Reworked model packs with normal and gloss maps

[kingennio]

I'm opening a new thread in the spirit of contribution to the community. Recently I've embarked in a project to create normal and gloss maps for the texture skins of the best Quake's model pack out there.
We all know excellent Rygel's pack which provides normal, gloss, and even bump maps. However there are other models by different authors that deserve attention but come without normal maps. If you play DP in realtime lighting you'll notice the difference with having normal maps! Obviously you need a powerful machine to run such settings.

I'll be editing the first post of this thread posting the links to my revised packs, as long as this community is interested in my contribution and nobody complains. Obviously all credits go to the original model/skin creators, I'm just completing their work, and I'll always mention the original authors in my posts.

Beware that the included normal and gloss maps make this packs much bigger than the originals. Therefore I'll be making several versions for my releases: HIGH, MED, and LOW.
- HIGH is the full version with reference textures in the range 512x512.
- MED is a smart scaled down 75%, with textures in the range 384x384.
- LOW is a smart scaled down 50%, with textures in the range 256x256.
I must say that depending on your taste, and whether your running a very powerful machine, the MED and LOW versions are still good enough, and you'll have a hard time to tell the difference. Anyway, HIGH is there for those I who always want the best no matter what.

The typical name pattern will be:
<item-type>-[<original-author>].<texture-size>.pk3

My 1st contribution is Quake Remodeing Project's skins for Quake's Medkit and Health Powerups. This is the pack everyone recommends (see here).
I've augmented that version with normal and gloss maps. I've remade the normals following the suggestions by My-Key. See if you notice any improvements:
medkits-[QRP].512.pk3
medkits-[QRP].384.pk3

Here's the second pack: it's neogenesis version of the Ammo+Medkits powerups. This is supposed to replace rygel's ammo pack and the above QRP's medkits. neogenesis models are simpler than rygel's but it has great textures and it's lighter than the couple Ammo-[rygel] + Medkits-[QRP]. Again, I've complemented it with normals and gloss. If you try it in DP with RT light you'll notice the difference . I've remade the normals following the suggestions by My-Key. See if you notice any improvements:
ammo-medkits-[neogenesis].512.pk3

Here's another pack, this is a nice backpack model by kurako. It's a good alternative to the backpack in Rygel's, which is basically a re-skin by PrimeeviL over the standard quake model. This one is a high-poly version that I think (my opinion) looks nicer.
backpack-[kurako].512.pk3

I've also remade the normal maps for fragger's monster classic that I posted earlier here:
http://quakeone.com/forums/quake-mod...ad-link-7.html
The new version is here:
monsters-classic-[fragger].pk3
and the HIPNOTIC one:
monsters-classic-[fragger]-hipnotic.pk3
---

[Phenom]

I'd like to see some screenshots before I make the leap into downloading 42MB of PK3 Please!

[My-Key]

First of all: change "Normal map y-axis" to "UP" in Crazy Bump and remake normals, or invert green channel in already made normals

Second thing: making normals out of pure diffuse map in most cases won't give good effect. You have to prepare a proper height (bump) map and convert it to a normal, or make a 3d model and bake a normal, or use a software to make normals.

For example bolts on medkits are round, so their normal should look like this:


In your normals they are quite flat and angled.

I don't want to disincline you, but your normals aren't good. You should try to improve them

In neogenesis' pack are good heigh maps (*_bump). Try to do something like that with QRP's medkits and convert them to normals. Effect will be much better than now

So keep on trying Gain experience

[sb306]

oohh. I like them.
Keep them coming

[Seven]

First of all, thank you for your initiative, work and effort kingennio.

Its always good to share his work in this forum. So constructive Feedback
will come which helps to improve.


Thank you also for your Feedback My-Key.
Since your amazing work for QRP textures you are my No.1 contact person if
it comes to normals

I followed the instruction you gave me in that mail a few month ago,
to set the correct "x and y-axis" in CrazyBump.

CrazyBump gives you right at the beginning (if you create a normal out of a diffuse map alone),
the proposal to choose left or right sample.
I always choose the right one.
With reference to QRP health model skins, the right one means:
The bolts on the medikit will protrude /stick out.
The left proposal will lead to the other direction.

