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Oct 23rd, 2007 at 6:51pm

LeFeaoux   Offline
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Hi guys! I am new to this forum and a novice at 3-D modeling. I am an FSX FANATIC and decided that I would like to try my hand at modeling. I am very experienced with Photoshop CS but only just got my first modeling program, GMAX 1.2 and am only just learning to use it. I found it to be a bit complicated (kind of like CS but not really, lol) and decided to join this forum in hopes that eventually, you guys might help me learn to become a successful modeler.

I just wanted to introduce myself so you guys would know who you were corresponding with.

LeFeaoux (David)  Cool
 
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Reply #1 - Oct 23rd, 2007 at 10:01pm

Travis   Offline
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Whenever you are ready to start modeling, give use a holler, and I'm sure you'll get some help!
 
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Reply #2 - Oct 23rd, 2007 at 10:53pm

LeFeaoux   Offline
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Quote:
Whenever you are ready to start modeling, give use a holler, and I'm sure you'll get some help!

Well, since you put it that way ...  Grin

I DO have a somewhat urgent question:

I found some GREAT aircraft recognition images (top front side) that I would like to open-up into GMAX to use for a model. The problem is, they are not in the correct format so the program rejects them. How can I format them to open in GMAX? Will (or can) I need to use my Photoshop to format them?
 
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Reply #3 - Oct 24th, 2007 at 3:54am

pepper_airborne   Offline
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You can use a program like irfanview (http://www.irfanview.com/) to convert the images to the correct format(open images / save as /select format). .JPEG or .PNG usualy works fine for me.
 
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Reply #4 - Oct 24th, 2007 at 7:32am

Felix/FFDS   Offline
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pepper_airborne wrote on Oct 24th, 2007 at 3:54am:
You can use a program like irfanview (http://www.irfanview.com/) to convert the images to the correct format(open images / save as /select format). .JPEG or .PNG usualy works fine for me.



Before you even start modelling airplanes, have you done all the gmax tutorials?

 
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Reply #5 - Oct 24th, 2007 at 2:28pm

Katahu   Offline
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Gmax normally prefers BMP files over JPEG images. This is a good thing as almost all of the textures in the FS series are in BMP format. I say almost as FSX now supports DDS files. But before you mess around with DDS files, you have to get to know the inner working of BMP files first. As Felix pointed out, read all of the tutorials that are available. You can find them at FreeFlightDesign.com, FlightSimWorld.com, OnnoVanBraam.com, and TurboSquid.com.
 
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Reply #6 - Oct 24th, 2007 at 3:08pm

Fr. Bill   Offline
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Actually, a wise and prudent modeler will use layered .PSD files exclusively while working in Max or GMax...

...this way, you can place your UVW Mapped raw mesh as the base layer, then add new layers as needed as you develop the artwork for each bitmap.

Using a .PSD offers many advantages since you can quickly switch OFF layers you don't want to see at any point, Reload the image via the Material Editor, then instantly view the changes in your Max/GMax Viewport.

Using Photoshop with the FREE nVidea plugins, you can quickly save out your master .PSD file as a 32bit Targa (preserving the Alpha channel) for conversion with Martin Wright's DXTBMP.exe program to DTX1 or DXT3 format...

...or, if you are modeling for FSX, you can quickly save your master .PSD directly to DDS/DXT format.  Cool
 
Bill
... Gauge Programming - 3d Modeling Eaglesoft Development Group Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600-4GB DDR2 Crucial PC6400-800 GB SATA-ATI Radeon HD2400 Pro 256MB DX10 NOTE: Unless explicitly stated in the post, everything written by my hand is MY opinion. I do NOT speak for any company, real or imagined...
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Reply #7 - Oct 24th, 2007 at 4:50pm

LeFeaoux   Offline
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Felix/FFDS wrote on Oct 24th, 2007 at 7:32am:
pepper_airborne wrote on Oct 24th, 2007 at 3:54am:
You can use a program like irfanview (http://www.irfanview.com/) to convert the images to the correct format(open images / save as /select format). .JPEG or .PNG usualy works fine for me.



