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Post by jurisprudence on Apr 29, 2019 23:31:21 GMT -5
Hello yet again. Sorry for all the questions, but I keep having issues on at least ... 80% of my objects ... /sigh. SO, I made two tables. A 2x1 one and a small 1/2 1x1 one, that goes on the end of the 2x1 one. Everything is fine, except for the fact that in my game, the small table has shadows (mesh faces) / indentations(?) along the top side of the flat end. I figured this is because when I made it, I first used a sphere, the flatened to the axis' I needed. The problem is, that when I take it back into Blender, I see no issues with it, so I don't know how to fix it. The screenshots are not too clear. It looks worse in game. Any help is genuinely appreciated. Blend
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Post by menaceman44 on Apr 30, 2019 5:27:54 GMT -5
Have you got your package file available as well? It's not being caused by your bump map is it? I've looked at your mesh. The issues I can see are that you need to remove the seams on the table legs, the white leg top has quite funky looking shading due to the number of polys, and there is a hole underneath.
In all honesty, the table legs are probably a lot higher poly than they actually need to be for what you see in game. You could simply create a cylinder and narrow it off in sections towards the bottom.
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Post by jurisprudence on Apr 30, 2019 6:41:34 GMT -5
Thanks, Menaceman. Yes, I know all that, and mean to fix the poly issue, although I'd like for the front leg to remain in parts so that it most closely resembles the original. I only noticed the hole on the bottom, and one on the front side, which I fixed, just about as I was to test in game. The seams I can live with, or I can turn the leg around to hide it, when I fix the hole, as **I don't yet know how to make them disappear in Blender. If there is a way, well, that's awesome!** The white leg top, I created from a cone instead of a sphere so that it would not be too poly heavy when I flattened it, but if I decimate the table without parting it first, that is the first thing to decimate, and so looks 'funky'. I meant to take a whole one from the bigger table I made and append it, toward finalizing the project. My issue though, is that upon testing it, I get the awful indentations - and those, I don't know how to fix. I made a glass vase previously, which I had the same issue on, and it came from the same flattening to a zero axis. With the vase, however, I could see them in Blender, and fixed them manually. On this one, I can't 'see' them to fix them. I don't believe it is being caused by the bump or spec maps, as I used the same ones I have been using ... but maybe??? Here is the .package file, but I really wouldn't spend too much time on it, especially if there are others to help. I guess I can always search for a semi-circle table-top free 3d model somewhere, made by someone who is not still learning, and knows what they are doing - unlike me, obviously :0), and replace it with that. I normally post here when it just boggles my mind, in order to learn something new, and you guys have been pretty great so far. Thanks.
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Post by jurisprudence on Apr 30, 2019 7:33:38 GMT -5
Hi again. Got it to work. Downloaded a semicircle .stl file, which fixed the poly issue (4k > 1k); the hole; and the 'indentations'. My flattening skills suck I guess. :/ When I joined the files though, the semicircle went from flat to smooth, so I need to fix that, but pretty happy with it now. Thanks again.
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Post by menaceman44 on Apr 30, 2019 16:14:33 GMT -5
I'm glad you found something. Are you okay making the edges look sharp again?
As for the leg seams, all you have to do is select the vertices along the seam and use the Remove Doubles option on them. That should smooth them out. Regarding the sections on the leg of the metal and fabric(?) parts, all of that can be done with the specular and bump map. That's kind of their purpose; to be able to add detail via texture so that your models don't have to be so high poly.
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Post by jurisprudence on May 1, 2019 11:02:37 GMT -5
Thank you so much, Menaceman!
Yes, edges look great now. I used edge split and maybe subdivided them? I can't remember now. In any case, it looks great. Thank you for the Remove Doubles pointer. True story: I usually use it by highlighting the entire mesh in Edit Mode then clicking it, not really KNOWING what it does ... other than delete doubles. :D
As for bump maps - I sometime think I have a mental block in terms of all things related. :( I have tried several times to make one and it never turns out right. I have the njob application which is supposed to help, but I think I get lost in the PhotoShop part. Honestly, I have NEVER in my life had such difficulty learning ANYTHING as much as as things relating to creating for the Sims. It's CRAZY! The fact that is gives me such difficulty might be part of the appeal too. Hahahah. (Not really. It kills me.).
