Just testing my 4 modular assets(from the random model thread take-over) in UDK. Mostly been working on the materials for the last week(when I have had time). Really happy with my results, so I will be expanding on this scene a lot when I have time in between my studies.
[Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47037191/Hallway_test_UDK01.jpg]
[Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47037191/Hallway_test_UDK02.jpg]
Alright so suddenly I had time(more like just obsessing and taking the time) to adjust things. Followed the specular procedure from the video with some twists. Fixed the normal map a little and some small details in the diffuse(reduced visibility of metal overlay). Imported it to UDK and got even better results. Starting to work like I want it to. So I added a very subtle cube map reflection(thanks knj!) to the diffuse via material editor and well, yeah it works! IMO this is a lot better and it's really starting to look good. There's more detail in the specular now, and it shines with the right color tints(green could maybe use some more work though). Now it just needs some dirt in "crevices" here and there plus on the darker "edge" at the bottom to look a little more "worn"(even if it's supposed to be clean).
I also scaled the models up to fit UDK sizes better and to get the cube map reflection to look more correct in relation to this.
[Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47037191/SM_Wall01_UDK03.jpg]
Again sorry for kind of hijacking the thread, but I really need all the input I got here. I really appreciate you guys wanting to help me out, it has resulted in a MUCH better looking model. And I have learned a lot of new tricks to make my stuff look better! Big/much/huge/great thanks!
Damn, it depends what lighting you'll plan to make. As you mentioned already that specular can burn people's eyes
WOW! That is just awesome and changes my whole perspective on specular maps completely! Thanks a lot:D I had no idea one could do that. I've just been using crazybump's specular feature, and it just give a mostly white result. Then I have edited it with overlays and correcting areas that came out wrong in PS. Definitely gonna try this! Brilliant!
Quote from knjright now it looks like a painted metal straight out of factory, is this the look you want to get ?
how strong is your specular power ?
Not exactly what I want no. But yes, I do want it to be like painted metal, very clean and just installed/built environment type of thing. Though with a little dirt/damage in appropriate places, like Rick mentioned to make it look at least a bit used.
Right now I'm not using a specular power node in UDK. The specular map itself is very bright though:
[Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47037191/SM_Wall01_specSHIT.jpg]
But after watching the video seir posted I can see at least some of what is wrong. I'll be updating the specular as soon as I have time.
Alright I think I'm on to something now(sorry for hijacking the thread btw!). I increased the metal surface overlay in both the normal and specular map. I also added the base metal surface on top of the diffuse(it's the bottom layer under the colors as well) and increased its brightness(the overlay, not the whole diffuse). Re-imported to UDK and increased the lighting. I also tried adding the diffuse colors(brighter) to the specular in the material editor in UDK, to take away some of the WHITE in the spec. Now it looks much better in my opinion:
[Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47037191/SM_Wall01_UDK02.jpg]
All the details from the metal overlay stand out more and it does shine a bit more. Am I getting close? 
Had a look at doing an environment map in the material but it's too complicated to create for every texture(not effective use of time I think?).
Not sure if there is somewhere to add env maps in UDK(other than a complicated method I may have used for a water surface earlier). You are right though it is quite dark, so I guess just upping the lighting could do a lot. I'll check it out some more tomorrow!
Yes I'm going for a really clean look. Some brand new space station type of thing
Thanks for feedback seir!
But actually maybe I just don't get it. All my edges are shiny(depending on angle / lighting of course). And the bolts are shiny. I can also see the metal base surface details, which is an overlay in both the normal map and specular map as well, but maybe just a bit less than they should. Do you really mean that there is a lack of specular, or that the specular is just wrong? I can't see where it needs to be more or less:(
If I go up more on the specular now, people's eyes will burn. But then again maybe they are supposed to?
Cool stuff Alex, looking really freaky! Good luck with audio awareness, would be really nice if you nailed it!
Try it in the game engine. Still looks like plastic stuff.
Ok so I imported the model and textures into UDK and set up a material. Immediately got better results(I'm so shit at 3ds max rendering!!). What do you guys think?
[Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47037191/SM_Wall01_UDK01.jpg]
Also note that the models aren't scaled in 3dsmax to fit UDK. They're built in inches, to be useable for Natural Selection 2.
Made a lot of adjustments to the textures. Tried to make the edges more uneven in the normal map(though I may have been too careful), and added this to the specular as well. Highlighted edges in the specular more and fixed some colors and added "damage" around the bolts in the diffuse. Went from a default material to an architecture and design material in 3ds max and it seems that these are all steps in the right direction. I am however having a hard time actually getting some good renders out of 3ds max no matter how high my precision and final gather settings are. I'm thinking it's the lighting as I haven't really spent much time on their settings.. I've tried moving the lights around a lot, but with no luck. Here's what it looks like now(definitely more metal to it now?):
[Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47037191/SM_Wall01_render05.jpg]
The self-illumination won't shine like it did with default materials though. I guess I'll have more luck with a decent look if I go ahead and get this into a game engine!
So is this actually better or did I screw it up?
Quote from Rick_DAn oldy but a goody:
That one taught me everything I know about normal map baking from 3ds max. It's awesome. Great tuts all of them. Thanks again Rick!
