Bridge Commander Central
BC Forums => BC Bridge Modding => Topic started by: Picky on January 03, 2011, 11:26:56 AM
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While I'm waiting the panels for the ST V bridge, I'm filing my skills in modeling with the ST I bridge. Maybe this will be released, but there will be a LOT to do... So I'm not sure about the future of this bridge, but why not try ;) ?
Bones, can I use your ST I panels? This would cut a great piece of work! They are the ones used in your Early TMP Miranda Bridge (Prometheus retexture), right? If not, can you send me the right ones? If not, I will draw them myself, don't worry :) !
Here the first steps: maybe the arms of the chiars will be changed (I don't like a lot how they are right now).
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you can't :D because they are obsolete ;) I have new screens for ya, you had TWOK version of these when you've been modelling TWOK bridge, few tweaks and they'll be TMP ;)
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Thank you, but I don't want to give you more work: if you should draw new ones, the old panels are perfect!
Little update: I rebuild the walls, now they are more regular and canon. I saw that the TMP bridge is very similar to the one projected for Phase II (if you search "Star Trek Phase II Bridge" in google images you will find a picture of a white bridge with red doors), only the chairs (they seem to be really confortable!), the roof and the tactical stations are different... Maybe I will make also that version, it should be very easy.
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Very impressive work, mate.
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Slick mesh so far, dude! Nice work :thumbsup:
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Thank you all!
Update: I have to do only the roof and the rail, maybe something to adjust.
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Sorry for double post: the model of the TMP bridge is complete! Now with a few modifications, it will become the Phase II bridge ;)
Enjoy!
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very nice, when textured you are more than free to use my Twok bridge files to get this bridge manned.
Any conversion help give me a shout.
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very nice, when textured you are more than free to use my Twok bridge files to get this bridge manned.
Any conversion help give me a shout.
Do take Baz and I up on offer. Be a shame to keep making bridge models (lovely and easy as they may be) but never actually get them ingame. You'll find the real hard work starts now, lol :)
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Nifty stuff!
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Really thank you for your offer, Baz :) ! When the bridge will be ready, I'll contact you ;) ... Just a question: if I remember well, in your thread of the TWOK Bridge, you told that there was some difficulty to import the lightmaps from Max9 to Max3. Do I have to follow a particular process to do the lightmaps so you can convert this bridge wothout problems?
Little update: as thought, I totally rebuild the chairs, now they are more "fluid", but this will not be an 8472's bridge :funny
I build also the strange speakers all around the ceiling and I made the viewscreen a bit larger, maybe not 100% canon, but I noticed that all the viewscreens, when ingame, are quite small.
And I adjusted also the tactical station.
First textures done...
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Another double post :S ...
Well, I have updates: the textures are near to be complete, I used the TWOK keypads because I think they are the same and now this bridge needs only the TMP panels (really, Bones, don't add more work: the ones you already have are perfect ;) !).
I noticed that full colors tend to appear as unatural and a little "cartoony", so I went for softer textures...
Here the pictures
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just use panels I made for ya back when you were building TWOK bridge ;)
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I noticed that full colors tend to appear as unatural and a little "cartoony", so I went for softer textures...
Looks like slowly getting there :dance Chair textures could be improved but not end of world, but floor definitely needs some definition (I know as get that often, lol). Colors and definition are hard to judge in max as invariably renders look better and whatever you do ends up looking different ingame :P The big challenge starting now is: lightmapping, which will make a big difference to how bridge looks and feels, and then porting to nif. Once all that ok, then on to animations.
you told that there was some difficulty to import the lightmaps from Max9 to Max3. Do I have to follow a particular process to do the lightmaps so you can convert this bridge wothout problems?
There shouldn't be any problems at all importing lightmaps from max9 to max3.
Only things have to be careful of re the lightmap process (assuming you know how to do lightmaps? If not, you should ask):
1) get lightmaps as 'accurate' as possible (i.e. don't overlight or underlight bridge)
2) Check lightmaps created on ch 2 (via render to texture), and baked to object.
3) 256x256 lightmaps fine, but shadow detail areas (like floors, walls) may need higher
4) test lightmaps working (easiest way is to open light lister, turn off lights and then render. If get illuminated render, lightmaps working. If black or sections black, then lightmaps not working. doh)
if that checklist ok, ready to export from Max 9 to 3, then into ingame nif.
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WOW!
