Jump to content

[WIP][1.8.x] SSTULabs - Low Part Count Solutions (Orbiters, Landers, Lifters) - Dev Thread [11-18-18]


Shadowmage

Recommended Posts

This part is almost done with its PBR texture reworking:

dX5Wtvh.jpg

That is a render out of SP, but it looks nearly identical in-game (minus the self-reflections).

Might decrease the warp/ripple noises a slight bit in the texture, will have to see how they come across in-game (they are often more subdued in-game due to texture resolutions/differences in sampling).  Also still have a bit of detail to add to the door, something other than a flat material.  Finally a very thin layer of inconsistent dust will be added for a bit of variation across the surface.  The geometry under the parachute cap is already all detailed up; various materials, colors, lots of normal map detailing, and some AO based dirt buildup.

Had some... fun.. figuring out how to get the textures done for the RCS ports.  My previous hand-painting methods wouldn't work in SP.  So... baking to the rescue -- create some proxy meshes the size of the port interiors and port exteriors, and bake those to vertex colors, import as an ID map into SP... and then its just a couple clicks to use the imported IDs as masks for layers.  So in the process I learned a new technique that should help me line up details like that a lot faster in the future (spent like 3 days trying to figure out the RCS ports; and then did it in an hour or so last night after I figured out what I needed to do).

 

@vossiewulf

You were pretty spot on in your statement regarding Substance Designer -- insanely useful tool for someone like me (with a head for numbers and programming concepts).

Lets me do crazy stuff like the graph below... all just do draw an anti-aliased circle (or rather, pattern of concentric circles).  Drawing the circle was (relatively) easy.  Getting the AA working.... really not so much.

oA2Kiel.png

But it is also insanely useful for writing up new filters and effects.  For example I had the need to transfer some data from a base-color channel into a height-map;  SP by default does not support that operation.  Open up SD, and within 2 minutes I had created and exported a new 'filter' that did exactly what I needed.

Did similar for a text-decal.  SubstancePainter does not include any user-specified-text capabilities;  but SD comes with a text-stencil node.  Few minutes later, and I've got a new material in SP that will let me add arbitrary text (why exactly that is not included by default in SP... who knows).

Edited by Shadowmage
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Shadowmage said:

This part is almost done with its PBR texture reworking:

dX5Wtvh.jpg

That is a render out of SP, but it looks nearly identical in-game (minus the self-reflections).

Might decrease the warp/ripple noises a slight bit in the texture, will have to see how they come across in-game (they are often more subdued in-game due to texture resolutions/differences in sampling).  Also still have a bit of detail to add to the door, something other than a flat material.  Finally a very thin layer of inconsistent dust will be added for a bit of variation across the surface.  The geometry under the parachute cap is already all detailed up; various materials, colors, lots of normal map detailing, and some AO based dirt buildup.

Had some... fun.. figuring out how to get the textures done for the RCS ports.  My previous hand-painting methods wouldn't work in SP.  So... baking to the rescue -- create some proxy meshes the size of the port interiors and port exteriors, and bake those to vertex colors, import as an ID map into SP... and then its just a couple clicks to use the imported IDs as masks for layers.  So in the process I learned a new technique that should help me line up details like that a lot faster in the future (spent like 3 days trying to figure out the RCS ports; and then did it in an hour or so last night after I figured out what I needed to do).

I like the way that looks but it would be nice to still have the stock like texture for the pod that the pod currently has

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, captinjoehenry said:

I like the way that looks but it would be nice to still have the stock like texture for the pod that the pod currently has

See below...

1 minute ago, tater said:

The pod/parts can be set to any color you like.

Yes, and also no (more precisely, it depends on what texture set is in use).

The existing recolorable textures will still be available for all the parts that currently use them.

The new high-res PBR textures will not support recoloring.  They will however be an optional download/expansion pack.  Don't want the new shiny stuff?  Simply don't install it.

Now, the SSTU-PBR-expansion pack will also contain patches that will convert the recoloring system into a PBR-based recoloring system (shiny metals, reflections).


