need help with texturing and bump mapping

[mikeandike22]

hello i need help texturing and bump mapping a gun that i made, i am using 3ds max 6, and i only know a lil about uv unwrapping if some1 could give me some good tuts that would be great, here is the gun which i made a long time ago.

Now with the bump mapping thing, i have read in so many places that normal mapping in 3ds max 7 is way better, but i have no money and only have 3ds max 6 so if some1 has like a multiple user account and feels like helping a poor noob out pls email [email protected]. ty.

 

[mikeandike22]

oh yeah, in the this view the little edges on the top look like they are spaced out a lil bt different but i have already fixed that, sorrry for dbl posting.

 

[Ti133700N]

You could always use the old school paint bumpmaps method. But if you mean normal maps, there is also a free program that can generate normal maps from a high poly model, search google for ORB. Or, you can send me the low poly and high poly model and I can do it for you free!

 

[crackhead]

dude xsi is the best for uv mapping and its free! i am a noob a texturing so i cant really give any advice on the actualy texturing but for bump mapping white is high and black is low and shades of grey are layers in between if thats any help. also dont call urself a noob coz thats a pretty sweet model u got there you should be proud.

 

[mindless_moder]

well i havent tried xsi myself ....but 3dsmax was practically made for game development ..

 

[mikeandike22]

i have another question since i am so new to modeling, how do u do a poly count in 3ds max

 

[Ti133700N]

To get the tri count, temporary turn your model into an editable patch (select the model( right click, convert to.../ editable patch). Then go into the File menu, Submary Info. Look at Mesh Total, Faces at the top of the window.

A better way would be to go into the Utilities tab (right most tab), click on the more button. Select polycount counter. You can set the poly count or tri count setting there.

 

[mikeandike22]

ok ty, my high poly model is 2084 polys(the one that is rendered there)
my low poly is 606 polys(i guess i could add a little more detail).
Now to use either xsi or orb for the uvw and normal mapping will i need a exporter for 3ds max.

 

[Ti133700N]

Did you at least download the program and try it? ORB
http://engineering.soclab.bth.se/tools/177.aspx

Gimme your models, I want to try with the 3dsmax7 normal tools!

 

[mikeandike22]

ok i will do that asap

 

[mikeandike22]

actually i have decided that it would be best if i did it myself because for my mod i will have to make a lot of guns and models, so i should prob learn how to do this myself, all i need to know is how to get the models out of 3ds max, and into xsi for uvmapping

 

[Ti133700N]

No I agree you should do it yourself, I meant I want to do it just to see how it would look like. But you could also do it and post screenshots of the result here, thanks

 

[mikeandike22]

so how do i export from 3ds max into xsi.

 

[Ti133700N]

Open XSI and look at what format it can import. Probably some kind of CAD format, maybe 3ds files if you are lucky. Then open 3dsmax and export your mesh as a format XSI can read. You can figure it out yourself. I don't have XSI so I can't tell you what format it can import. Export/Import can sometimes modify the model, personnaly I would look for plug ins for 3dsmax or use ORB but it's up to you. I know XSI is a really good program, it's just that having to go from one modeling package to another is not the best solution, especially if you have to mess with different file type.

 

[mikeandike22]

well luckily 3ds is a format for xsi.
and you were right about the plugin, the model got pretty f***ed up in xsi.

btw do u know ne places where u can get some good textures to use when uv mapping a gun.