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Post by menaceman44 on May 1, 2019 18:08:23 GMT -5
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Post by jurisprudence on May 2, 2019 0:35:20 GMT -5
I will definitely give it a try, but I think that my issue comes with separating and mixing around the channels in Photoshop. I know it sounds weird, but I don't understand how to do it. I assume when we need to move one color from one channel to another, it means doing so inside the Channels window? Well, I can't figure out how to do that. If on the other hand, it means just copying the actual image while in the channel you're supposed to be in, then going to the channel you're supposed to paste to, and pasting the image on top of the image in the main panel, I've tried that too, and it never comes out right. ... Oh, wow. I was looking for the tutorial I followed so that I could link it here, and I came across this: Tutorial. I might try that too. Learning how to create bump maps would be amazing, as I think my game is ready to EXPLODE from heavy poly cc - mine and other creators! I LOVE creators who know how to make their content look great, while keep it low/small.
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Post by menaceman44 on May 2, 2019 5:44:22 GMT -5
This is the tutorial that I first followed and it's how I create mine. sims4studio.com/post/7663/threadI tried the version of doing everything in photoshop once but I didn't like the results.
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Post by jurisprudence on May 2, 2019 9:39:23 GMT -5
Hmm. I had read through that tutorial before, and just noticed that I think I was missing adding an Alpha channel. In any case, I just tried it ... and this is what I come up with ... Obviously, I am doing something wrong. I don't get me sometimes. On a good note, it is a lot closer than what I have had happen before. I will keep trying until I get it. Thank you so very much for trying to get me there! I so appreciate the time and patience.
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Post by freeasabird on May 2, 2019 10:14:13 GMT -5
I have no idea about the channels either. Here's how I make my bump maps and they work ok for me I use Adobe Elements but I guess they are all about the same. I use a .png image and make sure its been flattened (see Layers at the bottom of the list)Use the emboss effect under Stylized, choose the depth and the angle to get the right concave/convex effect.Save as a .dds file using the setting below. In photoshop the texture will not look any different but once saved it will appear lighter almost ghostly sometimes. You can open the 2d preview to see how it will look after saving.I have always used this method and it always works, no changing channels etc. Hope this helps
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Post by jurisprudence on May 2, 2019 10:47:20 GMT -5
So, on my second pass/attempt, I got this .dds. (Looks more like a spec map, than a bump map?): Also, not sure why the image is being displaced when copying on top of each other ... This is how it looks in game. Since this wasn't my greatest texturing job, I'm going to re-texture it, correctly, then begin again with that image.
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Post by jurisprudence on May 2, 2019 10:52:44 GMT -5
freeasabirdThat sounds sweeeeet. Will try it this way too. Thank you!
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Post by jurisprudence on May 2, 2019 12:08:50 GMT -5
freeasabirdHonestly, I feel as if I am going bonkers. I tried this, but if I flatten the image, I can't get into the beveling / embossing screen without adding another layer, which would defeat flattening it. So, I tried without flattening it, and it looks pretty good, except I have a shadow in it which is not from the original because I cropped most everything out, and which I can't find the simple crop tool to crop it out with, because apparently I suck at Photoshop too. I am going to take a break. I should actually be working, but to some masochistic recesses of my being, this sounded like it would be so much more fun. ~ When I come back, I will download Elements trial. Bump or bust, dammit!
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Post by jurisprudence on May 2, 2019 14:43:44 GMT -5
menaceman44 freeasabirdOh, my, god. I think I got it! Thank you, thank you, thank you to both of you. Of course, not being able to stylize it in Photoshop to begin with, was my fault. I'm not that well-versed in it and was looking in the wrong place, so when I found it, it was grayed-out upon flattening the image. Elements, although I love the simplicity, was a bust for me since I could not figure out how to save the .dds correctly. And finally, the original file I was using (for the table) has a weird shadow I still can't figure out, which turned gray after every close attempt, complicating things and making me think it wasn't working. SOOO, I tried with a different file altogether, and even though the map looked pretty gray, I thought I'd try it in game, and taadaa! (teapot): Although I had originally textured it with these images, the bump brought them out more. I can't thank you guys enough. Now I need to rework about a hundred files, which should keep me out of your hair for a while. Thanks again.
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