Hi-Poly American Submarines

[Royale-Adio]

Hi.

Simple question here.

Would it be possible to make a high polygon american submarine like the UBM ones, with ballast holes and all?

This could really change the face of SH4.

[Nisgeis]

Higher yes, so you could get limber holes in, but not as highly detailed as SH5's subs as the game won't be able to handle such detailled models as well as SH5 can (as it's built to do it).

[Royale-Adio]

Well, let's say we start with the S-18. Few limber holes.

How do I edit the existing model.

I know one has to make an interior structure in order not to see through all of the sub. Also, since I'm no expert in the matter, how to make limber holes and the interior structure? I want to edit the existing model.

OR

Could you point me to a tutorial that depicts all of the above?

Thank you.

[Ducimus]

Well, let's say we start with the S-18

If anyone were to do this, my suggestion would be to start with the Gato, then do the balao. Afterwords, move backward to the Tambor, then sargo, then salmon, and then the porpoise. Then do the S boats.

[Nisgeis]

Could you point me to a tutorial that depicts all of the above?

That's beyond the scope of anything I could post here. If you want to edit the models, then you need a 3D modelling program and need to know how to use it. I'd suggest having a look at the available 3D programs, then deciding which one you like the look of, then watching some of the many online tutorials there will be available for them.

Once you have a basic grasp of what to do, then you need to extract the model from the game, which there will be a post of few in the S3D thread or general forum at large. Edit it, then re-import it. It's by no means as simple as it sounds though :DL.

[Royale-Adio]

If anyone were to do this, my suggestion would be to start with the Gato, then do the balao. Afterwords, move backward to the Tambor, then sargo, then salmon, and then the porpoise. Then do the S boats.


I hear you Duci, but I just wanna train, and so the S-18 is perfect as it has very few limber holes.

[Ducimus]

Well, as Nisgeis hinted, this is alot of work, and learning. IMO 3d modler's have always been in a league of their own on the SH mod forums. It's a totally different ballgame from just tweaking various files.

[Royale-Adio]

Well, I learned what to do for cutting holes in exterior structure.

http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/2842/86870844.jpg (http://img697.imageshack.us/i/86870844.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Since I'm using 3D Studio Max 9, I just need to know how to apply the sub texture in order to cut the holes shapes and give them the good inclination.

Alternatively, I could use a schematic to use in 3DS.

I know there is modders here which works with 3D models. Could someone point me to a good S-18 Schematic?

[Madox58]

Open the Material Editor,
In the Binn Basic Parameters section select the Diffuse button.
Select Bitmap on the popup list.
Browse to the image you want and select it.
Once it shows in the Materials Editor,
click the button that says
Show standard Map in Viewport.
Now you can drag the image onto the 3D model.

[Royale-Adio]

Thanks! It works!

http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/5240/76302937.jpg (http://img713.imageshack.us/i/76302937.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

But it is kinda blurry... Anyway to make it more clearrer?

And hey privateer, do you know where I could find a schematic of the s-18 that I could work on for the interior structure?

[Royale-Adio]

Work is going great guys!

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/2613/93530915.jpg (http://img256.imageshack.us/i/93530915.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

But this is only the easy part. The most difficult one will be to actually model the interior structure, and will be difficult without schematics to work on.

I'll say it again, if anyone knows where I could grab WW2 American Submarine Schematics, please do tell me!

Thank you!

[Royale-Adio]

Limber holes are completed.

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/7923/13858799.jpg (http://img208.imageshack.us/i/13858799.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Only thing to do is the interior now.

I'm still wontering if I should just put a black cylinder in there.

Share your thoughts!

[ETR3(SS)]

This website has a lot of pictures and info on US submarines, might be worth a look for you. http://www.navsource.org/archives/subidx.htm

[Royale-Adio]

Well, it didn't work. I give up.

I successfully managed to cut limber holes through the sub with boolean operation, but the result was so screwed up...

Lemme explain. I first exported the 3d model from the DAT file, then I imported it in 3dsmax, I then made custom shapes that ressembled limber holes and cutted through the sub with boolean. I then re-imported it in S3D with .mtl files.

I putted back everything in order then booted up SH4. I started a game with a S-class. Then... Holy S***! The sub was all black (due to bad .mtl files I think) and it had limber holes allright, but you could see all around through them!!! It was not black inside as I expected but rather transparent.

I still do not know what I did wrong, but I do know now that UBM models have holes made on the model itself.

[keltos01]

I used the blueprints for my jap subs, made cylinders for each room, and smaller ones leading up to each of the hatches.

then made an ao map and texture for them

then added an object node 'details' in the sub.dat linked to a new texture node

you can already see the results in s3d.

you have to copy the hull, as the texture in SHIV is visible on one side, see through on the other, resize the hull copy to 98 % , and invert the inside one (reverse face) so the texture will show on the inside : as example I have the Narwhal tower, Jyunsen B etc.. towers

hope this helps

keltos

[vickers03]

don't give up, awesome work so far:yeah:

[Nuc]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)


I'll say it again, if anyone knows where I could grab WW2 American Submarine Schematics, please do tell me!

Thank you!

http://www.hnsa.org/doc/plans/s26-ss131.pdf from http://www.hnsa.org/doc/plans/index.htm

[Royale-Adio]

Boolean operation messed up the sub pretty good.

I'm currently searching for an alternative to boolean in 3DSMax.

Keltos, since you model, perhaps you could help?

[Nisgeis]

Tidy the geometry up by hand after you use the boolean. You will get lots of problems if you try to boolean cut geometries that are vastly different. E.G. cutting out a 50 sided shape from 4 triangles, so try to avoid it.

