New Models

[Suicide_Commando]

That's freakin cool man. Very nasty looking.      

[WardenMac]

WM: As always the models & textures look great, make most of my stuff look inferior.
Anyhow, two questions.
Which method of texturing are you using, and, what size textures are you sticking on them things, they are really clear.

Dave I have always used mostly 512x256 or 800x600. You can use 1024x512, however just the texture alone will be over a meg. Now there are ways around these size requirements, you can look at some of coco's textures and his do not follow increments of eight as mine do, in some cases. I dont recall how this is done, you save the bmp of your weps as something different than a regualar rsb. Again, I dont mess with this, if you size your pic correctly, it will be clear in the game. Lets say you find a good clear pic sized 570x300. Take that pic in photoshop and resize it down to say around 510. Paste it into a background sized 512x256. I normally use 512x256.
The texturing part I am not that great at, for example on the aresshorty I didnt really touch up the texture. I used three different pics to piece this one together. If you look close, the receiver is a diff color, the scope is a diff color, etc.
I use the burn tool in photoshop to darken certain areas and use the airbrush tool alot over flat surfaces. Believe me I am in no way a expert, Im sure there are easier or even faster ways to do things. Coco is constantly saying "damn I cant believe you did that" lmao. If you need further clarification, email me bro, I will be glad to walk you through step by step on how I do it. May not be the best way, but it gets the job done.

[WardenMac]

btw, the aresshotry is 800x600, but I can assure you I can get the same amount of clarity from 512x256. I used the bigger texture to ensure I pieced it together properly. I can always go back and do make a model from a 512x256 texture.
Dave, one other thing, I always find myself enlarging the pic inside the background. Lets say for example you find a great pic of a wep and its 512x256 but the weapon is small. You can go into photoshop, hit ctrl a, cntrl t and size the pic up, I caution on this because if its not done properly you can get weps that appear too long or squeezed. Also you can loose alot of detail. Just experiment, theres always the back button  . I had this problem alot when I first began. Many people already know how to use all the functions in photoshop, if you do, great its just another way to get a good clear pic. This will also obviously give you a larger wep to model in 3dmax but keeping it 512x256.

[kazan]

Thats some nice looking wepons like the aresshorty.mac  how about making a reel mean looking FN P90 like the pic at the top wth more bits on it flashlight,laser sight etc.

[WardenMac]

Ya know, funny you should mention that. I find myself always looking for a great pic of that wep tacked out. Coco did a excellent version in the US TAC Mod. Ive been looking for something similiar to that but with suppressor. I think Im going to have to make my own. Ill start putting one together soon.
Feel free to post a pic if ya got one. I made the ares shorty actually to make sure I remembered how, its been several weeks since I made a model.

[dave-s]

Thanks WM, I used smaller textures which is why the clarity of mine isnt as good.
I think I worded my last post wrong I was actually after the techniqe you use to texture in Max, I really only texture from the side with one pic and then detach say the glenses from the scopes and texture them with another pic. Is this the same as you or do you use one texture and select different parts of it? I know there is a way to do it but I cant remember how?

[Cocobolo]

What I did with a lot of the weps in IDF is incllude all possible textures/accessories in one texture image, say 512x512. This way everything matches and it's less RAM used for different textures-it's always better to use as few seperate texture images as possible. Then model each piece of the gun, each accessory, etc, and texture them all with one UVW map. Now you can attatch the parts/accessories to the textured gun and not only will it look a whole lot better, but you're using less memory. The end result is a gun that looks unique..

Don't constrain yourself to using pics that just look good, make it your own by working with the textures and adding things, color, taking color out, shading, burning, etc... With some practice you can have something that nobody else can duplicate, even if it's a plain 'ol MP5

Take a look below. This gun (not the whole graphic, just the MP5) is about 6-7 peices merged into the final product and a lot of TLC. Took me about 2 hours, but to me it's worth it.

[WardenMac]

Dave I do it the way you do. I only use a side pic. I dont merge different items and I dont know how to do it the way coco discribed. He hasnt taught me yet.
He is correct about the beginning texture, work with it. You will be amazed at how you can change it. Im not good at it, coco is fantastic.
Oh, I use edit mesh on my scopes, click the center point and move it back into the cylinder. Then place a thin cylinder inside the recessed area. I then textue it using a lens texture I apply to the wep pic. I know, simply stated, but I dont know the technical terms for 3dmax.

[Cocobolo]

Mac anytime you want to learn this stuff or anything involving it just let me know bud. Take a look at the galil MAR texture in IDF and I think you will get the idea. Moving the textured parts around is the easy part...

[WardenMac]

Oh I already did, trust me. What throws me is how do you actually texture it and place it on the wep (Im speaking of different parts like, sd's, flashlights, etc...Remember the minicar in RDG, you removed the flashlight then modeled it and applied to the gun model). I think its the same process I use to texture the lenses. I just select the ungrouped lens, go into umvmapping (or whatever its called), then edit, then move the cylinder over the lens texture. Is it the same process? To do the flashlight on the RDG minicar, you would have to place it on the model I assume in 3dmax, thats what Im not sure of. Ive seen you refer to merging scenes. I dont know how to do that either. Anyway, with all this spare time on your hands you can write a redneck tutorial on it  

[Cocobolo]

Well, no matter where you place, say, a flashlight in the texture, you create the cylinder in 3DS over the image just like you create the gun parts. Then you select everything, all the pieces, and apply the texture to it with material editor.
Now you adjust the UVW map to match the borders of the texture, just like normal.  Once that's done, select the light and move it into position, just like you do with the glass on scopes. Each piece will have a texture already glued to it at this point, and you can move them freely. Try it out, it's really not as complicated as it sounds...

As for merging scenes, you just go to the "file" menu, look down the list to "merge file" I believe, and then just browse to the 3ds file you want to bring into your current scene.

[WardenMac]

Ok, it makes sense. I still may have some questions.

[dave-s]

Thanks, I think I get what you are saying.
Ive seen adifferent technique but cant remember how to do it or if it would work with RS / GR. I think there is an included tutorial within Max?
Thanks for your help.

One last thing. Dont suppose it would be possible for one of you guys to send me the max file of any weapon to see hopw much model detail your making?

Thanks

[WardenMac]

sure, Ive got both exported and unexported models, Ill send ya both

[dave-s]

WM: Thanks for the file.
My models are approx 1/3 the size of yours [poly count].
Next time Ill try adding more model detail.

[WardenMac]

You might not want to use my models as a good comparison for appropriate polys  . Ive never concerned myself with that, as coco can tell ya. I know you can delete faces, sides, etc to lower polys, I dont do that either. I just make the thing. I could make a model without the detail, but my opinion is why the hell do it?  Look at coco and cobra's models in UO and GR, they are not low poly models, and they have no problems. They look hot too. Just my opinion bro, I know it can effect perfromance and all thats associated with it, Ive just never given it much concern, I want a good quality detailed model. If I download a mod and it has no detail, I could care less what it perfroms like, it goes in the trash.

[WardenMac]

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[AMBROSE]

AWESOME!!!  

[Suicide_Commando]

Woah that is outstanding Mac! Very, very nice looking model and texture.

[dave-s]

WM: love the lense texture.
Are these as high poly as the one you sent me?

BTW - What up with your mail address, I tried to send you a Max model and it came up with a permanent fault?

Keep up the great work