@Ryu, yeah I know they shoot for 800... but I know some go higher, was hoping to stay at 1000 but without a normal map I had to add those ridges for good lighting/shape in game.
I guess if they don't like the tri count and they say so I'd get rid of the ridges, but I think it'll lose alot with the shader in game.
Yeah Zip, one too many 0's, didn't notice until I had posted
I made these two for Zero Gear awhile back...
Need to sort the alpha on this one, I can see the alpha in the specular but I'm missing something in my material. 1030 tris
The Groucho Marxist
and this one i had in game long before hats, as a replacement for the birthday hat in one of my maps so some people have already used it. I wasn't going to submit it because of the Valve 'rules of TF2 world', but with all the new hats that obviously break the code why not (earbuds, brain slugs... none of that would have been in TF2 originally)
The Nacho Sombrero for Hungry Heavies south of the border. 1543 tris. need a spec map so the hat itself isn't shiny.
@Ryu, yeah I know they shoot for 800... but I know some go higher, was hoping to stay at 1000 but without a normal map I had to add those ridges for good lighting/shape in game.
I guess if they don't like the tri count and they say so I'd get rid of the ridges, but I think it'll lose alot with the shader in game.
Yeah Zip, one too many 0's, didn't notice until I had posted
I made these two for Zero Gear awhile back...
Need to sort the alpha on this one, I can see the alpha in the specular but I'm missing something in my material. 1030 tris
The Groucho Marxist
and this one i had in game long before hats, as a replacement for the birthday hat in one of my maps so some people have already used it. I wasn't going to submit it because of the Valve 'rules of TF2 world', but with all the new hats that obviously break the code why not (earbuds, brain slugs... none of that would have been in TF2 originally)
The Nacho Sombrero for Hungry Heavies south of the border. 1543 tris. need a spec map so the hat itself isn't shiny.
Homer Simpson: "NACHO NACHO MAN! *eats* I WANT TO BE, A NACHO MAN!"
@DKK Thank you, I have been waiting for someone to say that for quite some time now. Seriously, a simple "@whomever" suffices, there really is no need to quote unless it directly exemplifies a point.
@Baddcog I think you did a nice job creating the nachos, but I think the actual hat could use some work. It lacks depth and the texture is a little plain and could use some color variation. Even though I don't like the groucho mask for the spy (fitting as it is), I think that you pulled it off rather well, but it does seem a little large. Also I think that you could cut down on the tris on the Rocket man helmet, also you are aware it has been made before, right? It's actually by one of my favorite modelers, Svdl: http://www.fpsbanana.com/skins/88988
@Ryu
I like the high flyer idea. I've even seen similar things in custom maps like some Mario maps. I do need to ask though, is it necessary to make levels for it? The teleporter simply upgrades in function, not in visual state.
@Bantha, thanks, I know how people get attached to those lime green items
I think I played LFD2 with you the other day, unless that name is popular...
@RedSheep, thanks for the crits. I probably should paint some 'splotches' into the hat. It does have some tex but the spec shader makes it very hard to even see (not that it's much anyway).
I was also feeling the groucho glasses might be a bit too large, I'll have to shrink em and see how that works.
I hadn't seen that other Rocketeer helmet, at least they look different even if similar. Haven't seen it in game anyway though. Really hard to keep track of all the hats, I haven't played much TF2 for about a year, the store doesn't have them all, and the ones they have (like the chieftan for heavy) a friend gave me for the Soly... So it's hard to even know which classes they belong too. Just hoping I can makes some contributions that are unique enough Valve will want them without redoing stuff they already have.
@Contrails: Thanks man, I'm using the alpha channel for spec, but for some reason I can't see in-game like inside HLMV. The Ushanka uses an extra vtf with a flat normal map and an alpha channel. I tried that solution, but no success.
Regarding the canteen, I think the main body could use some square brush strokes, like the way you did on the top. I'd say to spend some verts below the stitches, to make i little more round (but also I don't know what poly limit you are aiming).
Awesome hat baddcog. Unfortunatelly i don't know how to deal with alphas yet .
