0.15 PartTools - New model tools

[Technical Ben]

Thanks for this update. Just so I can confirm, does this mean we cannot make models and add bump maps in Blender? I was thinking it was just an extra texture image in the mod folder.

If that\'s the case, I\'ll probably have to skip on making a new blender tutorial for modding. I could still make a tutorial for modelling (making meshes and parts to exports into Unity). But of cause, this new way of doing things will be very different. Thanks.

[sal_vager]

Well I\'m happy to say I was wrong about the licence limitation, a quick email to Unity support cleared it up and it\'s as you say, it\'s free for as long as you want to use it.

I\'m unhappy to say that Unity3D doesn\'t work with Wine though, it\'ll install and can be activated, but there are many, many errors when starting and it is unable to display anything in the scene window.

So what I\'d like to ask is, what are the plans regarding DAE files in the long term? Will they be phased out completely?

Edit: Oh by the way Unity3D is huge it\'s a 1.3 gig install, I may as well delete it though

[Tosh]

Thanks for this update. Just so I can confirm, does this mean we cannot make models and add bump maps in Blender? I was thinking it was just an extra texture image in the mod folder.

We can add them in Unity .

Here\'s the workflow I found to be most convenient:

• [li]Start a new Unity project and import PartTools package,[/li]
  [li]Create a Blender model in /Assets directory of that project. If you lucky enough, then Unity automatically updates the model, as you save the file and switch back to Unity (if you\'re not lucky, then export the model as .DAE into the same directory, and Unity will automatically load .DAE),[/li]
  [li]Paint textures and store .PNGs in the same directory. Once again, Unity reloads all the assets as you change them. It\'s OK to store even .PSD files in the same directory; PartTools won\'t export them unless they\'re used in some material,[/li]
  [li]To build normal map, draw a grayscale height map (white is 'up', black is 'down') and apply Photoshop

NVIDIA Normal Map filter to it (or find some other tool, if you\'re using Gimp). You may need to fiddle with filter\'s InvertX/InvertY switches and Scale parameter to get desired results. Do not check Unity\'s 'Create from Grayscale' toggle, \'cause Unity (or PartTools) does it terribly wrong.
BTW it can save you a lot of time if you create Photoshop 'action' to (a) merge all the layers, ( apply Normal map filter, © save a copy as PNG, and (d) undo last two commands:

[/li]
[li]Setup lights in the scene in some consistent way; that greatly helps to test normal maps. That lights are not exported to part folder (unless you parent them to PartTools object),[/li]
[li]And finally, assign KSP/Bumped shader to a model\'s material in Unity, and add both textures to that material. From this moment, you instantly get a live preview of your part as you Alt-Tab to Unity:[/li]

[popeter123]

on the modeling

can you add suport for sketchup?

[C7Studios]

@Popeter123

You can use any 3d models supported by Unity. They have a list near the bottom of this page.

http://unity3d.com/unity/editor/importing

We don\'t have any plans to add additional formats though, so if its not on the list, you\'ll need to use some sort of converter.

@sal_vager

You can continue to use .Dae files if you like. But they will not support the new features of the game (such as normal mapping and advanced shaders).

@Tosh - Very good Information! Thanks for taking the time to put that together.

[Maraz]

For those using 3D Studio Max, I found a very good tutorial about how to obtain normal maps from high-poly 3D models, and refine them using Photoshop and Nvidia plugin filter.

http://www.game-artist.net/forums/spotlight-articles/43-tutorial-introduction-normal-mapping.html

Maraz

[C7Studios]

Another excellent tutorial for those who are interested This is my preferred method of making normal maps.

http://cg.tutsplus.com/tutorials/autodesk-3d-studio-max/how-to-bake-a-flawless-normal-map-in-3ds-max/

The only thing I do differently is that I export the models to x-normal for the actual baking process. X-normal makes fantastic bakes, and its free! Additionally it installs a bunch of super helpful filters to photoshop for manipulating normal maps.

http://www.xnormal.net/1.aspx

Additionally the nvidia tools are great for working with normal maps.

http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop

[Technical Ben]

Thanks Tosh, that\'s invaluable. I\'ll see if I can go through it all and get a working test case.

For those asking for sketcup support, you can export into blender or as a DAE. The only problem is Sketchup uses double sided meshes/polys. So you end up with twice the poly count of a normal object. a way to avoid this is by painting all the 'inside' faces a colour, then 'select by colour:delete' in Blender to delete them. Then you only need to know how to UV map and export in blender, no modelling needed.