I personally like the right one more.
Together with the correct x and y-axis adjustment, the result (even if you created it from a diffuse only)
is very good in my opinion.

So for the mainstream users like myself, CrazyBump is all I need to create acceptable normals.
Only negative thing about CrazyBump is its price....
But its fair compared to the powerful program you will get for it.

Best wishes,
Seven

[kingennio]

First of all: change "Normal map y-axis" to "UP" in Crazy Bump and remake normals, or invert green channel in already made normals

Hi My-Key,
thanks for your helpful suggestions! I'll try and remake those according to your proposals.

I've remade the normals following the suggestions by My-Key. See if you notice any improvements. I've also added a nice backpack model by kurako and I made the normal for that as well.

[kingennio]

I've noticed that using the ammo packs for Quake, either Rygel's or Neogenesis version, breaks the textures in the expansions Rogue or Hipnotic where in some maps the textures are not applied to the models. I think it has to do with the BSP files in the map folder that are made for standard quake and dont work properly with the expansions. Is there a way to fix that?

[kingennio]

]I've uploaded a nice model of the biosuit by Ruohis and I've made the normal and gloss maps. Unfortunately the model doesn't spin, does someone know how to fix the mdl model to make it spin? It'd be a nice replacement to the standard low-poly model that not even Rygel's pack address.
biosuit-(nospin)-[ruohis].512.pk3

[Seven]

Here I explained it.
The flag you want to set is "8".

[kingennio]

thanks a lot Seven, I'll post the new version with the correct flag asap!
BTW, in the modeltool files I can't find the protocol.h mentioned by Lord Havoc to see the various flag options. Do you know what other flags can be set for future reference? Thanks again

[Seven]

Regarding your question in the middle of your triple-post above:

The .bsp file is nothing but a renamed .md3 file !

There is nothing special made for "standard Quake". They are simply md3 files.
Rename them and open them in milkshape if you want.

Show me a screen and tell me which map makes problems, so I can check it.

Seven


EDITED 1:

Flag Number Flag Name Description
1 ROCKET Long Smoke Trail
2 GRENADE Short Smoke Trail
4 GIB Long Gib Trail
8 ROTATE Rotate
16 TRACER Yellow and Brown Trail
32 ZOMBGIB Short Gib Trail
64 TRACER2 Medium Green Trail
128 TRACER3 Short Purple Trail


EDITED 2:

kingennio,
you should really post screenshots (like Phenom already mentioned).
Only a few people are willing to download something without an idea what it will look like.

A little something like this:

ID1 Model: ,


Ruohis Model: ,

[kingennio]

Show me a screen and tell me which map makes problems, so I can check it.

Seven

Hi seven, here is an example screenshot of the problem. very first level of hipnotic. See the shell ammo box is untextured. There are many other level where this sometimes happens. Here I'm using Rygel's ammo pack, but it also happens with neogenesis' pack, very same places.

Since this problem only happens with BSP files (ammo pack), I've tried renaming those files into MDL and changing the name "maps" folder into "progs" like all other standard working mdl models, but that didn't work: the models aren't loaded.

[LambentHammerBurst]

Try copying the models and textures into the expansions folder. I tried simply throwing in all my models and skins into the id1 folder - however the game loads up id1 first THEN the mods files. So if the mod has the same model - errors happen. Give it a try to see if it works at all.

[kingennio]

Hi ooppee, I've tried your suggestion copying the ammo pack in the hipnotic folder but the result is the same...

[Seven]

Thank you for your screens kingennio.

Now I know where to look (when I come home after work).

Regarding your renaming of b_box models:
This does NOT work. b_box models MUST be placed in maps folder.
And they must have the .bsp ending as well.
The folder for the skin, only depends on where the .md3 searches it.
As you know, when you create a .md3 file you must set the location for its skin.
In Milkshape you do it via "control file". In this control file you say where the md3 file/engine looks for its skin.

Once I will be home I will check the problem.

Kind Regards,
Seven