Been doing a real rough 3D mock up based off another concept I made. Also, the texture in these images is purely just the diffuse for Bounty's body that I was using as reference in Zbrush.
It was nice to easily throw elements together in 3D and see how well they worked or didn't. I tried to keep the spikes on his armor pieces relatively the same length as the ones on his ears.
Okay, sorry. For those who still need some reiteration, i think those of us who have been having trouble exporting and compiling to .mdl format have been neglecting our .qc file configuration greatly.
For us newbs, apparently it is vital in export you understand the way .qc files work in the compiling process. I would have fainted at those words a week ago, but here i am. the .mdl needs to know how to be accessed from the game, as well as your .vtf and .vmt. This is configured in your .qc before compiling, is what i am pretty sure everyone has been trying to bash into my thick noggin.
I have heard a lot of people asking for help, so i hope that justifies another post on this topic.
So in my case, i am exporting an .smd from Maya. In order for the model and images i am using as textures to be viewable in the Dota test environment, i would need to edit the associated .qc file, correct? The vital configuration of directory paths will not be automatically set, as there is no Dota2 sdk out yet to utilize during export, so for now, the process must be done manually. Do i follow?
So the .qc file needs to know the location where your .mdl will rest, that would be $modelname "items\kunkka\head_blueroguesmoonstonemonocle.mdl"
$model "default" "head_blueroguesmoonstonemonocle.smd" in my case.
The .mdl needs to know where it will end up before being compiled from an .smd, is that correct?
that's true, mdl files will be in that directory after compile, but GUIStudioMDL have to throw it in alien swarm directory, since we use it for compiling...
This was my first attempt to create source engine content. But I figured out the file structure... I looked over QC commands and file structures over valve wiki...
You need qc file to find material directory only, not material name or anything, only directory.
Before that, "use diffuse texture for real texture name" means this :
your mesh file needs a material in maya right?
diffuse channel only, and that will be anything blank inside for example but it needs to be the same file name which you will use the same name for vmt. If you edit SMD file you will see material name all over the file.
For example if you import any smd from dota 2. you will see diffuse texture name tags after import, so that means, SMD files can store material name info, which if we skip it, it will fail find materials.
are you guys still able to decompile the models? i dont know what is happening but i cant anymore...
im trying to decompile the dragon knight in dragon form to study the texture for my courier
Alright, so to those of you who have successfully compiled, I'm stuck at this point:
I have two questions:
1) Why is the model off to the side? I smooth bound it to the joint that the original hammer was bound to before exporting as SMD but both with and without being bound to it, it ends up off to the side and not in his hands.
2) What is the file structure supposed to be like? While the model seems to come in fine (disregarding the wrong position), the materials seem to still not work and I suspect it's because of the file structure. Where do my .smd and my .vtf/.vmt need to be before compiling? Where do my .mdl and my .vtf/.vmt files need to be after compiling?
Sorry for the multitude of posts about this but my sanity is on the decline because of this
I submitted my item today (video inside!) , please give your feedback for any improvements or fixes
Thanks!
@Spudnik , try not to weigh weapon to base model but use $attachments instead in your QC file. View your model in CS:GO model viewer (prefered) or alien swarm sdk and make sure when you tick attachments it would align your hammer or equip it.
I suggest using SFM for compiling , by making a new "mod" called dota 2 , and then copying inside the dota 2 files you extracted from GFscape. Follow new Cyborgmatt guide on SFM. once your done just compile using GUIstudiomdl with ep1 path pointing out to SFM /bin folder and Dota 2 selected in GUIstudio. it will automatically replace the files if your QC is correct.
that's true, mdl files will be in that directory after compile, but GUIStudioMDL have to throw it in alien swarm directory, since we use it for compiling...
This was my first attempt to create source engine content. But I figured out the file structure... I looked over QC commands and file structures over valve wiki...
You need qc file to find material directory only, not material name or anything, only directory.
Before that, "use diffuse texture for real texture name" means this :
your mesh file needs a material in maya right?
diffuse channel only, and that will be anything blank inside for example but it needs to be the same file name which you will use the same name for vmt. If you edit SMD file you will see material name all over the file.