Here is not so cute heavy:
I guess I overdid dirt, but will see how it works with different diffuse.
Will have to think of replacement for sandwich.
Nice Mask Jose, I was actually thinking of that myself, lol. I'd probably whiten it up a bit more though, kindof dark.
@Zip, I tried those. Can't seem to get alpha to work at all. I have an alpha channel in both diffuse and normal maps. But the alpha in diffuse for hats is the specular map.
The alpha in normal (didn't want to add one) is supposed to work for alpha, but can't get that to show either. (according to sdk wiki)
I do see the alpha channel at work in the spec so it is being read (in model viewer and game),
OK, Now I'm getting alpha from my normal map, but only if I comment out "phong" or make it "0", but that gives a really flat funky ugly lighting. Guess I need to figure out 2 materials.
========
EDIT: Ok, figured it out, for future ref...
I applied 2 materials to my model.
1- diffuse with alpha channel which controls specular (this is normal Valve hat material) my_hat is texture.vtf name
2- same diffuse map with same alpha channel. Commented out phong and bump. Rim shader probably not need.
Unfortunately this just gives a very flat material, but in this case it works perfectly as I didn't want the 'stache and 'brows to have specular anyway. They are flat black.
You should be able to have Alpha, Spec and Phong. Your alpha map should be in the alpha of your diffuse and your specular/phong mask should be in your normal's alpha channel. The $alphatest and $transparency will automatically look in the diffuse. Then take "$basemapalphaphongmask" "1" out. The phong will automatically look for a map in the Normal's alpha.
Awesome hat baddcog. Unfortunatelly i don't know how to deal with alphas yet .
Here is not so cute heavy:
I guess I overdid dirt, but will see how it works with different diffuse.
Will have to think of replacement for sandwich.
I redid my cloche hat, so it would hopefully look less plain. The flower is now part of the main mesh, too, so I have no need to use two separate textures for the hat and the flower. The ambient occlusion doesn't seem to look any better, though, but I really don't want to have to redo it again.
But it doesn't. Mine's a different color, has a different shape, and has only one flower. The flower is also a different kind. Also, before you start this argument, notice there are two tricorn hats and two Native American headdresses in the store. Even though my hat might look similar to the Madame Dixie in that it's also a girl's hat that happens to have flowers on it, I hardly think those two little similarities would deter Valve from putting my hat in the store. I was honestly hoping for more constructive criticism than that it looks similar to something in the store. That, I don't care about.
I might need to compile it to do that. I only know how to compile the model and not the texture. I want to make it a replacement for the Pyro's Mann co. cap or something.
Ok, fixed brightness and saturation. Much better imo.
thx, Dashtoronto.
Is looking quite nice unto itself, but it doesn't really fit the Team Fortress texturing style all that well. Swizzle did a great tutorial on getting the style down for the Poly Pack Comp, which can be found here: http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73559
Essentially what you need to do is push for a more painterly, simpler appearance on the dirty and worn parts of the mask using a chunky square brush more most of the detail.
@Contrails: Thanks man, I'm using the alpha channel for spec, but for some reason I can't see in-game like inside HLMV. The Ushanka uses an extra vtf with a flat normal map and an alpha channel. I tried that solution, but no success.
Regarding the canteen, I think the main body could use some square brush strokes, like the way you did on the top. I'd say to spend some verts below the stitches, to make i little more round (but also I don't know what poly limit you are aiming).
It could just be an issue with the phong settings you have in your .vmt - try bumping up the phong boost and phong exponent? If you're taking values from the existing hats a lot of them don't really have too much phong applied. As for the ushanka, I think that's because the alpha channel of the base texture is already used for a paint mask. If you have it setup fine that you can see it in HLMV, it should be good in game.
As for my canteen, it's funny you mention that because that's how my original texture was (it's buried somewhere in this monster thread but it messed with the cloth material feeling - most cloth in TF2 only has solid color and noise). I don't want to go back and edit the geo at this point - I don't think anyone's going to look at it that up close. Right now its at 830 tris so it's just about where I want it.