Before you even start modelling airplanes, have you done all the gmax tutorials?


Oh yes, absolutely! I am doing them over and over again so that they become routine for me. That is how I learned Photoshop for the most part.  Smiley
 
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Reply #8 - Oct 24th, 2007 at 4:57pm

LeFeaoux   Offline
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Quote:
Gmax normally prefers BMP files over JPEG images. This is a good thing as almost all of the textures in the FS series are in BMP format. I say almost as FSX now supports DDS files. But before you mess around with DDS files, you have to get to know the inner working of BMP files first. As Felix pointed out, read all of the tutorials that are available. You can find them at FreeFlightDesign.com, FlightSimWorld.com, OnnoVanBraam.com, and TurboSquid.com.

Last night I discovered (by accident) that .BMP files open-up in GMAX. I was searching for a file I needed for the tutorial and noticed that a 3-view of a B-2 I had converted to .bmp was visible. I tried to open it in GMAX and viola, it opened. All three of the views are on one sheet though so I need to put it in photoshop and separate them. Thanks for the tip!
Wink
 
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Reply #9 - Oct 24th, 2007 at 5:00pm

LeFeaoux   Offline
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El Paso. TX (for now anyway)

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Fr. Bill wrote on Oct 24th, 2007 at 3:08pm:
Actually, a wise and prudent modeler will use layered .PSD files exclusively while working in Max or GMax...

...this way, you can place your UVW Mapped raw mesh as the base layer, then add new layers as needed as you develop the artwork for each bitmap.

Using a .PSD offers many advantages since you can quickly switch OFF layers you don't want to see at any point, Reload the image via the Material Editor, then instantly view the changes in your Max/GMax Viewport.

Using Photoshop with the FREE nVidea plugins, you can quickly save out your master .PSD file as a 32bit Targa (preserving the Alpha channel) for conversion with Martin Wright's DXTBMP.exe program to DTX1 or DXT3 format...

...or, if you are modeling for FSX, you can quickly save your master .PSD directly to DDS/DXT format.  Cool

Kewl ... I was hoping that Photoshop and GMAX were compatible (meaning that I could use Photoshop to create for GMAX). I need to check and see if I have the NVIDIA plug-ins and if I don't, I will get them. Thank you!
Smiley
 
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Reply #10 - Oct 24th, 2007 at 5:06pm

LeFeaoux   Offline
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pepper_airborne wrote on Oct 24th, 2007 at 3:54am:
You can use a program like irfanview (http://www.irfanview.com/) to convert the images to the correct format(open images / save as /select format). .JPEG or .PNG usualy works fine for me.

Thanks for the tip! The tutorials are great and really help a lot but there are some things that they just don't tell you ... like how to convert images for use in GMAX. It does mention that images need to be formatted in .gmax but I tried doing that and it didn't work. 
Huh

I have never heard of Infranview before ... I will have to check that out. I will most likely just use Photoshop but it is good to know about these other programs.
Wink
 
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Reply #11 - Oct 24th, 2007 at 5:34pm

Travis   Offline
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I would recommend getting Irfanview anyway, since it is such a versatile program.  It takes screenshots and converts images to different formats in just a few clicks, plus a myriad of other uses that I've never even gotten into!
 
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Reply #12 - Oct 24th, 2007 at 7:30pm

LeFeaoux   Offline
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Quote:
I would recommend getting Irfanview anyway, since it is such a versatile program.  It takes screenshots and converts images to different formats in just a few clicks, plus a myriad of other uses that I've never even gotten into!

Hmmm. I downloaded and installed it but I am afraid that I do not see why I would need it. I can do everything Irfanview can do and LOTS more in Photoshop unless there is something I am missing here.
Wink
 
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Reply #13 - Oct 24th, 2007 at 7:38pm

Travis   Offline
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Cannot find REALITY.SYS.
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LeFeaoux wrote on Oct 24th, 2007 at 7:30pm:
Quote:
I would recommend getting Irfanview anyway, since it is such a versatile program.  It takes screenshots and converts images to different formats in just a few clicks, plus a myriad of other uses that I've never even gotten into!