For example if you import any smd from dota 2. you will see diffuse texture name tags after import, so that means, SMD files can store material name info, which if we skip it, it will fail find materials.
Alrighty, revision: The only vital thing your .smd needs to know before export is where the material files will be in relation to the game directory you are going to put the .mdl in after compiling. And it needs to have at least a generic material attached to the .smd on export? And it will find the actual textures later? I am now convinced most of us simply need to read up on .qc file's functions, i didn't before because i wasn't even sure what the problem was. Thanks for helping to narrow the direction of study.
Of coarse, it might also be the exporting tools i'm using, and the platform i am exporting from (maya2012). My export window graphical interface has never worked right, it is shrunken and only readable by scrolling inch by inch around the menues with a little tiny view of the entire page, lol. The exported .smd file is also suspiciously small sometimes...It just never works the same, so i am skeptical. I have even considered a fresh install of all of the involved software because i have no certainty what the problem is...
@Archimedes:
I have a fix for the shrunken SMD exporter window, or at least, THIS GUY does. Read through the steps he goes through for installing the exporter.
@Archimedes:
I have a fix for the shrunken SMD exporter window, or at least, THIS GUY does. Read through the steps he goes through for installing the exporter.
Hahaha that is the exact tutorial i originally followed. I will try to re-install the exporter yet again, since the fix worked for you it seems...
EDIT: Thank you, i thought the exporter might be simply incompatible with Maya 2012, i had tried re-installing the exporter a couple times, but this time i made sure to do it in exactly the order and follow every process, this time now that i know better, and it worked ;D
Please tell me what you think of this model technically. I'm very aware that this model runs somewhat afoul of the guidelines, which smartly advise artists to focus on big details and avoid high poly elements. As such, I've tried to bring out big, low poly shape details, keep the face count down, and spread out the overall face count more evenly across the model. I'm at around 500 - 550 tris currently and am looking forward to the UV unwrap stage (current model is manifold) after some more adjustments. Although I prefer the angular frame, I'm still hoping to put some texture detail there to even out the visuals.
Artistic Mumbojumbo:
I've chosen Mirana's bow as a starting model as she is a personal favorite hero in both concept and game mechanics.
My artistic concept for her was broadly "fighter pilot"; her play style in game rewards the bravado, skill shots, and audacious maneuvers one normally associates with the fighter archetype.
Mirana's actual lore states that she is a forest warden; in game she rides a tiger. So I kept the flat angularity of the fighter in the bow frame and evolved the rest my concept of fighter to incorporate bird like features, such as talons. These talons should match the sharp edges and tiger claws that are part of Mirana's current model.
I don't like to jump ahead and focus too much on the actual lore of a particular item, but the concept for this one is that the bow itself is kind of protecting these three eggs, which you can see in the model. Textured, they should be brighter than the rest of the frame and the lead the eyes to a triangular outline.
Alrighty, revision: The only vital thing your .smd needs to know before export is where the material files will be in relation to the game directory you are going to put the .mdl in after compiling. And it needs to have at least a generic material attached to the .smd on export? And it will find the actual textures later? I am now convinced most of us simply need to read up on .qc file's functions, i didn't before because i wasn't even sure what the problem was. Thanks for helping to narrow the direction of study.
Of coarse, it might also be the exporting tools i'm using, and the platform i am exporting from (maya2012). My export window graphical interface has never worked right, it is shrunken and only readable by scrolling inch by inch around the menues with a little tiny view of the entire page, lol. The exported .smd file is also suspiciously small sometimes...It just never works the same, so i am skeptical. I have even considered a fresh install of all of the involved software because i have no certainty what the problem is...
@PrOOf:
Nice! What's the polycount on the individual pieces, they seem really detailed (looking at the chains in particular) but maybe it's just the AO render Anyways, I like the design a lot, the only thing that stands out to me is on the axe, where the handle ends on the top it seems a bit generic, but that's just nitpicking. Can't wait to see it textured
Do you think it worth keep working on that?
I know my sculpting skills are not that thing, but why the model on blender looks horrible?
on sculpting tool:
and on blender:
It's all twisted and without proportional scaling =S
should I try another hero with less organic textures?
That's a cool design! I think it would look sweet ingame. If you submit, i'd rate it well. The skull and hilt could use a bit of polish, that'd be a no-brainer after that.
