I would like to know, if there is a known (and hopefully easy) method to change the Blend Type for the textures of existing models, like shown in the Materials folder in the Previewer. I want to change the Emissive Blend Type to Team Color Emissive Add for some models.
It would be great, if the models wouldn't break during this, attachment points and animations should still work afterwards ;). It wouldn't matter that much, if I lose some particle effects or ribbons in the process.
It should also be fully functional, as in an applied emissive texture should glow in team colors. I don't know much about the internal mechanics of team color, maybe an additional layer of team color has to be added somewhere? No idea.
Can it be done? What program(s) would I need? Or would someone even be willing to do it for me?
Check these preservers, what result would match your aim more?
preserver_.m3 - changed the Emissive Blend Type to Team Color Emissive Add
preserver_1.m3 - changed the Emissive Blend Type to Team Color Emissive Add + reduced emissive multiplier (9->3)
preserver_2.m3 - changed the Emissive Blend Type to Team Color Emissive Add + reduced emissive multiplier more (9 ->2) + checked "render alpha as team color" flag for emissive material
preserver_3.m3 - changed the Emissive Blend Type to Team Color Emissive Add + reduced emissive multiplier more (9 ->2) + checked "render alpha only" flag for emissive material
Hmm. Unfortunately, all of them don't work for me. They are all glowing entirely in team color ingame, regardless of the used texture. I applied the same texture to another model, which uses Team Color Emissive Add by default (the Immortal.m3), and it showed up just fine (as in transparent parts of the texture didn't glow, only colored parts did).
It might be a problem with the Preserver's EnergyPlane3.dds texture. I got rid of it before by swapping it with a fully transparent texture, which does not seem to work anymore (also tried a pitch black one). Would you mind trying it again with Zeratul, to see, if the energy plane is the problem? Or, from my understanding it could work to check the render alpha stuff for the energy plane texture?
If indeed the EnergyPlane is the problem and can be fixed, the render alpha as team color option sounds most like what I am aiming for.
Also, you probably don't have to bother with the emissive multipliers; I plan on changing team colors via actor messages, which can modify the HDR multiplier for emissives as well (thats the same thing essentially, right?)
Yes, I'll try to experiment with other models tomorrow.
Maybe these 2 models provide some more information for you. One of them was exported without any change. Another one was imported without EnergyPlane3.dds texture, then I changed its Emissive Blend Type to Team Color Emissive Add and exported.
Also, I include Archon model with Team Color Emissive Add (maybe somethig else was changed, don't remember). Actually, I thought archon won't be exported with his blue glowing ball, because it's rather a particle effect, but it did.
Also, I include Archon model with Team Color Emissive Add (maybe somethig else was changed, don't remember). Actually, I thought archon won't be exported with his blue glowing ball, because it's rather a particle effect, but it did.
I thought that as well, wouldn't matter, since I am using him without the ball anyway. Thanks for your effort so far!
Also, I don't use the capes for the Dark Templar and Zeratul, you can skip them.
Heh, stupid me. The default archon already uses the Team Color Emissive Add blend type xD
€ there are some changes affecting the no change export of the Preserver. The EnergyPlane texture usually moves on the Preserver's body, this doesn't happen anymore.
The Preserver without the Energy Plane works just like all the others :)
€€ even though I don't need the archon model, yours seems to work quite well. So the method generally works fine, just the preserver seems to be problematic.
Ah, well, they all just work like the Preserver, so I cannot use them. So, unless you are willing to experiment further, what the difference between the Archon's and the other models Team Color Emissive Add is, I thank you for your work.
However, I would like to experiment with it myself. Do you have a link to a tutorial covering setting of these blend modes? Or is it easy to find by myself?
Ah, well, they all just work like the Preserver, so I cannot use them. So, unless you are willing to experiment further, what the difference between the Archon's and the other models Team Color Emissive Add is, I thank you for your work.
I'd like to experiment, and I do. For now I must say, that importer doesn't load some textures and leave some maps empty. And looks like empty maps work like a team color.
About the difference between the Archon's and the others' Team Color Emissive Add. Each Material has 2 emissive maps: "Emissive map" and "Emissive map 2". Archon's body material has both of them filled with the same archon_emissive2 texture. DT and Zeratul has "Emissive map 2" empty. Preserver's "Emissive map 2" contains EnergyPlane3.dds. So, we can assume, that "Emissive map 2" is a map which decides, will your desired effect work or won't.
