b3d pipeline and 3ds max

Community Forums/Developer Stations/b3d pipeline and 3ds max

Caff(Posted 2003) [#1]
Having a few problems with using the materials. I'm not sure I'm doing it right...

For some reason the perspective view won't show a Blitz brush when I assign to something, but when I do a b3d preview, or max render, the texture is there...

Can anyone be good enough to post a step-by-step guide to using the B3d material/maps? I need to start looking at texture baking for lightmaps also, has anyone got this going? Please help


Mathieu A(Posted 2003) [#2]
I have the same problem. But I have no solution to resolve it


Lazarus(Posted 2003) [#3]
Select object. Press M to open material editor. Click on Standard and double click on Blitz 3D Brush. Cick first texture layer and double click on Blitz 3D Map. Click None button and choose texture.

Press Assign Material to Selection button and then checker button. You should now see it in the viewport.

Add a light. Choose Render to Texture (key 0). Click on your object again to activate Add button. Add a Diffuse Map and a Lightmap.

Under General Settings/Display and Materials choose Lightmap.

Press Render to save bitmaps to disk. Your viewport should now show the lightmapped object.

Unfortunately the next bit I can't suss. If you now add the lightmap to your material in the material editor as a second texture layer it seems to be too small and when you B3D Pipeline it (Excellent utility!) and render in Blitz it is too small.

I'm still working on what the probem is right now.

I hope this was of help.


Lazarus(Posted 2003) [#4]
I was seriously looking at Cartography Shop to do my level editing but without slagging of what could be a fine product it just isn't suitable for my needs. You can't import and objects so you have to do all modelling withing CShop. When you have applied a texture to an object if you move that object then the texture shifts across the surface. This is frustrating and doesn't occur in any other 3d modelling package. Also you can't seem to wrap textures around objects like a column, the texture seems to repeat on each polygon.

So this is why I resorted to 3DS Max to do my lightmapping but I am just having problems with the resulting lightmap sizes.


Gabriel(Posted 2003) [#5]
You can't import and objects so you have to do all modelling withing CShop.


Yes you can. Halo has already provided a 3dsMax exporter and the CSM format is open, so others are currently writing exporters ( and importers for other tools. )


When you have applied a texture to an object if you move that object then the texture shifts across the surface. This is frustrating and doesn't occur in any other 3d modelling package.


Cartography Shop is not a 3d modelling package. It's a CSG level editor. Most CSG level editors work this way. I've made my case elsewhere, so I won't go over it again. Suffice it to say that I believe it would be even worse if texture coordinates were local by default.

It depends largely on the type of game you're working on. I'm currently working on two projects which don't suit Cartography Shop's style. One I'm doing in 3dsMax and one I've written my own level editor for. I have a couple of projects planned for next year, and both of those do suit Cartography Shop. Max is undeniably powerful as a level editor because of it's excellent poly modelling tools, but it's UV mapping tools are weak, as is the case in all the major multi-purpose 3d packages.


Caff(Posted 2003) [#6]
Thanks for your help Lazarus!

Yep the problem I found with not seeing in the viewport was because I hadn't ticked the 'show map in viewport' box. No, I don't feel stupid, honest...

I will take a look at the lightmap issue also, see if we can work it out between us...