ArmA2 vehicle camo dirt and RVMAT difficulty

[nodunit 397]

Topic title says all, any tips or tutorials very welcome. I'm trying redo the camoflauge on NATO vehicles and was wondering if there is a way to perhaps add a new camo over the old ones without losing the dirt and other details.

Edited May 24, 2010 by NodUnit

[STALKERGB 6]

Unfortunately I think that its very hard to do to be honest, i'm not an expert but I think you will need to create the new camo pattern as well as a greyscale (for all the bolts and indents in the vehicle) and add dirt layers ontop at the end.

Probably better if someone more experienced comments on this though :)

If you have something like photoshop (i guess GIMP probably does it too) but when I am making a new texture I keep any dirt/detail on seperate layers to the camo pattern so i can just swap the camo pattern for a new one if I felt like doing that.

EDIT: IIRC some of the in game assets (maybe just Force recon?) have an extra dirt texture that gets applied regardless of what your texture is (and whats on it). Might be wrong though.

[nodunit 397]

Thanks for your words, I figured it would have to all be done from scratch, I use photoshop and am familiar with the layer workout but I'm not very good at adding dirtyness effects that look..real I guess you could say.

[STALKERGB 6]

Thanks for your words, I figured it would have to all be done from scratch, I use photoshop and am familiar with the layer workout but I'm not very good at adding dirtyness effects that look..real I guess you could say.

Yeah i know what you mean about getting it looking real, might be worth having a look for some new brushes for photoshop, I found a couple good ones for adding dust to my troops rucksacks and so on. I reckon there will be a few that are decent for adding dirt.

[max power 21]

It would be very difficult. You'd be better off figuring out a way to put adequate quality dirt on. It would be a better investment in man hours.

Try getting a picture of mud and putting it over top of your camo and fabric pattern and playing with different masks and blending intensities. I don't think that any kind of fancy colour blending like overlay will give you the effect you desire. Also try playing with the blend if gradients on the layers panel.

[Binkowski 25]

EDIT: IIRC some of the in game assets (maybe just Force recon?) have an extra dirt texture that gets applied regardless of what your texture is (and whats on it). Might be wrong though.

Yes, it has something to do with the RVMAT file, if you like I can send whoever needs it a sample RVMAT with the mud_mc texture.

[nodunit 397]

I'd like a copy of that if possible, I'm I hadn't seen anything about in the rvmats yet (but I haven't previewed many either) and if it is possible to have a clean and dirty version then I would be all over it.

@Max Power: Blend gradients? I wasn't aware of such a thing but I will certainly give it a shot.

[max power 21]

I'd like a copy of that if possible, I'm I hadn't seen anything about in the rvmats yet (but I haven't previewed many either) and if it is possible to have a clean and dirty version then I would be all over it.

@Max Power: Blend gradients? I wasn't aware of such a thing but I will certainly give it a shot.

When I said layers panel, I meant the blending options of the layer. It's the same window where you set up your effects. On the bottom of the first page of that window is the blend if gradients, IIRC.

Edited May 23, 2010 by Max Power

[nodunit 397]

So now there is a new problem, I've tinkered with a few vehicles now, HMMWV, MLRS and MTVR all of which RVMAT's worked out fine for the most part.

The Abrams however is being stubborn and refuses to change no matter what I do, I have literally cut and deleted every texture path out of all 3 rvmats regarding m1_abrams_metal01-03 which should have left it black but it remains perfectly intact.

The biggest problem is getting rid of the enviroment map (at the bottom of all rvmats, land.co.paa) which causes a reflection effect.

I have tried to edit the texture and normal maps the various rvmats tie to and they appear to take effect but no matter what I do the enviroment map remains.

PS: The files changed were in tracked/data/detailmapy

[cleggy 297]

Have you tried changing the environment map from env_land_co to env_cloth_neutral_co? - that might help.

[nodunit 397]

ca\data\env_cloth_neutral_co.paa

Nope it still wants to keep the land map it seems..darnest thing, I haven't seen this problem on the MTVR or humvee sets.

Just tried your suggestion with the tunguska, it worked like a charm..that abrams is very stubborn.

EDIT: Upon more examination it seems to be a group thing..anything in DetailMappy (that is the rvmats of duplicate vehicles such as bmp2's, T-72's and abrams) will not take changes..

Edited May 28, 2010 by NodUnit

[Synide 0]

Changing the physical pathname and/or filename of a 'texture' in the on disk version of an .rvmat file that is utilized by a binarized model will have no effect. Mainly, because the .rvmat is 'not used' by the model.

The majority of .rvmat's in the default BIS content are included in the .pbo's only because it was inconvenient to exclude them. Not because they are required (and used) by the binarized model.

Most all .rvmat's referenced from a binarized model are physically integrated into the .p3d model file during binarization. So, in most cases playing around with values in the .rvmat in the .pbo will not have an effect.

Leaving the .rvmat alone and altering the sub-ordinate texture (without changing their filenames) files pointed too by the .rvmat will have an effect on the model.

With respect to the previous posts regarding 'env_land_co.paa' & 'env_cloth_neutral_co.paa' you'd have to edit the 'env_land_co.paa' and replace it's contents with something you desire... say a black & white picture of a smiley face for instance. But, of course then every other model that made a reference to 'env_land_co.paa' would then use your version and look... well... yuck.

The upshot is that unless you are willing (and/or able) during your 'reskin' on a BIS binarized model to go the whole hog and manipulate most all of the texture file references which are in the .p3d model embedded version of the .rvmat then you would be best to restrict your texture editing to just textures that are specific to the individual .p3d you are trying to reskin. Wouldn't be a good idea to go editing 'env_land_co.paa' for instance.

Some .p3d models may have several different .rvmat's embedded in them. And, each of those embedded .rvmat's may point to several different textures. Literally, meaning that to do a 'good' reskin you may have to 'touch' dozens & dozens of textures. Added to the mix is the complication that some of your texture manipulations may not fit well with the topology of the model resulting in a very complicated 'reskinning'.

Most people would just go the easier route of making their own version of an existing model thereby giving themselves complete artistic control over it's comstruction and final look & feel.

Previous versions of ArmA/OFP didn't have the usage level of .rvmat's that A2 (and probably future versions of RV will) have so reskinning was alot easier. A 'proper' and 'good' reskin for a 'hero' model in A2 while achieveable is alot of 'work' and as such is less appealling to most.

[nodunit 397]

But most of the Rvmats have worked perfectly, I've been able to tone down specular power and specular color with many of them, changing some tanks and helicopter to a more matte appearence.

The only ones that do not appear to work are the ones tied to multiple units converged into one..I figured it was integrated somehow but was hoping otherwise, I guess that leaves little choice for many of the units.

In this I did however learn that excluding the environment map is not necessary, by lowering the specular power it seems to become less and less visible.

Well thank you all for your help, I guess in many cases I'm just up brown creek without a paddle.