This sounds like the start of a great technical reference. Thanks skwajer and kapitan zur see.

Keep it coming please, and I'll edit / condense it all into a downloadable technical reference once the thread is pretty well played out

Thanks kapitan_zur_see, good info :up:.

ref, if you've never worked with xml before, then you better read up on xml in general first before even touching Collada. I have over 8 years experience with xml and done tons of stuff with it (professionally), and personally I thought Collada was not so simple (it's not hard either, but takes some different approaches of what you expect).

That, and if you don't use standardized coding techniques, you'll be in for some serious mess. That doesn't mean one can't learn and try of course. I don't want to keep you from going at it, I'll even help if you need it.

swdw, thanks, that's a good idea. It'll take a month or more though until we are there (I want to wait for the modders input when they get to play with S3D), so no rush :)

[edit] shall I add pictures to the top thread of the different texture maps? The raw texture so to speak...

Can't wait to mess with this stuff in a less tedious way :D

tater

As soon as i fix my main computer power unit issue tomorrow (it's R.I.P lol,or at least, i hope it's just the power unit...:-?), i'll do a rendering to texture in 3Dsmax to illustrate occlusion mapping and shows how you make some. I'll also make an illustration on how normal maps are generated in 3DSmax via another rendering to texture function, because much people still thinks their details are all first "hand" drawn in photoshop like you would make a skin and then using a converter normal map filter plugin like the nvidia one. They first make a hi-polygon model (great number of polygons so it is very hires), then they would make an exact copy of the object,but with desired polygons number so your computer can handle it in real time rendering. After that, you simply move them in 3dsmax so they are exactly on the same place (i.e they overlap) and 3dsmax will compare and then interpolate a normal map so you get some close details of the hi-poly model on the low-poly using the normal map.

I think, this could help to make this thread a valuable resource for people who want to understand/experiment whilst not knowing much things about how 3D models and such are done in the gaming industry

so when the battleship runs you over you can see the wonderful bumpmapped rivets!!

Can you help me with this gfx stuff?
 

Ok.. we all have to start somewhere, but I am no stranger to the gaming industry, just the modeling as I usually leave that up to the experts.

With this tool, it is really cool and all, but I have to cut and paste the exports as it does not drop in with any of the other pro tools that I have.

One of the things I wanted to do, was UV unwrapping so I can see what I am working with. While I am able to view the mesh no problem, there is an error that I am receiving.

"One of the polygons has a too small or a too large angle (have a look to more then 4 points polygons)" X,Y,Z: -0.000204 0.000018 -0.000020

Okay, after inspection I guess one of the edges pertrudes one of the outside planes and I guess thats an easy fix. But I am still not sure what I am doing here. In the SD3 editor it asks to specify the texture file.. Do I need to calculate the node positioning in the texture file to where my region will be?

This is what I am TRYING to do...

On the game SH4, I have fixed the v1.5 (latest ver) so that the uniform medals are properly displayed. In the TMO v17/18 the awards were yanked out of the box they reside in since the textures have changed and didn't match.

I have opt'd to put those back in, and have successfully put 5/6 of the stock meshes back in.. but I need to modify these old ones slightly and then apply my NEW texture I have supplied in the mod found in "AwardsItems.dds".

You can find it here.

First of all, why doesn't the Bronze Star get displayed anymore, and how do I re-texture these from my new file? Notice that the dimensions of the new texture file have changed and has to be recalculated to get the select region.


The .obj file that the SD3 exports isn't compatible with Maya.. but I guess if I knew how to use it I could cut&paste the specs.

I just got 3D Max 9 now.. and tried to open them there. I can open the .mtl of course but thats nothing, the .obj is what has the main mesh in it and it wont load. So what program is compatible with SD3's export feature? I am sure I can eventually figure it out, but I am throwing in the towel. Nor am I an artist, but you must know more than me since you wrote the utility.


Anybody care to help with what I am trying to do.. I can send you the .dds and the .dat file with the objects in there as template. Maybe we can rebuild the .dat file once we get it to work? I assume that the .dat file is SH4 proprietary hence requires this editor to be used.. since it is the only one in existence available to the public.

If you can get me Kashmir..... &#*$#@**@

adding playable units by Mikhayl :

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=134575

occlusion map (AO map = .O01 ingame )tutorial by Rodan_54:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=136354

Bump mapping (normal maps = .N01 ingame) by Danlisa :

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=145555

PDF Version of this - http://files.filefront.com/SH4+Bump+.../fileinfo.html



I use them all and this thread here should be a sticky too !

great work Skwasjer !

keltos

This is the one I meant to bump :oops:

When I export a 3D model from S3D as a .obj, the .mtl file quotes the map_kd as a specific .dds file in a specific place. This is fine, but when I explore the material chunks of the .dat in S3D, which were assigned to the 3D model no mention of the .dds is made. How can I edit the .dds of a texture chunk within S3D, because whenever I import a model with my own .mtl file and my own texture S3D ignores it and applies the texture assigned to the node I am importing into.

now i have reinstall the silent hunter 4 along with 1.5 version and guess what...the pensylvania and colorado class ships are complete black with white gunn turets....and i have activated any mod left....what do you think it is? oh and i tried that in the museum.....

[QUOTE=chrysanthos;2426725]now i have reinstall the silent hunter 4 along with 1.5 version and guess what...the pensylvania and colorado class ships are complete black with white gunn turets....and i have activated any mod left....what do you think it is? oh and i tried that in the museum.....and i have a photo from this mission


[IMG]http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/...psyqyt8ld4.png[/IMG]