Difference between revisions of "3ds Max: Exporting Transparent Textures"
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removing byline and other inappropriate comments, with Razorwing's permission.
imported>DragoonWraith m (3ds Max: Exporting Transparant Textures moved to 3ds Max: Exporting Transparent Textures: typo fix) |
imported>DragoonWraith (removing byline and other inappropriate comments, with Razorwing's permission.) |
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[[Image:ExportingTransparantTextures.jpg|thumb| One case where opacity is good to have]] | [[Image:ExportingTransparantTextures.jpg|thumb| One case where opacity is good to have]] | ||
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What you need for this tutorial: | What you need for this tutorial: | ||
<ul><li>[http://www.autodesk.com/ 3D Studio Max v8.0] | |||
<li>[http://www.tescreens.be/oblivionmodwiki/index.php/Civ4_NIF_Exporter Civ4 Nif Exporter] | |||
<li>[http://www.silgrad.com/wbb2/jgs_db.php?action=show&eintrags_id=6&katid=3 DXTBmp] (maybe) | |||
<li>[http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/NifSkope NifSkope] (and knowing how to set up texture paths in nifs through it) | |||
<li>[http://files.filefront.com/ExportingTransparantTextures/;5378567;;/fileinfo.html Download Max Scenes]=- for this tutorial.<br /> | |||
<br /> | |||
It's a 7-zip archive. 7-zip is a freeware zip program which can be downloaded from [http://www.7-zip.org/ 7-zip.org]. It can achieve superior compression compared to any other zip program out there.</ul> | |||
In most cases these days, us 3D Studio Max modelers use gundalf's exporter, which is a very impressive and nifty tool. Before gundalf created his exporter, we had to use the Civilization IV NIF exporter instead. The Civ4 exporter is a very competent tool, with an amazing set of options... that have no bearing on Oblivion. It does have a few unique capabilities, however. | In most cases these days, us 3D Studio Max modelers use gundalf's exporter, which is a very impressive and nifty tool. Before gundalf created his exporter, we had to use the Civilization IV NIF exporter instead. The Civ4 exporter is a very competent tool, with an amazing set of options... that have no bearing on Oblivion. It does have a few unique capabilities, however. | ||
One of them is it's ability to export doublesided textures, which for instance means that if you're making a sheet of treated leather you only need to have polygons on one side and then they are automatically mirrored on the other - which can save you a bit of work as well as save you hundreds of faces in your budget without affecting the visuals. That effect is most useful, in the few specific cases where it's needed. | One of them is it's ability to export doublesided textures, which for instance means that if you're making a sheet of treated leather you only need to have polygons on one side and then they are automatically mirrored on the other - which can save you a bit of work as well as save you hundreds of faces in your budget without affecting the visuals. That effect is most useful, in the few specific cases where it's needed. | ||
Another, much more common use of the Civ4 Nif Exporter over gundalf's exporter, is its ability to export transparent textures. The point of them is to give the illusion of complexity without adding to the poly count, and when used appropriately they can yield fantastic results. Bethesda use the method all the time. The leaves of a flower is one case where it's useful, frizzy edges on a rug (which is the example of this tutorial) is another. | Another, much more common use of the Civ4 Nif Exporter over gundalf's exporter, is its ability to export transparent textures. The point of them is to give the illusion of complexity without adding to the poly count, and when used appropriately they can yield fantastic results. Bethesda use the method all the time. The leaves of a flower is one case where it's useful, frizzy edges on a rug (which is the example of this tutorial) is another. | ||
Go ahead and open up the tutorial scene in 3D Studio Max. You'll see a top-down view of a rug, which uses textures from the Morrowind texture replacement mod "Morrowind Visual Pack". There are three textures in play; one for the center (Rug01.dds), one for the borders on the long ends (Rug03bd.dds), and one for the frizz on the short ends (RugBD01.dds). If you examine the latter texture you'll see it looks like it has pink paint on it. This is the way the texture's alpha layer looks - the one that creates the transparency effect. | Go ahead and open up the tutorial scene in 3D Studio Max. You'll see a top-down view of a rug, which uses textures from the Morrowind texture replacement mod "Morrowind Visual Pack". There are three textures in play; one for the center (Rug01.dds), one for the borders on the long ends (Rug03bd.dds), and one for the frizz on the short ends (RugBD01.dds). If you examine the latter texture you'll see it looks like it has pink paint on it. This is the way the texture's alpha layer looks - the one that creates the transparency effect. | ||
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To learn how to enable multilayered opacity, see [http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/Multilayered_Transparancy my next tutorial]. | To learn how to enable multilayered opacity, see [http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/Multilayered_Transparancy my next tutorial]. | ||
[[Category:Texturing Tutorials]] | |||
[[Category:Tutorials]] | |||