KOrion Capsule -- First Mesh Developed for Mod Work

[Ledenko]

Smoothing errors on booleaned surfaces - I can feel your pain :S

A few observations - models in KSP are usually 24 sided, but that's not a rule written in stone. Some of the detail can be made with normal maps to save on poly count and smoothing errors (btw, a narrow outside bevel is your friend). I'd suggest making another low poly base and using the high poly mesh as a normal baking guide if you plan on reducing the number of sides. And if you plan on integrating a parachute, consider it pretty much has to be a separate part or it won't behave correctly in the game.

[Lumicide]

Initial test with 10k poly mesh was as disastrous as expected. (I reduced it by 3k with judicious use of bandglue in modeler.) It's far too heavy for even an i7 and, as feared, I'm getting terrible smoothing errors on the OBJ.

Off to do some research.

In the meantime, did a quick update to the surfacing to add the window's "raccoon mask."

http://imgur.com/a/U5FaW#2

Maybe try to export as .fbx instead?

Left is .fbx, and right is .obj. Absolutely no differences in the models pre-export.

[Avindair]

Today is going to consist of workflow testing and refinement. As SkyHook pointed out, the mesh itself is too heavy for a game asset, but will serve as a wonderful template to create a high-quality base for diffuse, specular, and normal maps for a low-poly game object. Lightwave is not known for being particularly game-friendly, but fortunately I found the following tutorial:

I'm going to spend most of the day hammering down and documenting this process. At my age, folks, if I don't write it down, I will forget it.

Off to learn something new!

[Porkjet]

Well done! Good luck on reducing the poly's.

[wasmic]

Looks super cool, very interesting. Needs a better name, though.

[willow]

It's so pretty! Can't wait for your first release.

How do you feel about letting those RCS ports actually do something? It's always bugged me that the RCS ports on the vanilla command pod don't work...

Also, if you'd need inspiration for the next part how about a single service module part that adds a few light engines and some fuel balanced for about 1200 deltaV Enough for a mun landing/ascent and then a little to spare.

[Avindair]

Thanks for the encouragement, folks!

Lumicide: Yep, the next export will be as an FBX file. I'm curious as to how that will work.

Good news: The new low-poly mesh weighs in at a whopping 529 polygons. This is considerably less than the 10k for the high-res model.

Better news: It doesn't look half bad, as can be seen in my imgur album.

Bad news: There is some distortion in the UVs that I suspect are part of Lightwave's long-standing history of having crap UV tools.

Worst news: The process is complex. How complex, do you ask? I'll include it here for your purusal:

LIGHTWAVE TO UNITY HIGH-POLY TO LOW-POLY PROCESS

NOTE: This process will require the free DP Kit nodes for LW. Files available at:

http://dpont.pagesperso-orange.fr/plugins/nodes/Additionnal_Nodes_2.html

STEPS:

1. Create high-poly original mesh.

Do not be concerned with mesh density. This is where the look of the object’s intended look is locked down.

2. Create the UVs for the mesh as needed to get the best projections possible.

Split up the surfaces as normal, and create the required UVs. Note: There is NO NEED to combine UVs at this point.

3. Generate appropriate texture maps.

This is the point where you want to add in as much bump and diffuse detail as possible.

4. Generate procedural sweetening of surfaces.

As normal, make the maps pop with additional procedural detailing.

5. Once satisfied, create a simple UV map (Atlas, cylindrical, or whatever projection is necessary) to get the entire mesh onto one UV map.

This is where we cheat Lightwave’s inherently sucktastic UV projection tools.

6. Create the low-poly game mesh.

Create a low poly mesh that matches the original shape as closely as possible whilst also keeping the geometry simple. No need to worry about chamfering edges here; just make the basic shape.

7. Create the low-poly game mesh UV map using the same projection as was used in step 5.

If, for example, you’ve created a high poly UV projection of, say, a spaceship capsule via a cylindrical projection, use the same kind of projection on the low-poly capsule.

