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"3d Trial Mods"

Discussion in 'Modding Help Quarter' started by Merrilkl Maddox, May 1, 2015.

  1. nicko2u

    nicko2u Governor

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    I don't think you can create semi transparent, grey scale. Only black and white. So really they only good for creating gates, balcony rails etc. Where you can just use a simple plane and texture it to help reduce triangle count.
    Bit like how I created the balcony rail on my town clock building.

    lop003.jpg
     
  2. Merrilkl Maddox

    Merrilkl Maddox Executive

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    The image below is Mr.X's Railstation Nördlingen. This is exactly the model I am duplicating in his tutorial, but without being able to use the shader tools, I don't think this is possible. This is very frustrating for someone like me. Example, when I fallow a tutorial, such as roof shingles, I will count the number of shingle from the bottom to the top to determine if I am laying out the mesh properly. I have even caught myself using real world measurements simply to inset glass in a window frame. By the way, is 1.905cm for a 6 over 6 window. LOL
    Railstation Nördlingen.JPG

    Maybe I should try and understand that this is just a game, and not something I am doing for a client. :dm10:
     
  3. Merrilkl Maddox

    Merrilkl Maddox Executive

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  4. Mr.X²

    Mr.X² Moderator
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    about those plugins.. unfortunately there is nothing you can do about.
    the only way so far is writing those files manually yourself. but thats a real pain. so maybe ask someone kindly who still has 3ds max 2012 to create layout files for you.
    we only can hope @Altiris (or someone else with such knowledge) will update those tools someday for max2015/6...

    i created this tutorial in december 2014. have had no idea it will be outdated that soon :/

    about opacity, like nicko said: of course you can use transpareny for your buildings, using normal building-shaders (like in my tutorial)
    what i was talking about is "semi transpareny", means sth like realistic transparent glass. semi-transparency is only possible with transparent furniture shader for cxl2011/2 and platinum only.
    normal transparency (black/white opacity map) can be used for all versions and all building shaders.
    transparent furniture shader is included as well as all building shaders in shader pack for modders.

    yes and no.
    1. you can always ask someone else to do stuff for you, you arent able to do yourself (for example exporting your model (with or without custom shaders) or creating a layout file)
    2. without artist tool suite you wont be able to mod yourself completely (means ignoring suggestion #1) yourself
    3. you can mod without shader pack for modders, but nightlights will look boring :p
    4. you can mod without layout file creator (but like said above, its a pain, so maybe ask someone)

    you cant. not for cxl. (cxxl doesnt support semi transparency at all..)

    let me check for infos (threads/tutorials) about this, ill post a link for you here if i can find something...
    if not i can explain it to you; but that would only make sense if you can get shader pack to work.
    edit: my own thread is the only one i could find so far^^ http://xlnation.city/threads/creating-a-transparent-glass-dome-furniture.1605/

    in short: you need to create a sperate model. create it like a normal furniture. for this model create a grey-scaled opacity map and apply it to your model. select transparent furniture shader. then export it like every other building. finally add this model to your layout file.
     
  5. Merrilkl Maddox

    Merrilkl Maddox Executive

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    As I mentioned before, I have all every version of CXL 2011,12,platinum, and XXL. But I think my main problem is the lack of 3ds Max 2012. So as I mentioned earlier, I have multiple operating systems, one with windows 7. I am going to try and find a copy of 3ds max 2012 and load it on that system. Once I have 2012, all my troubles will be over.

    If not, your idea of having someone finish them for me would be great. I just don't like imposing too much, as I feel I already have.



    Now I understand, I thought the furniture was created in the same scene, but I realize now, thank you, that everything is created separately, I am assuming like a plopable, with its own center origin, and as you just said, pieced together in the layout file. and then that scene would be saved and imported into CXL. Right?




    Will check this out later today. Been up since yesterday, and it's 2:57 in the pm here now. Need a couple hours of :sleep: LOL

    Thank you all for your help.

    Here are a couple pics of where I am. Been playing with the lights. I know it don't work in game, but makes for a little better rendered image. LOL

    Tutorial_3_01.jpg Tutorial_3_02.jpg Tutorial_3_04.jpg Tutorial_3_05.jpg
     
  6. Mr.X²

    Mr.X² Moderator
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    exporting the model would just take a minute. creating a layout file max. 10minutes (usually). but the someone who does this for you would need your .max file.


    jep, thats correct :)


    nice work btw (y)
     
  7. Altiris

    Altiris Governor

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    I will update the layout creator to work with Max 2014\2015\2016, that's easy enough.

