Really need Help with Mapping please

[Rikard]

Hello

 

Im making a van, iv got to the stage where iv got the boxy outline.

 

Before i bend the sides to make it more realistic i wanna map on the side template to make it easier to shape.

 

Iv had no experience with mapping, iv done some tutorials but they have left me at the stage im at. Iv done the "Unwrap to UVW"

 

[attachmentid=6535]

 

Im only testing the side bit first, as you can see in the screen shot thats how far iv got, how do i get that to turn into a paintable template? i read somewhere that i need something called "text porter"???

i went to download it but i couldn't find a version for 3D Max 8 (thats what im using)

 

If anyone can help it would be gratefully appreciated as i wanna get this on track as soon as i can ready for the new van formula.

 

Cheers, Rikard

[Kev152]

I think i remember reading somewhere that it has to be exprted to 3dmax 3, as thats the only one compatible for it?

 

Though, don't quote me, i'm sure someone that knows more will correct me

[Rikard]

ok, thank you for your reply Kev,

 

just to say again that im using 3D Max 8

 

This is what iv done so far...

 

[attachmentid=6543]

 

[The London Allstar]

Definatly looking good so far, those few extra details will do the trick

 

[hotrod331]

hi m8 if you open the exsisting transit template and just cut around the pics you have of your van as neatly as u can then paste them over the transits sides etc then delete the transits bits after and then save it as wot ever the van is called thats ya template! hope that helped lol if not ill be on 2moro so nudge me on msn!

cheers rodder

[FbF 656]

i take it to get the front and roof etc you extrude the edges?? if so when you do the front, only bring it out a little bit, and move it forward a little, then go a bit more and so on.. this creates a lot more rounded corner to it rather than jus a 90 degree bend from side to front, ill post a pic to show what i mean. btw nice roll cage [attachmentid=6547]

 

on that pic you can see were i have extruded and brought it all in so that the bottom part of the roof is bent in.

 

[attachmentid=6548]

 

Here you can see how ive made the front rounded by bringing the edges out.

 

As far as i no you dont need a text porter to skin in 3dmax 8, Dont use unwrap uvw as this will warp and distort the skin totally and will end up looking cack, use uvw map to skin it.

 

Hope all this helps and btw, dont map it untill you 100% finsihed and happy with the model

Edited May 31, 2006 by FbF 656

[Rikard]

Thanks for your help guys, and thanks for letting my "borrow" your roll cage and seat with out asking lol for the final version im gonna make my own, i just used yours to help me set up the width and scale in the early stages.

 

Il keep this as my help thread lol, so when i get stuck again il post up here

 

Edited May 31, 2006 by Rikard

[Rikard]

Heres the new version of the bonnet, the difference is that its rounded, thanks for the advice FBF.

 

Here is it

 

[attachmentid=6553]

 

[Rikard]

Hello, im stuck on some more mapping,

 

I need toget the two "edges" of the polys to line up and join.

 

I need to join poly 1 to poly 2 along the edges iv endicated, how do i do this so they line up perfectly? i see there is a snap tool but i don't know how to work it in the mapping interface.

 

Iv tried rotating it round but i can't line it up as its moves too much if you know what i mean.

 

[attachmentid=6665]

 

Can someone please help me!

 

[Rikard]

Another question lol,

 

Iv got the following problem

 

I done the "Flatten mapping" and set the "Face angle threshold" on max cause i started doing it on 45 but there were too many polys to join. Now iv done it on 180 and its grouped some wrong, please see the screen shot for details.

 

[attachmentid=6667]

 

please can somone help as i can't doing anything else until i sorght this out,

 

Thanks lots for any replys

[Nick M48]

Are you using chilliskinner or some other similar plugin? If not what steps are you taking to get to that point 'cos it doesn't look like the same method I use for skinning.

[Dragon 428]

Dear "I need to post as many posts on this forum as possible" Rikard

 

Please don't take this the wrong way but just like many others that have started modeling you are also one of that wants to run before they can walk.

 

Modeling a car is seomething you have learned already but then the mapping sets in and you start to realise that it's not as easy as modeling. I understand that you are very keen on getting on with the project but after we would answer this question the next one will appear.