Thanks a bunch Rick! That helps a lot! I am using a specular texture(I did combine it with a 50% multiply of the diffuse however), I may just need to adjust it so everything becomes more shiny I guess. I'm all for the wear and tear aspect too. I'm just not sure how to implement it, but I will definitely look into it! I am actually using two metal surfaces(that I tiled) from cgtextures as a base for the texture, but I guess it's not coming out enough through the colors. Will have a look at that too!
As for reference objects to relate to the real world, I will be adding doors and such to the scene so it's easier to identify the scale. I just haven't got that far yet
Again thanks for tips and tricks! Very much appreciated!
I spent some time working on and reworking a wall section for my sci-fi prototype. I got some weird artifacts on some edges, so I made the model simpler to get rid of those. I made two versions of this one too, one with and one without the extra panels.
Here's what they look like:
[Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47037191/SM_Hallway_render01.jpg]
[Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47037191/SM_Hallway_render02.jpg]
358 tris with the panels on and 34 tris without them.
Feedback appreciated
Ah ok I see Sigma, thank you for the hint:) Maybe I'll just make a separate texture that includes something like that, it's not like it's a huge waste of time. Would be a quick process to add, and anything that can provide more detail to the scene I'm planning is good. But I'll save it for later I think, need to focus on other parts. Started on a wall section. I'll be posting more once I have something presentable!
Thank you too seir, warms my heart! (wasn't sure my sci-fi was any good at all!)
A lot of cool stuff in here I have to say! Too bad it's just "trash"..
Here's something I did while messing around with the Spark Editor(natural selection 2), only included props/textures:
[Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47037191/crudeearly001.jpg]
It may go into a map some day, but I wouldn't count on it!
Quote from SigmaThese are very nicely done. My only suggestion would be to add an access panel to the side of it via texturing. Right now, it makes me think of a small futuristic HVAC system.
Thank you Sigma! I know they do look like they are missing something, though I'm not sure what you mean by "access panel". If you would be so kind as to point in some direction of what you are talking about, that would be nice!
I updated it a little. Made the black edge more defined and going "into the wall" instead of being an inch away from walls(a bit hard to see here though). Also made an additional straight pillar(last one was a corner-piece):
[Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47037191/SM_Pillar_Corner_render05.jpg]
Any feedback is good feedback!
Also those trains look fantastic penE!!
Last time I posted on these forums I was touching 3D software for the first time. It's been years and I learned a lot. Had an idea for some sci-fi stuff the other day and tried to draw a little concept. Here's some of what it resulted in(yes it's a pillar). Going for a VERY clean style.
Model is 342 tris, and I made two different texture sets to break things up when it goes into a level some time in the future.(All 3 are the same model, just to show different angles)
[Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47037191/SM_Pillar_Corner_render02.jpg]
[Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47037191/SM_Pillar_Corner_render04.jpg]
Fantastic work. Looking forward to playing it too! I had to stop the video to actually check if that was Hurg, laughed pretty hard!
A lot of good stuff being shown in here! Looking forward to seeing more of that moonbase Mr.Happy! And that outdoor env is quite nice already too.
Here's a shot of my wip NS2 level:
[Blocked Image: http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w234/Kabelen/crude2wip/roundwip3.jpg]
EDIT: Some of the textures are PhilK's stuff, they're awesome!
Looks really neat! Great work! Would love to try but I do not have that console 
I bought the special edition a few days after the pre-orders were launched so I've been waiting for quite a while, like many others. It's been nice to follow NS2 the past year and I'm really looking forward to playing it! Will be most awesome! 
Quote from ChimerayYou can further optimize it like this:[Blocked Image: http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/1018/computerthingfix.png]
If you count the triangles on the side, you save one less by doing this. Try to connect your vertices to corners instead of ending it in the middle of an edge. It's not gonna hurt your performance for this model, but if you don't focus doing stuff like this it might add up real quickly for a whole scene (or at least that's what my teachers say). You might be able to connect some vertices at the top as well, but this will screw with your 'curvature' of your display so I don't recommend that suggestion in this scenario as you probably won't be normal mapping over it? You probably also don't wanna be doing this cos you need an edge in your UV's or something.
Not big issues though, just some pointers
And it's pretty much nitpicking but if no one tells you... well, yeah... There's always more to learn.
I don't think it's too simplistic, if you added a normapmap (or bump) you could create some panels, screws and make it look assembled together. A lot is gonna depend on the texture. You could add a lever perhaps and a small grate at the bottom for some ventilation, every computer needs ventilation! But you can just texture the grate.
Oh BTW, why do you keep the side panels? From the looks of your scene, they won't be visible right? As your model fits right into the wall. So why not just delete them?
I've done quite some work on this since last time. Dropped the rounded thing and made the whole more bulky, in a good way I think. Also think I've managed to save some tris along the way but I'm not sure as it is more detailed now and more detail will come. Will be adding some ventilation for it definitely, you'll see. As for the faces on the sides I want to keep them, as it's not only going into that opening in the wall. I want it to be able to place it on flat walls too Will have another wip shot ready tonight after work some time I think.
I haven't got very far on texturing(in general) so I know absolutely nothing about what normal maps, specular maps etc do. So I'm gonna have to read a whole bunch about it and then practice a lot I guess, as texturing seems to be the harder part of modeling?
Thanks for hints and tips