On the note of fancy couriers, I have been thinking of coming up with some but wouldn't be able to animate them. Is there anyone who'd animate couriers for a share in the sales?
On the note of fancy couriers, I have been thinking of coming up with some but wouldn't be able to animate them. Is there anyone who'd animate couriers for a share in the sales?
@Largs I think the ties down her braid need to be a bit more uniform and a little less all-over-the-place. They appear this way only in blender though, and I'm not to well versed in sculpting so I'm not sure what more I can say.
hahaha i was like "why he made a dog with yellow horns?"
sorry, was looking upside down
about your skull, if you are planning to do it with a rounded back, the front could have some volume too, the lowpoly is tottaly flat on the "face" of the skull
Hello im very new to this world of modelling and I've created a bow for drow, so far im only doing the model. I wonder if anyone could tell me why the corners of some faces is black;
Help would be appreciated.
It is not finished but you can see that they are kind of twisted =S
It might look very awful but it's my first job on modelling/sculpting, soo..
did a quick sketch on your images
on red i marked parts that seams to have problem with your uvs, it appear that they are no smooth enought and need a better and even spacing between the vertices
green - the space that you are loosing on your map, you can arrange better the parts to get more resolution
pink - parts that you can mirror, i put my courier uv to show you the mirrored parts, almost all the uvs have a mirrored part getting the double of the resolution of my map
you need to work too on a specular map to give the feeling of diferent materials, on your model everything appears to be of the same "plastic", are you using phong shader?
Hello im very new to this world of modelling and I've created a bow for drow, so far im only doing the model. I wonder if anyone could tell me why the corners of some faces is black;
Help would be appreciated.
its because you are using all the normals softened
i will try to resume
every face has one normal and so the pixels have a normal for each face it shares
if you get a cube, each vertice will have 3 normals, but if you smooth that, the normals will share the same direction. Its is better for the engine to calculate but if the angle between the faces is too big, the light will return compensating this angle, and that makes the dark angles
its normal to be like that but is better to avoid extreme angles with smoothed normals
you can make a hard edge or do a bevel on the edge to break the big angle in two or more
you need to work too on a specular map to give the feeling of diferent materials, on your model everything appears to be of the same "plastic", are you using phong shader?
hope that help =]
Thanks man, now I have a lot of things to work on, I didn't want a too symetric thing, but i think it will look just fine if I'll do that, about the phong shader, I have to create diferent materials? I thought it would be done on the other masks, mask1 and 2? am I wrong?
I was just wondering. How do you "Show off" your items? For my last one, I just took a borning, bland looking shot from the model viewer. I guess it wasn't so bad, considering valve put it in game :P But the shot valve used for the store/backpack is excellent. My newest item looks terrible in the model viewer, and looks much better in game...so I was just wondering, how to "Show it off" as a zoomed shot, for the workshop.
Do you render it out from 3DS with some special settings, or just take a model viewer shot and tinker in photoshop some?
I was just wondering. How do you "Show off" your items? For my last one, I just took a borning, bland looking shot from the model viewer. I guess it wasn't so bad, considering valve put it in game :P But the shot valve used for the store/backpack is excellent. My newest item looks terrible in the model viewer, and looks much better in game...so I was just wondering, how to "Show it off" as a zoomed shot, for the workshop.
Do you render it out from 3DS with some special settings, or just take a model viewer shot and tinker in photoshop some?
Whatever gets the best result. I prefer using the model viewer and item test to take the initial shots as it most accurately represents the final product. The in-game test viewer is great for giving people an idea how the item will look on the character.
You should probably always take it into Photoshop to pretty your presentation up. An easy way to do this from model viewer is to change the background to a solid color that isn't present in your item; like fluorescent green or blue. Then screencap it and load it into Photoshop. Select by color range and delete out the solid color. Then you have a nice isolated image of your item on its own layer in photoshop. You can add a cool background or just place around a few various shots of the item, at that point you can do whatever.
Eh I don't want to be a pain, and it's been a *really* long time since I've done any serious 3D, but I have a few "beginner" style questions. Now, I have looked around for answers, but anything I have come across has either ended up not useful or way over my head, so hopefully this isn't too stupid that it gets ignored, I'm trying to find out and re-learn as much as I can but I'm hitting a few walls, so here goes.