So it will be like this:
Install SSTU by itself -- get exactly what is there today (+/- any new or changed parts).  Legacy diffuse/specular shaders, diff/spec based recoloring system.  No shiny metals, no reflections.
Install SSTU-PBR-Expansion - get an extra set of high-res non-recolorable PBR textures and a set of patches that convert all of the other recolorable textures/parts to use PBR rendering/shaders (so you can get shiny metals).

 

In the future:
Parts will likely only be modeled with a small selection of recolorable textures (probably one texture with a couple of mask patterns).  Most parts will also come with at least one high-res PBR texture set in the PBR expansion pack.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8.11.2017 at 5:13 PM, Shadowmage said:

So it will be like this:

Install SSTU by itself -- get exactly what is there today (+/- any new or changed parts).  Legacy diffuse/specular shaders, diff/spec based recoloring system.  No shiny metals, no reflections.
Install SSTU-PBR-Expansion - get an extra set of high-res non-recolorable PBR textures and a set of patches that convert all of the other recolorable textures/parts to use PBR rendering/shaders (so you can get shiny metals).

Man, that's some service! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking for a volunteer that is running OSX or a Linux variant to test the 'universal' shader packaging.  I'm fairly certain what I have will work as I'm including the OpenGL-Core for OpenGL compatibility for Windows, but would like to make sure before I publish an official release with the universal shader pack.

(one of these days I'll finally setup a linux dual-boot, or at least set it up on one of my spare machines....but not today)

@tater  might you have some time later this evening / tomorrow / saturday morning to run a quick test?  (or anyone else who might be interested and willing; please speak up)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, RobinVerhulstZ said:

@Shadowmage So, The RD0110 engine seems to Permanently Emit Full thrust FX and doesnt make any sound for me....

Album https://imgur.com/a/1TL2d will appear when post is submitted

 

More than likely related to a mod conflict -- you likely have a mod that is incorrectly adding a FOR[RealPlume] pass through one of their patches.  This is a common occurrence as the documentation on RealPlumes for how to setup the patches is incorrect.  Will need a full log file that contains the ModuleManager cache-building output data in order to find the culprit.

(although it seems odd that it would only impact that single engine.... either way, will need log files to begin diagnosing the problem)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, tater said:

Sure, PM me and I'll crank it up tonight for you.

@Shadowmage

 

Excellent, thanks.  Will probably be about 3-4 hours before I'll have a link for you; need to get off work and pack it all up.  If you can't get to it today/tonight, no worries, I've got a few days before I plan on publishing anything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Shadowmage said:

More than likely related to a mod conflict -- you likely have a mod that is incorrectly adding a FOR[RealPlume] pass through one of their patches.  This is a common occurrence as the documentation on RealPlumes for how to setup the patches is incorrect.  Will need a full log file that contains the ModuleManager cache-building output data in order to find the culprit.

(although it seems odd that it would only impact that single engine.... either way, will need log files to begin diagnosing the problem)

Maybe tommorrow (the log), though i wonder why this specefic engine seems to have this issue but the other one i've used doesn't?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/8/2017 at 7:28 AM, Shadowmage said:

This part is almost done with its PBR texture reworking:

That is a render out of SP, but it looks nearly identical in-game (minus the self-reflections).

Might decrease the warp/ripple noises a slight bit in the texture, will have to see how they come across in-game (they are often more subdued in-game due to texture resolutions/differences in sampling).  Also still have a bit of detail to add to the door, something other than a flat material.  Finally a very thin layer of inconsistent dust will be added for a bit of variation across the surface.  The geometry under the parachute cap is already all detailed up; various materials, colors, lots of normal map detailing, and some AO based dirt buildup.

Had some... fun.. figuring out how to get the textures done for the RCS ports.  My previous hand-painting methods wouldn't work in SP.  So... baking to the rescue -- create some proxy meshes the size of the port interiors and port exteriors, and bake those to vertex colors, import as an ID map into SP... and then its just a couple clicks to use the imported IDs as masks for layers.  So in the process I learned a new technique that should help me line up details like that a lot faster in the future (spent like 3 days trying to figure out the RCS ports; and then did it in an hour or so last night after I figured out what I needed to do).

 

@vossiewulf

You were pretty spot on in your statement regarding Substance Designer -- insanely useful tool for someone like me (with a head for numbers and programming concepts).

