Hey guys

I've made a model for a T-4B Heavy Tank (based on the model from Empire at War) and i was about to post here asking if someone could export it for me but then i read something about "enveloping"
I'm new at modelling so could someone tell me what this means and how to do it?

And another problem is texturing, while i can make basic edits to textures I am absolutely hopeless at creating an entirely new one, so if someone could link to a tutorial for this i would be grateful (or if someone else wants to do the texture themselves that would be fine)

Here is a screenshot of my model, hope you like it this is my first model for SWBFII!
And here is a wireframe version
btw i am not completely sure if that is how you add images so if ive done that wrong then please tell me!

Well, I have no idea what enveloping means, but that's awesome seeing that it's the only one I've ever seen here at GT! I've only played the demo version of EaW, that's an Imperial tank, right?

above this topic you can find the XSI tutorials thread it contains many tutorials about setting up treads, textzring, UVing etc.

the model looks very good by the way

GangsterJawa wrote:Well, I have no idea what enveloping means, but that's awesome seeing that it's the only one I've ever seen here at GT!

qft

GangsterJawa wrote: I've only played the demo version of EaW, that's an Imperial tank, right?

its rebel actually

That looks pretty good. Have you ever modelled before? I still remember my first-ever model, it was an 8-meter plain cube....

As for enveloping, I have no idea what it means other than in character-making it's something to do with bones. I have Modtool 6, the free version, and use Rep's amazing MshEx, so I never bothered to learn how to envelope and animate, since it seem's its for animated character meshes, which are beyojnd MshEx's capability to export. So since I'm never going to do it with Modtool 6 I never bothered to learn it....

As for the texture, there are materials on how to apply a texture here at GT, but as far as I've seen there aren't any for actually making the texture. So:

What I usually do is, I see if there are any stock textures that could fit nicely. If I were done with a tank model, I flip through stock assets for generic metallish ones - there are plenty in maps like the Death Star or Bespin. I'm particularly fond of the Oil Refinery texture from Kashyyyk and the Mon Cal cruiser tga.


If there is absolutley nothing that doesn't fit all the way, I open a new texture, gather bits from pre-existing tga's, and fit 'em together like a Jigsaw puzzle.


If that won't do the case (and it's rare that I can't find anything), I open Paint.NET instead of GIMP, set the primary and secondary colors as I wish, then use the "Render Clouds" fractal. This produces a semi-random pattern. Then I just smudge or blur it as I wish. It's actually rather good for a wide variety of base textures, and sometimes I splice these in along with shipped details into the same tga. This Render Clouds trick was pointed out to me by Maveritchell.



There we have it. Now, my contribution done, something a bit off-topic:

kinetosimpetus wrote:

GangsterJawa wrote:Well, I have no idea what enveloping means, but that's awesome seeing that it's the only one I've ever seen here at GT!

qft

GangsterJawa wrote: I've only played the demo version of EaW, that's an Imperial tank, right?

its rebel actually

Ah, well, that shows you my knowledge of EaW. Come to think of it, I do remember it now...

thanks for all the feedback!

It looks like enveloping is just for characters so ill continue without it.

Ill give the texture a try but as i said if anyone else wants to do it then they are very welcome.

Fiodis wrote:That looks pretty good. Have you ever modelled before?

well yes i used to make a models of my house in sketchup for fun but then i wanted to mod SWBFII so i got the XSI Mod tool. All the other models i am doing in XSI are for a movie i'm making (i might in the future release a map pack based on it with custom sides!) and this is currently my only model for SWBFII.

http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=xsi%20enveloping
really?

Very nice first model though!

Very nice model.
Enveloping by the way is not just for units, it is for any animated object or any part of an object that needs to move in game, such as a turret.
Now depending upon how the model is made you can also make turrets move with out enveloping but rather by using nulls and the proper hierarchy.

Have a look at this, it is for static turrets but the principles are the same for vehicle turrets.

Turret Tutorial

thanks for the tutorial i don't think ill do enveloping cos i'm already using nulls (you can see them in the pics, the blue one is for rotation and the orange is for yaw)

oh and would the wheels work if i used nulls or do i need to do something else for that?

So the turret bits are separate meshes in the model, mean the whole T-4B is't just one mesh.

If you mean making it look like the treads are moving then no that is something completely different, there is a topic on it in the XSI Faq. If you mean making the drive and idler wheels turn then no can't really do that.