Modeling, UVing and Texturing Guidelines for Community made Assets

[Z-trooper]

Originally Posted by Wilkinson

Couldnt you just fix any AO Map Errors in Photoshop? I saw it in a Texturing Video

Yes, but this is both easier and gives a much cleaner result.

[boilerrat]

Originally Posted by [R-DEV]Rhino

Very accurate...

For example, here is a quick box I've made in max 2010, which I then messed up by applying some noise to it and then I turbosmoothed it, and applied a smoothing group to the entire box.

What settings did you use? That looks amazing.

[[R-DEV]Rhino]

I crated a box, added lots of segments to it, converted it to a editable poly, applied the noise modifier onto it, tweaked the settings to get what I wanted then turbo smoothed it.

[[R-DEV]Rhino]

I've just added this to the 1st post in the topic:

UV-mapping/Unwrapping:

• When UVing an object, use as few texture sheets as possible as the more texture sheets are used, the bigger impact the textures have on performance. For example, 4x 1024x1024 sheets (adding upto 2048x2048 pixels) has a much larger overhead on the engine than one single 2048x2048 texture sheet.
  The only time when you will want to consider using other texture sheets is if its such a large object that you can not fit all of the detail onto a single 2048x2048 sheet without it impacting on the look drastically (such as the Chinook) or when a common object is made for the object like a weapon scope like the ACOG which is used on (and can be used on in the future) many other objects that are not using the main textures of the weapon or w/e your UVing, so having the ACOG on its own texture sheet helps when the ACOG is placed onto anouther rifle other than a M16 or M4 and instead say an L85A2, so that when playing on the British Faction with a L85A2 with an ACOG, the player dose not need to load all the M16 and M4 textures that wouldn't be used anywhere in order to have that ACOG on his rifle. Another example would be the M203 UGL which is also used on many other weapons and as such, is best on its own texture sheet.
  But don't start putting every scope or small object onto its own sheet. For example if its a unique scope only for that Sniper rifle, put the UVs for that scope onto the main sniper rifle texture sheet.
  If you are unsure if your object is a common object that should go onto its own texture sheet or not, ask a developer in the forums or over PM.

Recently I have been seeing loads of new hand-held weapons coming in with everything UVed onto different sheets when it shouldn't be, with the worst offender recently having 28 texture sheets for a single hand weapon....

Please everyone take note of the new guideline above.

Cheers.

[PatrickLA_CA]

I have a question:
How big is that 3dsMax9 software and is there any free 3d modeling software whose models can work with bf2

[[R-DEV]Amok@ndy]

gmax and maya

[[R-COM]H.sta]

Maya isn't free, it is extrememly expensive

[dogbadger]

I know a point was made not to give tri-limits but i was wondering what the stock tanks in BF used, or if a figure could be given on a tank like PR's chally 2?
obviously these numbers would be a reliable guide to what works fine in game.

If the rough LOD model counts could be suggested too, all the better.

[[R-DEV]DankE_SPB]

~10k tris for a tank(.50cal on top not included)

[dogbadger]

Originally Posted by [R-DEV]DankE_SPB

~10k tris for a tank(.50cal on top not included)

excellent- that was the kind of number i've been working towards, so nice.