Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

You dirty crossposter! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Edit:
So this is how you get that abnormally high post count...

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

No. I posted it here, then realized you had made a new thread. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

Doh! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

If this thread keeps growing, some kid named Jack is going to climb it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Hey, wait a minute, we have a Jack here! Everybody, watch out for a giant!

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

Fantastic sense of humor. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif I come with big ship so I get the outside left docking station... any arguements?

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

Who was it that always parked his ship just outside the cantina door? Was it Raging_Dreadstar? or someone else?

LoL,.. Aaah the good old memories of the infamous cantina.

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

I hope there is a proper parkingplace for my timetraveling gearbox. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

Adds another to the list, First Deathstar, now Dreadstar, confused with Ragnarok a lot. These are grounds for declaring War on if I get diplomatic Messages addressing my name wrong!!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

'Fraid Not David, I always travelled in a Large Transport with my cargo... You have any idea how potent 29 cargo bays smell after storing alcohol for several months http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif And it certainly wasn't rightoutside the door, if it was parked there my PDC Cannons couldn't take down Taxi Escorts. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

It was a typo, honest. I didn't mean to offend you Ranging_Deadstar, hmmm, did my finger slip again? Muahahahahaha

There is a good side to these typo's.. when people know who you are in spite of misspelling, it means you're almost famous. (just be glad you don't have a handle like Swartzandedgar. hmm, now that looks really wrong. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif )

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

David:
I have a question about the texture you used for the magnificent Cantina.
How did you apply them?
Last evening I build a simple model of a reactor. I wanted to apply a nice texture to it, but it did look very cool. It wasn't the fault of the texture, but it was the way the program (Max 7) placed the texture onto the model. I have another way of doing it, but I wanted to hit the sack...
This evening I'm going to try and re-apply it onto my model. I hope it will work out.

Also another question. What kind of colours do you suggest I use for my reactor?
Damn, I really have no artistic feeling! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/Sick.gif

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

Answers:

1) I use Bryce 5 to create the renderings.
2) I import the model (in this case one of AT's)
3) I enter the 'M'aterials lab and change the texture from the default 'procedural' to 'bitmap source' and then load the desired texture and hit 'apply'
4) If the texture looks odd, I return to the Materials lab and tweak the scale and orientation until it looks good.

Note: In the Materials lab is also where I add color tint and other effects like reflection, ambiance, diffusion transparency etc.

It's prety much a trial and error aproach, but after doing this for so many renders it's now second nature and I generally only need to re-enter the mat lab once or twice to get the texture the way I like it.

There is more than just texture mapping involved in making a render look right, there is the bump-map, the backgrounds, the lighting (I often use a negative light to cast shadows). and it can get complicated, but I tend to learn one new trick at a time, until my 'bag of tricks' is capable of seeing me through most renders.

I'm sorry to say that I have no experience with 3DS Max so I can't tell you how their system works. I have on occasion watched my friend work through Max to build models, but my brain went numb by the sheer number of 'variabls' that needed to be addressed prior to rendering. I'm sure you're aware the the 'default' settings are only good for basic scene rendering in 3DS Max. The learning curve for Max is about 1000 times more involved than Bryce.

Anyway, have fun playing with textures.

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

Timestone you use 3ds Max?

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

Looking at that Cantina image again I can just picture two ships in the background exchanging weapons fire because one forgot to indicate http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

Star-Rage -

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

David, that Cantina picture is cool, but it's all wrong. Where's the 50 foot dinosaur in the parking lot for one thing. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

Just for you Geo, I made this update... (well, for the fun of it too. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif )

Phong's Cantina Update

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

David you must post this latest Version to Renderosity and other. IT IS GREAT>

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

ROFL David. Only, maybe he (Wasn't his name Barney?)would have a problem being out in the vacuum like that? Maybe put one of those fishbowl space helmets like in the old-timey space cartoons. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

Nah, it was Barry.

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

Bah, that's nothing! Wait till you smell the 29 cargo bays when a handful of drunks get into them for the length of your several months....Just imagine the smell of stale alcohol, sweaty dirty drunk, puke, old puke, rotting puke, decaying puke, and puke-so-old-it's-powdered-into-a-dust-like-substance-that-clogs-your-nose-with-foulness!! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

Geo, I tried placing a fishbowl type glass helmet on him, but it was virtually invisible due to the glare of the sun behind him. So I removed it, heck, if you couldn't see it anyways, then there was no point in having it. Besides, SE is a high tech universe, Barry could have some sort of oxigen generating implant that serves that same function as a helmet. hmmm, maybe I should make a bio-implant component just to back up this theory http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif Nah, it's the thought that counts.

Anyway, I'm glad you all like this latest edition of the Phong's Cantina Rendering.

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

AT:
Yup, I use 3ds max 7. Last month I bought a full Version. Not very cheap I might add.
I use it to render... when I'm capable enough to render something the right way. I can do planets, those are second nature to me, but components are other things. They require an other approach.
I use SolidWorks 2005 to make my models in. I use a *ahum* legal Version of Okino to export my models. I've discovered that Okino produces very good exported models.

David:
Thanks for the advise. The system in Bryce is more or less the same as in max 7. But like you said, the system in max 7 offers a thousand fold more options to mess up.
If your friend uses max 7 to model things with I declare him a lunatic. He should use Lightwave, much more user friendly. Althoug the two programs are almost the same when you're modeling faces (NURBS and splines).
I want to use Lightwave too, but I simply don't have the time for it.
That's also a reason I want to change my carreer. I would like to do more with my modeling skills. Any suggestions on where to search?

Edit:
David:
Great pic! I love what you've done with Barry. Now all we need is a neon sign outside and a rotating Phong head on the top of The Cantina. Hehehe....

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

Leave Puke out of this http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

Timstone

I would love to ask you a few questions about the program, like how do you import X. format - what plug in you use and how much is costs.

How easy was it for you to learn to use?
How do you map textures onto surfaces?

Things like that. Generally I just need some incuragement that I can use it without killing myself.

Thanks.

Re: A Special Thanks to Atrocities..
 

.X export/import:
To export to .X format I use this.
To import .X I use my le*ahum*al Version of Okino NuGraf.

Ease of learning:
It is a horrible program to learn. Like David said, it has a learning curve like the slope of mt. Everest and the Babylon Tower combined.
You have to spend quite some time with the program to learn it. Especially the modeling stuff is ver, very complex comapred to SolidWorks. ALso there are tons and tons of options to mess around with, this can be very confusing.

Mapping textures on surfaces:
Or you let the program do it, or you take the long route.
When you let the program do it, you end up with very uncool textures (when you apply them to a very complex model). The positive side is that you have full control over the other options, like bumpmapping, opacity, reflection, etc..
When you do UVW mapping, you can control the whole process yourself. It's a great way of doing things, you can place the texture right where you want it. I must admit I haven't played around with UVW mapping enough to point out weaknesses or particular strengths compared to the other method.


In one sentence:
It's expensive, it's hard to learn, but when you can handle it you can make magic.