Some questions about custom armor models

[frell]

Im simply asking questions needed before I create custom armor

What is the texture map size for each part of the body?

To create custom armor, do I modify existing armor, only edit textures, or do I start with the bare torso and model on?

I remember seeing a tutorial for getting a new armor animated (but I can no longer find it), how do I do this?

How are wrinkles done in cloth? I myself would use zbrush but not many people here own that. How are the normal maps for wrinkles created?

What are the polygon limits for each slot?

If I create the armor for someone else, how can I get all the files to them in one easy package, and what files are needed?

And also please throw in tutorials you think are relevant

Thats pretty much all for now, thanks!

 

[GetAssista]

> What is the texture map size for each part of the body?
there are 4 parts - armor, helm, gloves and boots, last 3 can be used from vanilla. 1024^2 or 512^2 tex size is a standard.

> To create custom armor, do I modify existing armor, only edit textures, or do I start with the bare torso and model on?
However you like. Start with editing textures though

> I remember seeing a tutorial for getting a new armor animated (but I can no longer find it), how do I do this?
OpenBRF -> Copy -> Paste rigging (from an exising animated armor)

> How are wrinkles done in cloth? I myself would use zbrush but not many people here own that. How are the normal maps for wrinkles created?
There was a thread not long ago. Or was it in the 3d thread

> What are the polygon limits for each slot?
Whatever you like, up to several thousands. As long as it is single armor for a single agent

> If I create the armor for someone else, how can I get all the files to them in one easy package, and what files are needed?
brf file. And a text string to be inserted into itemkinds.txt, if the receiving person is mod-illiterate.

 

[frell]

> What is the texture map size for each part of the body?
there are 4 parts - armor, helm, gloves and boots, last 3 can be used from vanilla. 1024^2 or 512^2 tex size is a standard.

Either for any part?

> To create custom armor, do I modify existing armor, only edit textures, or do I start with the bare torso and model on?
However you like. Start with editing textures though

I've been a 3d character artist long before I discovered MB, just trying to adapt to MB

> I remember seeing a tutorial for getting a new armor animated (but I can no longer find it), how do I do this?
OpenBRF -> Copy -> Paste rigging (from an exising animated armor)

And then what? Export, import to 3d editor (what do you guys use by the way?), import custom model into 3d editor, bind model to rig, then re-export?

> How are wrinkles done in cloth? I myself would use zbrush but not many people here own that. How are the normal maps for wrinkles created?
There was a thread not long ago. Or was it in the 3d thread

> What are the polygon limits for each slot?
Whatever you like, up to several thousands. As long as it is single armor for a single agent

> If I create the armor for someone else, how can I get all the files to them in one easy package, and what files are needed?
brf file. And a text string to be inserted into itemkinds.txt, if the receiving person is mod-illiterate.

Thanks! Itd be great if someone could add onto the first one

 

[GetAssista]

> Either for any part?
Umm, being a 3D artist, you should understand that smaller parts better be given smaller texture sheets

> And then what?
Ah, so you are a complete freshman. Here:
1. OpenBrf is a neat soft to handle brf files, that game understands. ANd to import different stuff into. Search on forum for the d/l.
2. Get your 3d mesh into brf file.
3. Open some vanilla brf file with some similar armor. Edit -> Copy
4. Return to your brf with your armor and RMB -> Paste rigging

 

[frell]

Thats it for riggin?! I could have sworn there was a bit more to it than that concerning naming and weighting

 

[xenoargh]

And once you've pasted the rigging, export as SMD to do final tweaks to the rig.  3DS has SMD support via a plugin, IIRC.

Personally, I like using FragMOTION to do rigging tweaks;  it's a fast, clean tool that's pretty much designed entirely around rigging and animation sets, and it's easy to do blend weights in it.  OpenBRF has a nearly magical ability to get rigs right the first time, if you pick an armor that's similar in form, but you'll often find that a few vert weights need fixing.  The only file format OpenBRF can handle that is rigged is SMD; one other option is to import the standard skeleton into 3DS and do all of your rigging there (which is probably what you'd find most comfortable).

 

[frell]

Alright thanks for the help!


One last question, is there a specific way to uv map clothes? like a convention for MB? Or just do It your own way but be efficient?

 

[xenoargh]

Unless you're trying to build it for display of the auto-generated texture passes (i.e., the armors that show the local coat of arms, etc.) then you basically just do it however you find most comfortable and efficient

If you want to try dealing with the heraldry system, then you need to use a pretty specific layout.  But frankly the heraldry shader's unimpressive, and there are tons and tons of armors in that category anyhow (trust me, the last thing we need is more guys in tabards and chain mail).

