using moray

Taera · #1 October 30th, 2002, 05:42 AM

atrakius - exactly. if anyone here has my TechnoLogic racestyle take a look at the bigger ships - dreadnoughts, battleships, bases. Now you see all these small windows? each of them is a differenced square

. realy, those models usualy have 500+ cutout objects. i dont use black textures though, they're too standard.

Atraikius · #2 October 30th, 2002, 01:47 PM

Taera - Only the inner coppy of the model is black to block the light from the point source inside the object, with the cut outs matching the ones on the main model so it looks like lights are comming from inside the ship without messing up the texturing of the outer model.

ZeroAdunn · #3 October 31st, 2002, 12:53 AM

Also, another helpfull hint: You can put CGS's (mainly differences) inside of other Differences.

Taera · #4 October 31st, 2002, 04:14 AM

Atrakius: never used a black inner copy.
ZA: correct, i often have an intersection in a difference in a difference in a difference in a difference in a merge

ZeroAdunn · #5 October 31st, 2002, 12:29 PM

Really? The most I have ever used is four differences inside eachother....

Atraikius · #6 October 31st, 2002, 01:57 PM

Taera - it was idea I got from the Star Fleet Command 2 models - since POV considers models hollow unless you give them a material instead of texture, I tried using a glass for windows with a light point source in the middle of the model - except that the light inside lights up more than just the windows. Had to place a duplicate of the model at something like .999 scale that was just black to block the light from going where I didn't want it. It gives the model some neat lighting effects - like how the Enterprise has the light shining on its hull number - and can make some interesting effects by using odd colors. Pain and too time consuming - easier to just make a window object the same way and just put the light source in the object - haven't had it look as nice though. My biggest problem has been that I don't want to go back and redo all of the models I already made, leaving me three more partially completed shipsets without the lights before I get around to finishing the first one with them (first one will probably be the BFG Imperials, unless I get sidetracked by the Necrons)

Chronon · #7 October 31st, 2002, 05:56 PM

Taera, ZA, and Atraikius - Thanks for a fascinating discussion of the possibilities of Moray.

I was just going through the basic tutorial with the sphere, floor and basic marble texture Last night. I have to admit it all seems very complex to this newbie. How long have you all been working with Moray? I'm just trying to figure out how long it might take an artistically challenged person like me to create something that looks remotely like a ship (forget the windows!)...