How To Use Lithunwrap Without Messing Up Smoothing
Obst
Join Date: 2003-03-12 Member: 14436Members, Constellation
Join Date: 2003-03-12 Member: 14436Members, Constellation
<div class="IPBDescription">Easy :P</div> Hi!
Many people complain that LithUnwrap messes up the smoothing groups in milkshape. But that is not true, if done right.
The whole problem of messing up is created by regrouping (read: You have more/less/different content groups compared between before importing into Lith and after exporting. Then, many people save the mesh they created in Lith as a .ms3d. This is also a wrong step. Exporting it as a .luv and importing this im Milkshape is much better!
For the regrouping (which IS necessary for meshing, I know...) you got some possible methods:
<b>1) Precautional regrouping</b>:
You regroup the model in Milkshape before importing it into Lith. Using this method is kinda difficult because you have to know which methods of mapping you want to apply later. But if you are an advanced mesher, you should be able to do this <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
When you save the ms3d with those groups and import it into Lith, you should be able to mesh the model without touching the "ASSIGN" button even once. If you notice that you have to regroup something, that's not bad (as long as you don't need to change the materials), for further information about this read 2)
<b>2) The method for starters</b>:
a) Imagine how big the skinmaps for the several parts of your model will be. Then, assign black bitmaps to those parts where you think it will fit. Then, regroup all those parts into one group for each skinmap. Then you should have the same amount of groups as you have of materials. Be sure to check that the smoothing is OK now. If not, assign proper smoothing groups, but it should be OK. If not, then select teh smoothing groups you have and hit the assign button again, sometimes it is a little bugged. Use CTRL+M for refreshing the smoothing in the 3D window. Now save as .ms3d. Import that .ms3d into Lith.
b) Now for the fun part: Create as many groups in Lith as you want. Yeah, just do it as you want. You can assign faces to the groups as you want, too, the only thing to keep in mind is NOT to delete the original groups and NOT to change the material assigned to a face! After you have now mapped your model with the multiple groups, there is only one thing left to do: Assign all faces back to their original groups and delete the now no longer needed groups YOU created in Lith. For this to work it is important to think of the layout of the different groups, so that they won't interfere when merging. Save the UV-Maps and export the mesh as a .luv
<b>Final steps: Importing</b>:
Now open up your .ms3d with Milkshape (the one you imported into Lith...) You should notice the blank materials being replaced by the UV-maps. Now use IMPORT/Lithium UnWrapper .luv
and select the .luv you exported from Lith. Voil?, it should be done. Now hit CTRL+M to check the smoothing. If something is wrong, select/assign the smoothign groups again, as mantioned before.
Have fun <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Many people complain that LithUnwrap messes up the smoothing groups in milkshape. But that is not true, if done right.
The whole problem of messing up is created by regrouping (read: You have more/less/different content groups compared between before importing into Lith and after exporting. Then, many people save the mesh they created in Lith as a .ms3d. This is also a wrong step. Exporting it as a .luv and importing this im Milkshape is much better!
For the regrouping (which IS necessary for meshing, I know...) you got some possible methods:
<b>1) Precautional regrouping</b>:
You regroup the model in Milkshape before importing it into Lith. Using this method is kinda difficult because you have to know which methods of mapping you want to apply later. But if you are an advanced mesher, you should be able to do this <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
When you save the ms3d with those groups and import it into Lith, you should be able to mesh the model without touching the "ASSIGN" button even once. If you notice that you have to regroup something, that's not bad (as long as you don't need to change the materials), for further information about this read 2)
<b>2) The method for starters</b>:
a) Imagine how big the skinmaps for the several parts of your model will be. Then, assign black bitmaps to those parts where you think it will fit. Then, regroup all those parts into one group for each skinmap. Then you should have the same amount of groups as you have of materials. Be sure to check that the smoothing is OK now. If not, assign proper smoothing groups, but it should be OK. If not, then select teh smoothing groups you have and hit the assign button again, sometimes it is a little bugged. Use CTRL+M for refreshing the smoothing in the 3D window. Now save as .ms3d. Import that .ms3d into Lith.
b) Now for the fun part: Create as many groups in Lith as you want. Yeah, just do it as you want. You can assign faces to the groups as you want, too, the only thing to keep in mind is NOT to delete the original groups and NOT to change the material assigned to a face! After you have now mapped your model with the multiple groups, there is only one thing left to do: Assign all faces back to their original groups and delete the now no longer needed groups YOU created in Lith. For this to work it is important to think of the layout of the different groups, so that they won't interfere when merging. Save the UV-Maps and export the mesh as a .luv
<b>Final steps: Importing</b>:
Now open up your .ms3d with Milkshape (the one you imported into Lith...) You should notice the blank materials being replaced by the UV-maps. Now use IMPORT/Lithium UnWrapper .luv
and select the .luv you exported from Lith. Voil?, it should be done. Now hit CTRL+M to check the smoothing. If something is wrong, select/assign the smoothign groups again, as mantioned before.
Have fun <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Comments
Answer: Because there are people who DO it that <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->