 

[frell]

So true about the chainmail haha

I will try making a simple smiley face T shirt to see if I can get it ingame. Im using crpg, is it possible for me to preview it in that? Or will I have to go back to native?

 

[Sayd Ûthman]

Just something you need to know, because it seems to me like you have modded Total wars before that. in mb you don't have to model and texture the whole soldiers(helmet,armor,boots,face ...etc) you model only items. so you have the body armor, the helmet etc.. each one is saved alone and they don't have any relation between themselves except when weared by a character. and also, you should take care about the size and the orientation of the models. for that use a male head as reference for helmets, an armor/ or a man body as reference for your armors...etc references can be found by searching a bit in the commonRes folder using openBRF

 

[frell]

I've never modded anything before, thanks for the information though.

 

[frell]

Oh, and are LOD's created manually?

 

[Sayd Ûthman]

Yes

 

[xenoargh]

Im using crpg, is it possible for me to preview it in that? Or will I have to go back to native?

Yeah, you can use it... simply change the mesh reference for one of the items you have. 

Now... I normally steer people straight towards source code.  But if this is all you want to do, then this will get it in game:

Open up item_kinds1.txt in the CRPG folder.  It'll be full of funny entries that look like this:

 itm_arena_armor_red Arena_Armor_Red Arena_Armor_Red 1  arena_armorR_new 0  16777229 0 600 0 16.000000 100 0 29 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 0
0

Now find one with the name of an armor you get right away in CRPG, probably a peasant shirt or something, and replace the name of the mesh with your mesh's name, like so:

 itm_arena_armor_red Arena_Armor_Red Arena_Armor_Red 1  frell_awesome_smiley_shirt 0  16777229 0 600 0 16.000000 100 0 29 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 0
0

One last step.  Open up module.ini.  You'll see entries like this:

load_mod_resource = wei_xiadi_osp

Add a new one, that has the name of your saved BRF file:

load_mod_resource = frell_awesome_shirt_test

Presuming you've set up your material correctly and imported your textures into your BRF, that's all there is to it.  This is not (really, really not) a good way to do it, for a large number of items.  But it's fine for testing a single thing and getting a feel for how the shaders work.

Lastly, naming conventions are very important.  Name collisions can cause errors or crashes.  So, when you name your textures, your material, and your mesh, make sure to put 'frell_' before each name.  This means that it's very unlikely that any other modeler's work will cause name collisions with yours.  I keep having to explain this to people, after they've made a set of items... which sucks, btw, because then you have to rename all of the DDS files, rename all of their names in the Materials, and rename all of the Material references in the Meshes- iow, a huge amount of really annoying data-entry.  You will make modders extremely happy if you just remember to put 'frell_' before any names.  And it also makes it extremely easy to credit you properly

Oh, and are LOD's created manually?

OpenBRF can make LOD pyramids fairly well, actually.  And using a Taleworlds mesh for LOD2 / LOD3 with minor uv changes is trivial.  For LOD1, you can use OpenBRF; the results of the decimation are usually very good.

It can also build the 'female' vertex frame (female versions of armor are just male versions with vertex changes- basically a morph). 

And it can do vertex AO, for an AO pass, with good results once you know how to adjust it.

 

[frell]

thanks very much

 

[frell]

I was cut short while creating...

What do you use to get a new texture into dds format? I used ddsview to export it in .dds but in BRF I get a blue checkered blank texture so im thinking theres some sort of format difference.

 

[Ikaguia]

use paint.net and save it as .dds it always works for me

 

[xenoargh]

What do you use to get a new texture into dds format? I used ddsview to export it in .dds but in BRF I get a blue checkered blank texture so im thinking theres some sort of format difference.

I use Photoshop and the nVidia plugin, myself, but ATi's Compressionator and other tools can be used.  Basically, both the Warband engine and OpenBRF deal with DDS DXT1, DXT3 and DXT5 just fine.  Just don't forget to make all of the mip levels.

 

[frell]

Ok

opened male body 8 in photoshop

drew on it as a test

exported with nvidia plugin on DXT5 with all mipmaps

imported into brf

and I get:

Im simply trying to view it in brf, pretty sure "smiley" wont work ingame

 

[xenoargh]

Post a link to the file, let's take a look.