So Finally got around to being bored enough and burnt out on listening to Music to Narrate how to make and uv map a template for a vehicle. Also did one on how to make LOD's (The Cheap and easy way with optimization).

 

May make some more for my YouTube channel and share here but for now heres the two :).

 

Tutorial #1: UV Mapping and Template Creation:

 

Tutorial #2: LOD's / Optimizing and Testing in Game:

 

Tutorial #3: Converting GTA 4 Parts to GTA 5:

 

Tutorial #4: Setting up a Lightbar for ELS:

 

Edited August 26, 20178 yr by Thero

Top Stuff, Thero!

Just started watching the first Video!

Now, given this is mainly for GTA V, how much of these Tutorials could be applied to IV?

Zero gta 4 does not use lods

7 hours ago, Thero said:

Zero gta 4 does not use lods

GTA IV does use LODs.

I don't mean to insult you in any way, but this is an absolutely terrible way to create LODs. This optimization process is as you said, "the way to make it look right." and nothing else. This optimization process shouldn't be used in any way to actually make and release car mods. Especially for a R* model that's already perfectly set up in terms of LODs. It's their game, they know exactly what they're doing when they make their cars. What you should've done for the templating is dismiss all LODs for each part aside from L4, and mapped all LODs at once to the template. Then generate the UV template for the L0. Once you have the template, a rough mapping of the L4 is all you'd need to do to match up with the template, since it's at such a far distance away.

Excuse me if I overlooked it Thero, but I think you also haven't copied the dirt mapping coordinates to your new material, this will break your dirt-mapping ingame.

Here is a little tutorial, hopefully I got everything right, first, before you start with the real mapping, select all parts that use the default paint material (should be that smallspecmap material) then you open the edit UV Mapping window and set it up exactly like I did. After you did that just hit ok and you can assign your material to the parts and start mapping as usual. I think you also have to do this to all LODs first.

(the material at the bottom should be your new livery supporting material)

Edited August 15, 20178 yr by 11john11

2 hours ago, Lundy said:

GTA IV does use LODs.

I dont recall ever seeing them in zmodeler 2 then again i didnt know hardly anything at moddeling at the time as there was only gta 4 and no gta 5 at the time. If i look again i might see it though.

 

And i totally agree on the lods. This video is showing how to do it the quick way. The way to show up in game kind of quick and not the proper way with little to no poly count use (ie L4 shouldnt be more then 500 to 600)

2 hours ago, 11john11 said:

Excuse me if I overlooked it Thero, but I think you also haven't copied the dirt mapping coordinates to your new material, this will break your dirt-mapping ingame.

Here is a little tutorial, hopefully I got everything right, first, before you start with the real mapping, select all parts that use the default paint material (should be that smallspecmap material) then you open the edit UV Mapping window and set it up exactly like I did. After you did that just hit ok and you can assign your material to the parts and start mapping as usual. I think you also have to do this to all LODs first.

(the material at the bottom should be your new livery supporting material)

Nope you didnt miss it. I didnt know how to do it.

 

Thanks for sharing though as I'm always learning everyday with models and this is something i could use for future builds (Along with @Lundy way to properly do lods)

Edited August 16, 20178 yr by Thero

5 minutes ago, Thero said:

I dont recall ever seeing them in zmodeler 2 then again i didnt know hardly anything at moddeling at the time as there was only gta 4 and no gta 5 at the time. If i look again i might see it though.

 

And i totally agree on the lods. This video is showing how to do it the quick way. The way to show up in game kind of quick and not the proper way with little to no poly count use (ie L4 shouldnt be more then 500 to 600)

Nope you didnt miss it. I didnt know how to do it.

 

Thanks for sharing though as I'm always learning everyday with models and this is something i could use for future builds (Along with @Lundy way to properly do lods)

Glad I could help you 

You know what? I stand corrected on the LOD's to. Lundy is right. Its been so long I forgot they do use LOD's however not in the same way as GTA 5 does by using the mesh and compounding it into the dummy.

 

Its been a while but I believe they sit within the dummy instead. (Correct me if I'm wrong again here @Lundy).

Just now, Thero said:

You know what? I stand corrected on the LOD's to. Lundy is right. Its been so long I forgot they do use LOD's however not in the same way as GTA 5 does by using the mesh and compounding it into the dummy.

 

Its been a while but I believe they sit within the dummy instead. (Correct me if I'm wrong again here @Lundy).

Yeah, IV is inside the parent dummy. V is compounded. Every game that uses 3D scenes has LODs. If you didn't, you wouldn't last a second.

Just now, Lundy said:

Yeah, IV is inside the parent dummy. V is compounded. Every game that uses 3D scenes has LODs. If you didn't, you wouldn't last a second.

Makes total sense. Thank you for Correcting me on this.

So For Everyone that has asked me before Added two more videos.

 

#3: How to Convert GTA 4 Parts to GTA 5

 

#4 How to Setup a Lightbar for ELS.

Hey Thero, I'm working on a livery for my G8, but I don't see a DETAIL2 in my material browser. How can I get it?