Mikebart's Grass Pack [BETA]

[mikebart 1]

Edit: 23/3/09 added download link of Grass Masked.psd

Edit: updated download link with 2048's and included .rvmats. This is a replacement for the old mb_Grass.pbo

Hey all, just a small Grass pack for island makers, all the textures were rendered from high poly geometry at 2048x2048.

The origional references were from photographs taken of grass in rural Victoria.

I havent actually tested it as clutter ingame yet, but its all set up and ready to go, I'd really like some feedback on how you guys go about using this, so please post back on this thread with any ideas on how you think I could make it more efficient and/or look better and ill get it back to you.

If you're interested in how these textures were made, then check out this tutorial: English Elm Tutorial, it pretty much explains projection rendering for diffuse maps in 3dsmax.

Pack consists of:

mb_clutterGrass_general.p3d

mb_clutterGrass.rvmat

mb_clutterGrass_CA

mb_grass1.rvmat

mb_grass1_CO

mb_grass1_2048_CO

mb_grass1_NO

mb_grass1_2048_NO

mb_grass2.rvmat

mb_grass2_CO

mb_grass2_2048_CO

mb_grass2_NO

mb_grass2_2048_NO

Screenshots:

Download: MB_Grass 2048's

Download: Masked Grass.psd

[opteryx 1562]

Very nice and crips textures, but where's the rvmat?

[oldbear 390]

An interesting move, but are you planning a full release for these textures ?

[.kju 3245]

very nice job. we will have a test with ACEIP tonight or tomorrow

@Opteryx

If binarization is done correct, the rvmat (for objects?) are no longer need.

May or may not be the case here.

[t_d 47]

p3d is MLOD, so not binarized

[bravo 6 0]

very nice job. we will have a test with ACEIP tonight or tomorrow

@Opteryx

If binarization is done correct, the rvmat (for objects?) are no longer need.

May or may not be the case here.

hum?

im with opx, where is the rvmat?

If rvmat is not present the colors might not be the desired ones, right?

EDIT: i have a question: how did you save those paa files? What were the settings? Im not completely sure but i think the paa files could be saved with other setting in order to have better results and improvement.

[oldbear 390]

@ Q : for an old noobish map maker as I am, saying something like "If binarization is done correct, the rvmat (for objects?) are no longer need." is like speaking martian.

I am working along the BIS sample map example and trying to understand the things said in various posts and tutos. I have build my first map with the help of my ADO Team mate Floosy and here I don't understand why we don't need the classical group :

mytexture.rvmat

mytexture_detail_co.paa

mytexture_detail_nohq.paa

mytexture_mco.paa

Nevertheless, I have posted a new on Armed Assault.info

Link to mirror :

Grass Pack (v beta)

[jojimbo 0]

nice one mike,let me at it

ok rvmat missing,was disappointed to find you dumbed the textures down to 1024,was hoping you was gonna go for it with the 2048's,so i really dont see much of an overall difference between this addon and default bis which i dont think was your original intention.

Everyone has their own opinions on how big textures should be,grass however should be given special treatment as you'll be treading on it all the time.

how about a pack with the full originally intended textures including your rvmat

[mikebart 1]

OK, no worries, ill upload the 2048's tonight, but if you ever decide you want to optimize and use 1024's instead, dont just resize the 2048s in photoshop or something, use the rendered 1024's provided in the pack, reason being that you wont get the same image quality in the downsized 2048's as you would in the rendered 1024's, so thats kind of why i included them.

Oh yeah... .rvmats, I forgot about them, I just used the ones provided in the BIS sample map, ill upload the ones I used tonight, I havent tweaked them at all so if you cant wait just use the Travia one.

Just a note about the grass alpha .rvmat; if you change the 'alphatest32' to 'alphatest128', it should get rid of most of the bleeding/sorting artifact surrounding the grass.

Also I havent made any detail textures yet and have just been using the samplemap ones so ill get working on those too, ill have to try a few things.

Quote[/b] ]EDIT: i have a question: how did you save those paa files? What were the settings? Im not completely sure but i think the paa files could be saved with other setting in order to have better results and improvement.

I just used .tga's and loaded them in texture viewer, saved them as .paa's, didnt adjust any settings or anything, the high quality comes from them being rendered from geometry instead photos, do .paa's get further compressed when binarized?

[pathetic_berserker 4]

do .paa's get further compressed when binarized?

