Here's version two of my Porsche 914-4 and 914-6 for the game Racer. The first versions were originally released over three years ago. The textures on the original model weren't all that great, and the body had a few areas of bad reflections. Plus there's been three years of Racer updates since then.
So last summer I began to redo the 914. The body has been heavily remodeled; I removed the modeled-in door lines, fixed the reflection issues, reduced the polygon count and fixed a few small accuracy issues. The textures have been redone completely from scratch save a few bits and pieces. The car.ini is completely new.
I plan to redo my Porsche 916 eventually as well, and I may add another variant or two to my stable of 914's. ;) But that's in the distant future.
Here's the complete list of new features:
- Heavily remodeled body with smoother reflections and better accuracy
- 4 levels of detail for the main body
- A removeable targa top and side windows (selectable in the car.ini)
- Headlights
- Textures remade about 90% from scratch
- Driver model by Stecki
- New car.ini made from scratch
- Shaders
- New wheels made from scratch
So please stampeed in a nice, calm, orderly fashion to The Racer Pitstop (http://pitstop.totalnfs.net) to download my new Porsche 914's!
Frank N. O.
02-19-2006, 07:48 PM
Wow, I thought you didn't have time for any modeling, this is nice to see a fresh version of your already good 914 :)
3 years ago? Man time does indeed fly!
Greetings
Frank
Justin Martin
02-20-2006, 08:18 PM
Wow, I thought you didn't have time for any modeling, this is nice to see a fresh version of your already good 914 :)
3 years ago? Man time does indeed fly!
I've had a decent amount of free time so far this semester, but yeah, last semester I had little time for modeling. :(
Frank N. O.
02-26-2006, 12:13 PM
Well I hope that the more freetime will make sure you can get your strength back so you can handle the rest of your studies well :) (as far as I remember you said your education would take several years still right?).
Are you still modeling in ZM, and how do you do the normals? I've tried modeling the Focus sedan, again again but this time in C4D trying to use the knife-tool and scaling to get a more clean shape but I found out the shape curves so I can't just make one curve after the front wheelarch and to the back so it has to be done manually but it's hard to figure out. I made a ultra-low polygon model almost complete, just lacking the polygons on the back-end (licenseplate area and such but with the complete side, top and front done) and I just found a mapping-function in ZM so I got triangles of texture from another NFS-car but it worked and it's in-game although it's looking horrible, and the normals aren't good either.
I've deduced as much that a great trick to making a car look authentic is using proper discreet material-settings and making sure different type of materials on the real car are modelled seperately, like the matte plastic-grill doesn't shine like a diamond white painted body, and the taillights don't get white light on it like it was a mirror etc.
Speaking of Focus and NFS, I'm trying to get a SE Zetec done with handling a mix between real-life and NFS-style so it can match the stock cars but it's hard to figure out how to get the rear-end stuck and the front sliding but controlled and I've tried several figures, like cut-off, slide multiplier, weight-distribution etc. and I remembered that there was a document made that described most points about handling and how NFS4 compared to the real-life cars in the game, wasn't that you who made it and is there a place I can get that again?
Are there any of your other cars that are still in the works, regardless if it's going slowly or not? Like the Super Seven and your real cars.
Greetings
Frank
Justin Martin
02-26-2006, 02:54 PM
Are you still modeling in ZM, and how do you do the normals? I've tried modeling the Focus sedan, again again but this time in C4D trying to use the knife-tool and scaling to get a more clean shape but I found out the shape curves so I can't just make one curve after the front wheelarch and to the back so it has to be done manually but it's hard to figure out. I made a ultra-low polygon model almost complete, just lacking the polygons on the back-end (licenseplate area and such but with the complete side, top and front done) and I just found a mapping-function in ZM so I got triangles of texture from another NFS-car but it worked and it's in-game although it's looking horrible, and the normals aren't good either.
