Originally by: Nakuda

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Originally by: Aurvundill

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Edited by: Aurvundill on 03/04/2009 23:34:00
N = Normal Maps (Normally found in the Alpha Layer on an Shipname_ngs.dds combo)

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But that is just one channel of the normal map? You use it as a heigh map?
After bit of testing I noticed that EVE normal maps have their color channels on wrong places, so they need some manipulation to make them work as normal maps (not just height maps) in 3D softwares.

This is for Gimp, but same basic idea on other image manipulation programs like photoshop.
Load shipname_ngs.dds (you will need the .dds plugin)
Decompose (separate color channels to layers)
Invert Red channel (black to white)
Recompose:
Red to Blue
Blue to Alpha
Green to Red
Alpha to Green
Save to any format you like.

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Originally by: Davik Rendar

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I just wrote myself a nice little photoshop macro to convert the normal maps. So I just have to open the dds in PS, run my normal map extraction macro and save it out. You do start going a little nuts after converting about 150 models with 5 separate textures each though.

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Originally by: Anigo Montioa

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Just out of curiosity Aurvundil, but what program do you use for your renders? Rendering engine included?

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Originally by: Anigo Montioa

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I'm using 3ds Max 9 with VRay and I'm having a hard time getting even close to matching your render quality. Albeit, I'm not the best when it comes to rendering or anything. Still can't seem to figure out how the DirectX Shader material fully works. I can get it to load the .fx (sometimes, lately the ship.fx doesn't want to properly link to ObjectLit_pool.fx), and when it does and I render the scene, it's like the shader does nothing to modify the model at all. Am I completely misunderstanding what the shader is suppose to be doing, or what?

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type: EveShip2
turrets: []
name: "Abc2"
mesh:
 type: Tr2Mesh
 geometryResPath: "res:/dx9/model/ship/amarr/abc2/polySurfaceShape1.gr2"
 lowDetailGeometryResPath: "res:/dx9/model/ship/amarr/abc2/polySurfaceShape1_lowDetail.gr2"
 opaqueAreas:
 - type: Tr2MeshArea
 name: "MainHull"
 effect:
 type: Tr2Effect
 name: "Armor"
 effectFilePath: "res:/Graphics/Effect/Managed/Space/Ship/DoubleFresnelReflectionWithGlow.fx"
 parameters:
 - type: Tr2Vector4Parameter
 name: "MaterialDiffuseColor"
 value: [0.654902, 0.6156863, 0.5803922, 1]
 - type: Tr2Vector4Parameter
 name: "MaterialSpecularFactors"
 value: [0, 1, 0, 0]
 - type: Tr2Vector4Parameter
 name: "MaskDiffuseColor"
 value: [0.6509804, 0.6235294, 0.5882353, 1]
 - type: Tr2Vector4Parameter
 name: "MaskSpecularFactors"
 value: [0, 5, 0, 0]
 - type: Tr2Vector4Parameter
 name: "GlowColor"
 value: [3.5, 2.902899, 1.874367, 1]
 - type: Tr2Vector4Parameter
 name: "FresnelFactors"
 value: [1, 2.5, 1, 0]

Originally by: Aurvundill

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The FX file is compiled shader code with parameters.
Those need to be set via an engine or render.

Pulling an excerpt from abc2.red.

-snip-

The values you see are for the vectors, they can manipulate color, lighting, glow or power of a parameter.
Most ships have multiable layers and colors, so you need to drop in the proper value to grab the proper color.
Vectors have 4 values when applied to a texture. [RED, GREEN, BLUE, ALPHA], but that is only when a parameter is calling colors. Otherwise its [VALUE1, VALUE2, VALUE3, VALUE4]
Glow controls lighting for the alpha layer on the diffuse map as defined in the .FX file.

Anywho, a good number of ships require 2 different shaders just for the tech 1 stuff.
There is a special tech 2 shader in the .RED file also.

Lot to type. :P

It might be best to manipulate the values via another shader that references the .FX with the .RED variables.

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Originally by: Anigo Montioa

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Originally by: Aurvundill

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The FX file is compiled shader code with parameters.
Those need to be set via an engine or render.

Pulling an excerpt from abc2.red.

-snip-

The values you see are for the vectors, they can manipulate color, lighting, glow or power of a parameter.
Most ships have multiable layers and colors, so you need to drop in the proper value to grab the proper color.
Vectors have 4 values when applied to a texture. [RED, GREEN, BLUE, ALPHA], but that is only when a parameter is calling colors. Otherwise its [VALUE1, VALUE2, VALUE3, VALUE4]
Glow controls lighting for the alpha layer on the diffuse map as defined in the .FX file.

Anywho, a good number of ships require 2 different shaders just for the tech 1 stuff.
There is a special tech 2 shader in the .RED file also.

Lot to type. :P

It might be best to manipulate the values via another shader that references the .FX with the .RED variables.

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So with the .red file (I'm using the Rifter one, mf4.red), it references to this .fx file: "res:/Graphics/Effect/Managed/Space/Ship/DoubleFresnelReflectionWithGlow.fx". As I'm sure you've discovered, that actual file doesn't exist, as it's compiled into sm_3_0_Hi, etc. How would I take that along with the vector values and use them with VRay.

What exactly do you mean by two separate shaders? I mean, I know you're saying two different shaders, but I can only seem to find one for the Rifter?
I'm new to this whole shader thing too, and I'm not sure if you use/know how to use VRay as it remains a mystery.

