Bushmaster ACR WIP

[thepuglife 30]

Hello,

 

I am currently attempting to bring my ACR model into Arma 3. As of now, I am trying to learn the basics of normal map baking and texture resolution size.

 

Pics:

http://imgur.com/a/zadJ2

 

I have no experience texturing and only minimal experience modelling, so its gonna take some time.

 

However, if I can overcome these challenges I plan on expanding this pack. 

 

 

I do have several questions regarding what size normal/ texture maps I should use, so any tips would be awesome

[Ranwer135 308]

Hello,

I am currently attempting to bring my ACR model into Arma 3. As of now, I am trying to learn the basics of normal map baking and texture resolution size.

Google tutorials on mapping with Oxygen's UV Editor, including tutorials on texturing for Arma. (There are many tutorials out there)

I have minimal experience modelling

So if you have little experience in modelling, then how did you make the model..

I do have several questions regarding what size normal/ texture maps I should use, so any tips would be awesome

Just a tip: this is the place where you discuss mods in WIP, not questions, problems, etc. (Next time, post in the "Modelling (O2)" section found in "Arma 3: EDITING")

[bad benson 1733]

Hello,

 

I am currently attempting to bring my ACR model into Arma 3. As of now, I am trying to learn the basics of normal map baking and texture resolution size.

 

Pics:

http://imgur.com/a/zadJ2

 

I have no experience texturing and only minimal experience modelling, so its gonna take some time.

 

However, if I can overcome these challenges I plan on expanding this pack. 

 

 

I do have several questions regarding what size normal/ texture maps I should use, so any tips would be awesome

 

welcome to arma modding!

 

that's a nice model for a beginner and i also really dig your avatar :lol:

 

i think it would be best for you to get skype and join the "model maker" channel from this thread.

 

https://forums.bistudio.com/topic/125141-skype-groups-other-contact-groups/

 

lots of nice helpful people there that can help you out with experience, learning the arma specific quirks and stuff.

 

as far as i remember you should be fine with 2048x2048 textures and double the size is probably fine too. arma does mipmapping so it will down scale based on texture settings per user. if i remember correctly square textures are a must (AxA and not AxB etc). might be outdated here though.

 

but you can get more accurate info on skype. another benefit is that most of the time someone will be online so there is a always a high chance to get your questions answered somewhat real time. it's a great way to get a grasp of all the arma specific things and speed up the progres of getting stuff working and learning hte basics. documentation tends to be really scattered and often incomplete so imho it's the best way to learn.

 

if you prefer the forums just go ahead and ask away. try to be a little more specific about what exactly you want to know.

 

 

So if you have little experience in modelling, then how did you make the model..

 

what kind of a weird ass question is that?!

 

if it's some kind of back handed accusation of him not having made the model himself then you might want to get some proof or some rational reasoning for it before throwing around assumptions like that...sorry if i misunderstood but that's how i read it.

[thepuglife 30]

So if you have little experience in modelling, then how did you make the model..

I meant more in terms of the final steps of baking and low poly creation

 

 

welcome to arma modding!

 

that's a nice model for a beginner and i also really dig your avatar :lol:

 

i think it would be best for you to get skype and join the "model maker" channel from this thread.

 

https://forums.bistudio.com/topic/125141-skype-groups-other-contact-groups/

 

lots of nice helpful people there that can help you out with experience, learning the arma specific quirks and stuff.

 

as far as i remember you should be fine with 2048x2048 textures and double the size is probably fine too. arma does mipmapping so it will down scale based on texture settings per user. if i remember correctly square textures are a must (AxA and not AxB etc). might be outdated here though.

 

but you can get more accurate info on skype. another benefit is that most of the time someone will be online so there is a always a high chance to get your questions answered somewhat real time. it's a great way to get a grasp of all the arma specific things and speed up the progres of getting stuff working and learning hte basics. documentation tends to be really scattered and often incomplete so imho it's the best way to learn.

 

if you prefer the forums just go ahead and ask away. try to be a little more specific about what exactly you want to know.

Thanks so much for the reply, Ill definitely have to check out the Skype channel 

[da12thMonkey 1943]

as far as i remember you should be fine with 2048x2048 textures and double the size is probably fine too. arma does mipmapping so it will down scale based on texture settings per user. if i remember correctly square textures are a must (AxA and not AxB etc). might be outdated here though

1:2/2:1 rectangular textures work. So long as both dimesions are 2^n on any file (512, 1024, 2048 etc. etc.) everything should be okay, but there is the possibility that odd ratios like a a 512*4096 (1:8) might cause problems.

Personally I wouldn't bother with 4096*4096. The game can handle them but since the file sizes are appreciably large, they're usually the first texture that gets mipmapped in a scene when Arma decides it needs to use the VRAM for something else. You can end up with something that after a bit of play time, frequently looks worse ingame than if you simply used a couple of 2048*2048 panels to optimise the VRAM requirements.

Looking at the game's files, most rifles and MGs have 2x 2048*2048 textures.

[bad benson 1733]

thx for clarifying da12thmonkey.

[thepuglife 30]

1:2/2:1 rectangular textures work. So long as both dimesions are 2^n on any file (512, 1024, 2048 etc. etc.) everything should be okay, but I there is the possibility that odd ratios like a a 512*4096 (1:8) might cause problems.