[LaydeeDem]

Can someone please make an in depth tutorial on how to get animation to work in KSP?

Ok, I managed to do it, but I know there are others who would like to know how to animate. There should be some tutorials for this stuff.

[Maraz]

Can someone please make an in depth tutorial on how to get animation to work in KSP?

Ok, I managed to do it, but I know there are others who would like to know how to animate. There should be some tutorials for this stuff.

Agreed.

Maraz

[AdmiralStewart]

A few questions:

Now that we can easily make multi-bodied Parts for animation purposes, and it appears we can apply multiple textures is there a minimum texture size? I\'d like my 'main' model to be more dull, but well textured, but for shiny metal components, I\'m thinking like 64x64 would be great to reduce the texture load of a 'showpiece' part. Does the converted 'mbm' format require that all texture sizes match?

Materials and shaders

You may only use shaders from the list provided with PartTools. Shared material references are preserved. Multiple materials on a renderer are also supported.

Does this mean I can create an emissive-specular texture as well as an alpha diffuse texture? My goal is to make a simple plane object that appears to be an array of faux shiny lights - multiple pretty lights out of two triangles, thus reducing the face load. It\'s possible that I\'m thinking about this one the wrong way...

[Edit] - I think I was going about it the wrong way, the emissive effect itself is only in the lighter-than-black areas of the grayscale emissive map, so there\'s no need for a second object.

[tadeass]

Hi,

I have big problem with this- I can\'t load the package.

When I want to open package, I double-click on downloaded file and after I see only error console- Failed importing package.

Can you help me with, please?

Problem solved.

[tadeass]

Please, can someone post here any link(s) of some useful and good normal maping tutorial(s)? Just any proven tutorial. I really don\'t know how to (for example) make a straight line in sclupt mode etc. I\'m using blender 2.62. I already saw this one (http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?138194-Normal-Maps), but that\'s basic tutorial with steps, not with proces of making normal map/bump map itself.

Many thanks,

Tadeass

EDIT: Also, must I use sclupt mode for normal maps in blender, or not?

[Dani-Sang]

I see people talking about bumped and alpha maps. Which is actually totally confusing me atm.

Acording to OP post only bumped is supported? Or is Alpha now also a part of it?

Supported shaders

KSP/Diffuse

KSP/Specular

KSP/Bumped

KSP/Bumped Specular

KSP/Emissive/Diffuse

KSP/Emissive/Specular

KSP/Emissive/Bumped Specular

KSP/Alpha/Cutoff

KSP/Alpha/Cutoff Bumped

[roarke]

Like Dani-Sang said, these can be applied with 3d max without problems in game ?

[Dani-Sang]

nvm, figured it out.

[Absolution]

4. Set up PartTools making sure that the directory is set correctly.

How does one set the directory 'correctly'? I see the file path but I do not know where it is starting from so when I click 'write' it says that my part was written to 'parts' but where is 'parts' located?

[I got BCed]

I am using KSP version 15.2, and I just tried to load a DAE model, but the game only loaded the collider, has backward compatibility been dropped, or did I do something wrong?

[Kreuzung]

You did something wrong. 99% of the mod parts are still using Collada.

[Anariaq]

I dont know if it is here I can ask this question. But here we go.

I am in the process of finishing my textures. One thing I am use to do, is to make a specmap for my models. But so far I can only see that there is an option for normal map and diffuse. I don\'t know how to add the specmap. But is it even possible?

[Yogui87]

Hi, I want to use the new in-game supported animations in order to stop using Multijoint plugin in my mods., but I don\'t find a tutorial anywhere in the forum.

Can I make animations with blender/unity? Or do I need an other soft? Is there somewhere a step by step tutorial about making animation for KSP?

Thanks for advance.

[Kreuzung]

I think some people made the animations in the modeling program, but I\'m not sure.

[Dani-Sang]

I think some people made the animations in the modeling program, but I\'m not sure.

Indeed, all my animations are done within the modeling program.

[Dani-Sang]

When do we get the updated version of PartTools?

[princessjane]

Created my first part. modeled and mapped in blender, used the parttools in unity. cfg file is done.

the part shows up and I can place it (it\'s a command pod) but I can not pick it up and move it after. anyone know what I am doing wrong? I made the node_collider obj in blender, what else am I missing?