Help with reflective Bathroom meshes...

[Deluxe Designs]

Ok i have been working on some meshes for a bathroom, however when in game them appear obscenely shiny! I don't know what i can do to these to make them un-shiny-fied :lol: So here is how they look, what could you suggest?

http://thumbs2.modthesims2.com/img/1/1/7/2/9/2/9/MTS2_Deluxe_Designs_916466_snapshot_3709f40d_d70f689e.jpg

Many thanks,

DD

[plasticbox]

The actual reflectivity is defined in the TXMT; pixelhate has a very nice overview on that in the Modding Info Center: http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=316260

However, to me it looks like there is also something weird going on with your meshes; I don't think it's only the reflectivity that's off. I believe those odd shadows appearing where they don't belong can be a result of the normals being wrong (but I don't know in exactly what way -- I only know about it from seeing posts with similar pictures, so perhaps try searching for "Normals").

What 3D editor are you using? Can you make screenshots of the solid/shaded/textured mesh in that? That might help to see what exactly is off -- perhaps someone who uses the same editor as you will be able to help you along then.


ETA: actually, as it's a technical problem you're having, this might be better off in the create section .. ? Let me know if you want me to move it.

[Dj Music]

I love the Bath, It looks really modern. A floating toilet? Sounds a bit weird for me.. If you want to make it have that floaty design, Maybe add a tiny bit more mesh to the underneath of it. ;)
K, Going off topic of what you actually wanted feedback on! :P
I actually like the Shininess, Make it's look more stylish. Just the shadow part at the far right of the Bath that's a bit weird. ;)

[HugeLunatic]

Do you actually have 4 walls in that room? You should try it truly inside, the shiny varies. And you use wings right? If you highlight the mesh, then select the edges triangle, right click smooth all. That will help with the two shadedness of the sides.

[HystericalParoxysm]

Looks like a matter of normals, to me. I second plasticbox - what editor are you using? It looks a lot like the default over-faceted normals you get in Milkshape.

[Deluxe Designs]

I am using Wings 3D, then UV mapper to map, i have no idea what "normals" are, is there a tutorial on them somewhere so i can fix them? Also that is with 2 walls but they look almost identical with 4 walls, hardly any less shiny if at all. Also it is up to you if this should go into the create section, i suppose it fits in both so just as long as you give me a buzz before you move it so i can find it ;) thanks

[plasticbox]

Moving.

Have you tried a site search for "normals"? Also, take a look at the documentation for Wings -- this isn't a TS2 issue, so a generic Wings tutorial may help you more than a TS2-specific one.

[HugeLunatic]

Well the only thing I have found in Wings for normals, is how to view them. But in wings go to view/normals. THis will give you all those funny blue lines sticking straight out. I think Maylin had listed the steps in Blender to fix the normals, you may want to look for that.

[Deluxe Designs]

Ok i went into wings and got it to "show normals" and nothing changed, nothing moved a mm, no blue lines nothing...

[HugeLunatic]

Um... I think you have to deselect and reselect the mesh. possibly in edge mode.

[Deluxe Designs]

This just got confusing :P haha

Ah i see them now :o ok they be going everywhere! :o need to fix this!

[HugeLunatic]

Well I think they should go everywhere. I believe they point in the direction your faces are going. Which should then be out.

[Ambular]

Normals are much easier to fix in Milkshape than Wings. However, another trick you can try in Wings is to play with the edge hardness. That can have a huge effect on how the surfaces look in terms of shine, smoothness and definition.

[Deluxe Designs]

How do i edit the edge hardness in wings? Do you know, thanks :)

[plasticbox]

Does Wings not have a manual or online reference or anything you can use? To me these questions don't seem like problems really, rather like basic editor functions.

[Ambular]

How do i edit the edge hardness in wings? Do you know, thanks :)

Go to the Edges view, select the edge(s) whose hardness you want to change and then right-click and choose Hardness from the menu. A hard edge that's actually an edge of an object will be much sharper and better defined than a soft one, and the surfaces it adjoins will look flatter, smoother and brighter. Hardening the edges between two polygons on a flat plane will also make it look smoother. You can see these effect best in Wings if you click the shaded pyramid icon in the upper right-hand corner.

If anyone does know of a good Wings instruction manul, please let me know...I learned a good deal of what I know about it through trial and error.

[Deluxe Designs]

Thank you, i will give that a go and see how it turns out ;) I will post again with the results tomorrow ;)

EDIT: Also wanted to ask if anyone knew of any good mapping tutorials? I fail miserably at mapping and then texturing and i need to get better, thanks ;)

[plasticbox]

How about this one?
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=79954
Result #5 out of several pages of a site search for "uv mapping".

[HugeLunatic]

The best thing to do is leave your mesh in pieces and map each piece. And if your going to have say four legs, then create and map one leg and copy that one piece. Once you map it in uvmapper, you can map inside wings.

[Deluxe Designs]

You can map it inside wings! What, i never knew that was possible! Also thank you very much for those links pbox ;) I will check them out later today to see if i can get a grasp on how they could help me :)

[Deluxe Designs]

Ok i read some tuts, watched some vids and now i can map inside, wings :D yay, i can also edit some of the shinyness settings so it is not obscenely shiny! :) I still need to look into normals however!

[MysticRain]

My question is not directly ontopic but I didn't want to start a whole new one.

Can someone tell my how I can import my textures into wings when I have created a mesh and mapped it?

[HugeLunatic]

File/Import Image Then you have to assign it. Select what you want the texture to apply to, in Outliner right click the imported image and choose Assign to selection.

[MysticRain]

Thank you very much, I would never have figured this out for myself..

This only works for simple images, not vor uvmaps, does it?
Is there a way to see my uvmapped object with the texture in wings or is this only possible in simPE?

[HugeLunatic]

Once you have mapped in uvmapper(or whichever program), re-import your mesh into wings with your newly created image based on your uvmap and again assign to selection. It will now show your 3d mesh with your image on it.