CarEd Script |
|
Home Installation Windows File Object Texture Presets Credits | Thanks for trying out my new script.
This script was deveoloped, initially to export files from 3ds Max to CarEd.
In order to do that, I had to write a script that would import models first.
The two together make the import/export part of the script. All that is
covered in the File section though. This instructional does not show you how to model using Max, but does show you how to set up your model for export to CarEd, which is suprisingly simple. Thanks go out to TTR for letting me use his models, I used one of his to make this tutorial, mostly cause it was already set up. Check out the Credits for his site and more. The Export TutorialStarting from Scratch, all we have is our model, and the C2 Editor window up. First thing's first, we need to make a MainNull, so under the Objects window, click the Make Main button. This will prompt you to make an OBJ file, and then will make a dummy at world center. It will also link all your scene geometry to it. (This will make sense in a bit)Next, we need to size the model to whatever the final Carmageddon Size is. We do this by importing a comparable preset. So go to the Preset window and double click on one of them. A quick note: BlackDog is a semiAfter the comparable preset is there, click on the Main (MainNull, or dummy in the middle of the world) and scale it to whatever you need your model size to be. (A note, try scaling, if not everything scales, except for the preset, you will have to link whatever didnt scale right to the dummy.) Once scaled you can delete the dummy. Now, basically your model is ready to go. Click the Save Obj button, and it will save your file. The Object TutorialStarting from Scratch, with an empty screen, click the Create Main button in the Objects window. This will ask you to save an OBJ file someplace, where you can put it promptly in the CarEd folder. Make a folder in there called Test, then save the OBJ file in there called Test.OBJ. (you can name it anything you want, just the two should be the same.)Now that the script knows where everything is "Supposed" to be, we can go about the business of creating geometry. This script uses a low end version of some of my tools I made for the right click menu for 3ds Max r3.1. They are made so you can start fast, and not have to worry about learning the whole program at once. The Geometric Basics of Max Next press the Create New button. This creates a new object with no geometry. Simply click 3 times in one viewport, perferably not in the same place, and you will have enough vertices to make 1 triangle. 1 more vertices and you will have enough to make two connected triangles. Keep going, and you will have more and more space to put triangles. However, they will all be flat, since you are drawing in one viewport. Once you are done putting your initial vertices in, click on the Select and Move Tool(looks like a plus with arrows on it in your top toolbar, provided you didnt change alot of stuff in max already.) The select and move tool is your primary tool for moving things around. Select some of the vertices, and move them in other viewports. Move them closer to thier final resting place. A trick is, in the Perspective viewport, to hold down the Alt key, and the middle mouse button and drag the viewport. This rotates it, and allows a firmly good look at how your vertices look in 3d space. Next, we want to add some faces to our model. The first thing is to understand what the right side of your application is doing. Those on a small screen will undoubtably have a little more trouble with this. These screens move, up and down, just select an area with nothing in it, and drag the window up or down. It saves alot of space, when what you have to offer is so much more then the realestate you have to offer it in. Either way, the right side should be in Modify Mode, in the Vertices Sub-Object Mode, wich is how you are added vertices to your model. Now, we need to switch over to the Polygon Sub-Object Mode. Notice that the word Sub-Object is highlighted, and the button under that(in the Selection rollout) is also highlighted. What you need to do is to click on the Polygon Sub-Object button, or the one that looks like a red square. Once you have that, you will need to go under the Edit Geometry Rollout, and click the Create Button. Note that the Vertices Sub-Object mode also has a Create button, this was pressed when you clicked the Create New button before. Now comes the basics on how to create polygons. Remember a polygon is at least a triangle, therefore, you must have a minimum of 3 vertices to make one. In concept this is actually pretty easy, getting started is a little harder. You want to select 3 vertices wich deserve a polygon, and face them towards you in the perspective viewport(You can actually do this in any viewport so long as they face towards you. That will make alot more sense once you get into it.) Start with one vertex, click on it, then in counter clockwise fashion, click on a second then double click on the third. Double clicking tells max to finish the polygon. You are not limited to 3 vertices in a polygon, you may have as many as you wish. Be warned though, Max doesn't always deal with things over 5 vertices like we would wish it would. So your best bet is to use 3, 4 or 5 as you see fit. There are alot more tricks that Max has to offer, however, they would not all fit here. If you need to learn how to use Max, search for one of the many more tutorials on the web for Max and GMax. GeometryTut-Vertices The Texture TutorialTexturing with this tool is incredibly easy, select an object, map it from a direction then either load a texture, or choose one from the list, what makes texturing hard from my perspective is mapping a single object like a fender, then trying to match it up to a door in Photoshop. Frankly it is much easier to map an entire object to one texture map than it ever will be to map many objects to many texture maps. That said, this tool is setup to mimic CarEd, which does the latter. One of the biggest tools I suggest from a Mapping standpoint is Texporter, a small plugin that allows you to render a wireframe map(and more) of a mapped (UVWed in pro terms) object.Being a simplistic program though, I would say that texturing using non specific textures is a thousand times easier then creating a single texture which encompases your entire model. |
