[How to Guide] Costume textures with Gmax

[kris4564]

Here is a short 12 step tutorial on how I made a few costume textures for my ships in Gmax. I am assuming you have already unpacked X3 and can import a standard X3 ship in to Gmax.

Software I used:
Gmax
Microsoft Paint (comes with windows)
Mat6
DDS Converter 2


Creating a Glow effect:
1. Open Microsoft Paint and press Ctrl+E for Attributes, change the width and height to a power of two (Required for .dds conversion - Example: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, etc.) 256x256 or 512x512 would be a good size. Now draw a picture or fill in the whole space with a solid color of your choice and save the image. Name it so that it is easily identified. (Example: metal_federation_SColor_Blue_diff)

2. Open DDS Converter 2 and convert the image you just made into two different file formats, a .tga and a .dds

3. Open Gmax and import any M6 (I used a argon M6) in to Gmax and open the Material Navigator (button on top right - yellow, red, and blue circles). You should have several X3 Multi-Materials that imported with the M6.

4. Scroll down until you find one for plating that has a self-illumination (Example: from the Argon M6 use Material SM 47). Make a note of it’s number and double click the X3 Material. This should bring up the Material editor so that you can change the image files it points to.

5. It would be a good idea to make a copy of this material so that you will have the original after changing it. So just press the copy button.

6. Expand the Maps role out and click on the button to the left of the diffuse Color. Then click the Bitmap: button and open the .tga image file created in step 2.

7. Near the top of the Material Editor you will see “Name” next to a pull down. Expand the pull down and go back to the copy of the X3 material. Now Repeat step 6, only this time change the Self-illumination to the new .tga image file.

8. If you used SM 47 from the argon M6 you will have a texture for Specular Color, and Specular Level called “metal_argon_smooth_plating_spec.dds” they can stay as is. You don’t need the Bump texture for glow effects, but I’m not sure exactly how to remove it or if left in how it will effect the material in game. I think you can remove it in the Material Editor on the X3 Properties roll out. Double click on t_BumpTexture and only remove the Value (texture name).

9. Apply whatever new Materials to a mesh and export it with DBOX2.

10. Ok, now open Mat6 and fine the argon_m6.bod and click on it. There should be 48 standard argon Materials to the top right. Scroll down and click on number 46, because here the materials start at 0 and they are all off by one. This will give you the correct coding for material SM 47. Scroll down to make sure you do have the Material with metal_argon_smooth_plating. Right click and select all then right click again to copy text.

11. Now, wile still in Mat6 find your mesh exported from Gmax and click on it. There should be a material with the new color you created. So find it on the top right and you’ll notice that most of the code is missing. Past the correct text to the bottom right overwriting any text it had.

12. Now simply rename the “t_DiffuseTexture” and the “t_LightMapTexture” to whatever you named the custom color in step 1, only instead of a .tga change the file extension to .dds. Make sure you press Save Bod at the bottom or you will lose any changes.

13. that’s it now just add the .dds files to your Mod (Example: dds\metal_federation_SColor_Blue_diff.dds)

I did this without glow effects too by using a Material with out self-illumination.

Example:
[ external image ]

[Araujo]

yea but how did u get it into gmax? I want to retexture a couple ships

[kris4564]

Do you mean get a ship into Gmax or the custom textures.

[isternos]

can you moddeling the NEG'VAR CLASS, a klingon flagship, for star trek?

i happy about that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Vash_the_Stampede]

yea but how did u get it into gmax? I want to retexture a couple ships

I was wondering the same thing. I have read all the guide's here but i cant get any type of ship in 3Ds Max. Also i have all the file to converte the .BOD into a .BOD but i still cant get a ship in the prog Same as Araujo, i want to re-texture some ships. But at this rate i going nowhere

[kris4564]

The Dbox2 Plugin is required to import/export .bod files in to Gmax or 3DS Max. You can get it here

[Vash_the_Stampede]

Got and install'd in the program file's and i can also see it under the scripts section of the 3Ds Max prog. But when i whant to import the .bod file that i have convert, it simply wont show up in the list to open. So i know that i'm doing something wrong but i cant figure out what to misstke is

[kris4564]

Are you sure the .bob is converted to a .bod?
Can you double click the .bod and open it in notepad?
Dbox2 will only recognize .bod file.

[Vash_the_Stampede]

Euh no i cant but it has the .BOD exention..........strange. Well then i go and look what that i do wronge whit the convertor

[Vash_the_Stampede]

Oke install'd the the newest X2BC and now i can open de .BOD file and i can read everything normal. But something is still wronge becouse when i import the file, i cant see a (name)..... .Bod extension and when i open it whit all file's its saying no proper modul found. Have have the plugin re-install (DBox2) but still everywhere i look in the 3DS Max prog i cant find it.

I'm little out of options here........

If wondering, i'm using 3DS Max 9

[Vash_the_Stampede]

Well the good news is that i can load the scene file in 3DS Max but when i whant to import the body file the prog is crashing i do what ever is saying in the "readme" but still is the prog crashing.

Can someone help me here? i can even send you the file i whant to re-paint.

[Vash_the_Stampede]

Oke now i can load the body file to pfff was a long time befor i get it but i have it. But now i'm wondering:

1: can you see texture's in the prog? If yes how can i add them?

2:if i change some things to the body will that have affact on the texture file? (If it do, that will not be that bad becouse i whant to change the texture anyway. Only that i will change the body befor i go and change the texture).

By the way. It is a XTM ship, but i will change and learn from it for personel use only. When i get the hang of it and i know how to make ships and texture's then i got some nice idea's for new ships (i hope )

[SoloX]

would this work for use in 3ds max, havin major stressage over texturing...

[kris4564]

Sorry couldn't tell ya. This tutorial is a work around for texturing in Gmax!! 3DS Max is similar but more advanced so I would suggest asking someone that has 3DS max.

B.T.W. In Gmax you can not see .dds textures. But from what I am told 3DS max is compatible with the X3 .dds textures along with several other formats.

[Vash_the_Stampede]

Thanks for the info Well now i hope that someone whit 3DS Max is reading this and can help me whit it