Released Released New Material Editor! (Car Paints)

Discussion in 'News & Notifications' started by Christopher Elliott, Jan 31, 2019.

  1. juanchioooo

    juanchioooo Registered

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    GRAB_152.JPG tonight race gt3 in racedepartment, we released skins, I did not know how to leave it better
     
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2019
  2. juanchioooo

    juanchioooo Registered

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    we are trying to progress

    GRAB_155.JPG GRAB_154.JPG GRAB_153.JPG
     
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  3. flyfisho

    flyfisho Registered

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    yeah got it sorted thanks
     
  4. flyfisho

    flyfisho Registered

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    Mucking around

    upload_2019-2-16_9-56-30.png
     
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  5. MileSeven

    MileSeven Registered

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    94E29190-5E77-4F81-9149-47284D4B0E5A.png CD185444-87CC-4CEF-9C53-C0AC125B803E.png I've written a tutorial for painting the new skins using GIMP from a novice perspective - I've painted a few old-method skins before but really struggled to paint the new ones whilst trying to interpret the official S397 Photoshop guide...

    Anyway - all is well and good to the point where I apply materials using the carpainteditor. The correct materials *are* applied (e.g. chrome to the Black region) and it looks great. Until I press Reload once more and then go for a drive.

    From this point on, Chrome (by way of an example) is corrupted and looks rubbish in game. If I drop back to the showroom and carpainteditor, it looks rubbish too and I can never get back an authentic chrome (or other materials).

    There is a thread running (in relation to GIMP) here: https://forum.studio-397.com/index.php?threads/creating-skins-with-gimp.62286/page-2#post-977686 but I'm not sure it's getting the visibility.

    Here are before and after images of one of the cars I've just painted to illustrate the issue:

    You can see that the Chrome circles on the flanks are initially OK - but then end up a dark-cherry matte kinda thing after trying to drive the car.

    Any help appreciated!
     
  6. whitmore

    whitmore Registered

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  7. juanchioooo

    juanchioooo Registered

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  8. whitmore

    whitmore Registered

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    Thanks I knew I would be doing something wrong.
     
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  9. D.Painter

    D.Painter Registered

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    First you need to "Not" use the BLACK region for anything but base colors. It's the only region that uses the METALLIC FLICK (bottom of the Painteditor.)
    Set out a work flow with this in mind.
    [EXAMPLE ]
    ALPHA = Base carbon fibre (semi matte)
    BLACK = Base (with fleck)
    RED = Details, (logos, brands number plates) Shinny vinyl [Example] Choose
    GREEN = Car Paint, Paint without FLECK, matte vinyl,
    BLUE = Car Paint, Paint without FLECK. Will block fleck from this area. If you want fleck in all the colors (Not logos) leave unused. (-select-)
    WHITE = CHROME. If no chrome leave (-select-)

    This is "not" set in stone! You can use different region colors for all BAR BLACK for Metallic affect.
    But it's good to have a work flow that you adhere to so I'd recommend you set one up similar to the above example.

    When setting the Careditor changes
    Refreshing the car showroom doesn't always work. I suggest from experience to refresh the Browser window the CarPaintEditor is in. On the odd time it can change the LACQUER color you've set. Not generally the paint type. May need to be reset.
     
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  10. MileSeven

    MileSeven Registered

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    @D.Painter - thanks.

    I’m properly confused about the Black layer as the official S397 tutorial uses it in exactly the same way I have (or, rather, I’ve copied them so that anyone who tries to use my GIMP tutorial can follow both to the same results).

    In addition to that, the Chrome-on-black-Region *does* work in the showroom the first time you load it (as with the first image I uploaded). It just doesn’t seem to stick....

    This should be easy to test if it’s just a Black region issue - I should be able to just change the material of the rest of my main paint (the Blue region) to Chrome...

    So I just tried it.

    The first time I go into the showroom after loading rf2 (and not driving any cars), the car editor will change *any* region to nice, shiny Chrome. In my case, I set the main body to Chrome, Reloaded and then went for a drive.

    As soon as you are in game, it’s obvious that the body is no longer Chrome and it’s no longer the underlying blue that I’d get if I’d set the material to Car Paint - it’s a dark purple and certainly not shiny.

    So something is amiss. I *should* be able to see exactly the same on track as I do in the showroom - and what I see in the showroom shouldn’t change depending on whether I’ve just fired up rf2 or have taken the car on track.

    But it does...
     
  11. MileSeven

    MileSeven Registered

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    Looks like this.

