looks nice! i think if you add a vertex blend to your brick and the main metal part it could take this a bit further. check this out http://eat3d.com/free/vertex_painting nice job i like your version of the art test
PsychicFreak, It's using vertex paint / blend, you basically paint where you want your water, dirt (or whatever you have set up in the mat) Tor explains how to do that exactly in his DVD here: http://eat3d.com/udk_modular
I'm pretty sure your face normals or vertex normals are locked. Convert your mesh to an editable poly, then in the modifiers list go to edit normals. Select all the normals (locked ones should be green if I remember correctly) and click Reset.
Currently been learning Ryan's methods actually, started working on a grime vertex shader since last night and literally just learning the basics. But I've got it to paint in between a clear wall and floor, and a dirty wall and floor. Things are looking good! =]
FBX is definitely supported by Max2008, i'd hope it's also supported by Max7, this might be a better choice than obj since it supports more data (vertex colour, animation, lighting, cameras etc). Dunno how good the Max7 FBX importers are though.
might want to try scripts! =) Scriptspot is gonna become your best friend if you re switching from maya to max. http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/pivot-by-2-vertex Select vertices, press key and tadam, pivot aligned to those.
Small update playing around with the foreground items and dabbling in some more vertex painting on rocks and tree trunks, might keep the Ivy on the tree trunk in the foreground or might swap it for mushrooms just need to wait and see. Feedback is appreciated as always :D
Ok here is the final , I think m version of this palm .... At leastI can reuse the materials on the others now , I added speculars, normals , diffuse , transparency for Sbusurface and some detail bumps.... How it looks? total vertexes 1200 polys 700
I already did and they're basically the same ones as the ones on the requirements page. But the reason for that is probably that the decompiler doesn't support all the newer features of *.mdl files. It doesn't extract *.dmx files and also can't deal with vertex animations on the dota2 models.
For the Zbrush people: Under export options, uncheck the groups (Grp). That will export each subtool object as one complete mesh (vs grouping at Polygroups). Use the FBX exporter under Zplugin and that will keep your names and allow for Paint Exports for Vertex Color.