Yes, I still use ZM. Here's how I set normals:
1. Set the normals using the "Calculate" function.
2. Open the float bar "Numeric Bar #1"
3. Click on "Projection" (in the Surface - > Normals menu)
4. Set the float bar to "20% applyment".
5. Do a 3D normals projection. This is done by holding the shift key down while clicking on the model.
The 3D normals projection will give different results depending on which view you are in when you click on the car. Clicking on the model while in the "top" view gives the best result, IMHO.
This method makes a slight improvement over using "Calculate" normals by theirself, but it isn't going to fix major normals issues like my original 914 model had. The only way that I know of to get good, smooth normals in ZM is through carefull polygon placement.
I don't know of any good way of teaching that, I think that it's something that you have to learn by practice. Looking at other people's models helps too. Stecki recently released his 350Z in open .dof format, so i'd suggest looking at that model.
I've deduced as much that a great trick to making a car look authentic is using proper discreet material-settings and making sure different type of materials on the real car are modelled seperately, like the matte plastic-grill doesn't shine like a diamond white painted body, and the taillights don't get white light on it like it was a mirror etc.
Yes, that makes a big difference, for precisely the reasons you listed. :)
Speaking of Focus and NFS, I'm trying to get a SE Zetec done with handling a mix between real-life and NFS-style so it can match the stock cars but it's hard to figure out how to get the rear-end stuck and the front sliding but controlled and I've tried several figures, like cut-off, slide multiplier, weight-distribution etc. and I remembered that there was a document made that described most points about handling and how NFS4 compared to the real-life cars in the game, wasn't that you who made it and is there a place I can get that again?
Here's the tutorial that I made for NFS4 carp.txt editing:
Are there any of your other cars that are still in the works, regardless if it's going slowly or not? Like the Super Seven and your real cars.
I haven't worked on the Super Seven in several months. It is close to done, but needs LOD models, sounds, a car.ini, and some final additions to the textures and mesh. The main reason why I haven't worked on it is because until recently, moveable suspension hasn't been possible in Racer. The latest beta has crude moveable suspension support, and Ruud is currently doing a major rewrite of the code to implement a proper moveable suspension. So when that happens, i'll finish that model.
The truck is still progressing slowly. I mapped the grille and some of the trim pieces. It has a accuracy issue on the front fender which I haven't gotten around to fixing, and that is holding up mapping the rest of the body. I'll probably work on it alot over spring break. (week after next)
I haven't started modeling the Celica yet, but i'll probably start that soon.
I'd also like to do some more variants of the 914. I'll use this new 914 model to update my 916 model, and i'd like to do two racing versions; the 914-6 GT and a SCCA C-Production class 914-6. (to complement my C-Production BRE 240Z ;))
Speaking of 914 variants, you used to play GTA Vice City, didn't you? I may convert the 914-6 over to Vice City. I modeled the 914 as both a "normal" model and as a NFSPU/GTA-style model with opening doors and trunks, and I recently found out that GTA has a locked model format.
Frank N. O.
02-26-2006, 04:36 PM
Thanks for the nice and helpful reply Justin :)
Btw, I got one more question regarding my Focus model you might be able to answer, which taillights on it are the stoplights? The flat upper ones or the round center ones? The european model only has the flat upper ones for both position and stop singal since it has a square reflex and turn-signal in the middle and a rear foglight next to the reverse. In NFS4 isn't it possible to map external lights with the dash lit part? Like for the sidemarking lights f/r? I've seen some use amber lights from the front or rear but it looks bad, also I think people misunderstood the indicator light dummie. Many add-on cars, and original cars use it to light the turn signals permanently on the back but isn't the indicator actually for the american style amber front driving/turning lights? I don't think it lights up extra either when switching from low to high beams like the normal headlights.
Yes I've played Vice City, mostly now I play San Andreas since it's a lot bigger, nice planes to fly and the new cars can actually be installed without errors (img tool wouldn't install new VC cars saying the texture files were too big, after several tries). I still have SA installed and take a ride or flight once in a while while listening to music now I've long ago completed the story missions. I don't know if SA also supports a locking method but it's possible, however I don't really know what forum to ask questions in about that. Speaking of textured lights then it also looks posisble that you can have real taillights in GTA since the light shown is actually on a textured polugon and not a floating light dummy like in NFS so perhaps it's possible to make a custom texture and polygon to show the real lights, another big boost in realism.