In other news, this has been a project I've been working on for a while... electric payload cart
I'm almost done with the geo, just need to finish the wiring, figure out something to secure the front of the lightbulb and the sacks (going to be sacks of highly explosive fertilizer by the way), and decide whether or not to put something on the right side of the control panel. Any suggestions on these last two?
Currently weighs in at 12582 tris - going to optimize it a little so I'm aiming for around 12000-13000 tris (for a comparison the original cart is 11470 tris) and it will have LODs of course.
wires feel like hoses on sheer account of the scale...
@Invader, I think it looks pretty good, really not hard to set up the materials and take a look in the model viewer.
It is along the same lines as the Dixie, but why not? The stacked hats are all similar styles too, and the dixie has a big brim, so side by side people will notice the differences.
As for color, you should just do the ao base tex like the newer hats, Valve probably sets them up 'in-game' with a red or blu tint paint as stock, then the paint just changes them.
Not sure how it's done but looks like the alpha just controls what part tints, maybe make the band/flower colored, the rest white and alpha'd.
But the models in the viewer are deffinately only AO.
Ok, after a long hiatus, I decided to get back to work on my Sherlock Holmes hat for the spy. Before I got to work on finishing the texture, I decided to test it out in TF2. It works as a skin for the Mann Co. Cap.
I was working perfectly, until I encountered this problem: it doesn't cloak with the rest of the Spy.
Nice Shaker, though I think you should desaturate the colors more, just too vivid right not.
The spy hats do have an extra 'cloak' pass in the shader, and I'm glad you brought it up, I completely forgot to add it to the groucho marxist. I was testing my sombrero along time ago (BD hat replacement) and one of the spies on a friendly server couldn't figure out how I could find him so easy, lol. Actually why I stopped wearing hats as a spy, a simple skin can make them always visible.
Ok, I think that Im done with this. Going to submit it tomorrow. Any more suggestions or crits ?
Anyway, i want to figure out some things. I have already submitted hats and weapons, but i never submitted a misc item, so i have some questions
1.To which bone do i need to attach the model to ? Is it the neck bone ?
2.If i made it team colored, then it means that i will need to export the same model for every texture ?
3.Do i need the VMT file, or can i just do the VTF ? I know what it does, but i never thought it would so any good to VALVE, because the VMT just helps the model to find its material and i don't know which directory to choose. (P.S. i did it when i was submitting other models)
Just a simple mask I made for fun and to see if I could get a model into Source. The Heavy is your friendly neighbour now, with a little bit of khm.. ketchup on his mask. I apologize if it has been done before, I didn't list thorugh all the pages.
Sooo much awesome hatty stuff in here!
@Sharkiss: If you have .smds, for team colours, you add in the .qc at the end of the $cdmaterials part:
$skinfamilies
{
{your_red_texture_here
}
{your_blue_texture_here
}
If you don't have any .smds just send both the blue and red textures together, you only need one model.
As for the VMT issue, you should only be able to get away with vtfs. However I think it would be best if you do add the VMTs in, as they define the phong levels and any other shader parametres. But that's really only if you've actually got it ingame.
For the directory, you want /models/player/items/engineer/your_vtf. Thats where valve put theres so it will be easier for them to impliment it if they decide to put it ingame.
Yes it will be the neck bone or whatever its called that you want too parent it to.
Got another done today, the Brain Drain. Turn it up to 11 and stimulate both left and right brain. Everything is better with engineering. Just over 1300 tris
Oh man it's scary when you see the same idea being made by someone else. But the more the merrier.
I submitted my one back in early November last year (about the same time I found this thread) Although I was going by the Actors looks rather than the plastic kit disguise:
I'm gonna add a funky "SmokeScreen" watch...I thought he can never get past the sentry with the intel so the smokeScreen would give him 5 seconds or so to leg it past. Also thought it would be a funny gag for a non-crit/headshot while trying to evade enemies...
