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+---- Thread: Redoran Buildings Progress Thread (1) (/Thread-Redoran-Buildings-Progress-Thread-1)
- Caligula Superfly - 05-15-2006
Quote:I fire up NifSkope, then I load the NIF I want to export. Then I unroll the tree so I see the "NiTriShape" list. I right-click on each of them and select ".OBJ > Export Mesh", and save all the pieces to a new folder. Then I open Max and import all the .obj parts, which usually are imported in the right place... so it looks a bit like I'm building with lego as I import each piece.
Ah, I see.
Anyway, Im just over half done with the buildings at this point, I figure I should do another scale checkup. I attached an image of the four buildings I have scaled thus far. (the entrances may look different sizes in th eimage, but its just an optical illusion. In reality they are exactly the same.)
As ive been working on this, I have actually developed some rather vivid ideas of now the interiors of these could look. I will go through them one by one.
Hut Styles 1&2: These you have already seen. The larger one will have the option for a basement, but the smaller one will not.
House: This is the one with the two horns. The center of the structure will be large enough to have an upper level balcony that can look down at the main living space, not quite enough room for any rooms up there though. Each horn is also large enough to house a room, with possible basement entrances.
Inn: This is the one with the square chimneys on top. Its tall enough to have a second floor. I was thinking that there would be a main room in front, then it would break into a split level like it did in MW with a bar on the lower level and a way to get up to some beds on the upper level. The bar area could also lead to possible basements.
Guild/Great Hall: This is the largest building. I think it should have three levels, the first having a large hall like gathering space and maybe a side room or two on a slightly lower level (not a full fledged basement, just a few steps down or whatever). The second floor would be a hallway with 2-3 rooms and perhaps a small dining area, and the third floor would be reserved for the sleeping quarters of the "higher ups", just a modest sized room for beds and bookshelves.
Hole: This is the building that looks like a beehive.
I imagine this as being a more economical structure, for businesses and storage. It would have no grand hall or anything, just a main level for whatever purpose, then a small room upstairs for someone to live. And an entrance to a basement of course.Barracks: This is the buildings with the big tail shooting out the side of it. I imagine this as having just one nice sized room and one smaller room on the main level, then with whatever the CS user wishes to place in the basement. I figure this building would have more of a prominent basement since its a barracks. The redoran strike me as a people who would find it safer underground.
- Zarf - 05-15-2006
Caligula, I think you are going to like this. Razorwing, you too.
I opened up NifSkope and exported that .NIF file as Razorwing said. I then imported the parts in to 3DS Max. Then I unwrapped UVWs and edited them. This is the default UVW layout that it came up with.
![[Image: SUCCESS.jpg]](http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d97/zarf42/Textures/SUCCESS.jpg)
Interesting, eh? Keep in mind I have never seen your UVWs for this model before. I'm guessing that this is an exact replication of it.
Just as an example, here's what the Redoran House model that you sent me looked by default. I don't have a copy of the Redoran Barracks that I haven't messed up trying to map on my own.
![[Image: messy.jpg]](http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d97/zarf42/Textures/messy.jpg)
Not that it's that important to the progress made on the Redoran Barracks, but note the messyness. This thing has NO UVWs at all whatsoever, but the .NIF file you sent me did! It imported YOUR UVWS into 3DS Max! We have this thing SOLVED. You send me the .NIFs and the bitmap files, and I'll shadow them.
I'm currently working on a test render of the Redorna Barracks, and it's working PERFECTLY!!! I'll post pics in a bit!
EDIT: DONE! IT WORKS!!!
Here's a beta test. Still needs a bit of work, but this is smashing for a first try!
![[Image: itworks.jpg]](http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d97/zarf42/itworks.jpg)
Here's a sample of the maps that I used.
![[Image: test.jpg]](http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d97/zarf42/test.jpg)
ITWORKSITWORKSITWORKSITWORKSITWORKSITWORKSITWORKSITWORKS
When I get the final models from Caligula, I won't actually need the maps. I was able to do this one map-free, and I will do much better shadows next time around too. I rendered these with a skylight iteration of 8, which gave me really dotty shadows. I used Photoshop to soften them up. In the final version, which will use a shadow iteration of 20 (Expect half-hour renders for each map
), there will be less dramatic shadowing and they will be more accurately placed. 
I reiterate:ITWORKSITWORKSITWORKSITWORKSITWORKSITWORKSITWORKSITWORKS
- nerbod - 05-15-2006
This looks amazing, really, the model just feels way better with this texture around it
and I'm extremely glad you finally made it to work! :goodjob: :goodjob: :goodjob: :banana: :banana: :banana: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:
edit:
I always keep comparing everything that's done with what was in morrowind.
now this was the difference between the two colors of the *same* building before:
![[Image: RedoranComparison1.jpg]](http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y275/Nerbod/RedoranComparison1.jpg)
And now the difference is this:
![[Image: ReoranComparison2.jpg]](http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y275/Nerbod/ReoranComparison2.jpg)
We are getting there
- Caligula Superfly - 05-15-2006
Sweet! That is so great! Now do you have both of them? The map you posted is of the front and tail, I am asseuming you also have the shell map too? That is wonderful. Wonderful!
Now I should remind you that this isn't the final model. You will have to redo anything you have done for this building once I have the re-scaled version finished sicne there will be some changes to the mesh's shape itself as well as the size.
In the mean time though, you can start looking at the old MW models to see what kind of decals can be put on the structures. The old barracks has quite the color variety for example! It shouldn't be to hard to make your own interpretation of that once you have the maps. This is where the fun starts. :dance:
- nerbod - 05-15-2006
oooww.... Getting all excited! And I don't even work on them myself
- Zarf - 05-15-2006
Heh. I'm glad to see Nerbod shares our enthusiasm.
I'll get to work on those textures once I have the final versions of the models in my hands. Just send me the .NIFs!
And yes, I made maps for both the bottom part at the shell "head". They are two seperate 1024x1024 bitmaps, and I fear the stripe around the bottom and in between the sections will have to be a third... But we can make that a tiney 128x128 texture, no problem. It just won't have any shadow detail to it.
Keep up the good work, Caligula! I hope to see the final models soon.
- OblivionRules42 - 05-15-2006
looks great!
- Razorwing - 05-15-2006
:applause:
Great work, guys!
- Caligula Superfly - 05-15-2006
I have finished scaling the buildings! I have attached an image of all of them at their proper ratios.
Now I shall get them all into .objs so RW can scale them to their proper size... then I can make some maps! Yeee haw!! :bounce: (Keep an eye on your inbox RW
)
- Axen - 05-15-2006
Quote:Originally posted by ZarfHmm... I kinda like the dramatic shadowing, if by that you mean dark shadows. They gave the Redoran buildings in TES3 a mysterious feeling.
there will be less dramatic shadowing and they will be more accurately placed.