I seem to be having a small problem with normal maps and specular maps.
I have worked out exporting from max with animations etc.
Textures work fine, but the normal maps and specular maps are way off, they only show when model is faced a specific direction, i included a screenshot to show the difference.
Effect is really clear on the spider to the left, but the one on the right has no visible effect from the normal map or specular map at all.
Normal map has been made into a orange normal.
If anyone knows what i am doing wrong, i would really appreciate any help.
We tried this, didnt work. But you said you imported different format that isnt .dds ?
Also, what about specular ?
I just resaved it as jpeg here so it would show on the forum.
I saved it via nvidia's dds plugin in photoshop as DXT5 ARGB 8 bpp | interpolated alpha.
adding a screenshot
Specular also works, saved in same dds setting as my normal map.
Speculars are working, just trying different types now to get a more dramatic effect.
Also, the team color emissive is hiding abit.
Ok, so I am totally new to all of this, but if someone could help me that would be incredible.
All I'd like to do is recolor the Archon model with some reds and purples to make a Dark Archon. I've made the functionality of the Dark Archon in the editor already, but 3ds max just seems to be far above my current expertise.
I edited the texture for the cloud around the Archon and recolored it, but now I can't figure out how to import that .dds file back into 3ds max and then apply it to the model.
You needn't do anything with 3ds max at all. If you've already edited the cloud texture and recolored it all you need to do is import your texture to the editor with the original name it had and in the exact same path so you replace the old texture with your new recolored one.
I've conjured up some fancy code to export smooth groups from 3ds Max. Trust me when I say it was no easy task. It also means if you choose to export using smooth groups there's a possibility it'll take a little longer (about an extra 3 - 4 seconds for the Zealot on my end).
I'll upload the updated script when I can, I'm still bug testing it. For those interested in how it works, the code basically introduces new vertices when multiple faces meet but don't share the same smoothing group. A new vertex is copied from the original with a new calculated normal so the end result is that you have a seperate vertex for each face using a different normal (using the face normal for those in the know). Keep in mind that while this increases the vertex count the face count remains the same and thus the performance hit due to the extra vertices is basically nothing. I'm pretty sure this is exactly how detaching faces work, just that when using this option you no longer have to detach the faces manually to introduce the new vertices as the code is doing it for you.
I'd love to use smoothing groups with the importer aswell, but I fear thats even more complex. With the way I import models at the moment, smoothing groups have little effect on the model. I think what would be best is to allow smoothing groups AND custom normals, and I think with my current code a hybrid processing of the normals shouldn't be too difficult. You'll have to choose whether to export normals through the edit normal modifier or through smoothing groups for the time being.
We can't thank you enough for the invaluable work you are doing for the modding community.
So far I love the mod capabilities of sc2, and i applaud blizzard for giving us theese tools, but without your exporters we wouldn't be able to do the things we do now :)
I guess there is no better way to show our appreciation than to show that we are using your tools.
Oh, and I can't wait to get my hands on the smoothing groups :D
Great, so its basically same as deattaching faces.
I think that's what blizz plugins does. They used that in Wc3 Art Tools how I heard; someone stated it here; Triceron I think.
I was doing this manually actually. Not hard to deattach smoothing groups since you ca select them in groups. But, its better if tool does job instead of me.
Gadaffy, I am not still sure about modding capabilities, wc3 was limited quite a lot... We will see about SC2. I already seen few things that would be useful to have in GE.
Now, I heard that size is limited to 10mb. And 5 maps per account. 10mb per acc. That is not good thing.
Anyway, I sent you PM Gaffy, respond whenever you can.
@NiNtoxicated01: Go
Does that mean I can make stuff have hard edges unlike Sins of a Solar Empire? Horray! Maybe my citadel will be doable after all...
Yes, importing is what add error to animations not exporting :) . Good your fixed it. I also noticed it.
NiN, did you see how is acting model when you place normal map or specular map on it ?
Also did you export any models into SC2 ? Wc3 ones or WoW ones.
You can always remove hard edges right ?
Hi.
I seem to be having a small problem with normal maps and specular maps. I have worked out exporting from max with animations etc. Textures work fine, but the normal maps and specular maps are way off, they only show when model is faced a specific direction, i included a screenshot to show the difference.
Effect is really clear on the spider to the left, but the one on the right has no visible effect from the normal map or specular map at all.
Normal map has been made into a orange normal. If anyone knows what i am doing wrong, i would really appreciate any help.
@Gadaffy2: Go
Got it working now, found out the normal maps need to be in dxt5 format for it to be rendered correctly in all axis.
trying to figure out the specular now, and if i can add team colors to the models.