That's just beautiful! I particularly like the texturing on and around the green cieling dome, very slick :)
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Thank you all! I have an idea for the lightmaps, but before making an error, maybe it is better if I ask: if possible, can you explain the process step by step? Thank you :)
floor definitely needs some definition
I know, but unfortunately I'm not a good texturer... There should be a milled effect, right?
The crew chairs need to be a little more yellow, this is extremely easy (will do today :) )
The great barrier in this bridge is that if you look at the screenshots of Trekcore, you will see that the walls, the stations, the chairs, etc.. change color during the movie! Probably it is an effect of the lights, but in some scene the walls seem to be grey-green, in others brown-beige, in others grey-blue... :banghead:
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Thank you all! I have an idea for the lightmaps, but before making an error, maybe it is better if I ask: if possible, can you explain the process step by step? Thank you :)
I'll do a new thread explaining lightmapping (with pics) which I hope you'll find useful :)
EDIT: here it is
http://bc-central.net/forums/index.php/topic,8210.0.html (http://bc-central.net/forums/index.php/topic,8210.0.html)
There should be a milled effect, right?
The crew chairs need to be a little more yellow, this is extremely easy (will do today :) )
The great barrier in this bridge is that if you look at the screenshots of Trekcore, you will see that the walls, the stations, the chairs, etc.. change color during the movie! Probably it is an effect of the lights, but in some scene the walls seem to be grey-green, in others brown-beige, in others grey-blue... :banghead:
There are several ways to get definition in floors. Depending on what graphics program using (Photoshop?), you can apply a texture with opacity, or use one of the filters (usually film grain or similar)
Bridges do often change color depending on lighting. You have to decide what you want as your base/green alert color first. Then there are two ways you can add other state effects. For standard red alert darkening, that's part of the gamma nif which I can explain when you reach that point. That will also include red alert flashing.
The other method - usually to get blue alert, or red bridge as with Baz's TWOK bridge - is to make duplicate red-tinge lightmaps with _red suffix which are then triggered by autoload script.
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Thank you all! Lurok91, maybe I'll choose the standard red alert darkening without red flashing, in the movie it is like that (there is the red lighting, but then Jim says "Normal lighting" and the bridge is onlt a little darker than in the first scenes). And I think that way would be also the less heavy for our PC (when I use Baz's TWOK bridge the CPU of the PC is really stressed!!!).
Update: adjusted textures and stations begun, I made also the 3D helm-nav station, I hope Baz doesn't want any copyright for this! A question: the 5 frames animation has to be done with an "ifl" file of animation?
Enjoy
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I hope Baz doesn't want any copyright for this! A question: the 5 frames animation has to be done with an "ifl" file of animation?
Yes I do lol, and once my lawyers are done with wiley they will be paying you a visit :evil:.
But seriesously you name your frames helm1, helm2 etc then when applying the texture check sequence and select the first frame. Then open the time opions below and and change it or they will cycle to fast. I found 0.05 a good speed on the twok bridge texture animations
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Yes I do lol, and once my lawyers are done with wiley they will be paying you a visit
:funny
Update: some detail added to the model, texture are proceeding. But from the death of my PC, two textures didn't survive... Are the side connsolles of science station and the right one of the enviroment station (see screenshots): Bones, can you send me these panels? Thank you
EDIT: also the captain panels (the ones in the chair's arms) didn't survived, I noticed it only today. If it is too much trouble for you to send me these panels, can I use the ones from Baz bridge?
Enjoy
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I'm proceeding with the textures: I used Baz's panels but if he doesn't want, I'll change them ;)
Textures are complete at 100%! All stations are animanted in 5 frames. Now I'm adjusting the lights to do the lightmaps, maybe we will try to convert two versions: one with the lightmaps, the other without them, and see which is the best.
You will see a darker bridge: I'm trying to match the correct lighting from the movie.
I rebuild also the turbolifts, now they have a minor number of polygons.
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I'm proceeding with the textures: I used Baz's panels but if he doesn't want, I'll change them ;)
No objections help yourself.
One question the turbolift doors are they panels or boxes. The reason I asks is mark pointed out to me that the old bridges used a single sided panel (saves polys) and this was fine until walk FX came out. If you are standing in the lift the doors will be see through, so make them boxes and texture both sides.
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I already noticed that: they are obviously boxes ;)
But every single suggestion is well accepted, thank you :) !
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okay...this'll be the first cookie I've given out in a LONG time.
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This is AWESOME, Picky! :D Will I actually be able to download this one?? :P Baz's twok bridge download is fubar. XD
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Baz's twok bridge download is fubar. XD
Can you expand on that?
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Can you expand on that?
