[WIP] Realistic low-poly Buckley-class DE

[Mad Mardigan]

Originally Posted by Mister_M

@ JapLance : You were right, WoWS' model's main dimensions match almost perfectly with the detailed plan found by Mad Mardigan.

@ Mad Mardigan : Could you see if you can find the plan that you posted in a higher resolution ? I have an outdated navigator and I can't access all websites. I'm very interested by the hull lines, for a nice and realistic hull.

Know with edge... won't display the plans, at all. Thanks, Microshaft for that... NOT.

Google chrome, did display, just fine. Would say that, Opera... should, as well.

As for the rez on the plans, think that is the best they have on it in that score.

I'll do some more poking about & see if I can find any other sites that offer as good as or better than maritime's site there... on plans.



M. M.

[Mister_M]

I would like to apply a dazzle camo skin (like this one : http://www.usndazzle.com/Destroyer%2...gs/51%203D.jpg) directly on the vertical surfaces of each sides of the ship (front, back, starboard and port), without having all surfaces automatically re-arranged and turned. I would like to have a direct orthogonal "projection" of the side of the ship on the texture.

I don't know how to do this...

Anyone with good Wings3D skills ?

[gap]

Originally Posted by Mister_M

I would like to apply a dazzle camo skin (like this one : http://www.usndazzle.com/Destroyer%2...gs/51%203D.jpg) directly on the vertical surfaces of each sides of the ship (front, back, starboard and port), without having all surfaces automatically re-arranged and turned. I would like to have a direct orthogonal "projection" of the side of the ship on the texture.

I don't know how to do this...

Anyone with good Wings3D skills ?

• Select the hull faces that you want to unwrap on each side, right click and select 'UV Mapping' from the drop down menu (do it with the middle mouse button if the faces are already UV mapped, so to force their re-segmentation).
  
  
• In the 'AutoUV Segmenting' window select the edges which you want to be the boundary of each UV region (they should delimit two specular side projections whose faces are nearly orthogonal to the X axis), right click and choose 'Mark for cut'.
  
  
• Switch to Orthogonal View, and press either 'x' or 'shift x' on your keyboard to align the camera with the x axis.
  
  
• Right click again, chose 'Continue' from the context menu and then 'Projection Camera'.
  
  
• If you have followed my steps, you will find yourself with two identical side projections of your hull, one for the port side and the other for the starboard side. One of the sides will be flipped though.
  • If you plan your UV map/camo scheme to be specular from left to right, select both UV regions in Oject Mode, right click and choose 'Move to' => 'Center', so that they will overlap each other perfectly.
    
    
  • If you want each side to have its own skin (useful if you want to paint letters on the sides or if you want to apply an asymmetric camouflage), select the flipped UV projection in Object Mode, right click and choose 'Flip' => 'Horizontal'

That's it, but be careful not include the ship bottom (if the ship is flat-bottomed) and/or the stern in this process, otherwise their UV projections will be heavily distorted. Those areas should be segmented separately frpm the rest and you should choose another unfolding method for them

[Mister_M]

@ gap : Thank you for your help, very apreciated !

Unfortunately, I fear than it won't help, because I've already done all of those steps before asking for help, and the result was not the one expected by me. Indeed, all separate areas (of a particular side of the ship, in my case it was the port side, painted in light blue, as you can see here : https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/sho...6&postcount=19 --- each side of the model has a particular color : red for front, purple for back, yellow for starboard and light blue for port side, thus I can select a side very quickly without forgetting any small faces) are moved and turned automatically by Wings3D during the UV-mapping process, in order to save space probably.

But I want them to appear on the texture exactly as I can see them on the model (with X-axis aligned camera view, in orthogonal projection mod), in order to apply easily all real dazzle camo skins that I've found (http://www.usndazzle.com/ships.php?category=5&class=2)

[gap]

Originally Posted by Mister_M

@ gap : Thank you for your help, very apreciated !

Unfortunately, I fear than it won't help, because I've already done all of those steps before asking for help, and the result was not the one expected by me. Indeed, all separate areas (of a particular side of the ship, in my case it was the port side, painted in light blue, as you can see here : https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/sho...6&postcount=19 --- each side of the model has a particular color : red for front, purple for back, yellow for starboard and light blue for port side, thus I can select a side very quickly without forgetting any small faces) are moved and turned automatically by Wings3D during the UV-mapping process, in order to save space probably.

But I want them to appear on the texture exactly as I can see them on the model (with X-axis aligned camera view, in orthogonal projection mod), in order to apply easily all real dazzle camo skins that I've found (http://www.usndazzle.com/ships.php?category=5&class=2)

From your screenshots it appears that you have assigned different materials to different portions of your ship, but you have not UV-unwrapped your model yet. After you unwrap it, you get the option to create a blank texture with UV lines. Using a painting program with layer support you can overlap this texture with real photographs of your ship for painting realistic camo schemes. Of course, no photograph is comparable to an orthographic projection, so you will need to deform your pictures so that they match the borders of your orthographic UV map as much as possible

[Mister_M]

Originally Posted by Mad Mardigan

I've found this :
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthoped...hip-1822746815

They are (very) good plans ! But the problem is that the pictures are distorted by the camera. I know this can be corrected by graphic editors, but I don't have this skill...

