Editing the "Welcome To NS2 BETA/Summit" Signs

Drakennz

IS there a way to change this prop sign to change the wording to suit my map? Can i open it in Photoshop or something ?

zastels

<a href="http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop" target="_blank">http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture...adobe-photoshop</a>

Install this.

I can write a guide to do it if you need.

Drakennz

<!--quoteo(post=1921652:date=Apr 4 2012, 11:55 AM:name=zastels)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (zastels @ Apr 4 2012, 11:55 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1921652"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><a href="http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop" target="_blank">http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture...adobe-photoshop</a>

Install this.

I can write a guide to do it if you need.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


Ahh sweet and that will allow to me open up that sign file and edit to my hearts content then ?

zastels

<!--quoteo(post=1921653:date=Apr 3 2012, 06:57 PM:name=Drakennz)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Drakennz @ Apr 3 2012, 06:57 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1921653"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Ahh sweet and that will allow to me open up that sign file and edit to my hearts content then ?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

ya, the .dds file is the texture file.

Take the .material and .dds, and simply rename it. Rename the entries inside the .material file too.

This way you don't replace the sign in Summit, but make your own.

hookeyed

After reading this thread I tried my hand at making a screen texture. Here's two sides of the same sign.
<img src="http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/8718/2012040400002.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
<img src="http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/9917/2012040400001.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Here's the normal map
<img src="http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/7172/tengulocationscreens.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

and the material file,
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->shader = "shaders/Level_emissive.surface_shader"
albedoMap = "materials/tengu/tengu_location_screens.dds"
emissiveMap = "materials/tengu/tengu_location_screens.dds"
normalMap = "materials/tengu/tengu_location_screens.dds"<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->

Not sure if I could be doing more to make it screen-like or if that's how it's supposed to look. What do the albedo and emissive maps do?

zastels

excellent job! Albedo and Emissive are both ways of controlling how a texture is lit. Albedo controls how much light the surface reflects. If the texture is emissive, it will <i>appear</i> to be giving off light. Basically in a pitch black room, an emissive texture will still be lit.

As to making the sign appear more sci-fi, you'd probably want a holographic, slightly static look. This can be done with material shaders, and as of last patch this became a possibility.

Unfortunately I haven't yet experimented with adding shaders to textures or creating shaders. I do know that basic shader effects can be added to the material file code.

Drakennz

<!--quoteo(post=1922016:date=Apr 5 2012, 02:30 PM:name=hookeyed)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (hookeyed @ Apr 5 2012, 02:30 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1922016"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->After reading this thread I tried my hand at making a screen texture. Here's two sides of the same sign.
<img src="http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/8718/2012040400002.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
<img src="http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/9917/2012040400001.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Here's the normal map
<img src="http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/7172/tengulocationscreens.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

and the material file,
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->shader = "shaders/Level_emissive.surface_shader"
albedoMap = "materials/tengu/tengu_location_screens.dds"
emissiveMap = "materials/tengu/tengu_location_screens.dds"
normalMap = "materials/tengu/tengu_location_screens.dds"<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->

Not sure if I could be doing more to make it screen-like or if that's how it's supposed to look. What do the albedo and emissive maps do?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

hey nice work!, you able to walk me through how you made them? I tried opening the .dds summit welcome sign file in PS and making my own and saving it as a different file name, but it wouldn't show in the editor ??? how and what do I do with the .material file ?

hookeyed

<!--quoteo(post=1922122:date=Apr 5 2012, 10:13 AM:name=Drakennz)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Drakennz @ Apr 5 2012, 10:13 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1922122"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->hey nice work!, you able to walk me through how you made them? I tried opening the .dds summit welcome sign file in PS and making my own and saving it as a different file name, but it wouldn't show in the editor ??? how and what do I do with the .material file ?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Not sure if it's what you're asking, but I actually decided to edit the refinery alert screen texture instead of the model. I loaded up the .dds file for the texture in photoshop, did up my own designs using the same color scheme and contrast. Contrast is important because in the material file I use the same file for the emissive map which seems to make the brightest part of the image glow in the dark.

In the case of a texture you can just drop the material file and the .dds together in ns2\materials\yourmapname\

To change the summit welcome sign I think you need to copy and rename the summit welcome model in ns2\models\summit\ to your own folder, throw the texture in and copy the material file for the model to refer to your new files. As far as I understand it, the editor looks at the material file to tell what goes where.<!--coloro:#FF8C00--><span style="color:#FF8C00"><!--/coloro--> [edit: I would probably disregard this paragraph, just speculation.]<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->

Seems a bit easier to make a texture considering it's just a flat screen.

perso

I'm not 100% sure but I think the name of the texture file (dds) must be compiled into the model, so editing the material file to point to a different texture may not be enough. At least that was the case when I last tried.

marks

<!--quoteo(post=1922016:date=Apr 5 2012, 02:30 AM:name=hookeyed)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (hookeyed @ Apr 5 2012, 02:30 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1922016"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Here's the normal map
<img src="http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/7172/tengulocationscreens.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


Uhhh ... that doesn't look like a normal map bro.

hookeyed

<!--quoteo(post=1922292:date=Apr 5 2012, 07:00 PM:name=marks)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (marks @ Apr 5 2012, 07:00 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1922292"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Uhhh ... that doesn't look like a normal map bro.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Oops, meant to say diffuse map.. I think.I'm a little new to this. : )