New 3D Canvas model Export Plugin

[decapod]

Downloadable now from this forum link:
http://amabilis.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/ ... #720107131

or here:

http://cid-06b528339820717e.skydrive.li ... RSIGS2.zip


This will give 3D canvas users a few extra features over the old exporter:
- View Facing Flora (both types) will work
- Specluar shine effects will work
- Translucency will work and will not hide things
- by default the MIP lod bias for the main texture will be -2, bump maps -1, the rest 0
- shadow objects automatically creased before export


Info from the Read Me file which may be useful:
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3D Canvas material options for the new Rail Sim export plugin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


The material options in the new IGS export from 3D canvas is similar to the original version in a lot of respects but adds a few options we did not have previously.

The Basics

These are the material options that effect the main appearance of the material in the sim. However shaders could potentially ignore some or all of these values - more on those later.

1 - Base Colour
The colour of the material under the texture is generally blended with the texture applied to the model. i.e. a White base colour has no effect, but grey darkens the texture.
This colour is also used as the specular shine colour.

2 - Diffuse, Ambient, Specular and Translucent options
These are all a bit confusing as Diffuse value actually affects the ambient colour, Ambient affects the emissive colour, Specular affects the shine focus (which is correct but rail sim changed the meaning of specular power) and translucent affects the base colour translucency so should really be part of 1.

In Rail Sim, the ambient lighting is set quite high so on models without extra shadows, the side in the shade can appear very bright (similar to TrainZ)

You can change the Diffuse value to a value of 40 or 50 for the model to darken faces pointing away from the sun.
In 3DC you will need to brighten the Directional #1 light to make the model appear correct while you are editing.

The ambient value should be set low (usually 1). High values (over 20) will make the model glow at night.

Specular affects how focused the specular shine appears.
Not to be confused with Environment mapping - this is a lighting effect, not a texture effect.
It will only work for shaders that support it - These usually have Spec as part of their name.


3 - Custom Material Fields
a) "Tx Alpha" - not case sensitive
None (or blank) Turns off Alpha Testing in the Export. No transparency or translucency will work
Transparency Turns on Alpha Testing
Translucency Turns off Alpha Testing and changes Z Buffer mode to "Test Only" (default is "Write") - This is usually used by the BlendA, AddA and SubtractA fixed shaders.

b) "Alpha Pr"
Number 0 or higher - added as "Sort Priority" in the IGS file - not sure if it works.

c) "Rail Sim"
The shader name goes here. Default value is TexDiff (which supports solid/transparency)

d) "Rail SimX" - For future update

4 - Shaders

Just a few notes about FX shaders:

Generally, all of them need a Basic Texture defined in 3D canvas. Kuju have been kind and kept to a naming convention that makes it relatively easy to use.

The main ones start with Loft or Train and the general texturing rules to apply are as follows:

If the name contains "Bump" you need a bump map.

If the name contains "Spec" it supports specular lighting, not specular mapping - no specular texture is needed.

If the name contains "Env" you need to add a dummy environment map texture.

If the name contains "Mask", the environment map is multiplied by the main texture alpha.

As an aside - if "Env" but not "Mask" is in the name, the Environment map is multiplied by 0.3 instead.
For TrainBumpSpecMask.fx, the Specular light Colour is multiplied by the Texture mask
And for TrainSpecEnvMask.fx, the specular light and the Env map are multiplied by the mask (and the Env map again by 0.2)

[KCJones]

Many thanks. I'll get busy again

Dick

[rgarber]

Paul, this is great! Now I can put that $3500 purchase on hold for a bit.

Rich