8. Load both the low high and low resolution meshes into Layout to begin texture baking process.

A. Select the light (Shift+L) then uncheck “Affect Diffuseâ€Â.

B. Raise ambient intensity to 100%.

C. Select the display setting options (“dâ€Â) and split the layout display into two horizontal panes.

D. Select camera (Shift+C) and and change to “Surface Baking Camera.â€Â

E. In the Surface Baking Camera window, select:

i. Mesh: The low-poly mesh.

ii. UV Map: Low poly UV map.

iii. For the “Offset from surface†option:

a. Change the top window pane to “VPR†mode. NOTE: Ensure that “Draft†mode is NOT on, or else the display will be incorrect.

b. Adjust the “Offset from surface†value until the detail from the high resolution mesh is displayed as desire onto the new UV map, using the on-screen wireframe guides visible in the lower pane.

F. Select the high resolution object and select “Unseen by Camera.â€Â

G. Select the low resolution object and select “Unseen by Rays.†NOTE: The texture will appear to vanish from the camera view. THIS IS NORMAL.

H. Select the low poly object surface, and check its “Node Editor†checkbox.

I. In the Node Editor, search for and select the “Normal Cast†node.

J. Connect the “Color Shading†node to the “Diffuse Shading†node of the low poly object surface. NOTE: Ensure that the low poly object’s specularity value is set to “0.â€Â

K. Double-click the “Normal Cast†node.

i. Under “UV Map†select the low-poly UV Map.

ii. Under “Projection Distanceâ€Â, select the same distance as the “Offset from surface†distance†as was used in the “Surface Baking Camera†dialog.

iii. Under “Height Offset†enter half of the distance in the “Projection Distance†window.

The normal map will now be displayed in the VPR surface baking camera window.

L. RENDER THE NORMAL MAP.

i. Select the camera again (Shift+C) and ensure the dimensions are set to a square (512 x 512, 1024 x 1024, etc..)

ii. Render the image (F9 or Command-R)

iii. Save the image as png24 file.

NOTE: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ADJUST THE RESAMPLING RATES ON THE CAMERA. This crashes Lightwave instantly.

M. RENDER THE DIFFUSE MAP.

i. Disconnect the “Normal Cast†node.

ii. Select the Low Poly object, select “p†for Properties, select the “Render†tab, and uncheck “Unseen by Rays.â€Â

iii. Select the “Current Object†drop down at the top of the window and select the High Poly Object.

iv. Uncheck the Unseen by Camera†window.

v. Select the Camera (Shift+C), and select the “properties†button next to the “Surface Baking Camera†drop-down.

vi. Adjust the “Offset from Surface†value and slide its value as necessary until the desired amount of color detail from the high poly objects visible in the VPR surface backing camera mode..

vii. Render the image (F9 or Command-R)

viii. Save the image as a .png24 file.

N. Clean Up Images in Photoshop

At least in this initial test there was some work to be done to clean up render errors.

i. Open photoshop and clean up diffuse and normal maps as needed.

ii. Save the new files with updated names as .png24 files.

O. Clear the Lightwave scene and open up the low poly object.

P. Apply the normal map and diffuse map to the object per normal nodal operational methods.

Q. Inspect object on screen for quality.

--

There is also this video tutorial to follow:

...just in case you don't want to read all of that.

Despite the pain, at least I now have an asset that is realistic to test in Unity.

Next up? Getting this puppy on a rocket for a quick test.

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[Boogaman]

I'm helping put the assets into the game. Here's what Avindair has so far.

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[AveXx]

Well that looks damn good. Will this be 2m in diameter ?

[NoMrBond]

Well that looks damn good. Will this be 2m in diameter ?

Targeted at 3.75m due to crew number I think was stated earlier (you can see the 2.5m rmax decoupler under it on the first picture above).

[Captain Sierra]

Targeted at 3.75m due to crew number I think was stated earlier (you can see the 2.5m rmax decoupler under it on the first picture above).

