So, after something like 30 attempts (seriously, probably more), I finally got the body texture mapped in a way that Im comfortable with. Did I mention that I hate doing textures? Im sure I have.
I spent a lot of time getting to know Gmax again. At first I couldnt even remember how to scroll the camera around. Once I figured that out, I quickly re-did a couple of tutorials to get reacquainted with the process, and spent a bit of time just scrolling around, looking at the model from all angles to get familiar with it again. It took a while to be brave enough to start manipulating verticies - I didnt want to break anything!
Luckily the Tangara was in the midst of texturing, so there was something I could do, without having to mess with the actual geometry. Even so, eventually, I did start tweaking a few things, and correcting a few little problems that I found. Ive always hated the texturing part. Its tedious, and there are so many faces to do. Even a simple cube has 6 sides which each need to be mapped to a material and then UVW mapped to a texture. The Tangara is a little more complex than a cube.
When I left it, I had been experimenting with a technique that involved using Lithunwrap to paint the texture map onto a texture file. It really seems to me that once you have your surfaces UVW mapped, you should simply be able to export that to an image file and begin to fill in the colours and detail. Alas, Gmax doesnt have such a feature, but Lithunwrap does. The problem is that with the limited file formats supported by both Gmax and Lithunwrap, you have to first export the model into a 3DS file so that Lithunwrap will read it. This was causing a few problems, with the conversion process warping the model out of shape in some places. Also, this is a one way process so you cant make use of Lithunwrap's UVW mapping tools. Its only purpose in this case is to simply convert the Gmax UVW maps to an image.
Finally, after a few problems, I decided not to use Lithunwrap to create my bitmaps. Instead, Im using a less accurate method used by a lot of Gmax users, which is simply to take a screenshot of the texture map after you have laid it out, and then use photoshop or similar software to save it as an image. This is a lot less accurate and doesnt produce the cleanest bitmaps, but at least it works and I dont have to convert the model to another format and export a piece at a time.
The picture above is a mix of a simple plain texture, and a screenshot based texture with some text on it. I just knocked it up quickly to test, and to be sure that the lettering was facing in the correct direction on each side. You can see the UVW mapping as blue lines on the front of the Tangara. Ive roughly painted over it on the sides, using a grey that I derived from actual photos (just to see how it looked) . At this stage I havnt started to work on the texture files, which is when all the details will be added, but at least I have the maps laid out onto the first of several texture files which I can work with. Next I will have to tackle the interior and map that.
Once I got to this point, I needed a break so Ive been working on the 86 Class a bit (See below). Gmax is all coming back to me now, and I even managed to cut the windows out of the 86 Class doors using a boolean tool, entirely from memory. Ive also discovered a few new tools that I hadnt used before, thanks to some of the tutorial videos I have been watching. This will make things easier in the future.
File Version: 393
Poly Count: 17629
Note: The poly count shown here is for the Gmax model in progress. The count will generally be higher than that of the finished in-game model since it includes duplication, tools, jigs, and other pieces which may not be part of the final model. It may also include parts which are generally counted separately, such as pantographs, interiors, or bogies. LOD modelling will be used to further reduce in-game polygons.
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