GlasWolf on 17/9/2006 at 22:39
I'm using str8g8's custom matlib and trying to add in some textures for use in particles. First I messed about with some altered/created textures, but they weren't appearing right. So i went back to basics and copied the water particle texture (PARTwaterdrop1A1.DDS) from the textures folder, renamed it to particle01_D.DDS and put it into the custom_textures folder in both the Textures and PCTextures directory.
I added two identical dripping water emitters and changed the particle texture on one of them (the left one in the pic) to the waterdrop in the custom textures matlib. In game it looks like this:
Inline Image:
http://www.glaswolf.net/images/thief/t3ed/waterdrop.jpgIn the editor it looks the same as above when lighting is turned on, but at full bright they both show the texture correctly. It looks like an alpha problem, but I haven't changed the texture itself at all. Does the matlib hold some kind of alpha information?
str8g8 on 18/9/2006 at 09:31
I had similar problems getting custom particles to work. From what I recall, the particles reference the textures directly from their properties, and they refer not to the matlibs, but to the Unreal texture library. I think you have to import a texture into the utx file and resave it. To confuse things even more there are 2 matlib\utx files with very similar names, one is called T3_particles, and the other Thief3_particles (something like that anyway). Only one of them will work. :)
Ziemanskye on 18/9/2006 at 09:46
He beat me to it, but I remember this coming up when we were testing the custom matlibs.
It's got to be in the right utx file to work, which is kind of annoying, especially since they can look right in the editor but just turn into squares in the game.
GlasWolf on 18/9/2006 at 18:57
Thanks for your responses, guys.
Quote Posted by str8g8
I think you have to import a texture into the utx file and resave it. To confuse things even more there are 2 matlib\utx files with very similar names, one is called T3_particles, and the other Thief3_particles (something like that anyway). Only one of them will work. :)
I'd noticed the two different sections in the texture browser before but never realised there was any significance to it. I see now that there's a T3_particles.mlb and a THIEF3Particles.utx, so I guess it's the latter which works.
So the $64,000 question then is... how do I manipulate the utx files? I see the "Export UTX" option in the file menu but it just flashes up a progress bar for a split second without doing anything (that I can see).
str8g8 on 19/9/2006 at 10:26
Haven't got the editor on this machine, but I think you have to open the utx file in texture browser (rather than importing the matlib) ... then you can import a texture into the utx, then you can save it I think. I think it's basically how you would work with the vanilla Unreal editor.
Ziemanskye on 19/9/2006 at 17:57
use the material browser drop-down-thinky-at-the-top to select the right group and File>Import, and rememebr to save it, same as normal Unreal stuff.
GlasWolf on 19/9/2006 at 19:03
Quote Posted by str8g8
...it's basically how you would work with the vanilla Unreal editor.
Quote Posted by Ziemanskye
...same as normal Unreal stuff.
Am I the only person round here that's barely even played Unreal, never mind used the editor?! Oh well, I've imported the original texture into the utx and it's working fine - now to try some customisation. I was looking at all the import functions rather than load/save - I'm an idiot.
By the way, what's the benefit of matlibs against UTX? I presume there's a catch somewhere?
Thanks again guys.
ascottk on 19/9/2006 at 20:35
Quote Posted by GlasWolf
By the way, what's the benefit of matlibs against UTX? I presume there's a catch somewhere?
Thanks again guys.
Matlibs have surface types so footstep sounds change & has the stoneclimb material.
GlasWolf on 20/9/2006 at 00:05
Ahh, Cheers Scott. Still an easy way to get non-floor/wall textures into the game though.
Anyway... still getting squares. Just to clarify, the procedure should just require the following:* Create DDS file
* Open THIEF3Particles.utx in the texture browser
* File --> Import --> Browse to DDS file (texture is added to the texture browser)
* File --> Save --> Save over THIEF3Particles.utx
* Use texture in Emitter --> Texture property (shows as Texture'Thief3Particles.testpart')
The texture itself doesn't have to be copied anywhere, added to matlibs or anything?
str8g8 on 20/9/2006 at 09:00
The other thing you need matlibs for of course is normal maps or any other material settings ...
Things to check:
You will need your texture in both Textures and PCTectures
The texture will need to be dxt3