1. I've downloaded all of the models from the Workshop "technical requirements" page - I currently only have 3DS Max and Z-brush for my modelling programs. Am I able to make a legitimate submission with these two? I keep skimming over weighting and skinning and all that kind of info. I've made one or two objects on top of the models and I'm wondering if thats "ok" if I simply export them as .obj's and package them up with my textures. Will these be allowed, if not what other work is involved to make it so?
2. When it comes to the masks I'm struggling to remember what is what. Specifically with Tidehunter with his Diffuse alone he looks wrong, yet I notice he has a Mask_1 and Mask_2, the latter which looks like it'd make him look correct. In summary I can't work out how to set up the material in 3ds max to use these masks. And I'm not 100% on what they do. I feel as though one is perhaps an alpha channel of sorts, but again, it's been so long and I've forgotten. So if anyone could either explain how to set up the material with the masks or what their purpose is, that feedback would be appreciated.
Again, appreciate the help, if all goes well I'll post up some pics of what I've done, pretty basic but starting small while I'm learning.
Eh I don't want to be a pain, and it's been a *really* long time since I've done any serious 3D, but I have a few "beginner" style questions. Now, I have looked around for answers, but anything I have come across has either ended up not useful or way over my head, so hopefully this isn't too stupid that it gets ignored, I'm trying to find out and re-learn as much as I can but I'm hitting a few walls, so here goes.
1. I've downloaded all of the models from the Workshop "technical requirements" page - I currently only have 3DS Max and Z-brush for my modelling programs. Am I able to make a legitimate submission with these two? I keep skimming over weighting and skinning and all that kind of info. I've made one or two objects on top of the models and I'm wondering if thats "ok" if I simply export them as .obj's and package them up with my textures. Will these be allowed, if not what other work is involved to make it so?
2. When it comes to the masks I'm struggling to remember what is what. Specifically with Tidehunter with his Diffuse alone he looks wrong, yet I notice he has a Mask_1 and Mask_2, the latter which looks like it'd make him look correct. In summary I can't work out how to set up the material in 3ds max to use these masks. And I'm not 100% on what they do. I feel as though one is perhaps an alpha channel of sorts, but again, it's been so long and I've forgotten. So if anyone could either explain how to set up the material with the masks or what their purpose is, that feedback would be appreciated.
Again, appreciate the help, if all goes well I'll post up some pics of what I've done, pretty basic but starting small while I'm learning.
1 - yes you can use max
they said on the documents on the dota2 workshop page that you can use obj instead of the packed version, but i never done that so i cant be sure
2- i dont know if max has a especific shader made to work with valves mas_1 and mask_2, to use the normal shaders you will need to break the mask1 and 2 into other textures
for example, one of the colors in one of the masks is the specular, you can open on photoshop, go to the especific color, select all, copy, and then paste in a new file as a black and white image. then you can use that as a specular
Well I think I'm a bit stuck then, since their submission guide says:
Each texture must have all of these features even if you do not use some of them. They are REQUIRED by model/texture combiner.
And involves Mask1 and Mask2, how do I go about making my own in Max or Photoshop, since I don't know what they really do or how to preview what I've made. If there's an existing link or tutorial somewhere I haven't been able to find it, this stuff is all pretty complicated.
Well I think I'm a bit stuck then, since their submission guide says:
Each texture must have all of these features even if you do not use some of them. They are REQUIRED by model/texture combiner.
And involves Mask1 and Mask2, how do I go about making my own in Max or Photoshop, since I don't know what they really do or how to preview what I've made. If there's an existing link or tutorial somewhere I haven't been able to find it, this stuff is all pretty complicated.
that will require a little of previous knowledge
1- you know how to work with the color channels on photoshop?
2- did you read this?
3- do you know what is a specular map, normal map and rim light?
4- did you downloaded at least one of the models on the link on item number two and studied the mask_1 and mask_2?
sorry if the answers appears to be stupid, but i dont know where you are stuck
1. Vaguely know the color channels in photoshop
2. Yup
3. Vaguely, Yes, No
4. Yes (All of the models) - Mask_1 always appears just black, maybe with an alpha. Mask_2 I just don't understand.
Answers still seem way over my head, I really should just google it from a beginner level I guess.
