[TEC/wip] How texture works when importing 3d model in SH4? Historical 4 blades prop

[kapitan_zur_see]

Hi

Some fella already started a thread about 4 blades props vs 3 blades but i feared people might confused it with that well known wrong turn prop fix since it was called "4 blades prop fix".
Plus, I have a technical question regarding 3d model importing with pack3d (some people modding SH3 with it might help me!)

Historically acurrate U.S subs propellers were made of 4 blades instead of 3 blades as seen in the game.
Done some modelling, here's the result ingame:





As you can see, the 4 blades prop 3d shape of the model works perfectly, import via pack3d worked regarding this.
However, texture is completely messy/doesn't appears right at all! It's as if UVW mapping had been override or has gone awry in the process.
I've always had this problem while using Pack3d. Is there something special to do in 3dsmax regarding uvw mapping or else before importing back, aside flipping normals?? Or is it a pack3d issue with SH4 since it was made for SH3??

Thanks for help

[mrbeast]

looks pretty cool.

Others have encountered this problem with pack3d. I don't really know that much about it.

Think Tater does.

[DeepIron]

Pack3D and SH4 importing don't mix... The .dat structure of SH4 .dat files is different than those of SH3 and pack3D doesn't write them correctly. There is an additional texture map in SH4 that SH3 never had, it's needed for shading...

Skwasjer is working on S3D, an application that will allow us to access the SSH4 .dat file structures properly...

tater and I have been working on importing new vessels but without being able to write SH4 .dat files, we're at a standstill.

[kapitan_zur_see]

damn! not so sure it can't be overcome... :hmm:
I'm almost there!
I got the texture to actually be placed correctly, but somehow, there's some graphical glitches that more looks like some bad mesh/vertexes creation from myself...

Look, it's almost there:





Here's the more buggy, those texturing artifact do moves on while camera moves:



I wonder also if it's not me choosing bad options in 3DSmax export to obj dialog box, sometimes it's hard to figure out what does what

[mrbeast]

Does it turn the correct way?

[kapitan_zur_see]

doesn't remember lol... I think so as it is from the balao dat file from my previous bubbles mod that was included into ROW wich has the turn fix. If not it could be easily fixed however but that is not the point right now.

[mrbeast]

Originally Posted by kapitan_zur_see

doesn't remember lol... I think so as it is from the balao dat file from my previous bubbles mod that was included into ROW wich has the turn fix. If not it could be easily fixed however but that is not the point right now.

Oh yeah I understand that it is the texture problem thats the issue at the moment, just though it would be silly to get it right eventullty only to find that it turns the wrong way

[DeepIron]

Same issue as you've had. I'm at the same stage... very close, but not quite there. I tried a number of ways of getting the texturing to be correct, and I succeeded, but it comes down to the .dat file and writing it properly...

[kapitan_zur_see]

the problem is, i don't know if skwasjer will eventually come up with a new version as it's been a long time since he did something new on S3D. Not to blame him of course, but i think it just takes him far too much time for one man

[skwasjer]

Real life has got me occupied alot the past months (business, family).

I am currently finishing up beta 0.5 and already have some model related code ready for the version after that. Beta will be released in private first to some testers in the next days, and in a week or two it will be public (if testing doesn't show alot of problems).

True, S3D is alot of work, because I want it to be an easy tool that never fails and is not just some hackjob. This goal is not easy, and obviously it will have flaws during the process, but I aim for the best possible. That means 'my users' have to wait until I'm happy with each release

Having said that, I am planning to do things a little different in the future. Beta 0.5 is basically 60-70% rewrite of the core, and I've also added alot of new features. In the future I will be aiming for more frequent smaller updates

Model support will be up and running hopefully in about 3-4 weeks after beta 0.5 (januari). I will start on it as soon as beta 0.5 is sent out for testing...

[kapitan_zur_see]

that's nce of you skwas to have take time to post here
The main problem i sense while using pack3D, is that occlusion channel not adding.
Will next beta actually come up with a solution to that 3D modelling problems?
I don't know how far you are when it comes up to 3d model...
If you feel the need to, don't hesitate to ask if you have technical questions regarding what sort of textures are made for, general knowledge of 3D modelling should you be not into that...
In the meantime, keep up the good work you're pretty much close to a revolution for the modding community here

[skwasjer]

Originally Posted by kapitan_zur_see

that's nce of you skwas to have take time to post here
The main problem i sense while using pack3D, is that occlusion channel not adding.
Will next beta actually come up with a solution to that 3D modelling problems?
I don't know how far you are when it comes up to 3d model...
If you feel the need to, don't hesitate to ask if you have technical questions regarding what sort of textures are made for, general knowledge of 3D modelling should you be not into that...
In the meantime, keep up the good work you're pretty much close to a revolution for the modding community here

I visit the board on a daily basis if time permits, so I usually see cries for S3D's lack of model support

Pack3D indeed does not understand the occlusion channel or any other channel other than the diffuse, for that matter. It only exports the channel partially (only the UV's), but not the indices that map it to each vertex. Import is similar. In fact, the obj-file format is not suitable for multiple channels anyway.

S3D v0.5 is out soon (ducimus tm) - again, without modelsupport but this won't take long either.

[kapitan_zur_see]

the problem is, some guys at the atlantic sharks team actually manages to import model from SH3 into SH4 without having all these glitches though SH3 model don't come up with occlusion channel also... how come?? So lack of occlusion might not be the problem at all, it might be that indices/vertexes you're talking about...
Damn!! it's frustrating to be that close and...

[skwasjer]

I can't really comment on Max-settings etc. I simply never used obj/Pack3D. Have you tried removing the occlusion map before exporting to obj?
There should be a couple of tutorials somewhere around here explaining the settings, howto's and what if's...

[matzeesn]

Moin!

Yes, I've no graphical problems with the imported u-boats.
But: I didn't changed anything. I copied the u-boat (and some stuff) from sh3 to sh4, wrote a new [sub].upc, edited the weapons/campaign.upc etc, and it worked.
I only worked (with s3d) in the [interrior].dat for the crew.

I changed no textures, and I have no graphical problems.

I copied the Bismark to sh4, too. Some told me, the texture is flickering when she gets a hit. But not on my computer.

Maybe it's a problem based on video-settings?

Without skills, I tried something new, and it worked. Now, I know a lot more, but not enough. It seems that I've much luck.

Matze