 

My advice is to start with a basic cube. It might sound pretty daft but model it, create a template and map it. Once you understand how it works, you can take on bigger things but the way you are doing it, is very very tough.

 

When I read "i see there is a snap tool but i don't know how to work it in the mapping interface" I start to doubt if you understand the basic options within 3D Max. The snap tool and various other settings are THE basic things that you need to know before you can even think about taking on bigger project then just a cube.

Read through some mapping tutorials and other modeling guides that are spread over the internet. Far more easier then crashing into a problem every ten minutes.

 

I know it's not an answer to your question but like I said, start with a cube and leave the Van on your harddrive for a while untill you understand how creating a template and the mapping works.

 

Dragon

[Sparky961]

Dragon don't talk rubbish, mapping is easier than modelling depending on if you have built it in parts. If it is built in parts then you can select certain parts and map them pretty easily, make a template first using screenshots or blueprints and getting all the parts and then select only one bunch of faces, try the left hand side first and just modify in a batch in the unwrap uv bit once you have mapped the texture using uvw map and setting it on an axis. It is relatively simple and learnable in 30 mins, not sure about you but if mapping is near impossible then you must be doing it the hard way dragon.

 

cheers

sparky

[Kev152]

not sure if this will help or not,

 

but i've found this on the mod squad web site - http://themodsquad.uni.cc/modules.php?name...wdownload&cid=9

 

top one, something to do with modelling and stuff

[Rikard]

thank you for the replies so far

 

Nick: Iv done it (mainly) using this tutorial:

 

http://waylon-art.com/uvw_tutorial/uvwtut_01.html

 

Dragon: I have done a lot of what you have said already, i started mapping a basic object and creating a template for it, i spent a good 7 hours over a few days practicing mapping before doing my van. I also mapped my van when it was a very basic shape with very little detail, so again i could practice on a simpler object before attempting the final complex version.

 

Today i spent around 6 hours mapping my van, that included following tutorials and guides, in the end the van wasn't to bad for my first go at a complex object, but there was just 2 questions that i had, if you look at the times of my posts you can see that there is a 3 hour gap between them, this time was spent going through tutorials and searching the net for answers. In the end i couldn't find what i was after as i may be doing the mapping a different way to what most other people are doing.

 

So i thought it would be easier to ask for help (what this forum is for) and hopefully some one would be kind enough to reply with some useful information. I have had a few people offer me help if i was to get stuck with mapping, so i thought it logical to take up their kind offer and ask my 2 questions on the forum, which i did.

 

I feel i know enough of the basics of 3D Max to have a good attempt at a car, as i have done lots and lots of tutorials for 3D Max,, plus iv had help from my sisters boyfriend, hes done a 3 year University degree in 3D Max, and as his job he uses 3D Max 8 hours a day, so hes good at teaching me things, however i don't get to see him much as he's usually with my sister. Iv made lots of objects and experimented with the tools. I made a few trailers which i am particularly proud of, and other objects, so the logical next step for me was to try a car, or in my case a van.

 

As i said i mapped it already, it was ok but no means perfect, i got a full working template of it. All i need to perfect it and get it upto the high standards of UK Dirt was to find answers to my questions. As i continue to work on it i may come stuck again, i will try to resolve it my myself but if im totally stuck then i will ask for help. I don't see a problem with that, as if i saw someone who needed help, and i knew the answer i'd try to sought them out, not just tell them to just search the net again.

 

But thanks you for your reply, opinion and advice.

 

Kev: Thanks for the link, Iv looked at that tutorial before, and that uses the "chilliskinner" that Nick was talking about, im using 3D Max 8, and you don't need a text porter in 8 as i found this out doing some research and viewing some later tutorials. You can just go into the options and ask it to produce it into a working template.

 

Cheers, Rikard

Edited June 5, 2006 by Rikard

[Rikard]

First off don't worry about my first questions, as i have had to resort to another method of skinning the van.

 

 

Iv made a working template, it still needs to be tweaked slightly

 

Just a quick question, what size is the template ment to be? iv looked at other banger templates and they seem to be 512 X 512, do they all have to be this size?

 

Thanks

[Nick M48]

Just a quick question, what size is the template ment to be? iv looked at other banger templates and they seem to be 512 X 512, do they all have to be this size?

