A few beginner modding questions.

[EmC-Unit]

I am using 2000x2000 (and 1024x1024 when thats it'chboys) and my game can run all units called somwhere on half empty map with all 140+- bluelights on without that much lagging. And my computer specs rated on youtube coments as a "trash".

 

Using one texture is better than few, it's less for th game to load up and resize when you zoom-unzoom.

 

But yesterday I stumbled upon "Smooth faces" and it changed my life.

 

Many earth cycles ago i found out that i can scale objects with % in zm (with Ctrl+scaling option on the moddel) that changed my too (and other modders was like - you still don't know that? lol.)

[BogdanM]

I've tried the smooth shading feature on a model and it looks great in Blender but when I try the model in the editor, the faces are not smooth. Do I have to do something else to export the model with smooth faces? Something like Ctrl+A for scale and rotation.

[EmC-Unit]

Well the game reduce the quality, and render it not like in 3d modding space. Don't know any options, i am only Zm2 user.

Btw if you wish to create a mod, you could try Las Vegas, it has some nice paints.

[BogdanM]

Well the game reduce the quality, and render it not like in 3d modding space. Don't know any options, i am only Zm2 user.

Btw if you wish to create a mod, you could try Las Vegas, it has some nice paints.

 

Ah, of course I don't expect miracles, but with or without smoothing the model in Blender, in the EM editor it looks exactly the same. So I assume I'm not doing the final step where the smooth action gets saved, like when you have to press Ctrl+A to apply a scale, rotation change. 

 

I'm actually doing a police pack for the LA mod, hopefully it will be ready for release at the end of the month or at the beginning of next year. Right now, I'm improving the textures and remapping the models to improve performance.

 

EDIT:

The CVPI models I've made so far and some texture improvements. If you have any ideas how to make the textures better/more realistic, I'd be happy to hear them.

 

[Terrow]

Ah, of course I don't expect miracles, but with or without smoothing the model in Blender, in the EM editor it looks exactly the same. So I assume I'm not doing the final step where the smooth action gets saved, like when you have to press Ctrl+A to apply a scale, rotation change. 

 

I'm actually doing a police pack for the LA mod, hopefully it will be ready for release at the end of the month or at the beginning of next year. Right now, I'm improving the textures and remapping the models to improve performance.

 

EDIT:

The CVPI models I've made so far and some texture improvements. If you have any ideas how to make the textures better/more realistic, I'd be happy to hear them.

 

 

I WANT YOUR BABIES

[BogdanM]

I WANT YOUR BABIES

 

Well the models will be available to be used in any other mods if people want to.

 

Finished cleaning up the other models. Tomorrow I can finally begin modeling some other vehicles. What would be a good vehicle for the LAPD Bomb Squad? That Ford F-350 with the kitchen cabinet or something else? 

 

[itchboy]

 

I wasnt able to 'totally' complete my version of this rig before I threw in the towel, this is the vehicle I'd do. Thanks for the noble effort in learning to mod Em4.

[Engine81]

Well the models will be available to be used in any other mods if people want to.

 

Finished cleaning up the other models. Tomorrow I can finally begin modeling some other vehicles. What would be a good vehicle for the LAPD Bomb Squad? That Ford F-350 with the kitchen cabinet or something else? 

 

 

Great work man! Looking forward to this vehicle pack! BTW if you're going for realism, the lights in the back window of the unmarked cars are blue and yellow not blue in red.

[The Loot]

BTW if you're going for realism, the lights in the back window of the unmarked cars are blue and yellow not blue in red.

 

They're also offset to the driver's side of the rear window, and this goes for marked slicktops, too. Newer model vehicles have completely different lighting setups, however, and Youtube sucks for examples.

[RangerDog]

Hey, Kinda noob quistion but im trying to learn it....

 

But, On torurials i saw you need a blueprint of the car, but where can you find it? XD

[BogdanM]

Great work man! Looking forward to this vehicle pack! BTW if you're going for realism, the lights in the back window of the unmarked cars are blue and yellow not blue in red.

 

Ah, thanks for pointing that out. I didn't check if the LAPD uses a different light system, I based the texture on a random video of an unmarked cvpi.

 

 

Hey, Kinda noob quistion but im trying to learn it....

 

But, On torurials i saw you need a blueprint of the car, but where can you find it? XD

 

There are a few websites with car blueprint libraries like:

http://www.the-blueprints.com/blueprints/cars/

https://getoutlines.com/car-blueprints?utm_source=cbinfo&utm_medium=cpm&utm_campaign=cbinfo&utm_content=bar

http://www.smcars.net/forums/blueprints-archive.223/

 

but I think the best way is to do a google search using key words and just look at the image results. Type the mark and model, the year and "blueprint" (eg. 2010 Dodge Charger blueprint). If the car is really new there might not be any blueprints available so in that case you can use photos from different perspectives. You can type make and model, year and side/front/rear/top view or you can look for a 360 degree view (you can find those on official car websites) and take printscreens from each perspective. Before you start modeling always make sure that the blueprint images are scaled and lined up correctly.