Personally I wouldn't bother with 4096*4096. The game can handle them but since the file sizes are appreciably large, they're usually the first texture that gets mipmapped in a scene when Arma decides it needs to use the VRAM for something else. You can end up with something that after a bit of play time, frequently looks worse ingame than if you simply used a couple of 2048*2048 panels to optimise the VRAM requirements.

Looking at the game's files, most rifles and MGs have 2x 2048*2048 textures.

Would it be possible to have different maps for the different parts of the model (i.e. handguard, stock) to allow for easier changes to the model?

[da12thMonkey 1943]

It's possible but ideally you want to use as few texture panels as possible because each separate texture+material set you apply requires an additional draw call from the GPU. The number of texture+material sets applied to the model is referred to as the "section count", and is displayed in Object Builder along with the polygon and vertex count as in indicator of performance. High section counts and lack of resolution LODs are normally the #1 culprits when an addon model causes frame-rate drops for players.

Using loads of separate textures is exacerbating performance requirements by the fact that you'll also have a normal map, [specular+gloss] map and ambient occlusion map for each diffuse/abledo/colour texture. So having a model with 2x abledo textures, would in reality require the game to load and render 8 .paa files on the model and having one with 3x textures = 12x .paa files, 4x textures = 16x .paa files etc. etc. Using fewer files is faster over all.

What you'll usually find on weapons that have more than the 2 standard 2048*2048 textures, is that the additional 3rd, 4th etc. files are smaller ones which only contain UVs for model components that have specific shader requirements that aren't well suited tot the main texture. In particular this applies to alpha textures used on the model (you want to map any parts of your model that require an alpha channel to a separate _ca.paa texture, rather than use a _ca.paa for the whole weapon including the opaque body), or if part of the model requires an extreme change in its specular appearence that can't be delivered by the specular map alone (i.e. if you need a different fresnel value in the .rvmat to make a glass part really shiny where the rest of the model is more matte).

If you want to make it easier to swap parts in your models my recomendation would be to map the elements that are common to all variants to one of the 2048*2048 textures. Then UV the alternating parts to the other 2048*2048 with a UV layout that makes it easy to cut up, move around and knit the individual texture elements for those parts together fit the UV layout of individual sub-variants of the weapon.

It's still fiddly to knit averything back together, but it's doable.

[thepuglife 30]

It's possible but ideally you want to use as few texture panels as possible because each separate texture+material set you apply requires an additional draw call from the GPU. The number of texture+material sets applied to the model is referred to as the "section count", and is displayed in Object Builder along with the polygon and vertex count as in indicator of performance. High section counts and lack of resolution LODs are normally the #1 culprits when an addon model causes frame-rate drops for players.

Using loads of separate textures is exacerbating performance requirements by the fact that you'll also have a normal map, [specular+gloss] map and ambient occlusion map for each diffuse/abledo/colour texture. So having a model with 2x abledo textures, would in reality require the game to load and render 8 .paa files on the model and having one with 3x textures = 12x .paa files, 4x textures = 16x .paa files etc. etc. Using fewer files is faster over all.

What you'll usually find on weapons that have more than the 2 standard 2048*2048 textures, is that the additional 3rd, 4th etc. files are smaller ones which only contain UVs for model components that have specific shader requirements that aren't well suited tot the main texture. In particular this applies to alpha textures used on the model (you want to map any parts of your model that require an alpha channel to a separate _ca.paa texture, rather than use a _ca.paa for the whole weapon including the opaque body), or if part of the model requires an extreme change in its specular appearence that can't be delivered by the specular map alone (i.e. if you need a different fresnel value in the .rvmat to make a glass part really shiny where the rest of the model is more matte).

If you want to make it easier to swap parts in your models my recomendation would be to map the elements that are common to all variants to one of the 2048*2048 textures. Then UV the alternating parts to the other 2048*2048 with a UV layout that makes it easy to cut up, move around and knit the individual texture elements for those parts together fit the UV layout of individual sub-variants of the weapon.

It's still fiddly to knit averything back together, but it's doable.

Noted, Thank you

[thepuglife 30]

Finally got to properly baking the first normal map. I don't know how well they translate into the engine. Tell me what you think...

 

http://imgur.com/a/YY6zE

[PuFu 4600]

It is a bit too sharp for game engines where textures get mipmapped. Otherwise look ok, Just make sure you flip the green channel if you haven't already (RV uses it up, default max bake is down).

[thepuglife 30]

It is a bit too sharp for game engines where textures get mipmapped.

I tried to fix somethings up, but not to sure how much it helped

 

Baked the other normal map, its not perfect and needs definite fixing in certain areas. At this point, im thinking of redoing most of the lowpoly model to better optimize it and allow for an easier baking process...but we'll see 

http://imgur.com/a/YY6zE

 

For further down the road, I have no idea how to texture and have no access to photoshop, so that in itself will be an even bigger challenge

 

As always, tell me what you think

[thepuglife 30]

what is the best method to get good bakes with picatinny rails? As of now, i'm not at all satisfied with what I am currently doing (having each rail be a separate element) or am I just doing something wrong.