Freespace and Freespace 2 Model Texturing Tutorial
Lesson
4 - Applying Texture to our Model
Now
that we have our texture loaded into Truespace, we can finally begin to
apply it to our model.
Select the Paint face toolagain.
Truespace will automatically open all the material panels again. Click
on the checkered marble in the Shader/Maps panel (the 3rd icon
on the top row ).The
Texture map panel will appear again. Close all the panels except
for the Material preview and Texture Map windows. We'll
be using the texture map window to adjust our texture's size and placement
on our model, and observe the changes in the material preview window and
on the model itself.
When the Paint face tool is selected and we move the
cursor into the drawing area, the cursor will change to look like the
tip of a paint brush. This is an indication that we are in paint (texturing)
mode, rather than object manipulation mode.
We will not have to apply a UV mapping space
for our simple cube. When Truespace created our object, not only did it
assign a default size and texture, but it also assigned a default UV space.
We will not modify or change this space before we apply our texture.
If, for whatever reason, the default texture space
is modified, there is no way to restore it other than to load our model
back in and start over. That is why it was important to save the
model out at the end of lesson 2 !
Important information: When you use images as components
of materials, the images are mapped to the object according to the
UV space assigned. For Truespace2, UV space is assigned to an object
by different modes of projection: planar, cylindrical, and spherical.
UV space comes from the mathematical way of describing any point
on the surface of the object with the U parameter (horizontal distance
around an object from a given point) and V (vertical distance around
the object from a given point).
When you select the UV projection tool, a new
UV space appears around the object. This is
not the object's current or default space, which cannot be depicted
once set. If any textures were previously applied to the
object, they will be automatically remapped using the new
UV space.
This is the most serious drawback in using Truespace2
to create our models. Once the default UV space is changed, you
can't get the default space back and you can never determine the
way it has been set. So in other words, AVOID CHANGING THE DEFAULT
MAPPING SPACE. EVER.
This UV mapping limitation of Truespace2 will also
require that you start every object as a primitive object (cube, sphere,
cone, cylinder, plane, torus) with a default UV map. Several of the more
complicated modeling tools in Truespace will create an object without an
UV map, which cannot be textured without automatically remapping the
rest of the UV space. Later versions, such as Truespace 4.0+, are reported
to be much better at mapping UV space (although not perfect).
Please read the Truespace documentation on UV
Projection Tool for further information on this 'feature'.
Now that that's out of the way, we can really
begin to texture our model. We've already selected the Paint Face tool.
Move the cursor (make sure it looks like a paint brush tip) over any face
of the object, and click.
Our texture will appear on the model on the face that
we have clicked. It will not be scaled to the size of the of the face,
so we will have to adjust the UV Repts and UV Offset settings to get it
to appear in the position that we want.
Click on the render tool to
get a sharper image of the texture applied to our model.
Adjust
the U Repts value to scale the width of the texture and adjust
the V Repts value for vertical scaling by typing new values into
the Texture Map window and pressing enter. Click the cursor on the face,
and you should see the texture render at the new size.
Slide the texture left-right by changing the U
offset value, up-down by changing the V offset value. Click
on the face to apply the changes .
Change the values, click on the face, and render.
Alternate changing the UV reps values and UV offset values till your texture
is placed in the location you want. Use small changes in value for adjusting
the texture size and position.
You can get a more detailed look of your positioning
adjustments by bringing up an auxiliary view. Use the Eye Move
controls to change your view for painting. Refer to the Truespace documentation
for further info.
With
the method we are using to texture our model, Truespace will not let you
rotate the texture. If you need to position your textures so they face
in a different direction, you will have to create new textures with the
picture facing the direction you want. Load in a new texture and map it
to the model just as we have done previously.
Once our texturing is completed, save the completed
model. Click on File, Scene, then SaveAs... I saved mine with the filename
tutor1.scn
That's it! We're finished in creating our model and
all we have left to do is to convert the SCN file into a POF file for
use in Freespace.
Use Cob2fs to create a model for Freespace
or Cob2fs2 for Freespace2. Look at the documentation included with
the programs for instruction on use.
again.
Truespace will automatically open all the material panels again. Click
on the checkered marble in the Shader/Maps panel (the 3rd icon
on the top row 
).The
Texture map panel will appear again. Close all the panels except
for the Material preview and Texture Map windows. We'll
be using the texture map window to adjust our texture's size and placement
on our model, and observe the changes in the material preview window and
on the model itself.
to
get a sharper image of the texture applied to our model.
Adjust
the U Repts value to scale the width of the texture and adjust
the V Repts value for vertical scaling by typing new values into
the Texture Map window and pressing enter. Click the cursor on the face,
and you should see the texture render at the new size.
With
the method we are using to texture our model, Truespace will not let you
rotate the texture. If you need to position your textures so they face
in a different direction, you will have to create new textures with the
picture facing the direction you want. Load in a new texture and map it
to the model just as we have done previously.
