Making cars change colours with 3dmax

[simkas]

When I import a car from SA into 3dmax, some of the polygons on it are coloured with one or another colour, and (as I understand) thos coloured polygons are the polygons that get different colours in-game. I cannot figure out how to add that colour to some polygons on a car model using only 3dmax. I was only able to do it with zmodeler, but only for VC and only by using several body textures. I have searched around, but I cannot find any info about this, so can someone please tell me?

[H13N.H3N]

When I import a car from SA into 3dmax, some of the polygons on it are coloured with one or another colour, and (as I understand) thos coloured polygons are the polygons that get different colours in-game. I cannot figure out how to add that colour to some polygons on a car model using only 3dmax. I was only able to do it with zmodeler, but only for VC and only by using several body textures. I have searched around, but I cannot find any info about this, so can someone please tell me?

That's pretty easy =p, as a veteran of 3D Studio, i'm prepared for this, so i made a template multimaterial for cars (SA is standard, you might find that for VC vehicles, i manage other system) and as is not dependent of GTA Material, you can always use it without any problem btw.. my materials actually support 3 colors paintjob, but i didn't remember the 4th so it's provably that you might look around for that one, to use them, put "GTA Material Preset" into your material library, and all the textures into your 'maps' folder inside 3D Studio Max, then, inside 3D Studio, open your Material Editor, load my library, you will have two multimaterials for choise, SA and VC, if you think you will no use VC, delete it or just leave it for a later work, use SA material for what you actually want, i'm going to look around for the colors for the cars:GTA Material Template

 

That is with the materials, now, if you are asking on how to change from one colour to another or textures for example, you will have to use a Multimaterial (i already provide you one), when you are in editing mode (Mesh Edit, Poly Edit, Face Edit) you will see that (if you are using a multimaterial) every polygon have materials assigned with its respective name, you can always change that material for another one i wish i could provide you some screens but i'm certainly sure you will find where you can change thoe values (hope not to have sound so confusing)

[simkas]

 

That's pretty easy =p, as a veteran of 3D Studio, i'm prepared for this, so i made a template multimaterial for cars (SA is standard, you might find that for VC vehicles, i manage other system) and as is not dependent of GTA Material, you can always use it without any problem btw.. my materials actually support 3 colors paintjob, but i didn't remember the 4th so it's provably that you might look around for that one, to use them, put "GTA Material Preset" into your material library, and all the textures into your 'maps' folder inside 3D Studio Max, then, inside 3D Studio, open your Material Editor, load my library, you will have two multimaterials for choise, SA and VC, if you think you will no use VC, delete it or just leave it for a later work, use SA material for what you actually want, i'm going to look around for the colors for the cars:GTA Material Template

When I got the "SA Vehicles" material in the material window, I clicked "colour 1" there (), then when I tried to apply that to a polygon, it just made that polygon transparent.

What am I doing wrong?

[rebel_36]

on a gta material you have a drop down list where you can choose attributes, for example primary car color or secondary car color etc, the colors of your polygons in max dont matter to the game, theyre just there for to show different objects or different materials

[H13N.H3N]

 

When I got the "SA Vehicles" material in the material window, I clicked "colour 1" there 

then when I tried to apply that to a polygon, it just made that polygon transparent.

What am I doing wrong?

Sorry for the late reply, well, you are actually not doing anything, either wrong or right, the thing is, that you must apply the main material for you selected object (the root material, GTA SA Vehicle Template) you model will be skined with that material. Now, this root material have more 'child' materials in it, these materials are numbered

 

Submaterials:

1.- Generics

2.- Generics Reflective

3.- Seats (interior)

4.- Steering..

etc

 

Those materials can be chose for specific faces, if you select one face (either polygon/face/element) and you go to your modifier panel, you will notice "MAterial" atributes can be selectable for each face elected, there are two principal butons, "Select Material ID" and "Set Material ID", if you want to choise an especific material, in this case the transparent polygons, select one of them, immediately, the number of current MAterial ID will appear in those boxes (Selected ID in "Select MAterial ID" and current MAterial ID in "set MAterial Id"), if you press the "Select ID" all those transparet faces will be chosen, in theory if those faces are (shadow, glass) and you set a new material, number 6 (color 1) those faces will become 1st color, emm, i hope you can manage this right, it's a little tricky but is easy, good luck

Edited July 23, 2008 by H13N.H3N