Blender Help -- Trying to Add Neon Light Effect


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glimmerbrookwitch
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Posts: 3

Blender Help -- Trying to Add Neon Light Effect Oct 9, 2019 22:27:22 GMT -5

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Post by glimmerbrookwitch on Oct 9, 2019 22:27:22 GMT -5

Hey there!

So, this is my first post... I'm hoping that I'm adding it to the right section.

Currently, I've spent the last 20 hours between Blender, S4S and Photoshop. I am trying to add a neon light effect to a gravestone. ('Tis the season for Simblreen.) I had gone into S4S and selected "Create a 3D Mesh." I exported the mesh and the texture. I imported the blender file to the program, and used cylinders to create the physical effect I wanted (see black outline of the cylinders around the gravestone)...

Now, my dilemma is this... When I import my mesh into S4S, it looks the way that it should. However, the texture map/image does not -- it just looks like the gravestone from Vampires. Also, though I've changed the lighting settings -- noting that it is a light, not a sculpture; changing the warehouse settings -- when I go in-game, it does not allow me to customize the brightness or color of the light, like you can with various in-game light options. Also, my cylinders are not emitting light sources, but I would like them to be (obviously, as I'm trying to go for a neon light effect).

Here's what it looks like, in-game/S4S:

I am sure that I've bitten off more than I can chew, at this point. Any tips, tricks or helpful hints... Or heck, anyone willing to do a bit of collaborating with me?

Thanks so much!

menaceman44
Studio Member

Procrastinating from finishing too many CC projects.

Posts: 1,537

Blender Help -- Trying to Add Neon Light Effect Oct 10, 2019 15:24:58 GMT -5

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Post by menaceman44 on Oct 10, 2019 15:24:58 GMT -5

When you say you changed the lighting settings do you just mean you changed the tags from Sculpture to Light? If so that only changes where the object shows up in the catalogue. You need to give it the tuning of a light for it to function as one.
To get your neon tubes to actually light up once it is turned on you will need to give it specific vertex paint in blender. There is a tutorial here in the tutorials section on how to do that.
I'm not sure what the issue with the texture is.
It would be best to share your package and blend file then we can get a better understanding of what has been done and what needs to be done.

Download my mods at MTS.

glimmerbrookwitch
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Posts: 3

Blender Help -- Trying to Add Neon Light Effect Oct 10, 2019 18:33:28 GMT -5

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Post by glimmerbrookwitch on Oct 10, 2019 18:33:28 GMT -5

For the lighting settings, I followed OM's tutorial (where she created a lamp and then painted to change how the light was emitted).
--I changed the setting from sculpture to lighting.
--I went to the warehouse, and I changed the light type, as well as the x,y,z aspects.

One thing I've found with Blender -- perhaps because I did something wrong and/or backwards, is that I cannot select vertices of the tubes. I attempted to paint them white (straight #ffffff). I don't think it did anything. Also, I will admit that I am a complete newbie to blender. And here I am, trying to do something that is likely intermediate level. :D

Here are my files:
--Blender: [here]
--Package: [here]

Thanks so much, for taking a look!!

menaceman44
Studio Member

Procrastinating from finishing too many CC projects.

Posts: 1,537

Blender Help -- Trying to Add Neon Light Effect Oct 11, 2019 12:48:48 GMT -5

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Post by menaceman44 on Oct 11, 2019 12:48:48 GMT -5

You haven't changed to tuning to be the tuning of a light. It is currently using Bakie's custom tuning.
Why did you use his custom object as a base anyway and not the one from the game? If you plan to share it, did you get his permission?

You can't colour your neon tube section of the mesh because you haven't UV mapped it. It is currently all squashed onto a single vertex in the lower left corner of the UV map. You also seem to have duplicated the mesh group, the one called Studio_mesh_0.001, which Studio will ignore when you try to import it.

Last Edit: Oct 11, 2019 12:50:33 GMT -5 by menaceman44

Download my mods at MTS.

glimmerbrookwitch
New Member

Posts: 3

Blender Help -- Trying to Add Neon Light Effect Oct 13, 2019 9:18:23 GMT -5

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Post by glimmerbrookwitch on Oct 13, 2019 9:18:23 GMT -5

Hey there! I appreciate the notes and observations. This particular undertaking (using Bakie's tuning) is for personal gameplay use. If I were able to figure out how to make it work, then my personal gameplay would be on-point for the season of Halloween/Samhain/Simblreen.

I have had some additional help from a community member, who was able to have the Vampires gravestone (not Bakie's) light up. They were kind enough to help me with the UV mapping and texture. They explained to me that with the files they used a BGC lamp. I tested this with a floor lamp, importing my files that they had helped to fix, and in S4S I keep getting an error.

Here's what they were able to accomplish:

Here is what I am running into now, as far as problems, in steps:
1. S4S -- Object: Create 3d Mesh
2. Select BGC floor lamp
3. Here is the BGC floor lamp I chose. I chose a floor lamp, being that the gravestone would be placed on the ground.

4. Here is the error I receive, when I try to import the new mesh:

Here are the updated/fixed files:
Blender
Texture

At this point, I am trying to figure out what they did to make it work and learn about the various S4S aspects I need to pay particular attention to, so that I can make notes of it for myself when I choose to update the other BGC and Vampires gravestones and not have to rely on others for their help.

Thanks!

Last Edit: Oct 13, 2019 9:24:41 GMT -5 by glimmerbrookwitch


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Blender Help -- Trying to Add Neon Light Effect

Post by glimmerbrookwitch on Oct 9, 2019 22:27:22 GMT -5

Post by menaceman44 on Oct 10, 2019 15:24:58 GMT -5

Post by glimmerbrookwitch on Oct 10, 2019 18:33:28 GMT -5

Post by menaceman44 on Oct 11, 2019 12:48:48 GMT -5

Post by glimmerbrookwitch on Oct 13, 2019 9:18:23 GMT -5

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