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Beginner - Terribly Confused On Workflow


yak
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Hi,

I will try and keep this concise and to the point. My main uses for modeling/texturing are for game assets - specifically for the Source Engine - which apparently uses just diffuse/normal/spec (with spec in the alpha of the normal?) - and NON PBR.

  • I have been learning blender over the past few weeks
  • I am able to put together a basic model (weapon, etc)
  • I made high poly model in blender - and low poly - and baked a normal map from the high to the low
  • Imported normal map into 3D coat (along with low poly model)
  • Exported textures from 3D coat and used in the game engine

And problems....

Textures are all way out of wack and I'm not sure where I went wrong or the best way to proceed. I was using smart materials but since it's non-PBR - it looks nothing like the preview in the game. I would need to create things like woods, metals, etc.

You can see the difference in the images attached for previewing vs what it looks like in the game. I think it exported incorrectly. I'm not sure how to export just the diffuse and normal (with spec in the alpha)?

Should I be using 3D coat for my purposes? My original plan was to:

blender model ----> import low poly to 3D coat + normal map from high poly ---> texture and export images ---> use images in game along with low poly model

If the program is mostly for pbr... should I just texture manually with photoshop?

My head is spinning from all the info and not really sure what to do at this point. I feel somewhat comfortable with modeling the basic shapes but stuck on how to best setup workflow from there.

  • Should I just import high polys to 3D coat and retopology from there, UV map in 3d coat, etc.. paint in there..?
  • Without smart materials... I found I can't do too much paint wise? How do I use images etc..?

If someone could point me in the right direction it would be helpful. I've found a bunch of videos but it's all very scattered. I had to learn all this on my own so far but feel like I hit a wall.

axe08.jpg

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axe11.jpg

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axe14.jpg

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....it's not necessary to go to an older version. I think there was some misunderstanding of what the original poster wanted to achieve. Smart Materials are normally photorealistic, but one can modify the settings so it is non-photoreal...such as removing metalness and such.

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A way to change the work environment into Diffuse, spec and normal mode is this:

On 1/11/2018 at 3:44 AM, Andrew Shpagin said:

Switch to View->Handpaint

Texture Export/import->Gloss/Color/Spec

And use Metalness = 0

This is relatively close* to what you had before.

This workflow is close*, but not the same old non-pbr workflow.

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7 minutes ago, Carlosan said:

This workflow is close*, but not the same old non-pbr workflow.

And since you can't buy v3, there is no way to achieve old "true" non-pbr workflow, except 4.1.x (which was experimental and not so stable as v3)?

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But... but i'm trying! :o I'm trying to figure out what is the best way to use 3d-coat for non-PBR workflow.
I wasn't aware that non-pbr workflow in the 4.x.x line is "close*, but not the same" as an old 3.x non-pbr workflow. I didn't know that at all! :o
It is important for me too, because this is the thing i study right now.

Edited by druh0o
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Hey all, been using 3DCoat to make objects for import into Unreal 3 for a while without problems (including recent versions).  There are 2 things you have to do when making a model this way, I find :

1)  Do not use smart materials.  Do not use metalness.  Apply each colour as a layer, and the gloss as a layer, never apply them combined.

2)  In the Paint room, and make sure you have Textures > Change Textures Import/Export Workflow set to Gloss/Colour Specular and not the other 2.

If you use metalness at any stage, or smart materials, then your output texture will go black.  None of this affects the normals.  Hope this helps the original poster.

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