[Bobbo]

This morning, after breakfast - I opened up my Gmax, and opened the Texaco canopy.  I then took the layer texture that I created yesterday (see 1st pix below) and wrapped it around the canopy (see 2nd pix below)

I have to say it looks much better   than what it originally looked like.  (See below pix)

But this is not the final look - I know the white center blotch that you see in the 2nd picture above will probably stand out when it's in the game, so I'm going to continue to work on the layer - texture aspect of this project till it looks like it's a "go".  I'm also going back and retexturing the red as Jim Myers mention in one of his examples - taking the Texaco logo, taking the red from that and using it on the other parts of the station.

If you are reading this Jim or Deadwoods, I have to ask for your opinion - To me, the new texture looks kinda "stretched out" across the canopy, what is a good procedure to get rid of the "stretched out" look?

Thanks you all for being patient with me on this project. 

[callagrafx]

A good way to avoid the stretchy effect is to switch to top view, make the viewport large and take a screen grab.  Open this up in your paint program and crop the image to the roof section.  That gives you your canvas for creating the roof texture as a single texture map with the correct aspect ratio.  You may need to clone the texture to fit the aspect, but it's all good practice.  Once you are happy, save it out and reapply to the roof.  Make sure the UVW map is set to box or planar with no tiling.  Apply and you should have a textured roof that doesn't look stretched.

[Bobbo]

A good way to avoid the stretchy effect is to switch to top view, make the viewport large and take a screen grab.  Open this up in your paint program and crop the image to the roof section.  That gives you your canvas for creating the roof texture as a single texture map with the correct aspect ratio.  You may need to clone the texture to fit the aspect, but it's all good practice.  Once you are happy, save it out and reapply to the roof.  Make sure the UVW map is set to box or planar with no tiling.  Apply and you should have a textured roof that doesn't look stretched.

Hi callagrafx

I went in and enlarged my viewport and grabbed a screen shot.  Then went to PSP, and crop what I wanted as the top part of the canopy (though this isn't the final look - I'm just testing layering and texturing out further).  Here's the first screen shot of what I just did after wrapping the texture around the top part of the canopy



Now as I was replying back to you, I was re-reading what you were explaining to me - so I went back into Gmax, and did the following:



So now it's totally grey - there's no like black blotches or any other type of blotches.  I sat the tiles to 0 as you can see in the pix (next to the green dot) - but then my question is what about the length and width (next to the red dot) do I just leave as is or make adjustments?  The Length reads 7.205 and Width reads 31.173.

I'll stop right here for now, and go back to learning more on layering and texturing.  I hope you, Jim or anyone else can help with me further.  Thanks again callagrafx

Bobbo

*************************EDIT************************EDIT***********************EDIT*****************

After taking the Texaco symbol in PSP, and doing the following that Jim explained to me about getting the red texture off from the sign, (see below his example pix 01) - I then went back into Gmax, and took the new created red-tex texture that I made, and applied it to all the red areas of the Texaco station.  Keeping the canopy top as I  did (see above) - I went ahead and rendered (see 2nd pix below).

 

Am I getting there??  I don't seem lost do I  .  I'm still working on it, I like how Jim did the braces across the top in his canopy, so I'll be working on that as well.

Bobbo

[jmyers2043]

<edit: as I write you post ... Yep, you're getting there. I actually like the gray looking top with what I think are gmaxed corrugate simulated ribs. Now all you need to do is to give the gray a bit of life with some subtle shadow areas where water has setted and dryed and Bob's your uncle>

<edit two: I know how much you like color but don't forget to make the red SimCity friendly>

Basically – I’ll ditto what Calgraphx said. (First image)  I made a rectangular texture and applied it to a rectangular surface. You made a square texture and applied it to a rectangular shape, hence the stretched look.




The process that Cal suggested is a good one. In gmax set the top view from wireframe to smooth + highlights. Do a print screen then paste it as a new image in PSP. I can then (picture below) highlight the roof, do a copy and paste to a new image.  Presto, a texture that is the correct aspect of your gmax roof that you can now work with.  I don’t actually do that specific procedure that often. The process works well if you want the texture to “fit like a glove”.




I usually know the size of the roof or wall before I go into PSP. In PSP I’ll click ‘new’ and type the correct dimensions into the ‘image dimensions pop up window’.  Example is:  If a wall I am doing is 6 meters tall and 18 meters long I’ll make the image dimensions some multiple of that. Probably would be something like 120X360 pixels. (For the height, that is 6X10=60 then double it =120 pixels and then do the same for the length.) So long as I have large enough canvas to work with. The wall below is on the side of Allario's Liquor Store. The advertisement layered onto the brick will not stretch when applied to the gmax model because the aspect ratio of the image is correct.   

[Bobbo]

aaaah - the light bulb just clicked on in my head!  Thanks! 

Ok, I went back in to Gmax, took a screen shot of the canopy, went into PSP - paste, and then I layered alittle more, added alittle more in the center to cover up the "white" blotch alittle, so in the game it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.
Then regrouped it, and then did some cloning to take out things that may look like doops.  Then I saved it, went back into Gmax, and wrapped the new metal texture around the canopy.  I also added the thicker cross beams to make it more realistic looking (like what Jim did in his example).  Viola!



I kinda like it b/c it looks very weathered, and that's one thing that I've learned from the BSC team - all your creations look weatherized.