Btw with regards to the NFS4 tutorial then I found a few extra things out, the two top speed values you enter have a function, one is for the indicated top speed in the hud, it stops the hud reading even though the car can still accelerate as one can hear on the engine sound, the other value is used for the dash-view speedometer scale, I found this out by testing, I just can't remember which one does which. The carp.txt serial number also has a function, the copcars and bonuscars I think, have the same carp.txt number as the std. models, and if you have two cars with the same carp.txt number then after a race the car you drove can often show the name of the other car with the same number, at least that has happend and I think it was due to the serial number, and this was tested while driving solo so it would probably crash if both cars were shown at the same time. The two Turn xx Ramp factor and Turn Factor respectively changes how fast the steering reacts and how much the tail slides out, making it looks like the car is 4-wheel drifting, exactly the opposite I was going for with the Focus hehe. Thanks for the tip on the steering-speed working with the laterall acc. The g value, about half a real g sort-of, also works to make the car more sticky, at least it did when I tested it, but you're right, there's a lot of guesswork and I wish I had a better game to make cars for, but there isn't really.
Frank
Justin Martin
02-26-2006, 05:53 PM
Btw, I got one more question regarding my Focus model you might be able to answer, which taillights on it are the stoplights? The flat upper ones or the round center ones?
I think - though i'm not sure - that the round parts are the taillights and brakelights, and the upper square part is the turn signals.
In NFS4 isn't it possible to map external lights with the dash lit part? Like for the sidemarking lights f/r?
Probably, though I don't think I ever tried it. It's been about five years since I last played with NFSHS...
but isn't the indicator actually for the american style amber front driving/turning lights? I don't think it lights up extra either when switching from low to high beams like the normal headlights.
All of the amber lights on the front end (grille and front corner lights) light up when the headlights are turned on. The grille ambers are also used as turn signals, and the front corner ambers probably are too, but i'm not sure...
I don't know if SA also supports a locking method but it's possible, however I don't really know what forum to ask questions in about that.
I'm pretty sure SA supports locking too. I haven't played SA yet...
Btw with regards to the NFS4 tutorial then I found a few extra things out, the two top speed values you enter have a function, one is for the indicated top speed in the hud, it stops the hud reading even though the car can still accelerate as one can hear on the engine sound, the other value is used for the dash-view speedometer scale, I found this out by testing, I just can't remember which one does which. The carp.txt serial number also has a function, the copcars and bonuscars I think, have the same carp.txt number as the std. models, and if you have two cars with the same carp.txt number then after a race the car you drove can often show the name of the other car with the same number, at least that has happend and I think it was due to the serial number, and this was tested while driving solo so it would probably crash if both cars were shown at the same time. The two Turn xx Ramp factor and Turn Factor respectively changes how fast the steering reacts and how much the tail slides out, making it looks like the car is 4-wheel drifting, exactly the opposite I was going for with the Focus hehe. Thanks for the tip on the steering-speed working with the laterall acc. The g value, about half a real g sort-of, also works to make the car more sticky, at least it did when I tested it, but you're right, there's a lot of guesswork and I wish I had a better game to make cars for, but there isn't really.
Interesting...if I get a chance, i'll add those to the tutorial...
Frank N. O.
02-26-2006, 10:53 PM
Sorry about asking about the Focus, I thought you knew but I guess you didn't look at such details, I am pretty sure the turn signals in the back are combined US-style with the normal taillights otherwise they might as well have saved development costs and used the same as the european model.
you mention careful polygon placement, but is there any way to make a model that over the various panels have the same reflection angle like in real life? I mean over doors, wheelarches etc where there are modelled panel-gaps. Would it perhaps help to make the main shape first and then manually use the knife tool to cut out the door-lines and seperate the bodyparts afterwards?
Semi-OT, your studies, do they include physics-formulas like ones used for vehicle-forces? Calculating the sum of various forces is made using vectors correct? (research for cargame physics)