No, bin.pbo will do a direct copy of textures

[mikebart 1]

I just updated the first post with the 2048's, hope you guys get some good use out of them, cheers

mike

[.kju 3245]

A couple of problems:

1) Missing $PBOREFIX$ (ca\mb_grass)

2) Recommended $PBOREFIX$:

ca\OFPEC_TAG\AddonName

=>

ca\mb\mb_grass

This helps for binarizing / packaging pipeline.

3) Missing rvmat:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">

Warning Message: Cannot load material file ca\mb_grass\data\mb_cluttergrass.rvmat.

Cannot load material file ca\mb_grass\data\mb_cluttergrass.rvmat

[mikebart 1]

ok, thanks for the suggestions Q, guess I've got to learn this stuff somehow eh.

I'm not sure why you cant load the .rvmat though, did you try to set it up as clutter?, ill have to look into binarization too, I really have no idea how to do it.

[opteryx 1562]

I thought it was recommended to not build your project folder in CA, but rather make your own namespace on the P:\ root?

[oldbear 390]

@Opteryx : it's the "Synide medecine" for ArmA modders, but some have probably other ways.

I am still not understanding how, I, a basic "grunt" mapmaker can use this top of the notch addon on my own map.

Nevertheless ... I have updated our mirror on Armed Assault.info

Link to updated mirror :

Grass Pack (v beta)

[.kju 3245]

@ mikebart

For me there is still no rvmat in there. As its not binarized, you

need to copy/keep the file in there.

@ Opteryx

One should not put this stuff in ca\

Yet having a level in between ca\OFPEC_Tag\ saves the day.

After all almost any project needs access to the ca files.

Sy suggests to copy them over to your new root.

Using p without subroot (as 99% of the addons) is no good.

So

* p:\myAddon

* $PBOREFIX$ = myAddon

* Or not use a $PBOREFIX$ at all.

are no good.

The knowledge is very limited about this and not much info out

there. Will be part of the Community Modding Guide I am working on.

@ Old Bear

You can see it at the PROPER_MB_Grass replacement addon

(once mikepart has a working version online to play with).

[dmarkwick 261]

Very nice grass I think I will use this, probably the 1024 version.

Unless... someone can comment on the performance differences on the two versions? I'm just assuming that dense clutter at 2048 will be noticeably slower than the 1024 grass.

[jojimbo 0]

well you technically only have to load the texture to ram once,no matter how many times the model is rendered.so as long as you dont have 1000 trees and worst of all - houses in visible range the grass should be fine.

i am hoping to run a test using fraps fps on my machine with both the 2048 and 1024 very soon.

[mikebart 1]

@jojimbo: Thanks for testing it, I think the alpha overdraw's probably going to be the big killer for the 2048, I was thinking a good test would be: Alphablended vs full Alphatested (aka Punch through alpha), I think you'd get better performance with Alphatested, cause sorting's usually cheaper and it could still hold up visually due to the high resolution.

but overall I think you'd get better visuals with alphablend, thats how the .rvmat is at the moment.

As soon as I get around to sorting the paths out properly and getting it in game, ill do some tests myself, cheers.

@Q: Thanks again for the info, are you saying there are no .rvmats in the .pbo at all or are you just saying the dont work?, I did find something wrong with the .rvmats, I put _CA instead of CO, at the end of the diffuse names, heres how they should be:

mb_clutterGrass.rvmat

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">#define _ARMA_

//Class MB_clutterGrass_general.rvmat{

ambient[] = {1.5,1.5,1.5,1};

diffuse[] = {0.4,0.4,0.4,1};

forcedDiffuse[] = {0,0,0,1};

emmisive[] = {0,0,0,1};

specular[] = {0,0,0,1};

specularPower = 1;

PixelShaderID = "Grass";

VertexShaderID = "BasicAlpha";

mainLight = "Sun";

renderFlags[] = {"AlphaInstancing","AlphaTest96"};

fogMode = "Fog";

//};

mbgrass1.rvmat

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">ambient[] = {0.9,0.9,0.9,1};

diffuse[] = {0.9,0.9,0.9,1};

forcedDiffuse[] = {0.02,0.02,0.02,1};

specular[] = {0.0,0.0,0.0,0};

specularPower = 1; // specular interpolator must be enabled

emmisive[] = {0,0,0,0};

PixelShaderID = "NormalMapDiffuse";