 

I've made a new LASD prisoner transport van (the right side doors are the ones that open)

[BogdanM]

 

I wasnt able to 'totally' complete my version of this rig before I threw in the towel, this is the vehicle I'd do. Thanks for the noble effort in learning to mod Em4.

 

I've made the truck you suggested, now let's hope for plenty of rainy days so the LA citizens don't end up in ER with burned retinas.

 

[EmC-Unit]

I like it! https://youtu.be/oX5rrYHlqTM?t=2m51s

[LBFDEngine11]

 Am i building the body correctly?

[BogdanM]

 

 Am i building the body correctly?

 

So far so good but my suggestion would be to use a mirror modifier (I assume the fire truck looks the same on both sides). Check out

, relevant part is from 1:00 to 1:45. It will allow you to model half of the vehicle while automatically copying everything on the other half. Once you are done, just apply the modifier and the model will be complete (do this step only when you are absolutely sure you are done modeling, as it's a pain to split the model and realign the mirror half). I'd also suggest checking off "Clipping" in the Mirror modifier menu, so that you'll have a clean middle line and the vertices won't cross from one half to the other.

[EmC-Unit]

 

 Am i building the body correctly?

 

Assign side photo or blueprint and you will be able to fix erors.

[LBFDEngine11]

So far so good but my suggestion would be to use a mirror modifier (I assume the fire truck looks the same on both sides). Check out

, relevant part is from 1:00 to 1:45. It will allow you to model half of the vehicle while automatically copying everything on the other half. Once you are done, just apply the modifier and the model will be complete (do this step only when you are absolutely sure you are done modeling, as it's a pain to split the model and realign the mirror half). I'd also suggest checking off "Clipping" in the Mirror modifier menu, so that you'll have a clean middle line and the vertices won't cross from one half to the other.

on all of the LBFD ENGINE one side of the engine has a ladder

Assign side photo or blueprint and you will be able to fix erors.

thats the problem ive been having issues with the blueprints i had found on this exact type of engine

[BogdanM]

on all of the LBFD ENGINE one side of the engine has a ladder

thats the problem ive been having issues with the blueprints i had found on this exact type of engine

 

Ah, ok. You could still do it like that so that both sides are identical and then after you apply the modifier, modify one side to make room for the ladder. This particular truck doesn't really need a blueprint if you can't find one, it's all straight lines so just make sure you only drag the vertices on the X,Y,Z axes. 

[LBFDEngine11]

this is what i got so far 

[Guest]

This is a great topic! 

Am trying to learn zmodeler myself but have only read through zmodeler documentation and played with the tools in zmodeler but you guys have me inspired to try it out today!

Will post back some time with what (if anything) I have made.

EDIT:

Well I have made a first attempt at a Volvo V40 and I have got to say its not going well

I think my main problem is when it comes to pulling in/pusihing out the side by using the front view.

I have no problem getting the side of the car onto the side of the blueprint but my problem is i dont really know what any of the vertices are in the front view and so have no clue where to put them and when I have for example bits of the headlights I have modelled in left view I get really confused trying to work out where to put them in the front view.

Any tips or help?

EDIT2:

Just watched the Blender tutorial posted in this topic and it looks far more beginner friendly than zmodeler! I can see it would take some persistence to get the right shape but still probably easier than Zmodler. Would you guys reccomend Blender and can you UV map in Blender? Also, how does converting to V30 work  with Blender?

Thanks

[itchboy]

On 4/24/2016 at 2:32 PM, TWMCPE said:

<Post>

People sturggle with the 'extruding' step regardless of Blender or Zmod, here's how I've done mine, note that the model is incomplete since I'm busy IRL to finish it. PM for more details, since I believe you're legit and do want to learn.

With your Zm attempt, some things are a bit off with it, but its good progress so far. The vertices need to be attached to each other, which is why so many things have broken or open seams. Note that it isnt about following the bluprint 100%, but following the actual shape of the vehicle, and using the blueprint as a guidline where to position some vertices.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, itchboy said:

People sturggle with the 'extruding' step regardless of Blender or Zmod, here's how I've done mine, note that the model is incomplete since I'm busy IRL to finish it. PM for more details, since I believe you're legit and do want to learn.

With your Zm attempt, some things are a bit off with it, but its good progress so far. The vertices need to be attached to each other, which is why so many things have broken or open seams. Note that it isnt about following the bluprint 100%, but following the actual shape of the vehicle, and using the blueprint as a guidline where to position some vertices.

Thanks a ton, will PM

[BogdanM]

I guess now is as good a time as any to release the models I've made but haven't touched for the last 6 months. The pack is set up to work with Los Angeles mod v2.1 (paste the archive contents inside the LA mod folder and overwrite everything), some of the vehicles have working lights made by JANJUA. 

The models still require polishing and they seem to cause a fps drop when there's a lot of them on the map but feel free to use them in your mods if want to, just mention me somewhere as the original creator.

LAPD vehicle pack.rar

[itchboy]

On 6/19/2016 at 11:53 PM, BogdanM said:

 

Congratulations on release. Your units look good.

Most people unfortunately wont dig into this forum to find this specific post with the link in it, so I'd recommend uploading it to the DL center to make sure it gets seen.