    In showroom on first load - haven't touched the painteditor
    Then on track - chrome has gone purple and isn't chrome (to my eyes) any more.
    Third image is back in showroom - the on-track appearance is now replicated in the showroom and is *not* as originally loaded with the first load of the game.

    1st load.png on track.png Back in showroom.png
     
  12. JimmyT

    JimmyT Registered

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    @MileSeven Not sure if it will help you but I found that if you change the metallic flake colour and reload your skin it fixes the chrome and metal flake issue then you can change the flake colour back to the one you prefer. (it worked for me anyway)
     
  13. D.Painter

    D.Painter Registered

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    Not all tracks have the REFMAP0 on them. Use a newer S397 track for testing the paint materials.
     
  14. D.Painter

    D.Painter Registered

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    I’m properly confused about the Black layer as the official S397 tutorial uses it in exactly the same way I have (or, rather, I’ve copied them so that anyone who tries to use my GIMP tutorial can follow both to the same results).

    In addition to that, the Chrome-on-black-Region *does* work in the showroom the first time you load it (as with the first image I uploaded). It just doesn’t seem to stick....

    This should be easy to test if it’s just a Black region issue - I should be able to just change the material of the rest of my main paint (the Blue region) to Chrome.../


    I've explained why to "not "use black region for Chrome. I didn't suggest it because it didn't work for chrome. Please read it again.

    The first time I go into the showroom after loading rf2 (and not driving any cars), the car editor will change *any* region to nice, shiny Chrome. In my case, I set the main body to Chrome, Reloaded and then went for a drive.

    As soon as you are in game, it’s obvious that the body is no longer Chrome and it’s no longer the underlying blue that I’d get if I’d set the material to Car Paint - it’s a dark purple and certainly not shiny.

    So something is amiss. I *should* be able to see exactly the same on track as I do in the showroom - and what I see in the showroom shouldn’t change depending on whether I’ve just fired up rf2 or have taken the car on track.

    But it does...

    json files are written and edited in accordance to the input it gets. So the car is loading on that track that doesn't have the REFMAP0 enabled so the json is reflecting that. It should go back to chrome when you refresh the showroom.

    BUG!!!
    Just to add to the confusion!! DON'T refresh a skin that's been packed in a .Mas rF2 for what ever reason "Will" delete the .Mas contents if it's refreshed!!
     
  15. MileSeven

    MileSeven Registered

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    @D.Painter - thanks again.

    I was testing this at the current S397 Zandvoort - which I’d hope would have the REFMAP0? I had not picked up on any interaction between tracks and paint, so thanks for that pointer.

    Are there any known-good tracks to test with - Silverstone? Spa?

    Time for another play.
     
  16. MileSeven

    MileSeven Registered

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    I'm getting nowhere here.

    I've tried several 'recent' S397 tracks and they seem to be a red-herring.

    I can't help but think the key here is that whichever region I assign Chrome to, it works correctly in the showroom *only until* I load a track. Refreshing the showroom (reload) and/or reloading the carpainteditor does not correct the issue once it has occurred.

    This tells me that the Regions are basically working - but at the point the car is loaded into the track, everything changes - and remains changed until I exit back to the loader menu and restart a single-player session.

    What I don't know is whether this is a game-engine bug or a procedural issue with my skin preparation in GIMP. Again - if it works on the first entry into the showroom (and every subsequent single player session started from the main loader), 'surely' this suggests that my templates are OK....?
     
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  17. AMillward

    AMillward Registered

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    You can use any region for anything. I used the black layer to have a metallic teal on my custom car because metallic white just didn't seem right. There are no rules.
     
  18. D.Painter

    D.Painter Registered

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    Thank you for that.
    You've basically gone against your own suggestion is to use the BLACK for BASE "because" it's the main region for METALLIC FLECK!

    You are right though, You can use any region for anything because it does work.

    But at the end off the day if you want a livery with both Metallic fleck and chrome but follow the idea that you can use BLACK for Chrome.......

    Best off luck with that.
    I've given my suggestion and guides as to the how I would do it being a very experienced painter who has a clear understanding off the work flow for this system. It's up to the readers to choose experience over guess work.
     
  19. D.Painter

    D.Painter Registered

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    Chrome works on S397 Zandvoort. I double check that last night.
    Does the template have a Alpha? It needs Alpha on both livery and region DDS.
     
  20. AMillward

    AMillward Registered

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    But the way you wrote it made it seem that you should only use the black layer for base.
     

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