VertexShaderID = "NormalMapDiffuseAlpha";

//surfaceInfo = "landtext\bumps.bisurf";

class Stage1

{ // normal map

 texture="ca\mb_grass\Data\mb_grass1_2048_NOHQ";

 uvSource="tex";

 class uvTransform

 {

   aside[] = {10,0,0};

   up[]    = {0,10,0};

   dir[]   = {0,0,10};

   pos[]   = {0,0,0};

  };

};

class Stage2

{

 texture="ca\mb_grass\Data\mb_grass1_2048_CO";

 uvSource="tex";

 class uvTransform

 {

   aside[] = {10,0,0};

   up[]    = {0,10,0};

   dir[]   = {0,0,10};

   pos[]   = {0,0,0};

  };

};

mb_grass2.rvmat

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">ambient[] = {0.9,0.9,0.9,1};

diffuse[] = {0.9,0.9,0.9,1};

forcedDiffuse[] = {0.02,0.02,0.02,1};

specular[] = {0.0,0.0,0.0,0};

specularPower = 1; // specular interpolator must be enabled

emmisive[] = {0,0,0,0};

PixelShaderID = "NormalMapDiffuse";

VertexShaderID = "NormalMapDiffuseAlpha";

//surfaceInfo = "landtext\bumps.bisurf";

class Stage1

{ // normal map

 texture="ca\mb_grass\Data\mb_grass2_2048_NOHQ";

 uvSource="tex";

 class uvTransform

 {

   aside[] = {10,0,0};

   up[]    = {0,10,0};

   dir[]   = {0,0,10};

   pos[]   = {0,0,0};

  };

};

class Stage2

{

 texture="ca\mb_grass\Data\mb_grass2_2048_CO";

 uvSource="tex";

 class uvTransform

 {

   aside[] = {10,0,0};

   up[]    = {0,10,0};

   dir[]   = {0,0,10};

   pos[]   = {0,0,0};

  };

};

[dmarkwick 261]

Hey MikeBart - do you require the grass to remain in the PBO or can I incorporate it into my own veg PBO? (With credits of course.)

[mikebart 1]

yeah sure, feel free to do that sort of thing, aswell as editing the rvmat, whatevers easier for you.

I'd just rather you didnt edit the model or the textures themselves, thats all.

edit: just another thing about the model, its built in a way that it works well on slopes up to about 30 degrees

[.kju 3245]

Weird. If I download the file you link at the first post, it contains

these files:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">MB_Grass\MB_clutterGrass_general.p3d

MB_Grass\readme_MB_Grass_Pack.txt

MB_Grass\data\mb_clutterGrass2048_CA.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_clutterGrass_CO.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_grass1_2048_CO.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_grass1_2048_NOHQ.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_grass1_CO.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_grass1_NOHQ.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_grass2_2048_CO.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_grass2_2048_NOHQ.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_grass2_CO.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_grass2_NOHQ.paa

[.kju 3245]

Looks stunning.  

Standard arma clutter setting:

SgtAce loose setting:

Here is the replacement file. Only works with my listed fixes

and the added rvmat from the posts above:

PROPER_c_MB_Grass.pbo

(load fixed MB_Grass.pbo along)

[jojimbo 0]

Q that looks stunning mate,I always think with grass...and everyone has their own opinions,you are on top of it,in it,laying in it,its everywhere and the 2048 cost for RAM is well worth it,even if at the expense of trees,chop a few tree textures by half to accommodate this,cause I think it's important.Also bushes,hedge textures,Mike,any chance of making some hedges?

trying a few different rvmats atm,will get a fraps counter in there shortly

[dmarkwick 261]

Weird. If I download the file you link at the first post, it contains

these files:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">MB_Grass\MB_clutterGrass_general.p3d

MB_Grass\readme_MB_Grass_Pack.txt

MB_Grass\data\mb_clutterGrass2048_CA.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_clutterGrass_CO.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_grass1_2048_CO.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_grass1_2048_NOHQ.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_grass1_CO.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_grass1_NOHQ.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_grass2_2048_CO.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_grass2_2048_NOHQ.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_grass2_CO.paa

MB_Grass\data\mb_grass2_NOHQ.paa

I had a problem a while back with the official BIS test objects. When I decompressed them the RVMATs were always missing, while other people told me they were not. I cannot remember how I solved or got around this issue, but it might have involved using an alternative de-PBO method.