Instant Scenery V2

[DaveB]

Hi George

Other than the colour and the physical size of the thing.. it's perfect Is that one really to scale mate?

ATB
DaveB

[GHD]

My fault, I had placed it with a scale of 2.67178

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/ ... revstart=0

[DaveB]

Well bless my soul George!

I can't find any data on the Portsmouth Hammerhead other than it was a 250t device. The one at Barrow in Furness was 50m(165ft) high and a surviving example at Cowes is supposedly 150ft. The one in Pompey was demolished in '84.. can't remember this happening and I was Portsmouth based in '84 My excuse.. I was on HMS Iveston at 'Vernon' which wasn't in HM Dockyard

That's the right sort of crane though mate. Portsmouths was grey of course.. EVERYTHING was grey
ATB
DaveB

[GHD]

OK, download the model, convert it with MCX and change the colour

[DaveB]

Hi George

That worked fine.. NOT I either get a crane with 80% missing or one with a solid, multi-coloured base. I downloaded the 3rd option which gave me a dae file. I imported this into Model Converter and it looked fine. What do I actually save it as now? I've tried the 2 bgl options (export this item and export all items) and have got a raft of texture errors in the error log. I didn't expect the end result to look much with all those errors and so it was

A little more help here por favor

ATB
DaveB

[GHD]

Oh dear.

You were correct to load the DAE file. You then need to go into the texture editor and convert the textures to DDS. Finally, export as an FSX MDL.

Create a library using Library Creator so you can position it anywhere.

I'm busy creating thumbnails for the next 30 minutes so I'll post pics later.

[DaveB]

OK George..

I tried making it an MDL and I've also tried converting the textures to .dds but I'm now at a very confused point.. even moreso than when I started I'm deleting the lot and starting again
ATB
DaveB

[DaveB]

George.. I did it!

All of the scenery I've put together I've done wrong.. I realised this a while after I'd started.. libraries being the key. My stuff is from all over the shop so how I'd recreate it again, I've no idea. It wouldn't be the same anyway

I used the MCX texture converter and I also used the 'reduce drawcall' function as it seemed prudent in an already 'busy' area. I exported as an FS MDL as advised then made a library.. my first! Called up the library and there was the Hammerhead.. complete The only thing now is that I have rather a lot of textures in the texture folder which includes a model_0.dds file and numerous 'a' dds files. Can I assume the 'a' files are duplicates or the last 'merged' ones I made using drawcall reduction?

A further question. As the original crane is yellow and the dds files are basically 'puctures' rather than straight colours.. is there a way I can change the yellow 'easily' or do I have to redraw/paint the whole thing If I have to repaint/draw it.. it may be less hassle not to use the darned thing and use one of the default dockyard cranes instead.

EDIT: I've sorted which dds files the model is using.. 8 out of the 21 and drawcalls are down to 12 from over 30. Like the fleet tender, it goes a bit translucent at certain angles but that's not a problem. The only real problem I have now is making it grey instead of yellow. I can't see anything in MCX that will help so it looks like a blanket grey job will have to suffice.
There are some nice bits and pieces in that google sketchmap library aren't there. The BAE systems complex for Devonport looks nice

ATB
DaveB

[GHD]

In the materials editor, you can highlight where each texture is used:



I suppose it depends on the alpha channel, but you could flood fill with grey or use the magic wand to select the yelow and fill that with grey.

Why am I not getting notiications? I am subscribed to this topic.

[DaveB]

Hello George

No idea why you're not receiving notifications mate

I'll take a look at the textures and see what can be done I got lost over at Sketchup wading through pages of models and came away with 3.. none of them relevant to what I'm doing

ATB
DaveB