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Quanon

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It'd take a while' date=' but I don't see why not[/quote']

 

Oowh, cool, might bug you with that later on in my project ;)

 

The best people who make Total Conversions of games are the people who start doing it without noticing...

 

Hmm, this isn't really a "total conversion". More like an 'add-on' so to speak. But I guess "total conversion" is a vague term. I always saw it as using the mechanics and engine of a game to make something completely differant from the originale game. So instead of Sci-fi ala SW, using K1 game to make a fantasy epic ala D&D. Just my 2cents on "total conversion" :lol:

 

Anyway: I haven't done much on the models themselves, but did another test round on the lightmapping business. I'm sort of stuck on an issue. I'll try to explain, hopefully some of you guys might throw a few suggestions. It's always handy to get a 'new' look on a problem. Here it goes; might get technical ;)

 

THE PROBLEM: I only want to use 1 to 4 lightmaps per area. I've noticed that the game needs longer loading times once you include lightmaps.

 

Thing is, I slice up my models into a lot of parts to texture it. So I often end with like a 100+ model bits for 1 area. Saddly, using the tools in Max to create lightmaps I end up with 100+ lightmaps... Not what I want.

 

I can attach all the bits back together and maintain their unique texture; but Max makes a special material (multi-sub)for that. That material and the lightmap get exported with NWmax OK.

 

But Kaurora doesn't compile that material. It just picks 1 texture out of many and smothers it on the whole area == YUCK. Lightmap works fine ofcourse== YIPPIEEE :lol:

 

I've downloaded a neat plugin that makes a big lightmap out of seperate objects in a 3Ds Max scene... but it adds an extra modifier. Which the export script from NWmax doesn't recognise; resulting in errors and what not o_Q

 

In the end I think I'll still have to use many tiny lightmaps, but I still fear that will slow down loading times. Plus it might not be uber quality... Urgh, modding can be so annoying at times.

 

Well, I do have a few pics to show off of my little test run ;)

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As you can see, there's a funky green and purple tint on the room, but it's all the same texture.

 

EDIT: Sometimes the Kotor games just kick you in the nuts... argh o_Q

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Let's see if my non-modding brain can explain this to itself...

 

...you're trying to get just 1 to 4 lightmaps to illuminate the whole module, with different tints in different areas? But since it's not one continuous model in 3DS Max it makes 100+ lightmaps automatically?

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Let's see if my non-modding brain can explain this to itself...

 

...you're trying to get just 1 to 4 lightmaps to illuminate the whole module, with different tints in different areas? But since it's not one continuous model in 3DS Max it makes 100+ lightmaps automatically?

 

At the start, each of my areas is 1 big model( object in 3Ds Max). Though for the kotor games each model can only have one texture. So I need to slice up that big model into smaller models. So each model can have a differant texture assigned to it.

 

Using the standard tools from, 3Ds Max to create lightmaps, I also end up with lots of them. 1 lightmap for each little model. That's not how Bioware did it for the real game areas.

 

It should be possible for Max to combine all those little lightmaps into 1 or 2 big lightmaps. Semi automatically. So far I fear I might have to do it all manually. Which means I'll have to open up all those little lightmaps in photoshop.

Then reassign the newly made big lightmap to all my little models in Max... Redo the UVWs for their lightmap, 1 model at the time... >_>

 

Which means you'll have to wait another 3000 years till something gets finished by me :lol:

 

On other news, I have a few pics from the 'blue zone" at that one club. This is why I'm now messing about with the lightmaps. I want to get this club into the game ASAP.

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At the start, each of my areas is 1 big model( object in 3Ds Max). Though for the kotor games each model can only have one texture. So I need to slice up that big model into smaller models. So each model can have a differant texture assigned to it.

 

Using the standard tools from, 3Ds Max to create lightmaps, I also end up with lots of them. 1 lightmap for each little model. That's not how Bioware did it for the real game areas.

 

It should be possible for Max to combine all those little lightmaps into 1 or 2 big lightmaps. Semi automatically. So far I fear I might have to do it all manually. Which means I'll have to open up all those little lightmaps in photoshop.

Then reassign the newly made big lightmap to all my little models in Max... Redo the UVWs for their lightmap, 1 model at the time... >_>

 

Which means you'll have to wait another 3000 years till something gets finished by me :lol:

 

Got it now, thanks. I hope you find that semi-automatic function, because Photoshop melts brains after prolonged use.

