Please ask your basic (newbie) questions in here.

Ziemanskye on 12/11/2005 at 17:52

Quote Posted by ascottk

(this was my first map with the first editor I used after all)

Now that, I wouldn't've guessed. It was big and complex and cool, and from the feedback in these forums, a lot more like what people wanted than what I've built so far.

Besides, if the main thing I'm complaining about is a few minor things with scale, I think it's safe to say you did a damn good job.:thumb:

GlasWolf on 12/11/2005 at 19:53

Quote Posted by Komag

I think I get it. If you do the pic on the right, and set the ceiling of the ground area to "fake backdrop", you'll still be able to see the whole wall from far to the right, so the scene rendering will be the same.

Might as well build like the pic on the left since it's simpler construction and will be the same render-wise.

Yes that's it, it just seems wrong to have so much "wasted" in-game space (i.e. the top right of the left hand diagram). I guess I've read so much about performance issues that I'm over-compensating. Build times take a hit with big brushes too, so I'm equating that (probably wrongly) with rendering performance. I think I'll try some benchmarks then re-brush it to see what happens.

STiFU on 13/11/2005 at 12:07

The Ionshader does not work... :( I have finally got 3ds 5.1 now but it could not initialize my direct 9. So i installed the SP1. After that it fount my direct x 9 but the ionshader does not seem to work... I do it is said in the tutorial: Diffuseparameter ionshader and there choose the diffuse- and bumpmap. But actually not even the material renderer does change... Could it be that it does not work with SP1 installed? Ill check that out.

In which order do you have your plugins loaded? When you add them they can mix up, so it is not quite clear in which order the shall be loaded.
I have the hardwareshaders at first, then the stdplugins and then the plugins folder. Afterwards the matlib folder. Everything like it is said in the tutorial. but it does not work... This sucks!!

Arr... youre waiting so long for 3ds 5.1 and then nothing works...

EDIT: I have reinstalled now and it seems to work... kind of... There are still some things which are just shit. For example when i make an object an editable poly, the texture suddenly is not displayed anymore... When i make it an editable mesh the texture is still there, but then the polyhighlight doesnt work correct anymore. instead of highlighting the polygon completely in red i, just the egdes of the poly turn red. Pressing f2 does not correct this.

When i quickrender a screne the textures arent filtered. Look like pixel graphix. And the normalmaps dont work neither. This probably does not work because i could not initialise DX 9 so i use 8.1 now. Help plz...

ascottk on 13/11/2005 at 17:20

Here's the wiki for max setup:

(http://www.ttlg.com/wiki/wikka.php?wakka=MaxConfig)

I have problems with the ionshader too. It doesn't display well in the viewports but it does render (w/o normal maps).

STiFU on 13/11/2005 at 17:28

Yeah i knew that config... But it wont work so cool... I found another feature of the ionshader... The ionshader only saves the textures you want to appy if he wants to... :) Oh man that sucks so hard!!! :-/

Did you manage it to apply more than ony material to an object? It works on the renderer but not ingame for me...

And this ION_ROOT thing. To which folder did you link it? TO your thief3 installation oder to your editor?

GlasWolf on 14/11/2005 at 18:57

Is there any way to scale the texture when reskinning a smesh?

STiFU on 14/11/2005 at 21:07

No, because most of the static meshes are uvw-unwrapped(at least i think so). If you dont know what that is take a look at some tutorials . It would be too much to explain that all here. If you need a tutorial: (http://www.planetquake.com/polycount/cottages/bk-coffeehouse/tut-max-mapping.shtml) here is one for 3ds.

There was some thread about texture scaling on static meshes, but i cant find it right now. But if you really need to scale it you could edit the smesh.

BTW I figured out how to get around all those nasty problems in 3ds and added all my knowledge about that to the "custom static meshes" entry at our thief 3 editing wiki. I also added some very useful tutorial links and some closer information about several things. Ascottk, perhaps you would like to check it out and edit it or pm me if something could still be better. :)
(http://www.ttlg.com/wiki/wikka.php?wakka=StaticMeshes) http://www.ttlg.com/wiki/wikka.php?wakka=StaticMeshes

Hehe my first wiki entry... It's my first step on the ladder of pro-FM-authors... ;)

GlasWolf on 15/11/2005 at 07:17

I'll just scale the other surfaces to fit the smesh then - thanks anyway.

STiFU on 15/11/2005 at 12:40

Yes i did it that way too. It is not that cool, but it is alright...

Gestalt on 17/11/2005 at 01:47

How do I add hardpoints to static meshes in 3ds Max for attaching lights and emitters?