General Question Texturing Program

[Chub777]

Okay, I have made a mesh for my spacecraft. My question is what method do I use to texture it? Do I just do a UV map of it or do I export it into another program? If I do a UV Map, do I do it in the meshing program (Wings3D in my case) or do I do it in Paint.NET or GIMP? Thanks in advance. :thumbup:

 

[Scruce]

Again, SketchUp has a built in UV Mapper and Texture Manager.

But, Wings3D also has a UV Mapper, I never did understand it though. Search Google for some tutorials, there are many.

 

[Chub777]

But when I export it into .msh, will the textures remain on the mesh?

 

[garyw]

But when I export it into .msh, will the textures remain on the mesh?

No because textures are not on the mesh to begin with. They are effectively pointers to the mesh files which are then applied.

As an example, the deltaglider.msh file contains these lines at the bottom:

TEXTURES 10
DG\DGMK4_4.dds
DG\DGMK4_1.dds
DG\DGMK4_2.dds
DG\DGMK4_3.dds
DG\IDPANEL1.dds
DG\DGPILOT1.dds
DG\PSNGR2.dds
DG\PSNGR1.dds
DG\PSNGR3.dds
DG\PSNGR4.dds

Thats the refernece to the DDS (Direct Draw Surface) files that contain the image you want to apply.

there is a tool (DTEX I think) that converts BMP to DDS.

 

[Scruce]

Paint.NET will easily convert any image format to .DDS (Direct Draw Surface).

 

[orb]

Paint.NET will easily convert any image format to .DDS (Direct Draw Surface).

You don't need to use a graphics editor just to convert between image formats. :shrug:

 

[Moach]

i use photoshop for textures - but still rely on Paint.NET to convert them to .dds... the PS .dds exporter and Orbiter don't get along for some reason (go figure)

so i recommend Paint.NET for anyone who's going for making textures and doesn't wanna pay oodles for photoshop - it's a very versatile tool, with a large plugin base to back it up - plus it works almost seamlessly for orbiter, since it works with .dds so well


and it's free :thumbup:

 

[Scruce]

You dont need to use a graphics editor just to convert between image formats. :shrug:

Well sure, of course you do not. I just stated the easiest option. All you have to do is just three clicks and you are done.

What is your method and how is it easier or more effective? :shrug:

 

[orb]

What is your method and how is it easier or more effective? :shrug:

nvDXT (DDS Utilities). It's a command line tool, so it isn't the easiest solution when used alone, but if you make a batch file (/ shell script), it can be as easy as dragging an image file, or group of files onto it (it can convert multiple images in a batch with using FOR loop). Supported input formats are: .tga, .bmp, .gif, .ppm, .jpg, .tif, .cel, .dds, .png, .psd, .rgb, .bw, .rgba.

 

[Scruce]

Interesting, I'll have to try that, thanks orb!

 

[Hielor]

But when I export it into .msh, will the textures remain on the mesh?

If you use my exporter, the answer is "yes and no."

The textures will not automatically be converted to .dds for you--you'll have to do that on your own. But, the UV/texture information will all be saved in the .msh, so once you do convert the textures to .dds and put them in the texture folder, everything will automagically work.

Just texture in Wings3D, use my exporter, "make external" on your textures in Wings3d, and then use DxTex to convert the textures to .dds. It's that simple.

 

[Chub777]

If you use my exporter, the answer is "yes and no."

The textures will not automatically be converted to .dds for you--you'll have to do that on your own. But, the UV/texture information will all be saved in the .msh, so once you do convert the textures to .dds and put them in the texture folder, everything will automagically work.

Just texture in Wings3D, use my exporter, "make external" on your textures in Wings3d, and then use DxTex to convert the textures to .dds. It's that simple.

What do you mean by "make external"? And what if I use Paint.NET for conversion instead?

 

[PeriapsisPrograde]

What do you mean by "make external"? And what if I use Paint.NET for conversion instead?

Make sure the model is UV mapped. accurately. Make your texture. (must be .bmp)

Then, on the top bar, go to Window -> Outliner. A box will open that we will use later. It lists materials and textures used in the model.

Create a new material. (right click in the model area with nothing selected, then click Material in the menu. It might be under the More tab.)name it "texture", but the name isn't important. Hit OK. The material's properties aren't important for now, so just hit OK.

Select the new material in the outliner. Right click, then choose Edit Material. The material properties window opens.

Expand the POV-Ray options menu

Expand the Texture submenu

Expand the Normal submenu

In the dropdown box, choose Image

Hit Browse, then locate the image for your texture.

YOU HAVE NOW ASSIGNED THAT IMAGE TO THAT MATERIAL!

Now select all the faces using the texture at once. Right click in the model area, and under More hit Material. You have assigned that material to those faces, and the material carries the texture.

Redo the UV map if it looks bad

Before you export to .msh, be sure to make the texture internal. (otherwise your mesh output will look for yourtexture.bmp.dds ) Right click the image in the Outliner window, then hit Make Internal. This (in my experience) does not effect the image on your computer.


Hope that helps

 

[Chub777]

I done it but I'm not sure if I did it right. When I assigned the material (the one that I named "texture") to the selected faces, the texture of my object turned into a grey. Is it supposed to do that or is it supposed to turn into the texture that I imported.

I also can't seem to make the texture internal. When you say "right click the image in the Outliner window", what image do I click on: "texture" or that "ABC" texture?

 

[Hielor]

Make sure the model is UV mapped. accurately. Make your texture. (must be .bmp)

Then, on the top bar, go to Window -> Outliner. A box will open that we will use later. It lists materials and textures used in the model.

Create a new material. (right click in the model area with nothing selected, then click Material in the menu. It might be under the More tab.)name it "texture", but the name isn't important. Hit OK. The material's properties aren't important for now, so just hit OK.

Select the new material in the outliner. Right click, then choose Edit Material. The material properties window opens.

Expand the POV-Ray options menu

Expand the Texture submenu

Expand the Normal submenu

In the dropdown box, choose Image

Hit Browse, then locate the image for your texture.

YOU HAVE NOW ASSIGNED THAT IMAGE TO THAT MATERIAL!

Now select all the faces using the texture at once. Right click in the model area, and under More hit Material. You have assigned that material to those faces, and the material carries the texture.

Redo the UV map if it looks bad

Before you export to .msh, be sure to make the texture internal. (otherwise your mesh output will look for yourtexture.bmp.dds ) Right click the image in the Outliner window, then hit Make Internal. This (in my experience) does not effect the image on your computer.


Hope that helps

Once you've UV mapped the thing, you can use "Make External" to give yourself an "imprint" of the map in order to assist with texturing...