ChiefBrex's WIPs List - Current Projects: Rigel Class & TOS Pack (03.05.17)

[WileyCoyote]

what do service hatches and resupply ports on a starship look like

Random areas of the ship that are either outlined in red, or have miniscule detailing.

These links should give you an idea:
http://www.st-bilder.de/gallery/modelle/sternenflotte/constitution/constitution-65813.html#joomimg
http://www.st-bilder.de/gallery/modelle/sternenflotte/sovereign/sovereign-66690.html#joomimg
http://www.st-bilder.de/gallery/modelle/sternenflotte/intrepid/intrepid-66455.html#joomimg

[ChiefBrex]

I used the service hatches I saw on the Lakota Refit to make hatches on the Rigel Class. So now all I need is to finish the Aztecing on the saucer and secondary hull, add some resupply ports, and she's officially done.

[starship]

I saw your message. I haven't replied yet because the project isn't finished yet. But I will let you know something asap

No pressure! Just take your time.

[ChiefBrex]

I guess it's been awhile since I've done speculars. But iirc, I should be able to see the speculars in my renders of the Rigel Class. However, no matter what settings I use, and how I adjust the spec maps, the speculars are not showing up in the renders. Can anyone help?

[Adonis]

I guess it's been awhile since I've done speculars. But iirc, I should be able to see the speculars in my renders of the Rigel Class. However, no matter what settings I use, and how I adjust the spec maps, the speculars are not showing up in the renders. Can anyone help?

Set up your scene as I showed here[url], and get two omni lights into it too, but set each on opposite side, use intensity levels of 0.5 on each if you use two, 0.1 if you use 4 (then turn off two's diffuse channels which are opposite of each other).

[ChiefBrex]

Set up your scene as I showed here[url], and get two omni lights into it too, but set each on opposite side, use intensity levels of 0.5 on each if you use two, 0.1 if you use 4 (then turn off two's diffuse channels which are opposite of each other).

Tried this, and I'm still not getting any visible change in the renders when the Speculars are applied. All I've managed to do is overexpose the rest of the mesh. It's almost blinding to look at. And I've been moving the two omnis around, moved the skylight right above the mesh.

Specular maps go in Specular Level or Specular Color?

EDIT: Okay, figured out it is supposed to be Specular level. And I made all my spec maps grayscale. But I was looking at Kirk's Applying Textures tutorial and I noticed the spec map he used for CG's Sovvie is Black and White. So I'm wondering if maybe that's why they're not showing up in render? Because I didn't make them black and white?

Anyway, New Renders:
















Gentleman, I give you, the USS Rigel, first of her class:


The USS Tolstoy, destroyed at Wolf 359 in 2367:


and the USS Akagi, currently still on active service:

[Vortex]

Very nice!

[mckinneyc]

they are gorgeous Brex! Ccan't wait to give them a fly

[JimmyB76]

stunning!  well done!! 

[Killallewoks]

Brilliant!

[ChiefBrex]

Thanks. The only issue I have now is with the speculars. But I'm sure I'll get them sorted out. Anyway, the ship is ready to be ported to NIF Format. Not sure if I'm ready to tackle deferred lighting just yet.

[Adonis]

Tried this, and I'm still not getting any visible change in the renders when the Speculars are applied. All I've managed to do is overexpose the rest of the mesh. It's almost blinding to look at. And I've been moving the two omnis around, moved the skylight right above the mesh.

Specular maps go in Specular Level or Specular Color?

EDIT: Okay, figured out it is supposed to be Specular level. And I made all my spec maps grayscale. But I was looking at Kirk's Applying Textures tutorial and I noticed the spec map he used for CG's Sovvie is Black and White. So I'm wondering if maybe that's why they're not showing up in render? Because I didn't make them black and white?

Don't make specs grayscale on Fed ships, it doesn't suit them! If you want to see how it would look in BC, then set it both as color and level, but set the color ones setting to RGB instead of opaque in it's material setup.

The skylight position makes no difference whatsoever.

I always put the omnis at 5000 meters on all axises from the model, and always two opposite facing ones (say omni 1 is at coords (x,y,z) 5000, 5000, 5000, then omni two will be at -5000,-5000,-5000) are the two mains, the other two are strictly for normals and specularity (each omni has a setting to turn off the diffuse and specular illumination). In a four omni setup the skylights multiplier is at 0.5, and all omnis are at 0.1, in a two omni setup their multipliers would be 0.4 at least, but the 4 one gives a lot better result. The other two omnis go to the sides which are the least illuminated. This way the whole ship gets at least specular lightning. Try this setup: put the skylight anywhere, omni1 to 5000,5000,5000, omni2 to -5000,-5000,-5000 (these are your main ones), omni3 to -5000,5000,-5000, omni4 to 5000,-5000,5000 (these get the diffuse channel turned off in their settings). Skylight multiplier is 0.5 (turn it's shadow map off, you don't need it really), the omnis are 0.1, set all of them to advanced raytraced shadowing. Don't forget to turn on the light tracer as I showed in that blog of mine. You should get a result like this for example:

[moed]

Excellent job Brex!

Very much look forward to installing these... and thank you for doing this awesome work for our community!

[ChiefBrex]

Thank you everyone for the kind words! Adonis, I will try that set up. So, should the specs be in color or monotone (ie black & white)?

[Adonis]

Thank you everyone for the kind words! Adonis, I will try that set up. So, should the specs be in color or monotone (ie black & white)?

Color, the way BC sees specs, color is good for Feds, while Klinks and Roms are better with either grayscale, or a combo of grayscale and coloring (depends really on the ship). All my Feds have colored specular maps

[ChiefBrex]

Ok. I'll try colored again. Any recommendations on the settings for the layers of aztecing?

[Adonis]

Ok. I'll try colored again. Any recommendations on the settings for the layers of aztecing?

Try more garish versions of the diffuse colors. If that doesn't work, toy around with some gray-green and duck-egg shades. Just make them more garish than the diffuse ones.

[ChiefBrex]

But generally in the range color spectrum? So, nothing like red or pink or orange? Or area those more appropriate?

Edit: I give up. I have set up the lighting scheme like you suggested Adonis. Exactly like. And I'm barely seeing anything of the speculars in the renders. I'm starting to wonder if I remember how to do speculars

[Adonis]

But generally in the range color spectrum? So, nothing like red or pink or orange? Or area those more appropriate?

Edit: I give up. I have set up the lighting scheme like you suggested Adonis. Exactly like. And I'm barely seeing anything of the speculars in the renders. I'm starting to wonder if I remember how to do speculars

Get my Novi Sad class off BCFiles, and see her spec maps. She's my last mod I released for BC. Your ship should generally have a blue specular hue to it, using garish, gray-blue colors. Disregard the coloring of the thrusters and teleporter pads on the specs on the Novi Sad, that was really an error on my part I never fixed (the blue color of the spec is actually an inverse of the yellow I used on the diffuse).

[FarShot]

Brex, noticed your post on the Exeter at BCF.  She's not a port.  Original model, original textures. ;)

As for specs, I recommend high contrast with color.  Definitely looks the best.