[Royale-Adio]

I'm a total noob at this. Nisgeis, what you said doesn't make any sense to me... :dead:

[Nisgeis]

OK, when you tell Max to do a boolean cut, you are cutting through the model like a cookie cutter. If you have a really complicated shape or highly detailed shape, then it's going to add in lots and lots of cuts to whatever you are cutting into. Let's say that you have a cylinder with 50 sides that you are trying to cut through a single plane, which has four sides, then what you are asking max to do is to turn a 4 sided shape into a 54 sided shape, which can result in a big mess. So, just watch the amount of detail you are trying to put in in one go.

Also, the models from SH4 are quite small, they are at a scale of 1 unit to 10 metres, so they are tiny as far as Max is concerned. When you import the model into Max scale them up by a factor 1000 and that should give max some room to work with, otherwise you'll be working in fractions of a max unit and it can get confused when it works at tiny fractions of a unit. When you export the model, remember to scale it down by a factor of 1000 too.

[Royale-Adio]

OK, when you tell Max to do a boolean cut, you are cutting through the model like a cookie cutter. If you have a really complicated shape or highly detailed shape, then it's going to add in lots and lots of cuts to whatever you are cutting into. Let's say that you have a cylinder with 50 sides that you are trying to cut through a single plane, which has four sides, then what you are asking max to do is to turn a 4 sided shape into a 54 sided shape, which can result in a big mess. So, just watch the amount of detail you are trying to put in in one go.

Also, the models from SH4 are quite small, they are at a scale of 1 unit to 10 metres, so they are tiny as far as Max is concerned. When you import the model into Max scale them up by a factor 1000 and that should give max some room to work with, otherwise you'll be working in fractions of a max unit and it can get confused when it works at tiny fractions of a unit. When you export the model, remember to scale it down by a factor of 1000 too.


Well I think I just found a way for that. It's a lot of little things but it works.

What I did was basically select the areas I wanted to make boolean on, then I gragged them off on a perfect x axis, the I re-selected the areas, deleted them, made the boolean operation on parts dragged off and putted them back in perfect place.

What I'm talking about:
http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/3500/44275483.jpg (http://img641.imageshack.us/i/44275483.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

That way, the boolean affect only the areas selected and not the rest of the sub. Sure it's long, but it a wayyyyy better result than standard boolean.

I just don't know how to re-attach those parts to the sub, since after deleting the areas, there's long portions that are just gone. What I'd like to do is to just ''weld the metal plates'' back but I don't know how.

Cheers!

[Royale-Adio]

Yeah, I'd LOVE to know how to weld back in perfect position, If anyone knows, please tell me.

[Royale-Adio]

No one? I'm nearing completion as I write...

[Royale-Adio]

Well, I finished the project. It's not perfect but I did my best.

But I have a problem. When I try to re-import into S3D, It says that the .uvw contains less numbers or something that the model I'm trying to import.

After searching the web, I learned that this was a UV map(?) problem.

I did try to import the uvw I exported into S3D but S3D tells me that it contains polygonal data and that it must contain triangulated data.

So I think I have to un-wrap the uv map and make a whole new one... :damn:

If only it was simpler.

Anyone care to help me here?

Finished product so far:

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/6031/68115406.jpg (http://img97.imageshack.us/i/68115406.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

[skwasjer]

You don't have to make a new UV map if you are only cutting away geometry. HOWEVER, you MUST before making any changes import all UV-maps (see my tutorial). You can't import the UV-maps anymore if you've first made changes to the geometry.

Now if you've done this all correctly, then cuttin away geometry will update all map channels. After you're done, you must first triangulate the model (Convert to Polygon: max 3 verts per face), and then you can export the model to OBJ, and last export the extra map-channels again to UVW.

If any of these steps is skipped, you will end up with errors during import in S3D like you've encountered.

[Royale-Adio]

For the interior structure, when I studied the Type IXD2 a bit in 3ds max, I notice it had closed compartments with holes that matched those of the sub.

I'm trying to do the same but it's a bit complicated.

[Royale-Adio]

After you're done, you must first triangulate the model (Convert to Polygon: max 3 verts per face)

Do you mean Modifiers-Conversion-Turn to poly ?

[Royale-Adio]

Well folks, after much thought, unless someone here at the forums help me with this, I may never coplete the project.

The model is completed, but I don't know how to make a .uvw file or texture map. So if someone knows how to make a texture map, I can send him the project file.

Also, the interior structure issue is a bit annoying, as I don't really know how to make the sub interior visible in S3D:

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/13/11443690.jpg (http://img130.imageshack.us/i/11443690.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

The boolean technique I used worked pretty well. All I had to do was to weld the objects back in place and it took 40 mins at most, which is pretty good.

A problem in S3D says the ,mtl file I exported doesn't contain any material. I still don't know what to do. I'm so clueless... :oops:

All in all, it went good for the modelling part, but for the rest, well... I definitly need some help.

[Nisgeis]

Well folks, after much thought, unless someone here at the forums help me with this, I may never coplete the project.

You have been getting help along the way. Have you watched skwas' tutorial and done what skwas suggested?

[Royale-Adio]

Yes I did. But in order to make the interior visible, I'll have to make new textures for interior parts and map them, so making a new map is still necessary. What I need is to know how to make a .uvw map.

[keltos01]

Yes I did. But in order to make the interior visible, I'll have to make new textures for interior parts and map them, so making a new map is still necessary. What I need is to know how to make a .uvw map.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=135519&highlight=UV+mapping


uv mapping tutorial