1. Vaguely know the color channels in photoshop
2. Yup
3. Vaguely, Yes, No
4. Yes (All of the models) - Mask_1 always appears just black, maybe with an alpha. Mask_2 I just don't understand.
Answers still seem way over my head, I really should just google it from a beginner level I guess.
so you are almost there
check the mask_1 and 2 every channel and with that page open as reference
for example, the red channel on mask_2 is the specular, you can get only this channel and save as a new image and connect on the specular map slot on your 3dmax shader
Here we go, given it a good try so far. I understand the Specular map, simple enough. "Tintspec" (Blue alpha channel of Mask_2) I imagine went under Specular Color. They said it was inverted but,.. I dunno, can't remember if I had to invert it.
This is what I've got so far for my material vs the original:
Of the Dota2 Workshop Technical Requirements, I have read it but I don't understand any of what the Mask_1 channels do (except the Alpha channel) - Nor do I understand Mask_2's Rim Light channel (I've searched so much, but no "Rimlight material" or "Rim light texture" "Rim light 3ds max" yield any results to explain this) - Also the description of the Alpha Channel in Mask_2 goes above my head.
I guess setting up the model materials aren't that important but I want to be able to understand what each material does and where it goes so I can use them in my own assets knowing their purpose. Any solution on how to get my render looking like it's meant to?
Would simply mimicking the original base hero texture's mask1/mask2 yield desirable results? You look at the colors most prevalent in the mask tga's, then look at the ingame rendering to get a better idea of what channel effects what result. A quick google on color channels may be beneficial. Basically, a color channel is isolating only that color, that channel is presumably used to make certain special texture effects ingame. In RGB mode in photoshop, these channels can be viewed in the tab next to your layers i believe.
So ive been working on a Beastmaster axe but have gotten stuck when it comes to trying to texture it, i just dont seem to be able to get the right textures for an Axe. http://imgur.com/V9JG9
Any tips would be greatly appreciated :poly121:
First post here on polycount, have been looking around for months and after seeing all the great work here I wanted to post some of my stuff. I never had an education or anything for modeling it's just a something I picked up a lot of years ago by modding
Didn't wanted to make a real serious weapon so I thought up something funny, don't know if it's ever going to make it ingame but who knows..
thanks It's still the high poly version, not sure for now becuz I'm at work but I think it's around 250k. It still need some work, and I hope to start on the low poly version next week..
Here we go, given it a good try so far. I understand the Specular map, simple enough. "Tintspec" (Blue alpha channel of Mask_2) I imagine went under Specular Color. They said it was inverted but,.. I dunno, can't remember if I had to invert it.
This is what I've got so far for my material vs the original:
Of the Dota2 Workshop Technical Requirements, I have read it but I don't understand any of what the Mask_1 channels do (except the Alpha channel) - Nor do I understand Mask_2's Rim Light channel (I've searched so much, but no "Rimlight material" or "Rim light texture" "Rim light 3ds max" yield any results to explain this) - Also the description of the Alpha Channel in Mask_2 goes above my head.
I guess setting up the model materials aren't that important but I want to be able to understand what each material does and where it goes so I can use them in my own assets knowing their purpose. Any solution on how to get my render looking like it's meant to?
rim light is a light that comes for the back of the character and gives that bright contour, it works to make a better contrast between the character and the scene, you can get that doing another render pass, using the rim light channel as specular map and placing a light at the back of the character, render just the specular and add in photoshop as a new layer with a "screen" blend mode
you need also the self iluminated map to get that strong green line
So ive been working on a Beastmaster axe but have gotten stuck when it comes to trying to texture it, i just dont seem to be able to get the right textures for an Axe.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated :poly121:
Replies
Been doing a real rough 3D mock up based off another concept I made. Also, the texture in these images is purely just the diffuse for Bounty's body that I was using as reference in Zbrush.
It was nice to easily throw elements together in 3D and see how well they worked or didn't. I tried to keep the spikes on his armor pieces relatively the same length as the ones on his ears.
Any and all feedback appreciated, thanks guys.
that's true, mdl files will be in that directory after compile, but GUIStudioMDL have to throw it in alien swarm directory, since we use it for compiling...