Hmmm. I downloaded and installed it but I am afraid that I do not see why I would need it. I can do everything Irfanview can do and LOTS more in Photoshop unless there is something I am missing here.
Wink


It functions as a screenshot program, so that you can take shots while flying in FS.  Of course, I always used FSScreen to take my shots.  It allows you to simply continue pressing a certain key to take screenshots and saves them to a folder without you ever having to pause the sim and mess with them.
 
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Reply #14 - Oct 24th, 2007 at 7:52pm

LeFeaoux   Offline
Colonel
Rookie! Get me a 5 gal.
bucket of propwash!
El Paso. TX (for now anyway)

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 Posts: 153
 *****
 
Quote:
LeFeaoux wrote on Oct 24th, 2007 at 7:30pm:
Quote:
I would recommend getting Irfanview anyway, since it is such a versatile program.  It takes screenshots and converts images to different formats in just a few clicks, plus a myriad of other uses that I've never even gotten into!

Hmmm. I downloaded and installed it but I am afraid that I do not see why I would need it. I can do everything Irfanview can do and LOTS more in Photoshop unless there is something I am missing here.
Wink


It functions as a screenshot program, so that you can take shots while flying in FS.  Of course, I always used FSScreen to take my shots.  It allows you to simply continue pressing a certain key to take screenshots and saves them to a folder without you ever having to pause the sim and mess with them.

Oh. Yeah, I just usually use FSScreen also (V key).
 
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Reply #15 - Oct 25th, 2007 at 12:05am

Fr. Bill   Offline
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LeFeaoux wrote on Oct 24th, 2007 at 5:00pm:
Kewl ... I was hoping that Photoshop and GMAX were compatible (meaning that I could use Photoshop to create for GMAX). I need to check and see if I have the NVIDIA plug-ins and if I don't, I will get them. Thank you!
Smiley


I would suggest both of these free packages from nVidea:

Adobe Photoshop Normal Map and DDS Authoring Plug-ins
This installer contains two plug-ins.  The first creates normal maps from height maps for per pixel rendering. The other is a DXTC texture compression plugin for Adobe Photoshop that allows you to open and save .dds files in RGB format. It reads and writes .dds files compressed or uncompressed.

DDS Thumbnail Viewer
Allows you to view .dds files in Thumbnail view in the Windows Explorer.  Now with an installer.

http://developer.nvidia.com/object/nv_texture_tools.html
 
Bill
... Gauge Programming - 3d Modeling Eaglesoft Development Group Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600-4GB DDR2 Crucial PC6400-800 GB SATA-ATI Radeon HD2400 Pro 256MB DX10 NOTE: Unless explicitly stated in the post, everything written by my hand is MY opinion. I do NOT speak for any company, real or imagined...
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Reply #16 - Oct 25th, 2007 at 8:53am

LeFeaoux   Offline
Colonel
Rookie! Get me a 5 gal.
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El Paso. TX (for now anyway)

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Fr. Bill wrote on Oct 25th, 2007 at 12:05am:
LeFeaoux wrote on Oct 24th, 2007 at 5:00pm:
Kewl ... I was hoping that Photoshop and GMAX were compatible (meaning that I could use Photoshop to create for GMAX). I need to check and see if I have the NVIDIA plug-ins and if I don't, I will get them. Thank you!
Smiley


I would suggest both of these free packages from nVidea:

Adobe Photoshop Normal Map and DDS Authoring Plug-ins
This installer contains two plug-ins.  The first creates normal maps from height maps for per pixel rendering. The other is a DXTC texture compression plugin for Adobe Photoshop that allows you to open and save .dds files in RGB format. It reads and writes .dds files compressed or uncompressed.

DDS Thumbnail Viewer
Allows you to view .dds files in Thumbnail view in the Windows Explorer.  Now with an installer.

http://developer.nvidia.com/object/nv_texture_tools.html

I downloaded them ... thank you!  Smiley
 
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