@Gadaffy2: Go
Thank you for the awesome scripts, got my interest in modding fired up again.
I already mentioned problem with normal maps, seems like you got it working. Are spec maps working also for you ? This is just great :) .
You can see here problem with normal map:
@tigerija: Go
Yeah, I see that in that video a purple normalmap is used. Sc2 uses a different type for units, where the red channel is white, blue channel is black.
Quoting xcorbo "To ready a normal map for SC2 you have to do this:
- Get your normal map open in something that can manipulate channels in RGB.
- Copy the red channel to an alpha channel
- Delete the red channel and fill it with white
- Delete the blue channel and fill it with black."
Attached my normal map to show what it should look like for it to work properly.
We tried this, didnt work. But you said you imported different format that isnt .dds ?
Also, what about specular ?
I just resaved it as jpeg here so it would show on the forum. I saved it via nvidia's dds plugin in photoshop as DXT5 ARGB 8 bpp | interpolated alpha. adding a screenshot
Specular also works, saved in same dds setting as my normal map.
Speculars are working, just trying different types now to get a more dramatic effect. Also, the team color emissive is hiding abit.
@Gadaffy2: Go
Also, specularity maps also wont show properly if the normal map isn't shown properly.
@Gadaffy2: Go
Did another quick test to check if i got all the settings right.
Shading error is still there.
Can you make box model, and upload map here ? SO I can check it ?
@tigerija: Go
Sure, give me a few minutes, still finishing off some work. Ill make a box with normal map specular map and diffuse and post it here in a few.
Will also attach max file and textures so you can compare them to yours.
Those are some pretty awesome looking spiders/turtles/boxes.
I wonder how good someone who has no experience with this can make normals look on characters, though? Will find out soon I guess...
Ok, so I am totally new to all of this, but if someone could help me that would be incredible.
All I'd like to do is recolor the Archon model with some reds and purples to make a Dark Archon. I've made the functionality of the Dark Archon in the editor already, but 3ds max just seems to be far above my current expertise.
I edited the texture for the cloud around the Archon and recolored it, but now I can't figure out how to import that .dds file back into 3ds max and then apply it to the model.
Any help? (I apologize for being a bit off-topic)
You needn't do anything with 3ds max at all. If you've already edited the cloud texture and recolored it all you need to do is import your texture to the editor with the original name it had and in the exact same path so you replace the old texture with your new recolored one.
Path should be Assets\Textures\
I've conjured up some fancy code to export smooth groups from 3ds Max. Trust me when I say it was no easy task. It also means if you choose to export using smooth groups there's a possibility it'll take a little longer (about an extra 3 - 4 seconds for the Zealot on my end).
I'll upload the updated script when I can, I'm still bug testing it. For those interested in how it works, the code basically introduces new vertices when multiple faces meet but don't share the same smoothing group. A new vertex is copied from the original with a new calculated normal so the end result is that you have a seperate vertex for each face using a different normal (using the face normal for those in the know). Keep in mind that while this increases the vertex count the face count remains the same and thus the performance hit due to the extra vertices is basically nothing. I'm pretty sure this is exactly how detaching faces work, just that when using this option you no longer have to detach the faces manually to introduce the new vertices as the code is doing it for you.
I'd love to use smoothing groups with the importer aswell, but I fear thats even more complex. With the way I import models at the moment, smoothing groups have little effect on the model. I think what would be best is to allow smoothing groups AND custom normals, and I think with my current code a hybrid processing of the normals shouldn't be too difficult. You'll have to choose whether to export normals through the edit normal modifier or through smoothing groups for the time being.
@NiNtoxicated01: Go
We can't thank you enough for the invaluable work you are doing for the modding community. So far I love the mod capabilities of sc2, and i applaud blizzard for giving us theese tools, but without your exporters we wouldn't be able to do the things we do now :)
I guess there is no better way to show our appreciation than to show that we are using your tools.
Oh, and I can't wait to get my hands on the smoothing groups :D
Great, so its basically same as deattaching faces.
I think that's what blizz plugins does. They used that in Wc3 Art Tools how I heard; someone stated it here; Triceron I think.
I was doing this manually actually. Not hard to deattach smoothing groups since you ca select them in groups. But, its better if tool does job instead of me.
Gadaffy, I am not still sure about modding capabilities, wc3 was limited quite a lot... We will see about SC2. I already seen few things that would be useful to have in GE.
Now, I heard that size is limited to 10mb. And 5 maps per account. 10mb per acc. That is not good thing.
Anyway, I sent you PM Gaffy, respond whenever you can.
@xcorbo: Go
Wouldn't that screw up the regular Archon also though? I don't wanna mess the game up.