 

Love the screenies! Before the blue thing just looked kinda crazy but now that the rest of the room is dark it's more clearly a dance floor. Are those glasses supposed to be glowing in the last screenie? It's really cool, but unless it's Glowing Geonosian Gin then it doesn't make a whole lotta sense as there's no visible light in the ceiling. ;)

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Héhéhé, yeah, that's a little lighting fault from me. I placed it to close to the object. So that's why it looks like it's "glowing".

 

I'll plunder google search a bit more in hope to find something to combine the lightmaps to 1 big one.

 

EDIT: Had another test run. This time I'm actually pleased with the results so far. I've used 8 tiny lightmaps ( 64x64pixs) for each model part in the scene. Things look nice enough. There's some texture stretching and a mangled pillar. Nothing to odd; seen worse :lol:

 

I think this gives me an idea on how to go further with my real models.

1) Get them in the game without lightmaps.

2) Fix all stretched textures and faulty meshes.

3) Import back all the fixed parts into a new 3Ds Max scene.

4) Dump in all the lights, render lightmaps.

5) Export and pray, lots of praying, considering blood offerings to the modding gods, nothing of the previous fixes get ruined and lightmaps look like they should :lol:

 

Some screenshots of last testrun, mind for some odd reason the screenshots look really dark, while in the game this wasn't so:

 

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Looks like Kaurora and the other modding tools are being stubborn to do their work in the holiday season... o_Q

 

Had a go at getting the R&B(Red&Blue) club into the game. It's in the game, yes, but....

 

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Heyo,

 

Luckily the festivities for the new year and christmas have passed; one can find some more time to do some modding. I've been doing further tests and some reading on the intrawebz about lightmaps.

 

I've found out it's rather easy to do a big UVWmap for lightmap purposes. And got to work to find out if it can be used for my own made areas. It's doable, I only found minor issues on my test room.

 

1 mesh gets skewed and the lightmap gets misplaced on certain parts. Why this happens isn't really clear to me. Still :headbump about that issue. Somehow I fear I'll need to alter my way on how I slice up my model. Which means I'll need to redo the lightmaps o_Q

 

And so far to do 10 tiny lightmaps for my R&B club it takes a big hour... depending on what meshes get rendered... I did 50 meshes in 5 to 6 hours.

 

It still remains a daunting task to do lightmaps for an area. My biggest concern is that you're so certain something will get f*****d up... And you're looking at redoing stuff again... Urgh, hate my love for 3D x-D

 

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Excellent..

 

Well, I've gotten okay models out of it, and Sithspecter even got all of the models I sent to him exported with lightmaps and it looks pretty dang cool...

 

problem is that the game only seems to want to render 1 section at a time, which ends up being an issue...

 

I'll send it your way Q ;)

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  • 3 months later...

Hey,

 

Been awhile since I posted something in here. Has it reasons though, lots of changes in my personal life, which all took their time to get sorted out. Moving in with the misses Q being a big one :p

 

Beside that, other hobby things demanded my attention; but, ahum, you're not here to hear my excuses! Q has some minor progress on those new city area models.

 

Kaurora has been particular good at destroying my area models, so much so, I lost hope of ever getting into the game properly. Though I kept on trying, switching back to an older version, so that means NO lightmaps.

 

I know, that's a killer, but that's how it is.

Enough letters, picture time :D

 

First up, failures & examples of Kaurora mangling my poor models :'(

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Using an older version of Kaurora I found out some meshes caused faults, because of their UVWmaps. I fixed it, well sort of fixed it. All 3D looks like it should. Now only to fix 90% of UVWmaps themselves. But, hey, it's progress!

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A shame about the lightmaps, Q, but the areas look amazing as always. Keep up the good work. :)

 

I figure I can always add lightmaps later on. But it's a real 'hard' job on my computer to render it all out. I guess game developpers have some heavy duty sets at their offices to do just that sort of thing.

 

Anyways, I hope to entertain a bit more reguraly from now on ;)

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Sad news, somehow Kaurora just truely HATES me. Was working on fixing the textures of my area. And just that somehow broke it... I have no clue whatsoever I have might done wrong...

 

Uck, at this point I think I'll just call it quits on area modelling for now. I've got a few requests from other modders anyway. I'll focus on those, so I can at least enjoy something being completed and working!

 

Frakking little programs x-D

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Hey,

 

Good news people. I got in contact with MagnusII, the magnificant programming wizard and he adjusted Kaurora again. I was really losing hope, hence my last post here on this thread, to get things working in the game.

 

So I asked if MagnusII could have a look; and he did. Where before there was a broken model with awfull mangled textures I now have a nearly perfect working model in the game! Just one bottle who's pretty big :lol:

 

Have a peek!

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