Texturing in higher resolutions - How to?

[Kugerfang]

So I had the idea of retexturing the default UNATCO troop's skin to a higher res 1024x1024 texture (If I can recall correctly, this is the max resolution that the DX engine can handle). I then opened up the character.u archive and extracted the jumpsuit model (using WOTgreal). I then opened it in Milkshape and then exported it to .obj so I could open it up in Maya. So, I opened it up in Maya and got a giant UNATCO troop that occupied a whole plane:

"Your images may only be up to 800 pixels wide."

And when I UV mapped it, I got a huge amount of faces to texture.

Then I realized that I was doing everything wrong when I read this tutorial: http://www.planetdeusex.com/constructor ... tomnpc.htm

But in that tutorial, he just fused textures from different NPCs to make a new one. He didn't actually make a new one. Can someone walk me through the steps of creating a higher resolution texture? I do know Photoshop and GIMP so I'm fine in that area and I do have basic texturing experience. I even might be able to give my texture to HDTP.

[DDL]

uh....

Ok.

Generally speaking, you generate a model (mesh), then UV map it, so all the polys of the model are in discrete locations on the UV map, generally connected sensibly (so the face polys are all connected up in a flattened 'face' area, etc etc). If you model is big, you generally have several materialIDs, which will later become multiskins (like character models do: separate multiskins for face/hands, chest/arms, legs, helmets etc). This allows you to use a lot more effective texture-space, since you can use multiple textures.

Ok, so: the original inherent texture-size cap for the unreal engine that DX runs on, is 256x256. Anything larger than that can be imported and used, but when displayed in-game the engine would simply use the mipmap closest to 256x256 rather than the full size texture.

If you're using the new openGL or D3D8+ renderers, you can get around this, and indeed display some pretty fucking huge textures at full detail (I don't know if the top limit is 1024x1024, but it might be wise to stick around that point).

So there's that.

Now, if you're making a new texture for a model, unless you want to actually do what you appear to be doing, and go all the way back to re-UV mapping the whole thing (which I don't recommend -you'd probably have to reanimate the whole thing too), you just base your new, higher-def texture on the old texture: the UVmap remains the same, so if a jacket on your texture lines up proportionally with a jacket on the old texture, the jacket will line up on the model. Note the "proportionally": the texture scale can change, but the relative distances between all the texture elements should stay the same. If you're making a 256x256 version of a 64x64 texture, you'd (obviously) need to make everything in the texture 4 times larger, and the pixel-distances between elements of the texture would also need to be 4 times greater.

So basically export the existing unatco troop textures and rescale them up to the size you want your new textures to be, then base your new textures on that.

We'll discuss how to get those textures into the game subsequently.

[Kugerfang]

What the hell? You mean all I have to do is to open the .pcx textures, scale it up to 1024x1024 then just base my new textures on that? And here was I, expecting that I needed to do some hardcore modeling shiz and stare at Photoshop for weeks...

Also, is HDTP limited to DX's 256x256 max res or can you guys higher than that because HDTP uses the new renderers?

[DDL]

I think we're using a 1024x1024 cap.

Though bear in mind we're also making new models, where time/resources/ability permits. This of course means new UVmaps (coz new mesh) and so on. So, for example, our new UNATCO troop has a new model, and thus won't follow the original mesh's UVmap.

[Kugerfang]

I finally found some free time and I've managed to create a simple texture for the torso of the UNATCO troop. But, before I go any further, I want to see what it looks like in-game. From what I understand, to change the texture of a character, I need to modify its .uc file. How can I do that?

[nerdenstein]

I have previously done something very similar to this, with the UNATCO Troop Textures strangely enough.

As for editing the .uc file, I wouldn't bother at this early stage.
If your just experimenting, I would import your new textures into UnrealED and change the multi-skins of the model, through the properties menu.
So much easier than, exporting the .uc files, changing what needs to be changed and then re-compiling the data again.