Texturing spaceship meshes

PlutonianEmpire · Post #1by **PlutonianEmpire** » 17.04.2005, 10:55

A while ago, I created a spaceship for use in celestia, and it was built whole-cloth (using "Wings 3d"), and i was wondering, how do I know where to place certain features on the texture file if i'm gonna use that one file for the whole spacecraft?

Post #2by **ElChristou** » 17.04.2005, 12:47

This is not so simple...
You should post a shot of your model.

Bye

PlutonianEmpire · Post #3by **PlutonianEmpire** » 17.04.2005, 12:50

ElChristou wrote:This is not so simple...
You should post a shot of your model.

Bye

10 miles long, 20 miles wide, 1 mile high/thick (whichever you prefer). I fixed the radius after the shot was taken.

Post #4by **selden** » 17.04.2005, 13:24

You can do it in two different ways.

One is to leave the texture mapping unchanged in the model. Create a texture that has grid lines and locations marked on it and see where they are on the model. Then paint it to match.

The other is to change how the texture maps onto the model's surfaces within the model. This is called UV mapping. (I dunno where that acronym came from.) Once the alignment is reasonable, you can paint the texture appropriately.

I'm not familiar with the details of Wings 3D, but many 3D modelling programs include UV mapping commands.

If you can export your model into a format that they understand, there also are 3D utility programs that are designed especially for doing UV remapping. "UV Mapper" seems to be used by many people.

One description of how to get it and how to use it is at http://www.robinwood.com/Catalog/Techni ... er1-1.html

Does this help?

Post #5by **ElChristou** » 17.04.2005, 13:30

Is this a plane? where do you want to put your features??

Selden is right, UV mapping will allow you to do what you want. As your model seems very flat, flat mapping seems to be the best solution. You can take a shot af your model from above, and work on this shot to create the texture exactly as you imagine it...

PlutonianEmpire · Post #6by **PlutonianEmpire** » 17.04.2005, 13:47

ElChristou wrote:Is this a plane? where do you want to put your features??

Selden is right, UV mapping will allow you to do what you want. As your model seems very flat, flat mapping seems to be the best solution. You can take a shot af your model from above, and work on this shot to create the texture exactly as you imagine it...

1. Ever seen that one movie, "independence day", where those aliens sent giant, city-sized spaceships to blow up the white house? That's where I got the idea to create this spaceship.

2. The features will be a bit basic, but I will include a night-texture for the windows, which will be on the sides. I have yet to decide wether to include windows on the top and bottom,

3. Cool. I'll try it.

eburacum45 · Post #7by **eburacum45** » 17.04.2005, 19:07

Do night textures work on meshes? I can't see them with my graphics card anyway, just an interesting question. Maybe sooner or later I will get a better card.

Post #8by **selden** » 17.04.2005, 20:38

No, night textures only work on Celestia's built-in spheres.

PlutonianEmpire · Post #9by **PlutonianEmpire** » 18.04.2005, 00:42

What about making it emissive? would that work if I wanted it to have glow-in-the-dark nightlights?

Post #10by **selden** » 18.04.2005, 01:05

Unfortunately, "Emissive true" applies to the entire model, not just part of it. That means you'd have to have one model for the dark parts and another for the illuminated parts.

PlutonianEmpire · Post #11by **PlutonianEmpire** » 18.04.2005, 02:13

I don't mind, since this space ship will be placed at tons of locations, including deep space, thus, the entire thing will be emissive.