Bridge Commander Central
BC Forums => BC Modding => Tutorials => Topic started by: Mark on July 21, 2006, 06:24:35 AM
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How to create animated maps Cpt?
Well.. here it goes the step by step.
First just some definitions: I got very deep studying the netimmerse format when creating the nebula bridge and i found some nice features it allow us. The most usefull in BC are the animated maps and masked transparency maps (this one i'll explain in other thread), both then used in our borg sphere that should be release just now.
The netimmerse format doesn't support animations in materials using timeline and keyframe. And I'm not sure if it'll support any model animations based in keyframe.. so that's bad to people who want to try moving objects.
To create the animated maps you need to use the 3ds max flip controler file.. .IFL.. but what's that? the .ifl file is not anything more than a .txt file (with .ifl extension) with the names of 2 or more image files.
like this one:
test1.tga
test2.tga
how to create it:
There are two ways. I'll try to explain both.
* USING SEQUENCED FILES
1 - Create a series of maps in any graphic program. it's names must be the same with a number at end.. (test1.tga, test2.tga, test3.tga)
IMPORTANT: You cannot add _glow/_specular behind the number.. it must be the last char. The effects of that will be said later.
2 - Open your max, the material editor, and pick one material.
3 - Get on the map slot you want to use: diffuse, self ilumination, opacity, etc.
4 - Click on it and choose bitmap from the map listings.
5 - the brwose file dialog box will open. click on the first image of your sequence.
6 - notice that the small "checkbox" SEQUENCE will become available. mark it (this will automatically create an .ifl file for your sequence).
7- Click on. The ifl properties dialog will appear. Don't touch anything there or you'll get undesired effects.
8 - Now you already have the animated map.. just need to tune the timing. go up to the material "root" (where the map slots are show). Behind it there's another section called "TIME"
9 - Expand it and you'll find the playback options. the time is by the following form: frames by each image = 1/time.
this means: if the time is set to 1, the image will be changed at every frame.. that's really bad as it's too much fast and doesn't work right.
if the time is set to 0.5, the image will change at 2 frames. for 0.1 at 10 frames and so on.
10 - besides it there's a option of how to playback.
loop
ping and pong
play and stop.
That's it.
*USING THE .ifl FILE
1 - Create the animated maps exactly as said before.
2 - Open the notepad and write a sequence with your graphic files
ex:
test1.tga
test2.tga
testusual.tga
notest.tga
3 - save it with a name you desire with the .ifl extension.
4 - Get on the map slot you want to use: diffuse, self ilumination, opacity, etc.
5 - Click on it and choose bitmap from the map listings.
6 - Now pick your ifl file. The ifl properties dialog will not open (it may open depending of your max config).
7 - follow the 8 to 10 steps from the other tutorial.
CONSIDERATIONS
1 - As when you compile the nif netimmerse will create new named maps _glow/_specular will not work without finding some tricks.
2 - I just can animate the diffuse or the glow using alphas not both simultaneously in one map. Don't know why.
3 - Each file sequence must be just in one object.. if you use this material to more than one object it'll animated just the first object not the others.. so, you may need to attach all your objects in one. Don't know why too.
4 - The map may not show correct working damage textures. so, i suggest not use big animated maps for all the ship.. just use it on small parts.
some things are still a bit unclear about this animations, and it uses lots of video cars processing so, use this wisely. or you ship may turn unplayable.
I hope this help you people
Any doubt contact me
chisholm@terra.com.br
Cpt
Originally Posted at BCU by LC Amaral / Legacy
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Works :) useful alternative to BPcore animated maps.
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What do you do with a single texture like a sprite type texture? Also where do I find an .ifl files?
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What do you do with a single texture like a sprite type texture? Also where do I find an .ifl files?
You would have to create the IFL File to get the proper animation. Just use notepad and write in this order:
(Insert your texture name here)1.tga
(Insert your texture name here)2.tga
(Insert your texture name here)3.tga
etc. until you have all your animated textures in the file. Then save as (Your texture).ifl
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K what about dealing with singel texture animations?
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Not sure what you mean there, Starfox. Are you referring to GIFs? :lostit:
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No Flipbook style like sprites often use.
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Uhm . . . okay. How about an example or demonstration? Because I honestly have no idea what you're going on about . . .
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http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3697428/Bussardanimation.zip
This kind of texture
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Huh. Okay. What ship did this come with? Obviously a TOS ship, but which one specifically?
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I can't remeber :doh: U know it came of a BC ship but I cant seam to find it again :facepalm: I really want to Baz1701 did it but like I said I can't find the model :idk:
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I expect It is not a texture for BC. It is like a texture from a ship in Legacy or possibly Armada if the Armada games share the same texture animation method for ship textures. The BC ships of Baz1701 that I have seen with texture animations, were done as this guide describes above. To use a 16 frame animation based on the texture your showing, you would cut the image into 16 pieces saving each frame as 'bussard1.tga' to "bussard16.tga" for example each one only having a single frame on it.
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Yeah I created a ifl in max which is a sequence of TGA's.
You need to have to layers to the bussard to get them to glow using Gentys method.
The animation needs to be added to the opacity slot as well as diffused and the glow with a alpha channel.
On the JJprise and had the glow map switch dark and bright via warp warm up as it is a static map.
I beleive my latest TOS connie is being released today through SFR&D so take a look at how it was done.
Just as a side note I use Max3 to export not nifskope.
EDIT Connie now up http://anonymouse.org/cgi-bin/anon-www.cgi/http://bridgecommander.filefront.com/file/Tos1701_V2_sfrd;119418#Rate