 

On your alpha material. If it's ion front of the other it would cast a shadow.

 

Also, make sure you haven't checked 'filter' brushes. That'll hide them all but it'll still compile.

This helped, thanks. Apperantly Dark Radiant had saved the settings that I had used for the model viewer when I tried to filter away the collision mesh.

 

If you archive everything up into a *.zip I'll take a look at it.

Thanks, but it seems to be working now.

 

Setting up a workplace

 

I have no idea how much of this stuff people know from the A-Z guide, or even if other people work like this... but I'm pretty sure you know most of it.

Thanks, this will come in handy. I'll try to use it with future models.

 

Here's how it looks in the game:

It is a tad bit too monochrome, but hopefully someone can help me remedy that (I want to be able to change the colors in DR).

 

Also, Serpentine, how is it going with the normal map? I'm sure you have realized this a long time ago as it probably is pretty obvious, but I'm using padding on all my textures (to ensure that they'll look good when mip-mapped) so that might be what looked weird on the normalmap?

 

Do anyone know how to fix the normal error on the circle at the top of the screen (without re-mapping the model)? In Blender it looked like I had solved it when I just moved all the pieces inside the same 1:1 UV-space but it doesn't seem to have worked here.

 

EDIT: When I'm done with this one I think I'll go revisit a sexy carriage model I've made (but abandoned as I wasn't completely satisfied with it ). Do you want a carriage?

Edited August 11, 2010 by Nosslak

[Baddcog]

For the screenwall:

 

You probably want to bring the brightness of the material WAY up. So it's actually white with light grey details. It'll color alot better. (You can always use darker coloring to bring it down but you can't brighten it up if the base is so dark).

 

The poles, I'd think maybe brass would be best. But others might disagree. I just think that's an object that'll be used in fancier spots and they'd be using brass instead of steel. That part doesn't need color changes imo.

 

A wood version would be great too. Brass and wood seem the most likely candidates for the framework. (and it would be polished wood so doesn't really need much normal action either. (as far as grain - for that matter the brass would also be smooth so I'd only put details, not grain/noise i the pole normals)

 

-----------

A horse is in the works, and talk about trying to rig carts. So if that's all going to be in the mod, even if only background then yeah, we'd need some carriages. Your looks pretty nice.

 

Probably one with no wheels, and just one wheel. Then we'd have an entity with def attached wheels (so they could be made to turn). And having 4 copies of one will would lessen the draw calls.

 

On anything that rotates you need the center of it at 0,0,0 in Blender. So the center of the axles on the carriage would also need to be on a grid line, might as well go 0,0...

[Nosslak]

You probably want to bring the brightness of the material WAY up. So it's actually white with light grey details. It'll color alot better. (You can always use darker coloring to bring it down but you can't brighten it up if the base is so dark).

Alright I'll it up a bit then.

 

The poles, I'd think maybe brass would be best. But others might disagree. I just think that's an object that'll be used in fancier spots and they'd be using brass instead of steel. That part doesn't need color changes imo.

Yeah, that's what I though too but I wasn't sure if you wanted it changeable or not.

 

A wood version would be great too. Brass and wood seem the most likely candidates for the framework. (and it would be polished wood so doesn't really need much normal action either. (as far as grain - for that matter the brass would also be smooth so I'd only put details, not grain/noise i the pole normals)

I have now made a wood version and made the brass a little smoother and I'd show it to you if I could but Fraps, Screenhunter and Windows don't think you're worthy .

 

A horse is in the works, and talk about trying to rig carts. So if that's all going to be in the mod, even if only background then yeah, we'd need some carriages. Your looks pretty nice.

Thanks, I'll get to work on it when I'm done with this then.

 

Probably one with no wheels, and just one wheel. Then we'd have an entity with def attached wheels (so they could be made to turn). And having 4 copies of one will would lessen the draw calls.

OK, I'll keep that in mind.

 

On anything that rotates you need the center of it at 0,0,0 in Blender. So the center of the axles on the carriage would also need to be on a grid line, might as well go 0,0...

So I can't just position the objects origin/center in the middle?

[Baddcog]

Well, it's best to build with the axles on a grid line, then the wheels will line up when attached. The bigger the grid the easier it is to align.

 

I just did that with the print press I made, has a few gears that will be attahced, so I made sure the axles were cenetered oin a grid line. (had to fudge the model a bit to align them)

[Nosslak]

Well, it's best to build with the axles on a grid line, then the wheels will line up when attached. The bigger the grid the easier it is to align.

 

I just did that with the print press I made, has a few gears that will be attahced, so I made sure the axles were cenetered oin a grid line. (had to fudge the model a bit to align them)

Alright, I'll try to keep this in mind when I get to that stage.

 

Right now I'd like to know what kind of properties you need to add to a material to make it DR-editable. Who am I gonna call?

 

EDIT: Something's weird going on with TDM. When I start it and look at the main menu and the loading screen it is all very low-res (maybe 640x480) even though I have adjusted the resolution to 1920x1200 in the video options. Strangely enough it works just fine in-game but not in the menus, what should I do (I'd prefer not to re-download it)?

Edited August 12, 2010 by Nosslak

[Serpentine]

Right now I'd like to know what kind of properties you need to add to a material to make it DR-editable. Who am I gonna call?

 

If your material can be used on a model, it can be used in DR to texture brushes etc. The materials follow the exact same pattern.

 

If you did try out the whole "using a folder that isnt /darkmod/ to work out of", I wrote a small guide to getting a texture into game at the bottom of that guide (it doesn't have a bumpmap, but you should get the idea of where things go )

 

EDIT: Something's weird going on with TDM. When I start it and look at the main menu and the loading screen it is all very low-res (maybe 640x480) even though I have adjusted the resolution to 1920x1200 in the video options. Strangely enough it works just fine in-game but not in the menus, what should I do (I'd prefer not to re-download it)?

 

TDM sometimes does this if you're using a folder to work out of that doesnt have a settings file to start with, which is pretty annoying at the best of times. The best I can give you is my patented "aaaaah why is it low res ffff" fix :

Start TDM (the menus are low res)

Change res and aspect ratio to something lower than your current settings

Exit TDM

Start TDM

Change res and aspect to the correct values

Exit TDM

Start TDM (they should be correct now, but sometimes even this doesnt fix it)

 

In short, even if that doesnt work you dont need to redownload it, you just need to move the correct settings file into your folder (I assume you're now using a folder like I suggested)

[Nosslak]

If your material can be used on a model, it can be used in DR to texture brushes etc. The materials follow the exact same pattern.

Sounds good, but it didn't really answer the question. How do I make the color changeable and then change it in DR?

 

If you did try out the whole "using a folder that isnt /darkmod/ to work out of", I wrote a small guide to getting a texture into game at the bottom of that guide (it doesn't have a bumpmap, but you should get the idea of where things go )

Yeah, that's what I did. That is what seems to have caused this problem of mine.

 

TDM sometimes does this if you're using a folder to work out of that doesnt have a settings file to start with, which is pretty annoying at the best of times. The best I can give you is my patented "aaaaah why is it low res ffff" fix :

Start TDM (the menus are low res)

Change res and aspect ratio to something lower than your current settings

Exit TDM

Start TDM

Change res and aspect to the correct values

Exit TDM

Start TDM (they should be correct now, but sometimes even this doesnt fix it)

 

In short, even if that doesnt work you dont need to redownload it, you just need to move the correct settings file into your folder (I assume you're now using a folder like I suggested)

*sadface* It didn't work, any other suggestions?

Edited August 12, 2010 by Nosslak

[Serpentine]

You can try getting a DoomConfig out of another fm's folder and replacing the one in your new folder... with a bit of luck it's just one of the 'default' settings.

[Nosslak]

I haven't posted here for a few days as I was tired of dealing with text-files that never work, but I'm back to try again. So how do you make a proper working skin for your model (selectable in the editor)? Baddcog gave me this but it doesn't seem to work:

//Nosslaks skins/////////////

//same format as mtr file


//this is what you'll see for SKIN name in the editor when looking at models.


skin gold_nugget
{

//this is the model you are making skins for

model models/darkmod/nature/rocks/smallrock2.lwo

//this is 2 textures, the original material in the ase file, and the second material that will be switched to if using this skin
//in this case I am turning a rock into a gold nugget, you should override this or back it up and delete from your instal... otherwise you'll have a useless gold nugget lol
//MOST TDM material names ARE their path name. So if you want to use a smooth gold texture you can find it easily. (it can be usedon objects, worldspawn, etc..)
//older textures just had names (ie: tdm_rock01)


tdm_rock01 textures/darkmod/metal/flat/tiling_1d/gen_smooth_gold01

}

Which looked simple enough, or so I thought. I tried making a skin for my privacy screen by just copying this file and editing the filepaths and names until I got this:

skin privacy_screen_plain
{
model models\darkmod\furniture\privacy_screen.ase



plain dds\models\darkmod\props\textures\privacy_screen_body_plain

}

I don't really know what I was thinking, I mean this is Doom 3 we're talking about, nothing's ever simple there. So do anyone know why it doesn't work? Also shouldn't there be a file-path for an editor texture?

[Baddcog]

skin privacy_screen_plain

{

model models\darkmod\furniture\privacy_screen.ase

 

 

 

plain notsoplain

}

 

ase was on a line break, don't know if that's how it is or forum thing.

 

You don't need paths to the textures here, just the name of the shader on the object to change, followed by a space, followed by the name of that shader for the new skin. (skin in this case has nothing to do with a bitmap image, it just swaps shaders from .mtr files)

 

First, the dds and /or textures prefix isn't needed before any path.

 

plain, is that the name of your material (shader)? If so you only need to list that. It references the material name in the mtr file. Just like in your ase you put the name for the shader. //base/plain

 

And notsoplain is the name of the new shader you want to use.

(it's description is in the material file too)

 

Then in the editor under models/skins you will have

model>

screenwall (using plain on the model)

>>privacy_screen_plain

 

 

[Nosslak]

skin privacy_screen_plain

{

model models\darkmod\furniture\privacy_screen. ase

 

 

 

plain notsoplain

}

 

ase was on a line break, don't know if that's how it is or forum thing.

 

You don't need paths to the textures here, just the name of the shader on the object to change, followed by a space, followed by the name of that shader for the new skin. (skin in this case has nothing to do with a bitmap image, it just swaps shaders from .mtr files)

 

First, the dds and /or textures prefix isn't needed before any path.

 

plain, is that the name of your material (shader)? If so you only need to list that. It references the material name in the mtr file. Just like in your ase you put the name for the shader. //base/plain

 

And notsoplain is the name of the new shader you want to use.

(it's description is in the material file too)

 

Then in the editor under models/skins you will have

model>

screenwall (using plain on the model)

>>privacy_screen_plain

It sounds simple enough, but it still doesn't work for me.

 

skin privacy_screen_plain
{
model models\darkmod\furniture\privacy_screen.ase

privacy_screen_body privacy_screen_plain

}

I want to name my skin privacy_screen_plain, I want to use the model called privacy_screen.ase and I want to replace the privacy_screen_body default material with privacy_screen_plain. Is it the correct code to do that?

 

Here is the material code (it's the same as the default except with the diffuse texture changed and bumpmap commented out):

privacy_screen_plain
{

qer_editorimage	models/darkmod/props/textures/privacy_screen_plain_ed

surftype15
description "carpet"

diffusemap models/darkmod/props/textures/privacy_screen_plain

//bumpmap models/darkmod/props/textures/privacy_screen_body_local

//specularmap models/darkmod/props/textures/privacy_screen_body_s

{
	if ( parm11 > 0 )
	blend 	gl_dst_color, gl_one
	map 	_white
	rgb 	0.40 * parm11
}
{
	if ( parm11 > 0 )
	blend 	add
	map 	models/darkmod/props/textures/privacy_screen_body
	rgb 	0.15 * parm11
}

// TDM Ambient Method Related
{
	blend	add
	map		models/darkmod/props/textures/privacy_screen_body
	red		global2
	green	global3
	blue	global4
}
}

 

Why isn't it working, again? Do I need to change something in some other file for my skin to appear in the editor?

[rich_is_bored]

Just to verify you're placing that skin declaration in a .skin file and placing the file in the /skins folder?

[Nosslak]

Just to verify you're placing that skin declaration in a .skin file and placing the file in the /skins folder?

Yes, that's what I've done. I've called my skinfile nosslak.skin as it would be easy to just update it later, when I make more stuff.

Edited August 16, 2010 by Nosslak