 

Thanks

 

512 X 512 is correct, yes.

[Rikard]

Just a quick question, what size is the template ment to be? iv looked at other banger templates and they seem to be 512 X 512, do they all have to be this size?

 

Thanks

 

512 X 512 is correct, yes.

 

Thank You

[FbF 656]

Dear "I need to post as many posts on this forum as possible" Rikard

 

Please don't take this the wrong way but just like many others that have started modeling you are also one of that wants to run before they can walk.

 

Modeling a car is seomething you have learned already but then the mapping sets in and you start to realise that it's not as easy as modeling. I understand that you are very keen on getting on with the project but after we would answer this question the next one will appear.

 

My advice is to start with a basic cube. It might sound pretty daft but model it, create a template and map it. Once you understand how it works, you can take on bigger things but the way you are doing it, is very very tough.

 

When I read "i see there is a snap tool but i don't know how to work it in the mapping interface" I start to doubt if you understand the basic options within 3D Max. The snap tool and various other settings are THE basic things that you need to know before you can even think about taking on bigger project then just a cube.

Read through some mapping tutorials and other modeling guides that are spread over the internet. Far more easier then crashing into a problem every ten minutes.

 

I know it's not an answer to your question but like I said, start with a cube and leave the Van on your harddrive for a while untill you understand how creating a template and the mapping works.

 

Dragon

 

 

 

Great encouragment to these learner modelers dragon. Rikard, by sounds of it u need to master 3d max before posting... what was you thinking posting questions in "computer help" forum.

[Rikard]

Dear "I need to post as many posts on this forum as possible" Rikard

 

Please don't take this the wrong way but just like many others that have started modeling you are also one of that wants to run before they can walk.

 

Modeling a car is seomething you have learned already but then the mapping sets in and you start to realise that it's not as easy as modeling. I understand that you are very keen on getting on with the project but after we would answer this question the next one will appear.

 

My advice is to start with a basic cube. It might sound pretty daft but model it, create a template and map it. Once you understand how it works, you can take on bigger things but the way you are doing it, is very very tough.

 

When I read "i see there is a snap tool but i don't know how to work it in the mapping interface" I start to doubt if you understand the basic options within 3D Max. The snap tool and various other settings are THE basic things that you need to know before you can even think about taking on bigger project then just a cube.

Read through some mapping tutorials and other modeling guides that are spread over the internet. Far more easier then crashing into a problem every ten minutes.

 

I know it's not an answer to your question but like I said, start with a cube and leave the Van on your harddrive for a while untill you understand how creating a template and the mapping works.

 

Dragon

 

 

 

Great encouragment to these learner modelers dragon. Rikard, by sounds of it u need to master 3d max before posting... what was you thinking posting questions in "computer help" forum.

 

 

[erik]

Dear "I need to post as many posts on this forum as possible" Rikard

 

Please don't take this the wrong way but just like many others that have started modeling you are also one of that wants to run before they can walk.

 

Modeling a car is seomething you have learned already but then the mapping sets in and you start to realise that it's not as easy as modeling. I understand that you are very keen on getting on with the project but after we would answer this question the next one will appear.

 

My advice is to start with a basic cube. It might sound pretty daft but model it, create a template and map it. Once you understand how it works, you can take on bigger things but the way you are doing it, is very very tough.

 

When I read "i see there is a snap tool but i don't know how to work it in the mapping interface" I start to doubt if you understand the basic options within 3D Max. The snap tool and various other settings are THE basic things that you need to know before you can even think about taking on bigger project then just a cube.

Read through some mapping tutorials and other modeling guides that are spread over the internet. Far more easier then crashing into a problem every ten minutes.

 

I know it's not an answer to your question but like I said, start with a cube and leave the Van on your harddrive for a while untill you understand how creating a template and the mapping works.

 

Dragon

Great encouragment to these learner modelers dragon. Rikard, by sounds of it u need to master 3d max before posting... what was you thinking posting questions in "computer help" forum.

 

I think Dragon calling him "I need to post as many posts..." was a bit harsh to be honest. Since when can't someone ask for help?

Edited June 9, 2006 by erik

[hotrod331]

great fbf think this thread will help a few people learn abit more about modelling im gonna redo the front and bk of my dolli now so there rounded good bit of advise there!cheers fbf and rikard for posting lmao rodder331