I finally finished the rig of the Level 3 High-Flyer and tried a test animation for it. I need to get the right feeling for animations again, cause i didn't animated for months now. I hope that the weight and the power of it looks really authentic, but i still think i need to work it over :P.
This picture just shows what parts of it can be animated seperatly. I found some minimalistic rig issues on it as well, but they don't appear in the animation, or at least they can't be seen there. Have Fun!
Edit:
I like the high flyer idea. I've even seen similar things in custom maps like some Mario maps. I do need to ask though, is it necessary to make levels for it? The teleporter simply upgrades in function, not in visual state.
Definetly no, this jumper is more designed to assist and giving new gameplay experiences on common known map. It gives your teams additional flanking routes, that allows the players to suprise the enemies or for finding weak spots in the enemy-frontline. Making a map, where you actually "Need" this High-Flyer to make any progress would miss his actuall sense.
Replies
I guess if they don't like the tri count and they say so I'd get rid of the ridges, but I think it'll lose alot with the shader in game.
Yeah Zip, one too many 0's, didn't notice until I had posted
I made these two for Zero Gear awhile back...
Need to sort the alpha on this one, I can see the alpha in the specular but I'm missing something in my material. 1030 tris
The Groucho Marxist
and this one i had in game long before hats, as a replacement for the birthday hat in one of my maps so some people have already used it. I wasn't going to submit it because of the Valve 'rules of TF2 world', but with all the new hats that obviously break the code why not (earbuds, brain slugs... none of that would have been in TF2 originally)
The Nacho Sombrero for Hungry Heavies south of the border. 1543 tris. need a spec map so the hat itself isn't shiny.
amirite?
@Baddcog I think you did a nice job creating the nachos, but I think the actual hat could use some work. It lacks depth and the texture is a little plain and could use some color variation. Even though I don't like the groucho mask for the spy (fitting as it is), I think that you pulled it off rather well, but it does seem a little large. Also I think that you could cut down on the tris on the Rocket man helmet, also you are aware it has been made before, right? It's actually by one of my favorite modelers, Svdl: http://www.fpsbanana.com/skins/88988
@Ryu
I like the high flyer idea. I've even seen similar things in custom maps like some Mario maps. I do need to ask though, is it necessary to make levels for it? The teleporter simply upgrades in function, not in visual state.
http://www.fpsbanana.com/skins/107251
If the server of FPSB is down or crappy tell me. I'll add it on a private download server.
@Ryu : Your concept is great ! I can't wait to see this working (and launching us upon our ennemis ! Yaaa !)
I think I played LFD2 with you the other day, unless that name is popular...
@RedSheep, thanks for the crits. I probably should paint some 'splotches' into the hat. It does have some tex but the spec shader makes it very hard to even see (not that it's much anyway).
I was also feeling the groucho glasses might be a bit too large, I'll have to shrink em and see how that works.
I hadn't seen that other Rocketeer helmet, at least they look different even if similar. Haven't seen it in game anyway though. Really hard to keep track of all the hats, I haven't played much TF2 for about a year, the store doesn't have them all, and the ones they have (like the chieftan for heavy) a friend gave me for the Soly... So it's hard to even know which classes they belong too. Just hoping I can makes some contributions that are unique enough Valve will want them without redoing stuff they already have.
Any more suggestions
@Ryu: I really do like the spring, especially the amount of detail on the base.
Regarding the canteen, I think the main body could use some square brush strokes, like the way you did on the top. I'd say to spend some verts below the stitches, to make i little more round (but also I don't know what poly limit you are aiming).
Making a hat (groucho glasses) with aplha. The alpha channel is showing in the env mask/specular. But I can't get it to render alpha.
I made a blank normal map with an alpha channel, but that doesn't work either.
All I want is ALPHA! arghhhhhhhhhhh. Anyone have any ideas?