Didn't you get my PM? The download link on Filefront is broken; stuck in an infinite loop or something of the sort.
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Nothing I can do. Try the link in the comments. Think we need new host site.
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I reached the conclusion that it is a problem of the browser: Internet Explorer doesn't work, you have to use Safari, Firefox, Mozilla or Google Chrome. But the link in the comments is a direct link and should work with every browser ;)
Update: I tried to do the lightmaps but the resluts were not so good, so I will follow the footsteps of Lurok and Baz and use the uniform lights of the bridge. The next step are the animations of doors and chairs, right? Do I have to do that with the classic keyframe animation or there is a special path to follow?
Thank you!
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standard key frames. thought not sure they will work as they need to be exported from max 3
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Update: I tried to do the lightmaps but the resluts were not so good,
Why don't you post them anyway? We all have times when results not good but if we show them we can get advice on where going wrong.
so I will follow the footsteps of Lurok and Baz and use the uniform lights of the bridge.
Do you mean lightmap with uniform light?
The next step are the animations of doors and chairs, right? Do I have to do that with the classic keyframe animation or there is a special path to follow?
As Baz said, standard keyframes. On first bridges was able to export working door anims from Max 9 into Max 3, but not the chairs. May be possible but never done it myself. Probably is best to do all anims in Max 3.
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if your at the animation stage I can help
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I was an error in the unwrapping! Now the lightmaps are ok, but I have to lightmap all the objects? The walls are really better without lightmaps.
Baz, really thank you for the help, animations are the next step and your help will be indispensable :)
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I was an error in the unwrapping! Now the lightmaps are ok, but I have to lightmap all the objects? The walls are really better without lightmaps.
If you're going down the lightmapping route, ideally yes you should lightmap all objects. But you don't have to. May just look a bit strange.
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I'm excited to see what this'll look like at Red Alert! :)
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Probably this bridge will use the natural darkening for red alert: it is a very heavy model and overload it with textures swapping would probably crash any computer!
Update: I'm proceeding with lightmaps, separating the walls in parts gave me more control on the process and now they work correctly ;)
A question: do I have to lightmap also the panels? In their materials, all the panels have Self-Illumination, it is indifferent?
In the screenshots below all the light are turned off: there are only lightmaps
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if the bridge is that heavy, just keep the texture sizes down. it's the textures themselves that cause the BC engine to gag.
every bridge I've looked at has no LM's for the panels themselves in basic. i think I've seen a few exceptions with the TOS bridges.
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If those pictures are of your lightmapped bridge with no lights turned on, then you don't need to do anything else. If everything is illuminated in your lightmap render, then it will look the same ingame. Congratulations :yay: Personally I'd like to see a bit more shadow/atmosphere - it does look a bit 'flat' - but it's your choice.
And KCS is right about texture swapping: probably what you should do is have 512 textures for low-end computers but also include bigger textures for those whose computers can handle them.
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Thank you all for the answers.
The textures are 512 x 512, only the panels are 1024 x 1024, but it is not a problem to do a second folder with smaller textures ;)
The only remaining lightmaps are the tubolifts' ones: will do tomorrow.
Then I'll animate the chairs and the doors (hoping that exporting the bridge to 3dmax 3 will not eliminate that step: I don't want to give more work to Baz!)
Personally I'd like to see a bit more shadow/atmosphere
Yes, you are right: there isn't much detail. But this is my first successfully build bridge! Maybe I'll do a second version with some shadow (easy to do: will be a retexture of the lightmaps!).
I choose these regular lights also because I like a lot the atmosphere of Baz's bridge: it is really "smooth".
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Then I'll animate the chairs and the doors (hoping that exporting the bridge to 3dmax 3 will not eliminate that step: I don't want to give more work to Baz!)
Don't worry about that. That will take less than 10 minutes to do once the bridge is fully in max 3.
As for the dark enviroment I will be releasing at some point the hijacked enterprise bridge with only one omni over the helm.
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Thank you, Baz :)
I'm now studing a good illumination for the turbolifts, not too difficult... See you on the new server ;) !
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Another double post...
Well, I have updates: the lightmaps are done, now I'm animating the chairs and the doors. In this period I have a lot of commitments so I haven't much time to spend on the bridge, but it is growing slowly ;)
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glad to hear youre making excellent progress :)
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glad to hear youre making excellent progress :)
Seconded. And don't feel in any rush :) I should know as been guilty of that myself. Best to take time to get right and be happy with for yourself. It'll be appreciated as and when completed :thumbsup: