swambast

Damn man, that is creative thinking...I was looking to use it for a different purpose, but will try your proposed solution and see if it works...thanks for sharing!

future_tuskegee_airman Sorry, no screenie but a request - how do I get a message to you? The messaging system says you "can not use the messaging system"...huh? - Steve

Man, that is a significant improvement and looks real nice my friend, keep it up!

Anyone have insight into which of these variables from the EnvironmentSystem.ini might most impact frame rates...? Obviously, they all are interrelated, but was wondering which of them cause the biggest impact? Thanks for any ideas... [CloudsBroken] MaxClouds=220 MaxCloudParticles=220 3DCloudMaterial=CloudMaterial 3DCloudHorizontalSize=12500.0 3DCloudVerticalSize=2900.0 3DCloudSizeDeviation=0.4 3DCloudParticleDensity=2.6 ParticleSize=640.0 ParticleSizeDeviation=0.4 MinBaseAltitude=800.0 MaxBaseAltitude=1200.0

Thanks Kevin, I figured it out using Gimp 2...I'm resizing HorizonClouds down from 1024 to 512 for better performance (I think...testing to follow) and the the trick with GIMP is that you HAVE to make sure you uncheck the default "RLE Compression" when saving, otherwise you will lose the alpha/transparency channels.

Hmmm, OK - think I've got a solution going here with GIMP...

Hi All, working on some cloud modding which is outside my wheelhouse....anyway, what really are .TGA files (e.g., special .bmps, .jpgs, etc.?) and how can I properly resize them to ensure that the transparency channels/layers are retained? Thanks in Advance for suggestions.

Thanks for sharing the word, this is an incredible deal not to be missed, which is exactly why I already picked mine up...great work!

Hey Guys, sorry one other question please: what would be an ideal polygon count range for STATIC aircraft?

Thanks much Gents, appreciate the guidance!

Guys, I know PureBlue will be back...but like a lot of us, we're kind of burnt out right now on the modding...it is December and near the end of the year when things tend to slow down and we actually get to look back at what we accomplished. Anyway, last update is that he's focusing on networking certifications to enhance his professional career and like so many of us, "real-life stuff is getting in the way" . If he doesn't respond here, I would be happy to reach out to him and I can host the files on my FTP site if he's agreeable with that. Thanks.

Title about says it all, what are the suggested recommendations on object polygon limits for the following: Aircraft Models Generic Ground Object Models (buildings, vehicles, etc.) Finally, I have yet to get a clear answer on this one and I know they are obviously interrelated, but what in your opinion impacts performance more: polygon complexity vs. texture maps Thanks for any insight, much appreciated!

Julhelm, that is absolutely beautiful work - I love the guy looking over the railing, really adds to the ambiance. Wonderful work...

Thank God...!!! Recovery complete...talk about a mishap stirring up even greater passion towards progress. I plan to be in a fury come December and January. Wait until you guys see what I have planned next - in my humble opinion it will FOREVER change the way we do scenery design. What once would take potential hours can now be done in minutes - it is a break through beyond what I had ever imagined possible with the project. In fact, I plan to put out a teaser video in the future demonstrating the potential because it is really much more exciting to see it in action, and maybe it needs to be seen to be believed...! Stay tuned for more excitement, I hope I won't disappoint!

Thanks to all for your support, the drive is in the hands of a trusted friend who works in the Forensics field. The latest update is he was able to recover some of the data from the partitions, but I am not sure how much. Also, I had him prioritize getting the family photos/docs off there first of course, as the latest update from him is the drive is physically failing. Thanks again for your support, I will be trying to extract more data over the next few days and report back later, maybe there is a slight glimmer of hope...

I'm going to make this update quick and to the point: I really need your thoughts and prayers, please. I suffered an absolutely devastating back-up hard drive crash of all things...I'm still in a state of shock as almost 500GB of information may be lost and it contained almost all of my Thirdwire development stuff...

Absolutely magnificent...she is a beauty!

What ever happened to this...?