This was my first attempt to create source engine content. But I figured out the file structure... I looked over QC commands and file structures over valve wiki...
You need qc file to find material directory only, not material name or anything, only directory.
Before that, "use diffuse texture for real texture name" means this :
your mesh file needs a material in maya right?
diffuse channel only, and that will be anything blank inside for example but it needs to be the same file name which you will use the same name for vmt. If you edit SMD file you will see material name all over the file.
For example if you import any smd from dota 2. you will see diffuse texture name tags after import, so that means, SMD files can store material name info, which if we skip it, it will fail find materials.
im trying to decompile the dragon knight in dragon form to study the texture for my courier
Alright, so to those of you who have successfully compiled, I'm stuck at this point:
I have two questions:
1) Why is the model off to the side? I smooth bound it to the joint that the original hammer was bound to before exporting as SMD but both with and without being bound to it, it ends up off to the side and not in his hands.
2) What is the file structure supposed to be like? While the model seems to come in fine (disregarding the wrong position), the materials seem to still not work and I suspect it's because of the file structure. Where do my .smd and my .vtf/.vmt need to be before compiling? Where do my .mdl and my .vtf/.vmt files need to be after compiling?
Sorry for the multitude of posts about this but my sanity is on the decline because of this
Thanks!
@Spudnik , try not to weigh weapon to base model but use $attachments instead in your QC file. View your model in CS:GO model viewer (prefered) or alien swarm sdk and make sure when you tick attachments it would align your hammer or equip it.
I suggest using SFM for compiling , by making a new "mod" called dota 2 , and then copying inside the dota 2 files you extracted from GFscape. Follow new Cyborgmatt guide on SFM. once your done just compile using GUIstudiomdl with ep1 path pointing out to SFM /bin folder and Dota 2 selected in GUIstudio. it will automatically replace the files if your QC is correct.
i´ve already downloaded this one and its just the human form =[, on the dota files its called dragon_knight_dragon.mdl
Alrighty, revision: The only vital thing your .smd needs to know before export is where the material files will be in relation to the game directory you are going to put the .mdl in after compiling. And it needs to have at least a generic material attached to the .smd on export? And it will find the actual textures later? I am now convinced most of us simply need to read up on .qc file's functions, i didn't before because i wasn't even sure what the problem was. Thanks for helping to narrow the direction of study.
Of coarse, it might also be the exporting tools i'm using, and the platform i am exporting from (maya2012). My export window graphical interface has never worked right, it is shrunken and only readable by scrolling inch by inch around the menues with a little tiny view of the entire page, lol. The exported .smd file is also suspiciously small sometimes...It just never works the same, so i am skeptical. I have even considered a fresh install of all of the involved software because i have no certainty what the problem is...
I have a fix for the shrunken SMD exporter window, or at least, THIS GUY does. Read through the steps he goes through for installing the exporter.
Hahaha that is the exact tutorial i originally followed. I will try to re-install the exporter yet again, since the fix worked for you it seems...
EDIT: Thank you, i thought the exporter might be simply incompatible with Maya 2012, i had tried re-installing the exporter a couple times, but this time i made sure to do it in exactly the order and follow every process, this time now that i know better, and it worked ;D
full size: http://imgur.com/Cytlv
Please tell me what you think of this model technically. I'm very aware that this model runs somewhat afoul of the guidelines, which smartly advise artists to focus on big details and avoid high poly elements. As such, I've tried to bring out big, low poly shape details, keep the face count down, and spread out the overall face count more evenly across the model. I'm at around 500 - 550 tris currently and am looking forward to the UV unwrap stage (current model is manifold) after some more adjustments. Although I prefer the angular frame, I'm still hoping to put some texture detail there to even out the visuals.
Artistic Mumbojumbo:
I've chosen Mirana's bow as a starting model as she is a personal favorite hero in both concept and game mechanics.
My artistic concept for her was broadly "fighter pilot"; her play style in game rewards the bravado, skill shots, and audacious maneuvers one normally associates with the fighter archetype.