    However the 3ds max plugin that i updated for 2012 will not be updated for newer versions, it requires too much C++ code to be rewritten and quite a lot of the maxscript has changed too.

    The New Artist Tool suite that came with CXXL (the one with .fbx support), can be used for building shader only(and custom Building shaders), just name your LODS correctly (b_), and the viewer will assign the correct shader, if you have a look on the STEAM page for the modding tools you will find a way to assign custom shaders to your models before you export to .fbx. (material name suffix, NOT Mesh name) for example..

    b_ind_all01_T2_L1(shader=#Building_EnhancedUV2_v1.0.fx)

    The custom shader with same filename must exist in the shader folder, wherever you installed the viewer, the updated custom DX11 shaders can be found in the Community Mod Patch.


    Unfortunately the new viewer is very buggy and will not export Furniture, Roads, Vehicles or Characters properly.

    Any building exported with the new viewer will only work in CXXL and cause previous versions to crash.



    Welcome to the half-arsed world of FHI and CXL :)
     
    Nogerivan and Mr.X² like this.
  8. Mr.X²

    Mr.X² Moderator
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    thanks for your efforts altiris, we all appreciate this a lot! :) without you cx(x)l would be death (y)
    but its still a shame @FHI, that the new artist tool doesnt support previous versions and cant export other mods than buildings properly (n)
     
  9. Merrilkl Maddox

    Merrilkl Maddox Executive

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    We would be very grateful to you for doing this. I know it is time consuming, and as I mentioned before, I hate to impose, but it seems to be your the brain guy when it comes to 3ds max. Oh, the joyful regrets of being the popular one! LOL

    Thanks so much Altiris! (y) I will be looking forward to it, and possibly working with you "all" on projects in the future.
     
  10. Merrilkl Maddox

    Merrilkl Maddox Executive

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    exporting the model would just take a minute. creating a layout file max. 10minutes (usually). but the someone who does this for you would need your .max file.


    jep, thats correct :)


    nice work btw (y)


    Thanks,

    As far as the .max files, I have no problem sending them to anyone who can help me with it, via email, drop box, or any other way.

    But I guess now, would be time to inform you guys of my plans. :dmc4:

    First off, I am retired, with nothing but time, and I spend 90% of it on the PC, Either for myself, or assisting people with websites, graphic images, and animations. So, all I have is time!


    If all this works out!
    My plan is to recreate a city, not by adding zoning and let the people move in, but actually recreate the city. The choice is either San Francisco, since I was born there, and the other would be Atlanta Georgia, where I reside now. Both have some very distinctive features, such as the Golden Gate Bridge, that I have walked across many times, and Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, where the airport stretches 3 miles E to W, and 2.6 miles N to S. The airport itself would take up most of a map. One nice thing about Atlanta is we have an intense freeway system with everything from spaghetti junction to sunken freeways. It would be a fun build though, and possibly even a nice group build.

    The suburbs, would be XL generated buildings, but anything close to the main areas, like, downtown, or the airport, I would go on google earth, street level, and snip images of each building, and build them one at a time. Also images can be found all over the internet of just about any angle of almost any building in the world.

    So, am I dreaming, or do you thinks it can be done? :think: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
     
  11. Merrilkl Maddox

    Merrilkl Maddox Executive

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    Here are a few pics of what I want to build.

    San Francisco:

    Downtown_Waterfront.JPG Sunset District.JPG San Fracisoco_01.JPG The Worf.JPG Union Square SF.JPG

    As kids, we used to play on these glass elevators. It would be a nice building to model!
    Glass Elevators.JPG
     
  12. Merrilkl Maddox

    Merrilkl Maddox Executive

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    Here are the pics of Atlanta Georgia.

    Below is Hartfield International Airport, Atlanta;
    Hartsfield_International_Airport_01.JPG Interstate just south-west of the airport.JPG Atlanta_Sunken_Freeway_02.JPG Atlanta_Sunken_Freeway.JPG

    This one is Concourse "E" At Hartsfield, this would be another great build
    Shot of Concourse E.JPG
     
  13. Merrilkl Maddox

    Merrilkl Maddox Executive

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    The modeling in of these buildings don't take long, but it seems like an eternity when you are modeling, then reading tutorials, then finding things you need, then back to the model. lol

    But you guys know, if you had all day to model, you can get 2 or 3 buildings done a day. You guys can probably move even faster than that. :cool:

    I am not trying to build all this, I am just deciding between them. Hartsfield International would be one build in it's self, and probable take up an entire map.