Doing some math, that's actually perfect. an SLS first stage scaled down to 64% real size (kerbal scale) is ~5.3m and the upper stage is ~3.8m. Basically, this is the perfect size for scale accurate Orion SLS replicas. CAN'T WAIT!

[metaphor]

Looks awesome. I was just looking for a 6-person capsule for my RSS Mars missions. This would be perfect.

[Shad0wCatcher]

No kidding. The detail on the capsule looks great.

[DasBananenbrot]

That looks really amazing

[aeTIos]

Some quick progress there! Though could you please do a different name :| Maybe add a poll or ask people to suggest names. The "add K" naming convention gets old after 342 mods.

Looking forward to launching this baby though

[Avindair]

Thanks, folks.

Yeah, "KOrion" was always meant to be a placeholder name. I'll noodle over it a bit longer.

I'm going back to the beginning on the textures. I need to fix the distortion around the hatch area, and the only way I can think to do that is to rebuild it from the UVs up. Annoying, yes, but also works well as a learning experience.

Big thanks to my son Boogaman for dragging his dad's mesh into the game to test. Yes, seeing it fly last night was just awesome.

Back to the texture mines!

[YANFRET]

Thanks, folks.

Yeah, "KOrion" was always meant to be a placeholder name. I'll noodle over it a bit longer.

...

How about "Antares"

[xzxvrx]

Mk 2-3 pod should be the name [/sarcasm]

[HerrGeneral]

I'd name it Rigel, after one of the brightest stars in Orion.

Looks fantastic, though!

[Ayo99]

Looks so epic, I can't wait to download it

[sharpspoonful]

I'd say name it Kigel, but then I realized that it would make a terrible, terrible name. Why not name it after a different constellation? Kassopia maybe?

[lajoswinkler]

The name is perfect. Chorion is the outer sack that protects the mammalian fetus in utero, amnion being the inner one.

You can see a hi-res photo of chorion being peeled away from amnion here. (Don't whine about the photo, it's a biological fact, you've all spent nine months inside of it.)

Just like chorion protects the fetus from the outside, this capsule, KOrion, protects Kerbals.

I get that the name was K+Orion, but this is a great pun, and a meaningful one.

The capsule is great, btw. Looking forward to test it one day.

[Read have Read]

The name is perfect. Chorion is the outer sack that protects the mammalian fetus in utero, amnion being the inner one.

You can see a hi-res photo of chorion being peeled away from amnion here. (Don't whine about the photo, it's a biological fact, you've all spent nine months inside of it.)

Just like chorion protects the fetus from the outside, this capsule, KOrion, protects Kerbals.

I get that the name was K+Orion, but this is a great pun, and a meaningful one.

The capsule is great, btw. Looking forward to test it one day.

I was wondering why Korion/chorion sounded familiar!

[Camacha]

Not to be a party pooper, but when your capsule or astronauts look like the picture, someone has made a boo-boo

[Avindair]

It's official: Lightwave's UV tools suck. I mean, REALLY suck.

The first set of textures, while okay for a quick test, were utter crap for some details. In particular, the hatch was a wobbly mess that annoyed me to look at, so I decided to go back to the beginning and re-build the work.

Good news: I did make some nicer textures that more accurately reflected the TPS used on Orion (both the re-purposing of the shuttle TPS tiles and the thermal blanket system) as well as a some additional "aging" on the thermal blankets seen on shuttles after several flights.

Bad news: Despite the low poly object being the original base for the high poly object, and its also using the same projection mapping for UV, I still got the dreaded texture distortion.

At this point I'm very seriously considering either exporting the mesh via FBX to Blender or Maya and using their tools (of which I'm not terribly familiar) to create a new set of useful UV islands, or actually rebuilding the mesh in Blender because, hey, it's about time I forced myself to use it as a tool.

Included is my album with the last couple of pics of the mesh in progress.

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Aside: I'm also dealing with a nasty sinus infection and a bad back, so if I seem grouchy, please don't think it reflects on anybody here. You guys are awesome.