Mirana's actual lore states that she is a forest warden; in game she rides a tiger. So I kept the flat angularity of the fighter in the bow frame and evolved the rest my concept of fighter to incorporate bird like features, such as talons. These talons should match the sharp edges and tiger claws that are part of Mirana's current model.
I don't like to jump ahead and focus too much on the actual lore of a particular item, but the concept for this one is that the bow itself is kind of protecting these three eggs, which you can see in the model. Textured, they should be brighter than the rest of the frame and the lead the eyes to a triangular outline.
Mirana concept, for comparison: http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/7/79952/1917662-dota2_ingame_models_24_.jpg
http://www.holetzky.de/smdOptionWindow.mel
this fixes GUI problem... However I tried to run maya and SMD, it never worked for me... it's giving me errors/crashes when i try to import.
Nice! What's the polycount on the individual pieces, they seem really detailed (looking at the chains in particular) but maybe it's just the AO render
I know my sculpting skills are not that thing, but why the model on blender looks horrible?
on sculpting tool:
and on blender:
It's all twisted and without proportional scaling =S
should I try another hero with less organic textures?
http://p3d.in/U01KW
Thanks.
That's a cool design! I think it would look sweet ingame. If you submit, i'd rate it well. The skull and hilt could use a bit of polish, that'd be a no-brainer after that.
What sort of details or design should i add to the cloth? i got a bit of wiggle room in my polycount so far. 424 faces.
Yes, the polycount of armor(especially chains) is too high, need to reduce it.
On the note of fancy couriers, I have been thinking of coming up with some but wouldn't be able to animate them. Is there anyone who'd animate couriers for a share in the sales?
I'm available
hahaha i was like "why he made a dog with yellow horns?"
sorry, was looking upside down
about your skull, if you are planning to do it with a rounded back, the front could have some volume too, the lowpoly is tottaly flat on the "face" of the skull
It is not finished but you can see that they are kind of twisted =S
Normal:
Color:
It might look very awful but it's my first job on modelling/sculpting, soo..
Help would be appreciated.
did a quick sketch on your images
on red i marked parts that seams to have problem with your uvs, it appear that they are no smooth enought and need a better and even spacing between the vertices
green - the space that you are loosing on your map, you can arrange better the parts to get more resolution
pink - parts that you can mirror, i put my courier uv to show you the mirrored parts, almost all the uvs have a mirrored part getting the double of the resolution of my map
you need to work too on a specular map to give the feeling of diferent materials, on your model everything appears to be of the same "plastic", are you using phong shader?
hope that help =]
its because you are using all the normals softened
i will try to resume
every face has one normal and so the pixels have a normal for each face it shares
if you get a cube, each vertice will have 3 normals, but if you smooth that, the normals will share the same direction. Its is better for the engine to calculate but if the angle between the faces is too big, the light will return compensating this angle, and that makes the dark angles
its normal to be like that but is better to avoid extreme angles with smoothed normals
you can make a hard edge or do a bevel on the edge to break the big angle in two or more
I just noticed that when you activate svens ult, the demon claive i made turns red
Thanks man, now I have a lot of things to work on, I didn't want a too symetric thing, but i think it will look just fine if I'll do that, about the phong shader, I have to create diferent materials? I thought it would be done on the other masks, mask1 and 2? am I wrong?
I was just wondering. How do you "Show off" your items? For my last one, I just took a borning, bland looking shot from the model viewer. I guess it wasn't so bad, considering valve put it in game :P But the shot valve used for the store/backpack is excellent. My newest item looks terrible in the model viewer, and looks much better in game...so I was just wondering, how to "Show it off" as a zoomed shot, for the workshop.
Do you render it out from 3DS with some special settings, or just take a model viewer shot and tinker in photoshop some?
Whatever gets the best result. I prefer using the model viewer and item test to take the initial shots as it most accurately represents the final product. The in-game test viewer is great for giving people an idea how the item will look on the character.
You should probably always take it into Photoshop to pretty your presentation up. An easy way to do this from model viewer is to change the background to a solid color that isn't present in your item; like fluorescent green or blue. Then screencap it and load it into Photoshop. Select by color range and delete out the solid color. Then you have a nice isolated image of your item on its own layer in photoshop. You can add a cool background or just place around a few various shots of the item, at that point you can do whatever.
i was playing yesterday and opened the new turtle box and won your sword =]
i bought the key for the box, do you receive any money from that or just if i buy directly your item?
