Vehicle Models Tips?

[LangMaster]

Hey there, i was thinking, i am a person that always needs to do something productive in the background and i recently got my self into blender, and not gonna lie i kinda quickly learned alot of stuff and managed to get some cool models from that, so after a while i've decided to try make something like a real life model of a vehicle possibly for a PR later on.

Since you wanna make something realistic as possible to the original real life model, i suppose you guys are gonna look for some kind of blue prints of the actual vehicle or do you just look at pictures of the vehicle and you slowly go from that ?

Also is there a possibility to extract the in game PR models ? so i could get a reference? because so far i made like a fictionary vehicles, this one bellow was meant for a game called Foxhole like a suggestion and i made a little cute model of a tank vehicle which took me like a week since i installed blender for a first time so i am pretty happy with that .

Since Foxhole also is taking inspiration from real WW2 vehicles i also put something together so you can see couple of vehicles inside this model.

[anantdeathhawk]

It's hard to believe, you learnt and made a model with such complexity in one week.

[Niki-Tret]

That's great, but a problem is that there is no tools for Blender that would let you export your models into BF2 format at least that is what devs told me when I asked can I make models in Blender. This is what Rhino said to me: "I don't know of any tools to export directly from blender to BF2, but you could possibly model in blender then export to max, to then export to BF2, but that would be hard work and most likely create lots of errors."

[Mats391]

That's great, but a problem is that there is no tools for Blender that would let you export your models into BF2 format at least that is what devs told me when I asked can I make models in Blender. This is what Rhino said to me: "I don't know of any tools to export directly from blender to BF2, but you could possibly model in blender then export to max, to then export to BF2, but that would be hard work and most likely create lots of errors."

A lot of the Polish models in game got created in Blender, then exported to 3ds and exported. And that was even before newer 3ds versions became available for exporting, so only .obj worked for passing models between the programs. I assume with more modern 3ds and Blender versions the workflow could be rather simple.

[LangMaster]

It's hard to believe, you learnt and made a model with such complexity in one week.

I think i have an artist blood in my self, i learn programs very quickly and the amount of stuff you can do with just youtube tutorials is insane, i have literally made that thing in a week which i was really proud of my self because i always kept my self on making pixel arts.

I am mostly proud of the middle wheels because everyone was like how the hell did i do that and it was actually a pretty simple idea from me that i am still a bit laughing about.

It's a bit sad that i cannot export it straight from blender but good to know, i have 3Ds max installed since i was working on navmeshes on coop maps, i will keep working on the model on blender since the 3Ds is a bit pain for me.

The worst thing is gonna be textures for me i think i got into that part where i can plan the uv and stuff but i just cannot get my head over it making all the textures.

[LangMaster]

Let it begin

[Niki-Tret]

A lot of the Polish models in game got created in Blender, then exported to 3ds and exported. And that was even before newer 3ds versions became available for exporting, so only .obj worked for passing models between the programs. I assume with more modern 3ds and Blender versions the workflow could be rather simple.

That is nice to know since from my experience Blender is much more easier to work in than 3ds.

[Mats391]

Just so you know, you do not have to learn to export yourself either. While it isnt that hard, it is not unusual for the artist not exporting the model himself. Just develop the way you are most comfortable and efficient even it makes the exporter hate you

[Hans_Strudel]

Also is there a possibility to extract the in game PR models ? so i could get a reference?

With Blender it would be a bit problematic, but there is also a program for observing BF2 Meshes
https://www.bytehazard.com/bfstuff/bfmeshview/
You will only need .bundledMesh files extracted from .zip archives to watch them.

As for model, i would reduce amount of faces on curvatures, normal map should compensate sharpness enough.

P.S. Does Foxhole focus on low details for vehicles? last time i was playing it (stopped when the heaviest vehicle was an APC), it was simple boxes )). Cool model though, is it highpoly?

[LangMaster]

With Blender it would be a bit problematic, but there is also a program for observing BF2 Meshes
https://www.bytehazard.com/bfstuff/bfmeshview/
You will only need .bundledMesh files extracted from .zip archives to watch them.

As for model, i would reduce amount of faces on curvatures, normal map should compensate sharpness enough.

P.S. Does Foxhole focus on low details for vehicles? last time i was playing it (stopped when the heaviest vehicle was an APC), it was simple boxes )). Cool model though, is it highpoly?

They focus on kinda semi high models i am not sure, since you can watch the model only from top they dont do much alot on bottom but they have a vehicles around 30k triangles usually same as this one.

[Hans_Strudel]

Let it begin

May i ask what is the vehicle you are modelling?

[LangMaster]

May i ask what is the vehicle you are modelling?

I was thinking about test my skills and learn something with the 105mm version of stryker i mean if it does not make it into the game i might just learn something aswell, i enjoy doing this so yeah.

Though i was trying to find some limits what the game can handle what are the tris limits and stuff.

[Mats391]

As for limits it is mostly about reducing amount of individual parts and materials. Those cause additional draw calls and are our biggest bottleneck. As for tris a vehicle like Stryker should probably in the 10k range.

Your progress looks quite promising, but I think lots of tris can still be saved on it. That being said, since we already have a rather decent Stryker in game, I would suggest to start with the gun itself. The MGS does have a bit different hull to make room for the gun, but I think we could adjust our model for it. And if it wont fit can still make new Stryker later. Then again we have some other wheeled APCs that could require a new model, if you are interested

[LangMaster]

As for limits it is mostly about reducing amount of individual parts and materials. Those cause additional draw calls and are our biggest bottleneck. As for tris a vehicle like Stryker should probably in the 10k range.

Your progress looks quite promising, but I think lots of tris can still be saved on it. That being said, since we already have a rather decent Stryker in game, I would suggest to start with the gun itself. The MGS does have a bit different hull to make room for the gun, but I think we could adjust our model for it. And if it wont fit can still make new Stryker later. Then again we have some other wheeled APCs that could require a new model, if you are interested

As a detailist i really have issues trying to make perfect ammount of tris, but i would love to! i really enjoy this stuff and i am really surprised how am able to do these, i was questioning if i could port the stryker and make the gun for it.

[LangMaster]

I am trying to make it possible for the machine gun on the right side of the vehicle next to a turret.

[LangMaster]

It's getting there.

[LangMaster]

Man who designed this thing.

[LangMaster]

Shouldn't i make a whole new thread for this ?

[Mats391]

Looking good and yes a new thread would be best.