@ gap : I will answer you later with screenshots, no more time right now.

[gap]

Originally Posted by Mister_M

I've found this :
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthoped...hip-1822746815

They are (very) good plans ! But the problem is that the pictures are distorted by the camera. I know this can be corrected by graphic editors, but I don't have this skill...

Yes, if they have a decent resolution those plans can be straightened using any raster graphic editor. They won't be accurate to the millimeter or to the second, but always better than no plans at all

Originally Posted by Mister_M

@ gap : I will answer you later with screenshots, no more time right now.

Take your time

[Mad Mardigan]

Originally Posted by Mister_M

I've found this :
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthoped...hip-1822746815

They are (very) good plans ! But the problem is that the pictures are distorted by the camera. I know this can be corrected by graphic editors, but I don't have this skill...

@ gap : I will answer you later with screenshots, no more time right now.

Ran across that site, as well... in My extended search... still looking for any site that like that maritime site, free viewing of plans & such info on older WW2 ships. Thus far, have noted some sites that were... alright, but... the size/s of images & such, sucked. Am still beating the bushes... soon as I find something that I believe to be more than, adequate... will forward that to ya.



M. M.

[gap]

Originally Posted by Mister_M

... are moved and turned automatically by Wings3D during the UV-mapping process, in order to save space probably.

@ Mister_M

I have re-read your post more carefully, and I think I know what do you mean. Wings3D scales, turns and arranges UV regions so to keep their relative proportions and so to maximize their size relative to the texture space. This probably happens because you UV mapped the whole model at once.
You can straighten up UV region separately. To do so select one of the edges that you want to be perfectly horizontal/vertical, right click and choose 'Turn', followed by either 'Chart to X' or 'Chart to Y'.
Wings3D can't automatically arrange different UV regions (in our case hull and superstructure sides) according to their relative arrangement in an orthogonal projection, but you can do that manually. Just pick up a plan of your ship (side elevation), preferably the one that your model is based on, make it square in raster graphic program and use it as your model's texture.
After doing that, you can scale/arrange your UV map so that each part will match perfectly its desired position on the ship plan

[Jeff-Groves]

UV mapping is an ART!

Just doing say a side view of a ships hull can be challenging!
You may need to Manually adjust UV's so you don't get the 'stretching' you see in Stock SH3 units.

[gap]

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

UV mapping is an ART!

You know the funny part of it? first you strive creating a nicely curved and smooth surface having only flat triangles as your building material, and then you get to struggle for flattening it as much as possible

Just doing say a side view of a ships hull can be challenging!
You may need to Manually adjust UV's so you don't get the 'stretching' you see in Stock SH3 units.[/QUOTE]

Wings3D got an option for optimizing the stretching, it keeps the boundaries fixed and it moves around the inner vertices, but depending on your texture and object's geometry some manual adjustment is always needed. Talking about ships, the most complicated part is usually the stern, especially counter and canoe sterns. A simple orthographic projection won't work on them.

[Mister_M]

Originally Posted by Mad Mardigan

... still looking for any site that like that maritime site, free viewing of plans & such info on older WW2 ships. Thus far, have noted some sites that were... alright, but... the size/s of images & such, sucked. Am still beating the bushes... soon as I find something that I believe to be more than, adequate... will forward that to ya.

Thank you !

Originally Posted by gap

I have re-read your post more carefully, and I think I know what do you mean. Wings3D scales, turns and arranges UV regions so to keep their relative proportions and so to maximize their size relative to the texture space.

You got my point.

Originally Posted by gap

This probably happens because you UV mapped the whole model at once.

I combined all meshes, then selected all the faces of the port side (light blue material) and started the UV-mapping process.

Originally Posted by gap

You can straighten up UV region separately. To do so select one of the edges that you want to be perfectly horizontal/vertical, right click and choose 'Turn', followed by either 'Chart to X' or 'Chart to Y'.

Oh, I didn't know that. I will try this.

Originally Posted by gap

Wings3D can't automatically arrange different UV regions (in our case hull and superstructure sides) according to their relative arrangement in an orthogonal projection, but you can do that manually. Just pick up a plan of your ship (side elevation), preferably the one that your model is based on, make it square in raster graphic program and use it as your model's texture. After doing that, you can scale/arrange your UV map so that each part will match perfectly its desired position on the ship plan

Yes, that was my plan if all else failed. But isn't there any 3D software which is able to arrange different UV regions according to their relative arrangement in an orthogonal projection ?

[Mister_M]

Originally Posted by Anvar1061

Buckley Class (DE)

 

I can't use these pictures, but interesting infos anyway, thank you !

Originally Posted by gap

You know the funny part of it? first you strive creating a nicely curved and smooth surface having only flat triangles as your building material, and then you get to struggle for flattening it as much as possible

I'm not sure to understand you correctly.

[Mad Mardigan]

Originally Posted by Mister_M

I'm not sure to understand you correctly.

Think the reference that gap was going for... was considering, the irony of it all... the creation of the appearance of curving surfaces, from non curved images...

Would be My guess, Mister_M....





M. M.