1. I've downloaded all of the models from the Workshop "technical requirements" page - I currently only have 3DS Max and Z-brush for my modelling programs. Am I able to make a legitimate submission with these two? I keep skimming over weighting and skinning and all that kind of info. I've made one or two objects on top of the models and I'm wondering if thats "ok" if I simply export them as .obj's and package them up with my textures. Will these be allowed, if not what other work is involved to make it so?
2. When it comes to the masks I'm struggling to remember what is what. Specifically with Tidehunter with his Diffuse alone he looks wrong, yet I notice he has a Mask_1 and Mask_2, the latter which looks like it'd make him look correct. In summary I can't work out how to set up the material in 3ds max to use these masks. And I'm not 100% on what they do. I feel as though one is perhaps an alpha channel of sorts, but again, it's been so long and I've forgotten. So if anyone could either explain how to set up the material with the masks or what their purpose is, that feedback would be appreciated.
Again, appreciate the help, if all goes well I'll post up some pics of what I've done, pretty basic but starting small while I'm learning.
[ame="
and full model in HD shot http://i.imgur.com/pZnrW.jpg
workshop link : http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=83593244&searchtext=
1 - yes you can use max
they said on the documents on the dota2 workshop page that you can use obj instead of the packed version, but i never done that so i cant be sure
2- i dont know if max has a especific shader made to work with valves mas_1 and mask_2, to use the normal shaders you will need to break the mask1 and 2 into other textures
for example, one of the colors in one of the masks is the specular, you can open on photoshop, go to the especific color, select all, copy, and then paste in a new file as a black and white image. then you can use that as a specular
voting right now
Each texture must have all of these features even if you do not use some of them. They are REQUIRED by model/texture combiner.
And involves Mask1 and Mask2, how do I go about making my own in Max or Photoshop, since I don't know what they really do or how to preview what I've made. If there's an existing link or tutorial somewhere I haven't been able to find it, this stuff is all pretty complicated.
that will require a little of previous knowledge
1- you know how to work with the color channels on photoshop?
2- did you read this?
3- do you know what is a specular map, normal map and rim light?
4- did you downloaded at least one of the models on the link on item number two and studied the mask_1 and mask_2?
sorry if the answers appears to be stupid, but i dont know where you are stuck
2. Yup
3. Vaguely, Yes, No
4. Yes (All of the models) - Mask_1 always appears just black, maybe with an alpha. Mask_2 I just don't understand.
Answers still seem way over my head, I really should just google it from a beginner level I guess.
so you are almost there
check the mask_1 and 2 every channel and with that page open as reference
for example, the red channel on mask_2 is the specular, you can get only this channel and save as a new image and connect on the specular map slot on your 3dmax shader
This is what I've got so far for my material vs the original:
Of the Dota2 Workshop Technical Requirements, I have read it but I don't understand any of what the Mask_1 channels do (except the Alpha channel) - Nor do I understand Mask_2's Rim Light channel (I've searched so much, but no "Rimlight material" or "Rim light texture" "Rim light 3ds max" yield any results to explain this) - Also the description of the Alpha Channel in Mask_2 goes above my head.
I guess setting up the model materials aren't that important but I want to be able to understand what each material does and where it goes so I can use them in my own assets knowing their purpose. Any solution on how to get my render looking like it's meant to?
http://imgur.com/V9JG9
Any tips would be greatly appreciated :poly121:
First post here on polycount, have been looking around for months and after seeing all the great work here I wanted to post some of my stuff. I never had an education or anything for modeling it's just a something I picked up a lot of years ago by modding
Didn't wanted to make a real serious weapon so I thought up something funny, don't know if it's ever going to make it ingame but who knows..
thanks
rim light is a light that comes for the back of the character and gives that bright contour, it works to make a better contrast between the character and the scene, you can get that doing another render pass, using the rim light channel as specular map and placing a light at the back of the character, render just the specular and add in photoshop as a new layer with a "screen" blend mode
you need also the self iluminated map to get that strong green line
i think that can help you
http://www.3dmotive.com/training/photoshop/hand-painted-weapon-texturing/?follow=true