[REL|III/VC/SA]MatFX section builder

[DK22Pac]

A tool for generating MatFX section binary data from text data (and vice versa).
More info here.
All other information was written to ReadMe file.
Example: weapon with bump+environment maps:

-Download-

[AeroFX]

Nice Tool @_DK, but still cofuse with the tool...

[GoUrbex]

Hi.
Why bump map doesn't work with night vertex color?
How fix it?

[Flame]

Hi, _DK. It is very cool to know about this program, but very hard to use it. I read ReadMe, but it still hard. So, this tool creating new section for DFF file with parameters of bump (or some other) effect. We write some needed information about effect in txt file and then, with help of tool, convert to mfx. But what next? Does we must import mfx into DFF file, but how? With RW Analyze? "Import section data"? I doubt that I trying to do these all correct. And what about textures: only with OpenIV and WTD2TXD, or G-TXD will be suitable? For launch OpenIV we must have one of Rage-engine games.

Edited July 2, 2014 by flame1251

[DK22Pac]

Hello. Nice to see you are intersted in this tool.

For section importing, go to Material->Extension, click Add Section, select Material Effects PLG section. Then RMC on created section -> Import section data, select your .mfx file.

For textures you can use DDS2TXD also (SA only). And if I'm right, you can start OpenIV only having the .exe of any of these RAGE games.

 

While creating my own dff plug-ins, I already added support for bump/environment/blend/normal mapping.

 

 

 

Dff plug-ins creation is still WIP.

[Flame]

Oh, .mfx is for 3ds Max. Thanks for answer, I'll wait for your DFF plugins. Max Payne with bump textures scornfully looks at low-res CJ.

Edited July 2, 2014 by flame1251

[DK22Pac]

Well, all that instruction was for RWAnalyze actually. .mfx file is not related to 3ds max anyhow.

[Flame]

Well, all that instruction was for RWAnalyze actually. .mfx file is not related to 3ds max anyhow.

I read inattentively. Later I will try all these.

Edited July 3, 2014 by flame1251

[Dosceve]

Amazing and useful tool but it didn't worked for me, can you upload your m4 dff/txd as a base please?

[DK22Pac]

You can test normal map plugin:

https://www.sendspace.com/file/7b4uo0

Example of a section is available int the 'txt' folder.

Section must be added to the Material Extension, section ID - Normal Map PLG (0x133).

For Atomic which uses material, add a section Right to Render (0x1F), and import the data:

-Normalmap_skin.rights - for skinned models.

-Normalmap_static.rights - for other models

For skin it'll look like this:

 

Atomic  |  +--Struct  |  +--Extension          |          +--Right to Render (Skin)          |          +--Right to Render (Normal Map)

Edited July 18, 2014 by _DK

[Concavax]

*Ignore This*

Edited February 15, 2015 by Concavax

[YIbnuN]

can you make the video version of the tutorial BTW nice tools.

[Concavax]

Hi, please can someone help me to make bump maps?

 

I'm able to do "reflection map" and double texturing, but the bump map i simply can't.

 

I don't have any clue about the problem because i don't know nothing about modelling, specially in RW games like GTA SA. I just barely know about the basics of 3d topic and raster graphics.

 

Anyway, i tought it was a problem of my graphic card because it's too old, but i downloaded some models of internet with bump map and it works in the game. So i'm sure my graphic card can handle it.

 

 

 

Double texture

 

Reflection Map

 

Bump Map (which i can't do)

 

 

 

The process i do to add the material to the models is (as described in the readme):

 

-"Build" the txt descriptor

-Create the section with RWAnalyzer

-Build the txd archive with MagicTXD

 

When i create the section inside the dff i do the following (described in the instructions):

Importing section MatFX section should be located in a section of the material Extension. ID of this section - 0x120 Material   <Material Data>   Extension      MatFX Atomic geometry which uses this material must also have MatFX sectionin extensions. However, here we are talking about a different format section (use file MatFXAtomic.mfx) or take this section from dff which uses MatFX effects (vehicles for example). Atomic    <Atomic Data>    Extension        MatFX (MatFXAtomic.mfx)

The reflection and double texture works by this way. Only adding the MatFx to the Extension y Material section and adding the MatFXAtomic too.

 

 

 

This models are from a conversion pack made by Dk.

*Ignore the "Right to render" section i was trying importing that section from another model*

 

 

 

I was looking the dff with bump map who actually works and i compared against my modified dff, the only difference i notice is in the child section "Right to render" (0x1F) in the Atomic. The only place i found something about the right to render is in the white paper of normalmap by Dk, in such document talks about normalmap only and makes difference of "skinned" and "static" models (models with animations and without it?) when talks about the "Right to Render" section.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I already tried exporting those sections in the Atomic from the DFF where the bump map works, then importing the "Right to render" and "Material Effects PLG" to my modified DFF. And importing the files (normalmap_static.rights/normalmap_skin.rights) from the normalmap plugin by DK. Did not work.

 

What do i do to be able of do bump map?

 

Edit1: Also, It's posible to merge the dual texturing and reflection? and how?

 

Thank you.

Edited November 27, 2017 by Concavax

[DK22Pac]

Change 'm4' texture type to 8888 BGRA.

Edited November 27, 2017 by DK22Pac

[Concavax]

Change 'm4' texture type to 8888 BGRA.

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why this is relevant when it's time to render in the game?

 

And, what about this? It's possible?

 

Edit1: Also, It's posible to merge the dual texturing and reflection? and how?

 

 

EDIT2: It's possible to make a change to the game, to make it possible to use MIPMAPs along with BumpMaps. Because the major advantages of MIPMAPS are canceled with the the BumpMap effects. Because, the buildings or big models doesn't good look with bumpmap and without mipmapping.

Edited December 13, 2017 by Concavax

[Muzzarino]

On 11/27/2017 at 4:31 PM, Concavax said:

 

Thank you!

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

 

Why this is relevant when it's time to render in the game?

 

And, what about this? It's possible?

 

 

 

EDIT2: It's possible to make a change to the game, to make it possible to use MIPMAPs along with BumpMaps. Because the major advantages of MIPMAPS are canceled with the the BumpMap effects. Because, the buildings or big models doesn't good look with bumpmap and without mipmapping.

Not every game allows multiple effects on one section except for the combined reflection and bump mapping parameter. Though for the Gamecube it can have multiple effects, but most of the PC ports like Sonic Heroes can only allow one and the only way to apply multi-texture layers is to create a plugin designed to work with them through the directx texture stage functions.

Edited March 6, 2020 by Muzzarino