"VertexlitGeneric" { "$baseTexture" "models\original_hats\Groucho" "$bumpmap" "models\original_hats\Groucho_normal" "$alpha" "1" "$normalmapalphaenvmapmask" 1 "$phong" "1" "$phongexponent" "25" "$phongboost" "5" "$lightwarptexture" "models\lightwarps\weapon_lightwarp" "$phongfresnelranges" "[.25 .5 1]" "$basemapalphaphongmask" "1" "$alphatest" "1" //"translucent" "1" "$rimlight" "1" "$rimlightexponent" "4" "$rimlightboost" "2" }Here is not so cute heavy:
I guess I overdid dirt, but will see how it works with different diffuse.
Will have to think of replacement for sandwich.
@Zip, I tried those. Can't seem to get alpha to work at all. I have an alpha channel in both diffuse and normal maps. But the alpha in diffuse for hats is the specular map.
The alpha in normal (didn't want to add one) is supposed to work for alpha, but can't get that to show either. (according to sdk wiki)
I do see the alpha channel at work in the spec so it is being read (in model viewer and game),
OK, Now I'm getting alpha from my normal map, but only if I comment out "phong" or make it "0", but that gives a really flat funky ugly lighting. Guess I need to figure out 2 materials.
========
EDIT: Ok, figured it out, for future ref...
I applied 2 materials to my model.
1- diffuse with alpha channel which controls specular (this is normal Valve hat material) my_hat is texture.vtf name
"VertexlitGeneric" { "$baseTexture" "models\hat\my_hat" "$bumpmap" "models\effects\flat_normal" "$phong" "1" "$phongexponent" "25" "$phongboost" "5" "$lightwarptexture" "models\lightwarps\weapon_lightwarp" "$phongfresnelranges" "[.25 .5 1]" "$basemapalphaphongmask" "1" "$rimlight" "1" "$rimlightexponent" "4" "$rimlightboost" "2" }2- same diffuse map with same alpha channel. Commented out phong and bump. Rim shader probably not need.
Unfortunately this just gives a very flat material, but in this case it works perfectly as I didn't want the 'stache and 'brows to have specular anyway. They are flat black.
"VertexlitGeneric" { "$baseTexture" "models\original_hats\Groucho" //"$bumpmap" "models\effects\flat_normal" "$alphatest" "1" /* "$phong" "1" "$phongexponent" "25" "$phongboost" "5" "$lightwarptexture" "models\lightwarps\weapon_lightwarp" "$phongfresnelranges" "[.25 .5 1]" "$basemapalphaphongmask" "1" */ "$rimlight" "1" "$rimlightexponent" "4" "$rimlightboost" "2" }wtf. dude. that's really nice. ha ha!
thx, Dashtoronto.
I redid my cloche hat, so it would hopefully look less plain. The flower is now part of the main mesh, too, so I have no need to use two separate textures for the hat and the flower. The ambient occlusion doesn't seem to look any better, though, but I really don't want to have to redo it again.
I do have a pic of him wearing the hat in 3D Max, though.
It's not quite the same as TF2, but it's pretty good and I use it
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73559
Essentially what you need to do is push for a more painterly, simpler appearance on the dirty and worn parts of the mask using a chunky square brush more most of the detail.
It could just be an issue with the phong settings you have in your .vmt - try bumping up the phong boost and phong exponent? If you're taking values from the existing hats a lot of them don't really have too much phong applied. As for the ushanka, I think that's because the alpha channel of the base texture is already used for a paint mask. If you have it setup fine that you can see it in HLMV, it should be good in game.
As for my canteen, it's funny you mention that because that's how my original texture was (it's buried somewhere in this monster thread but it messed with the cloth material feeling - most cloth in TF2 only has solid color and noise). I don't want to go back and edit the geo at this point - I don't think anyone's going to look at it that up close.
In other news, this has been a project I've been working on for a while... electric payload cart
I'm almost done with the geo, just need to finish the wiring, figure out something to secure the front of the lightbulb and the sacks (going to be sacks of highly explosive fertilizer by the way), and decide whether or not to put something on the right side of the control panel. Any suggestions on these last two?
Currently weighs in at 12582 tris - going to optimize it a little so I'm aiming for around 12000-13000 tris (for a comparison the original cart is 11470 tris) and it will have LODs of course.
wires feel like hoses on sheer account of the scale...