Here's the render screen shot:



I'll take any opinions!  Thanks.

Bobbo

[callagrafx]

Sorry, I should have been clearer, I was in a hurry to get out of the door...and I thank Jmyers (as always) for explaining it so much clearer than I ever could...He makes a fantastic teacher.  

[Bobbo]

Sorry, I should have been clearer, I was in a hurry to get out of the door...and I thank Jmyers (as always) for explaining it so much clearer than I ever could...He makes a fantastic teacher.  

NP callagrafx, sometimes it takes a donkey to kick me in the head before I can get it! 
I'm just glad that I'm gettin' the hang of this, and you all being patient enough to teach me!

Thanks!

Bobbo

[Pat]

Hey bobby watch out that donkey can kick hard. be warned it does tend to hurt a little.

the roof is looking a whole lot better keep up the hard work -Pat

[Bobbo]

After my initial excitment that I got today - I started to get back to work on the canopy.  Though there is still alot of work that needs to be done - I only tested it to see what the  new texturing would look like in the game. 



I got to fix the cross beams, and make a good upper ring around the canopy lengthwise.  But right now my main concern is the texture - does it go??

I also scaled the Texaco down to a 2x4 lot - on the right side of the lot, you can't see it yet, but there's another building that is a restroom, and air/water machine

[callagrafx]

You may want to tone down the brightness a notch...the BAT lighting rig really blows textures out, so you need to compensate for this by making it darker than normal.

[Bobbo]

You may want to tone down the brightness a notch...the BAT lighting rig really blows textures out, so you need to compensate for this by making it darker than normal.

Thanks callagrafx - I'll work on that.

[Bobbo]

I went and revamped  the entire canopy part - IMHO - it looks better - but then I want your opinion.  I promise I'm gonna get this right    Here's the screen shot:



Do you think the brightness is toned down enough??

 ( Thanks for being patient  )

Here's what it looks like rendered

[jmyers2043]

Much much better. I see you finally came around to my shade of gray  ... And Cal is right. What looks good against the gray/grid background in gmax looks differently in the game. Which by the way is the next thing you should probably do. Take that preview render you just showed us and export it, make it into a prop using the PIM, and then place it on a quick park/test lot. Put a couple of cars on the lot and some sim people. Then start to plop it next to or near other similar buidlings (Deadwoods Servo's, other small shops like SimGoobers car lots and oil change places, Deadwoods Tire changing stores, etc. . . ) What you're doing is making comparisons. Looking at color palette and scale.

[Pat]

bobby that is a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig diffrence, i totaly agree time for beta testing great job - your friend pat
 


OHHHHHHH BTW A BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG CONGRATS ON NOW BEING A BSC MEMBER

[Bobbo]

Much much better. I see you finally came around to my shade of gray  ... And Cal is right. What looks good against the gray/grid background in gmax looks differently in the game. Which by the way is the next thing you should probably do. Take that preview render you just showed us and export it, make it into a prop using the PIM, and then place it on a quick park/test lot. Put a couple of cars on the lot and some sim people. Then start to plop it next to or near other similar buidlings (Deadwoods Servo's, other small shops like SimGoobers car lots and oil change places, Deadwoods Tire changing stores, etc. . . ) What you're doing is making comparisons. Looking at color palette and scale.

I'm glad that it looks much better - I too have to agree with Cal, textures in gmax can be very deceiving.  I'll go ahead and render it - but I think I may have to scale it down some more - it's currently on a 2x4 lot (so if you think that maybe to large, let me know) I'll test it in the game against Deadwoods Servos and look at everything (texture, colors etc).  Thanks for being a great help Jmyers!

[Bobbo]

Take that preview render you just showed us and export it, make it into a prop using the PIM, and then place it on a quick park/test lot. Put a couple of cars on the lot and some sim people. Then start to plop it next to or near other similar buidlings (Deadwoods Servo's, other small shops like SimGoobers car lots and oil change places, Deadwoods Tire changing stores, etc. . . ) What you're doing is making comparisons. Looking at color palette and scale.

I finished rendering, and scaled it down so that it now fits on a 1x3 lot.  Here are 3 screen shots with Deadwoods Servos, and Simgoober's Key Kiosk Shop, cars that are parked behind Texaco, in the adjacent lot.







I've looked at the red pallet, to me it looks better, I did what you showed me what to do with the Texaco symbol, taking a dropper placing it on the red, and then using that typical shade of red, and then I went  alittle further, and layered it to give it more of a saturated look.  Though, I will like your opinion.  Thanks for your help.    Bobbo

[joelevan]

Bobbo - I hate to ask this, but can we get a bigger picture of that? It looks good, but the distance makes it hard to critique properly. 

Joel

[Bobbo]

Bobbo - I hate to ask this, but can we get a bigger picture of that? It looks good, but the distance makes it hard to critique properly. 

Joel

Sure, I'll be right back, have to start the game up - be back in 10.

[Bobbo]

Here are the close up shots - of all 4 angles.

[vester]

One thing I nocited in your previous post was the difference in appears the roof have, when view front the ends and from the long sides.
Why is it that the roof looks almost flat from the ends, but profiled from the long sides.
How have done this profil shadow thing ? (sry my English comes a bit short)


I would prefer that roof look profiled from all sides, just like Dwd's stations have some profiling of the roofs and that from all sides.