    Well, wasted enough time, back to the model. :dm8:
     
  14. Merrilkl Maddox

    Merrilkl Maddox Executive

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    :dm9a:GOOOD NEWS!!!!!!

    I checked my other system and I have a copy of 3dx Max 2012 on there. And for an added bonus, it still has the old copy of the old Photoshop CS6 on it.

    Now the big question, Would it be possible to copy the files from c\autodesk_3ds_max_2012_english_win_32-64 bit which is the setup files with the .exe files, along with the files at C\program files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2012 to a jump drive, and install them directly into my system here.

    I could also try and do the same with Photoshop CS6 Extended.

    Take a look at the images below. This is my PC room and what I am working with.

    This is the system I use most of the time, since I have dual monitors hooked up to it. Makes it easy to view tutorial on one screen and work on the other.


    WIN_20150506_012430.JPG

    This is what I mean when I said I have many systems. I have 3 more in my living room, 1 in my garage, and 2 laptops. They all run, But most are not hooked up:
    WIN_20150506_012516.JPG

    Here is my 3ds Max 2012, on the wrong PC.
    WIN_20150506_012716.JPG

    I reallocated the hard drive so I can run both windows 7 or windows 8 on it. This was when windows 8 first came out.
    WIN_20150506_012522.JPG


    I would simply run it from there, but I don't want to have to set on the sleeper sofa (in Pic) to run it, that kills your back. It's more set up for my grand kids.
    WIN_20150506_012454.JPG


    So maybe if this works, we're in business!! :dm3:
     
  15. nicko2u

    nicko2u Governor

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    @altris sounds great will be very handy for those moving on to later versions of max.

    @maddox haha nice setup - least you found a version of max2012. cool. can you network LAN your PC's? would make transferring files faster if needed.

    Cant wait to see some more mods from you.
    You might want to first do a search in resources to make sure the building hasn't been modelled here already.

    On the old site i started a list of real life buildings that had been done, found an old file here are some.

    Register or to view Spoiler content!
     
  16. Merrilkl Maddox

    Merrilkl Maddox Executive

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    @maddox haha nice setup - least you found a version of max2012. cool. can you network LAN your PC's? would make transferring files faster if needed.

    LOL Thanks, I have a network running through my entire house, however, file transfer is not too safe when you running for printing and faxing Win 8.1 on one system, Win 7 on another, and vista on another. I use it solely for the printer and fax. If we need to transfer files safely, we use drop box.

    Moving on, After all that work, the system won't work on my windows 8.1 . I got max 2012 to work, but the xl tools did not work properly. Every time I hit the Export To Viewer button, max would crash. I believe it is due to the max being a 32bit. I am not sure. I am going to try and reload it. Not sire why it isn't 64 bit.

    Oh well
    Ain't built the first one yet. But I'm still trying!! :ROFLMAO:
     
  17. nicko2u

    nicko2u Governor

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    yeah there are two versions of artist tool.
    CitiesXL_ArtistToolSuite2012_x64.exe (40mb)
    and
    CitiesXL_ArtistToolSuite2012_x86.exe (25mb)

    also you will need to install the same max 32-64bit version
    Autodesk_3ds_Max_2012_English_Win_32-64bit
     
  18. Merrilkl Maddox

    Merrilkl Maddox Executive

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    Well nicko2u, I am finally giving up with trying to set this up on my Win 8.1 system, and as I said, I'm not going to ruin my back setting on a sofa, creating mods for a game. However, I never completely give up! Since I can't set on the sofa and use that system, I'll bring that system over here on a KVM switch.

    A KVM switch will allow you to use One keyboard, One mouse, One or even Duel monitors on 2 PC at the same time.

    And for those who don't know how they work, I posted a little description on how to hook them up. I posted it in the Modding Help Quarter, since most people that will be interested in this would be modders.
    http://xlnation.city/threads/dual-monitor-dual-pc-set-up.3121/#post-21435
     
  19. nicko2u

    nicko2u Governor

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    awesome! there is usually a solution for most things, guess it depends on how much patience and knowledge available to find them.
     
  20. juan eduardo

    juan eduardo Skilled Worker

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    Could you help me hello
     

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