Lets me do crazy stuff like the graph below... all just do draw an anti-aliased circle (or rather, pattern of concentric circles).  Drawing the circle was (relatively) easy.  Getting the AA working.... really not so much.

 

But it is also insanely useful for writing up new filters and effects.  For example I had the need to transfer some data from a base-color channel into a height-map;  SP by default does not support that operation.  Open up SD, and within 2 minutes I had created and exported a new 'filter' that did exactly what I needed.

Did similar for a text-decal.  SubstancePainter does not include any user-specified-text capabilities;  but SD comes with a text-stencil node.  Few minutes later, and I've got a new material in SP that will let me add arbitrary text (why exactly that is not included by default in SP... who knows).

Everything you're saying about your CM is right on track. The tape is a bit too obvious but you're correct that KSP is the actual standard and you have to work to the results you see there.

A thin layer of inconsistent dust is a good idea on everything, I'm sure that's exactly what it had when it flew, and about 10 seconds after it started flying the nice white CM cover was probably coated in smashed bugs.

And yes, if you really start understanding the capabilities of SP and SD in combination with all of the baked maps, filters/materials, blending modes, and masking methods it can be an exceptionally elegant suite of tools that let you do things very quickly that can't be done at all in any other tool. The problem is that is a sea of dynamically interacting variables and most people have to settle with learning a few workflows to do what they need. The ones that really get it can become a force multiplier for a floor full of SP artists and are highly valued. I can see and you should be able to see that you're going to be closing in on that state in a year or two, you should keep in mind the possibility of a change in careers to doing something you really enjoy.

Also keep in mind that the people who are really good at SD make a nice supplementary income selling regular and smart materials and filters/etc. to those of us who can't follow you down the rabbit hole. :)

Confused about the text comment though, as I remember putting arbitrary text on my SP models and I didn't bring in any special filters, there are fonts in the alphas part of the shelf. I might have had to do it letter by letter, that what you mean?

Also I was wondering why I don't see more people using GMAX, it's 10 years old now but you know how much has changed in the core modeling functions of MAX in the last 10 years? Very little and zero in mesh editing. I downloaded and installed it and yep, it's nearly identical to the modeling studio I have in MAX 2018. It has poor rendering and material support by today's standards, but if I were going free I would use GMAX for all modeling and Blender or something else for rendering.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Nightside said:

@tater I think if you hold your face close enough to your monitor you will see your own reflection!

He already did.

I don't know if KSP will be the one to go there since they started intentionally on the non-realism end of the spectrum, but some day there will be a KSP merged with Elite Dangerous or something, 4 or 8k hyper-realistic graphics, procedural galaxies and solar systems and tectonic/weather/biological systems wed to physics much better than we have in KSP,  that's something to look forward to.

That feeling you get on a breakthrough game reminds me of playing DOOM for the first time a couple days after it came out, I was sneaking upstairs and around a corner to a room... and I realized I was leaning way the hell over in my chair, trying to see around the corner of the room on my CRT screen. I decided they were onto something at that point :)

Edited by vossiewulf
Link to comment
Share on other sites

She's a real beauty eh? Actually I like the little cryo-sats, but along with the orbital module recovery overkill command pod, I'm going to rename it DEATHBUG 6000.

PC24rlyh.png

If you're wondering, it works great and the grabber arms have caught several that the main grabber refused to grab. Also not quite sure what the point is of a magnet that uses like 12,000EC/nanosecond.

tv21IkP.jpg

Edited by vossiewulf
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@vossiewulf the multiple grabbers actually work for you? Last time I tried to Klaw something with multiple Klaws at once, it summoned up a whole family of krakens who were none too pleased at having their quality time interrupted by one such as I...

7 hours ago, tater said:

And how to grin like an idiot:

se17hLN.png

Eye Candy notwithstanding, is there a real-life analog to such shiny goodness?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Shadowmage said:

 

b15459637f8f16ddcc651f01792bef4a--cookin

13 minutes ago, CatastrophicFailure said:

ulf the multiple grabbers actually work for you? Last time I tried to Klaw something with multiple Klaws at once, it summoned up a whole family of krakens who were none too pleased at having their quality time interrupted by one such as I...

So far no, but yes I've seen kraken majeure a few times with module recovery. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...