@Invader, I think it looks pretty good, really not hard to set up the materials and take a look in the model viewer.
It is along the same lines as the Dixie, but why not? The stacked hats are all similar styles too, and the dixie has a big brim, so side by side people will notice the differences.
As for color, you should just do the ao base tex like the newer hats, Valve probably sets them up 'in-game' with a red or blu tint paint as stock, then the paint just changes them.
Not sure how it's done but looks like the alpha just controls what part tints, maybe make the band/flower colored, the rest white and alpha'd.
But the models in the viewer are deffinately only AO.
In-game screen shots of my cloche hat. Special thanks goes to Rebbacus, who taught me how to compile and make the textures work in the game.
I was working perfectly, until I encountered this problem: it doesn't cloak with the rest of the Spy.
Any help here guys?
EDIT:
@-Em'- Thanks for helping me fix that!
The spy hats do have an extra 'cloak' pass in the shader, and I'm glad you brought it up, I completely forgot to add it to the groucho marxist. I was testing my sombrero along time ago (BD hat replacement) and one of the spies on a friendly server couldn't figure out how I could find him so easy, lol. Actually why I stopped wearing hats as a spy, a simple skin can make them always visible.
ah, sorry mate, im a noob :P
Anyway, i want to figure out some things. I have already submitted hats and weapons, but i never submitted a misc item, so i have some questions
1.To which bone do i need to attach the model to ? Is it the neck bone ?
2.If i made it team colored, then it means that i will need to export the same model for every texture ?
3.Do i need the VMT file, or can i just do the VTF ? I know what it does, but i never thought it would so any good to VALVE, because the VMT just helps the model to find its material and i don't know which directory to choose. (P.S. i did it when i was submitting other models)
Sooo much awesome hatty stuff in here!
$skinfamilies
{
{your_red_texture_here
}
{your_blue_texture_here
}
If you don't have any .smds just send both the blue and red textures together, you only need one model.
As for the VMT issue, you should only be able to get away with vtfs. However I think it would be best if you do add the VMTs in, as they define the phong levels and any other shader parametres. But that's really only if you've actually got it ingame.
For the directory, you want /models/player/items/engineer/your_vtf. Thats where valve put theres so it will be easier for them to impliment it if they decide to put it ingame.
Yes it will be the neck bone or whatever its called that you want too parent it to.
Near complete fishbowl hat for pyro. Haven't come up with a witty name yet, however.
I think it's nearly finished now
Nice chainsaw too Noors.
Got another done today, the Brain Drain. Turn it up to 11 and stimulate both left and right brain. Everything is better with engineering. Just over 1300 tris
That could be read two ways, so I'll say it another way:
So many pretty 3D-rendered creations.
Anyway, note to Ben Henry: Been working on some new weapons for the heavy, the Soviet Slammers inspired them. Will show you later on Steam.
May I suggest "The Fireman's/Fisherman's Fishbowl/Flotsam" or the "Gas Man's/Guzzler's Goldfish?"
I submitted my one back in early November last year (about the same time I found this thread) Although I was going by the Actors looks rather than the plastic kit disguise:
I'm gonna add a funky "SmokeScreen" watch...I thought he can never get past the sentry with the intel so the smokeScreen would give him 5 seconds or so to leg it past. Also thought it would be a funny gag for a non-crit/headshot while trying to evade enemies...
I finally finished the rig of the Level 3 High-Flyer and tried a test animation for it. I need to get the right feeling for animations again, cause i didn't animated for months now. I hope that the weight and the power of it looks really authentic, but i still think i need to work it over :P.
This picture just shows what parts of it can be animated seperatly. I found some minimalistic rig issues on it as well, but they don't appear in the animation, or at least they can't be seen there. Have Fun!
Edit:
Definetly no, this jumper is more designed to assist and giving new gameplay experiences on common known map. It gives your teams additional flanking routes, that allows the players to suprise the enemies or for finding weak spots in the enemy-frontline. Making a map, where you actually "Need" this High-Flyer to make any progress would miss his actuall sense.