UVW map problem

[Stormzarel]

Greetings! I'm not sure where this should go, since I'm new here (well, not new... registered a long time ago, but I haven't posted in ages). I'm having a bit of an issue with a texture on a model I'm importing into TSL.

 

It should look something like this:

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That's a render of the model from 3ds max. Everything's fine there... But then...

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I end up with this when I test it out in-game. I presume it has something to do with the model's UVW map getting messed up during the creation of the MDL file, but I can't really tell what the issue is or how to fix it.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Quanon]

Wow, looks sort of cool!

 

Anyway, to help you out with the problem. I think you might have 2 problems. Can you see through your model with that texture or am I seeing that wrong?

 

You might solve your UVW map problem by doing the following. Did you UVW unwrap it or just applied the standard UVWmap set to Cylinder or box for example?

 

If you used UVW unwrap, you might have to go back to the mesh and do detach=> use the option to element. T'is sort of a memory game, your UVWmap has devided your model into sections so your texture would look nice. You now have to detach the slice you made in the UVW map on your model.

 

Mostly you just need to do only a few pieces. That helped me often to get better results.

 

The other thing is you might have mapped your model while it was still a poly and then converted it to mesh, perhaps even moved or rotated it a bit? And then Resetxformed it?

 

That sort of actions might have messed up the UVW map. Main advice is to go Poly=> Mesh=> Set Pivotpoint to center of object=> Resetxform and then start uvw mapping your model.

 

Like that you'll avoud a lot of problems with your uvwmaps.

Else I fear the only option you might have is to redo the whole UVWmap. And pray to the gods of modding it goes well this time

 

EDIT: about the see through thing, does your texture have an alpha channel? OR where you planning on using a TXI shader file, to make thing shine in the game?

[TimBob12]

I have no idea what is wrong, aplogies but is this gonna be a replacement for the ebon hawk?

[Stormzarel]

@Quanon: I checked, and the texture did have an alpha channel. I removed it, and the model is now no longer transparent. Also, I'm using a UVW unwrap modifier. I'll try to detach the faces to see how that turns out.

 

@TimBob: Yep, it's a replacement for the Ebon Hawk. It's part of a much bigger project I have planned. For now I'll just say that it's a total conversion mod.

[DarthParametric]

UV map problems are something I always encountered with my models. There's definitely something in MDLOps that screws up the UV map during conversion from ASCII to binary model, as you can see here from this example I posted in the A-Z of modelling a lightsaber thread a couple of years ago:

 

 

As Quanon suggested, detaching faces is the only apparent avenue to resolve it, but in my experience even detaching basically every single poly still leaves some minor screwiness. The best you can do is experiment and hope you get something that doesn't result in anything that's too noticeable.

[VarsityPuppet]

Can't say I've ever had too many UVmap problems, but I haven't really made any grand models either.

[DarthParametric]

Possibly (in my case at least) it is related to models from external apps. I always imported an OBJ modelled elsewhere into GMax to set up and export. Did you model/map in Max Stormzarel?

[Quanon]

It seems you really have to "cut" your model; like you've UVWmapped it. Though it's a really randome buggy affair. I've only encountered it with model weapons.

 

And often I only had to do detach the more "complicated" parts of the UVW map. Other times I just had to do the whole thing. Baking in the UVWmap helps sometimes. Just convert to mesh again to do that or collapse stack, with the modifiers.

 

@DP: I've tried importanting OBJ files in 3Ds Max and G-max, somehow this always ends up in a frustrating mess. Faces being wrong and most often UVWmaps being whacked out of their senses. I get the idea the importing tool is a bit off sometimes...

[Stormzarel]

@DP: Yeah, I'm modeling in Max. So no importing or exporting involved.

 

@Quanon: Well, I tried to detach parts of the model, but nothing really changed. I'm probably detaching the wrong parts, though. My model has somewhere around 3000 polygons (6800 triangles), so even remembering how the model should be broken up for the UVW map is a pain.

I have older versions of the model that haven't been mapped yet, so I'm tempted to try remapping it if detaching faces doesn't pan out.

[Quanon]

Well, if you have a save file, where the UVW unwrap is still stacked on top of your mesh. You can have a peek in at your UVW, then go to the mesh. And detach, go back to UVWmap, detach... etc. Just put off the warning message 3Ds Max will spam at you, because you're going to the editable mesh again.

 

It could save you some work on redoing the whole thing. I just dread redoing UVW maps, think its one of the more boring aspects of 3D, IMO.