I've attached preserver model with both Emissive maps filled with the archon's emissive texture, and another one, with only "Emissive map 2" filled with archon's texture.
However, I would like to experiment with it myself. Do you have a link to a tutorial covering setting of these blend modes? Or is it easy to find by myself?
Never tried to find such a tutorial. If you will find - let me know, I don't understand them those clearly.
The last models are definitely an improvement, they still glow in all team color, but swapping out the emissives with different types (I use a testmap, which can quickly cycle through lots of textures) shows big differences now. The previous models hardly show any difference in appearance.
Ok, I have also noticed, that the Archon's first emissive map has "render alpha only" checkbox checked. And Archon's diffuse map has no "render alpha as team color" checked.
So, there are 2 zeratul models, both have these checkboxes same as Archon has, but one of them has both emissive maps set to zeratul's emissive texture, and the second one has both archon's emissive textures.
btw, try to swap archon's emissive map 2 with preserver's EnergyPlane3.dds, will it still work?
Both of them look very promising. I can swap the emissive, ant it won't glow in all team color, just non-transparent parts of the emissive texture glow. Just like I need it, and just like the Archon works.
Quote:
btw, try to swap archon's emissive map 2 with preserver's EnergyPlane3.dds, will it still work?
Swapping it on the Archon works as expected; the non-transparent parts of the texture (aka the blue pattern) show up on the Archon as team color. It starts glowing a little, because the texture is not fully transparent anywhere.
Ok, there is zeratul with diffuse team color checked back.
Yes, dark templar initially has only one emissive map. So, try this one, I've added second emissive map (copy of the first one). Maybe u'll need to swap his second emissive map, because it has totally white alpha.
Maybe u'll need to swap his second emissive map, because it has totally white alpha.
In data, I can only specify the path of the swapped texture, so it will swap both emissives at once. So, it is probably better overall to specify a different path. However, I don't need that right now, and if I do, I can modify the path myself.
To summarize: it was necessarily and sufficient to have 2nd emissive map with "render alpha only" checkbox checked and texture to have alpha layer which decides what parts should glow as team color.
Hey.
I would like to know, if there is a known (and hopefully easy) method to change the Blend Type for the textures of existing models, like shown in the Materials folder in the Previewer. I want to change the Emissive Blend Type to Team Color Emissive Add for some models.
It would be great, if the models wouldn't break during this, attachment points and animations should still work afterwards ;). It wouldn't matter that much, if I lose some particle effects or ribbons in the process.
It should also be fully functional, as in an applied emissive texture should glow in team colors. I don't know much about the internal mechanics of team color, maybe an additional layer of team color has to be added somewhere? No idea.
Can it be done? What program(s) would I need? Or would someone even be willing to do it for me?
Thanks.
It can be done in 3ds max, and only particle effects will be lost. And I can try to do it for you. What models you need it to be done on?
I attached them for you
If it takes much time, you can do one first for me to test, if what I want to do with it does work at all :)
Check these preservers, what result would match your aim more?
preserver_.m3 - changed the Emissive Blend Type to Team Color Emissive Add
preserver_1.m3 - changed the Emissive Blend Type to Team Color Emissive Add + reduced emissive multiplier (9->3)
preserver_2.m3 - changed the Emissive Blend Type to Team Color Emissive Add + reduced emissive multiplier more (9 ->2) + checked "render alpha as team color" flag for emissive material
preserver_3.m3 - changed the Emissive Blend Type to Team Color Emissive Add + reduced emissive multiplier more (9 ->2) + checked "render alpha only" flag for emissive material
Hmm. Unfortunately, all of them don't work for me. They are all glowing entirely in team color ingame, regardless of the used texture. I applied the same texture to another model, which uses Team Color Emissive Add by default (the Immortal.m3), and it showed up just fine (as in transparent parts of the texture didn't glow, only colored parts did).
It might be a problem with the Preserver's EnergyPlane3.dds texture. I got rid of it before by swapping it with a fully transparent texture, which does not seem to work anymore (also tried a pitch black one). Would you mind trying it again with Zeratul, to see, if the energy plane is the problem? Or, from my understanding it could work to check the render alpha stuff for the energy plane texture?
If indeed the EnergyPlane is the problem and can be fixed, the render alpha as team color option sounds most like what I am aiming for.
Also, you probably don't have to bother with the emissive multipliers; I plan on changing team colors via actor messages, which can modify the HDR multiplier for emissives as well (thats the same thing essentially, right?)