God Bless You...may your friends and family find strength in knowing how many lives you touched and made greater...

It's sooo....close...and I still can't find that stinkin' option...OMG.

Just don't quite get it I guess: "Make sure for the slot you are using, that Blinn is selected as the Shader Basic Parameter." - I can't find that option anywhere. "Make sure under the basic Blinn parameters, that the bitmap you wanted is selected with Diffuse." - Yep, think I'm doing that part right... Here is what I see: it's so damn frustrating because it LOOKS like what I want, I just can't get it out properly...LOL!

Thanks much for the reply...I must not be getting the texturing properly applied then, here is an example .OUT: I see the 5 materials read <No Texture> and that must be what the .LOD references when integrating the .bmp textures...looks like I don't understand how to properly apply the texture, even though everything looks right in the Viewports... steeringwh [140 polys, 420 verts (decal)] '19 - Default' Windshield [4 polys, 12 verts (decal)] 'Default' RearTire05 [68 polys, 204 verts (decal)] '19 - Default' RearTire04 [68 polys, 204 verts (decal)] '19 - Default' RearTire03 [68 polys, 204 verts (decal)] '19 - Default' RearTire02 [68 polys, 204 verts (decal)] 'Material #68' RearTire1 [68 polys, 204 verts (decal)] 'Material #57' bottom [84 polys, 252 verts (decal)] 'Default' body [374 polys, 1122 verts (decal)] 'Material #35' Num Nodes: 9 Total: (942 polys, 2826 verts) Mesh Max: (374 polys, 1122 verts) 5 Materials: ( 1) 19 - Default: <No Texture> ( 2) Default: <No Texture> ( 3) Material #68: <No Texture> ( 4) Material #57: <No Texture> ( 5) Material #35: <No Texture> 0 Textures: Points Extents

Hi, thanks for reading. Well, I'm starting to take an increased interest in 3DSM-based simple ground objects. I have had the absolute good fortune and graces of a friend of mine who attends the university loan me an entire computer tower with both 3D Studio Max and Adobe Photoshop Elements on it, so I am doing the best I can to pick this up with the limited time I have. How does one get the .bmp textures to be output into the final .LOD model? I can stumble through getting the object textured in the viewports the way I want (editable meshes, etc.). But what specific steps/commands actually cause the final .bmp texture to be written out into the .LOD file after you export using the .LOD exporter plug-in? When I open the final .LOD in a text editor, there is no reference to any of the .bmp textures I applied /UV unwrapped. Thanks for any guidance here, slowly picking this up. On another note, it seems you very small ground of talented 3DSM modders are all busy working on your projects right now. But if anyone actually has some additional free time and willingness to help train and coach me 1:1 more in-depth in 3DS modeling specifically for Thirdwire objects, please Private Message me!!! Please - I have read multiple tutorials online, but I'm trying to leverage the experience and knowledge of someone who knows the THIRDWIRE modelling world - and I don't see many options. I recognize and appreciate the value of your talents, so please let me know what it would take to make it worth your time and effort. I am really interested in learning this on my own, and not just having the models created for me since that just fosters more dependency and frustration. Well, thanks for reading all and for this great community support.

Jimbib, I think you nailed it...I'm sure that's the problem. I wonder if anyone would consider fixing it? Anyway, yes Wrench the AF19crates are from Polak's library. Therefore, none of Polak's objects could be legally used by YAP without his expressed written permission since YAP is run for commercial purposes (and of which I am still grateful he granted me permission for my STT tool!). I'll send you another PM on the other stuff...Thanks.

Hi all, is there a known problem with the af19crates model? After placing the object, the model tends to "bleed" through the ground, and expose the other objects. For example, the object rendered I believe is supposed to be a single crate. If you look at the first screenshot, when you circle the object just right it appears correct. But in general, if you orbit the object, it tends to "break apart" and the model flickers and exposes the entire surface. Kind of hard to explain, but here are some snapshots...any ideas or feedback on this would be appreciated, or even just a confirmation...