Sorry for all the questions, just a lot more involving than I thought!

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Originally by: Anigo Montioa

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How do you go about texturing the Docking Bays? I know there are several materials for each section but how do you get the materials to line up? Flipping them doesn't seem to be doing the trick.

Ideas?

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Originally by: Anigo Montioa

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Flipped which way? 180 degrees verticaly, I assume?
Also, since the stations have multiple textures for each, and the geometry is broken into different material groups, how do you go about figuring out which material goes where?
That is, without actually going ingame. (I'm working on a Minmatar station at the moment, no luck except for the first material: Top. Such a difficult one!

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Originally by: Davik Rendar

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As for what texture goes where? You just kind of have to guess. Some of them are in order, others aren't. Usually I find the textures in the .red file called "armor" are the big main areas and the textures called "tech" are for some of the smaller detail areas.

Check out the preview viewer in the latest Singularity client, it's the little red button next to the ship image in the "show info" window. It works with drones and stations too, very handy for having a look at the models and working out where the textures go.

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type: EveShip2
turrets: []
name: "Abc2"
mesh:
 type: Tr2Mesh
 geometryResPath: "res:/dx9/model/ship/amarr/abc2/polySurfaceShape1.gr2" (MODEL)
 lowDetailGeometryResPath: "res:/dx9/model/ship/amarr/abc2/polySurfaceShape1_lowDetail.gr2" (LOW DETAIL)
 opaqueAreas:
 - type: Tr2MeshArea
 name: "MainHull" (Primary Texture)
 effect:
 type: Tr2Effect
 name: "Armor" (Tech 1 Shader & Vectors)
 effectFilePath: "res:/Graphics/Effect/Managed/Space/Ship/DoubleFresnelReflectionWithGlow.fx"
 parameters:
 - type: Tr2MeshArea
 name: "MainHull"
 effect:
 type: Tr2Effect
 name: "Crome" (Tech 1 Crome Effect Shader & Vectors)
 effectFilePath: "res:/Graphics/Effect/Managed/Space/Ship/DoubleFresnelReflectionWithGlow.fx"
 parameters:
 - type: Tr2MeshArea
 name: "MainHull"
 effect:
 type: Tr2Effect
 name: "Tech" ('Tech' is Tech 2 Armor Shader & Vectors, can cover all material slots)
 effectFilePath: "res:/Graphics/Effect/Managed/Space/Ship/DoubleFresnelReflectionWithGlow.fx"
 decalAreas: []
 depthAreas: []
 transparentAreas: []
 additiveAreas: []
shadowEffect: (Controls Shadow Resolution and Rendering)
 type: Tr2Effect
 effectFilePath: "res:/Graphics/Effect/Managed/Space/Ship/Shadow.fx"
 parameters: []
 resources: []
damageLocators: (Smoke and Fire effect for Hull Damage)
spriteSets:
 effect: (Blinking Lights, Locations, and Timers)
 type: Tr2Effect
 effectFilePath: "res:/Graphics/Effect/Managed/Space/Ship/FlashingLights.fxo"
 parameters: []
 resources:
locators: (Turrent Locations for roll, pitch and yaw)
- type: EveLocator2
 name: "locator_turret_1a" (Turrent ID Location)
 transform: (Controls roll, pitch and yaw)

Originally by: Davik Rendar

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Aurvundill: I'm using Cinema 4d (.C4D)

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Originally by: Aurvundill

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Originally by: Davik Rendar

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Aurvundill: I'm using Cinema 4d (.C4D)

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Welp, that quite expensive.

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Quote:

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- type: Tr2MeshArea

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Originally by: Davik Rendar

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Originally by: Aurvundill

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Originally by: Davik Rendar

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Aurvundill: I'm using Cinema 4d (.C4D)

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Welp, that quite expensive.

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Heh, yea, its a legit commercial license too, as I was doing some professional 3D work for a little while.

As for the .RED files, I'm not completely convinced. There are separate .red files for Tech 2 shaders for example (a lot of which are in the "factionpc" folder).

Quote:

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- type: Tr2MeshArea

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From what I've found each of these is assigned to a different UV area of the mesh. And when I've applied the textures with the colour values listed under each "type" section, they have come out looking exactly right.

Although I haven't had any experience with DirectX shaders or anything like that before, so everything I say is just purely from my own recent findings and previous 3D experience.

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Originally by: Hellena

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ive been experiencing fatal errors with the program. i got it to open once and navigated to my EVE directory...then the program 'encountered an error' and needed to close. now, it wont even open.

am running xp 64 bit.

any suggestions? or....would people want to email me converted .obj files?

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[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\TriExporter]
"EVE"="C:\\Program Files(x86)\\CCP\\EVE"

Quote:

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Problem signature: Problem Event Name:BEX Application Name:TriExporter 2009.exe Application Version:0.4.1.5 Application Timestamp:47821992 Fault Module Name:TriExporter 2009.exe Fault Module Version:0.4.1.5 Fault Module Timestamp:47821992 Exception Offset:00029bad Exception Code:c000000d Exception Data:00000000 OS Version:6.0.6001.2.1.0.256.1

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Originally by: Captain Powers

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I'm almost got it working except the trick to generating the correct colors for the texture maps.

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Originally by: Jmarr Hyrgund

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Where are the turret textures kept? I've found the models but the only other files in the folder with the models are .red files. If someone can point me at the textures I'd be most grateful.

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