Yes, I'll try to experiment with other models tomorrow.
Maybe these 2 models provide some more information for you. One of them was exported without any change. Another one was imported without EnergyPlane3.dds texture, then I changed its Emissive Blend Type to Team Color Emissive Add and exported.
Also, I include Archon model with Team Color Emissive Add (maybe somethig else was changed, don't remember). Actually, I thought archon won't be exported with his blue glowing ball, because it's rather a particle effect, but it did.
I thought that as well, wouldn't matter, since I am using him without the ball anyway. Thanks for your effort so far!
Also, I don't use the capes for the Dark Templar and Zeratul, you can skip them.
Heh, stupid me. The default archon already uses the Team Color Emissive Add blend type xD
€ there are some changes affecting the no change export of the Preserver. The EnergyPlane texture usually moves on the Preserver's body, this doesn't happen anymore.
The Preserver without the Energy Plane works just like all the others :)
€€ even though I don't need the archon model, yours seems to work quite well. So the method generally works fine, just the preserver seems to be problematic.
Ok, there are 2 rest models. I simply changed the emissive blend type. And now they look like the preserver ;/
Tell me if you need something else.
Ah, well, they all just work like the Preserver, so I cannot use them. So, unless you are willing to experiment further, what the difference between the Archon's and the other models Team Color Emissive Add is, I thank you for your work.
However, I would like to experiment with it myself. Do you have a link to a tutorial covering setting of these blend modes? Or is it easy to find by myself?
I'd like to experiment, and I do. For now I must say, that importer doesn't load some textures and leave some maps empty. And looks like empty maps work like a team color.
About the difference between the Archon's and the others' Team Color Emissive Add. Each Material has 2 emissive maps: "Emissive map" and "Emissive map 2". Archon's body material has both of them filled with the same archon_emissive2 texture. DT and Zeratul has "Emissive map 2" empty. Preserver's "Emissive map 2" contains EnergyPlane3.dds. So, we can assume, that "Emissive map 2" is a map which decides, will your desired effect work or won't.
I've attached preserver model with both Emissive maps filled with the archon's emissive texture, and another one, with only "Emissive map 2" filled with archon's texture.
Never tried to find such a tutorial. If you will find - let me know, I don't understand them those clearly.
€ nvm, error on my part, updating soon
The last models are definitely an improvement, they still glow in all team color, but swapping out the emissives with different types (I use a testmap, which can quickly cycle through lots of textures) shows big differences now. The previous models hardly show any difference in appearance.
Ok, I have also noticed, that the Archon's first emissive map has "render alpha only" checkbox checked. And Archon's diffuse map has no "render alpha as team color" checked.
So, there are 2 zeratul models, both have these checkboxes same as Archon has, but one of them has both emissive maps set to zeratul's emissive texture, and the second one has both archon's emissive textures.
btw, try to swap archon's emissive map 2 with preserver's EnergyPlane3.dds, will it still work?
Both of them look very promising. I can swap the emissive, ant it won't glow in all team color, just non-transparent parts of the emissive texture glow. Just like I need it, and just like the Archon works.
Swapping it on the Archon works as expected; the non-transparent parts of the texture (aka the blue pattern) show up on the Archon as team color. It starts glowing a little, because the texture is not fully transparent anywhere.
Ok, then try these preserver and dt with "render alpha only" checked for their emissive maps.
One problem: The zeratuls now don't show team color for the diffuse map anymore, which is required for me as well. The Archon does this.
€ the Preserver works perfectly.
€€ the Dark Templar doesn't. Did you modify it in a different way?
Ok, there is zeratul with diffuse team color checked back.
Yes, dark templar initially has only one emissive map. So, try this one, I've added second emissive map (copy of the first one). Maybe u'll need to swap his second emissive map, because it has totally white alpha.
Zeratul and Dark Templar working perfectly :)
Thank you so much, you will receive a honorable mention in my map for sure :D
In data, I can only specify the path of the swapped texture, so it will swap both emissives at once. So, it is probably better overall to specify a different path. However, I don't need that right now, and if I do, I can modify the path myself.
Glad it works.
To summarize: it was necessarily and sufficient to have 2nd emissive map with "render alpha only" checkbox checked and texture to have alpha layer which decides what parts should glow as team color.
Here, I thought you might want to know, what I need these models for:
Oh, pretty nice! It may be a neat way to modify model's look in rpg maps, depending on what talents players improve for their heroes.