OFPEC Forum

Addons & Mods Depot => ArmA - Addons & Mods Discussion => Topic started by: Obmar on 15 Nov 2007, 02:59:41

Title: Reflective Glass tutorial
Post by: Obmar on 15 Nov 2007, 02:59:41
Due to the amount of requests for help from the community and modelers regarding O2 modeling. I am going to start posting some basic and small O2 modeling Mini-Tutorials in this Section from time to time...

The first tutorial:

Virtual Reflective Glass.

I have put together a basic folder to be used with this tutorial. Please download glass.rar (http://www.armedassault.info/_hosted/bushwars/tuts/glass.rar") and unpack to your models working folder in Oxygen 2 PE

Folder contains 6 files

glass_ca.paa
glass_ca.tga (targa copy for editing purposes)
reflect_co.paa
reflect_co.tga (targa copy for editing purposes)
reflective_glass.rvmat (material file)
glass-pass2.rvmat (material file)

These files can be used as a basis to apply reflective glass effects to all your models.

STEP 1

(http://www.armedassault.info/_hosted/bushwars/tuts/glass1.jpg)

Open the model you want to apply the reflective glass to in the Oxygen 2 PE editor.

STEP 2

Apply the glass texture to the polygons you want to be glass or transparent, you can use the texture I have made (glass_ca.paa) or any other glass texture you want to use for your model.

HINT: I normally seperate my mesh with the polygons I want to use as glass and give it a name in the "Named Selection" eg -glass. It is easier to work with when I apply the glass texture to the selection.

(http://www.armedassault.info/_hosted/bushwars/tuts/glass2.jpg)

Now the texture is applied and the selection is transparent but does not look like glass yet.

STEP 3

Go to the folder where you unpacked the glass.rar file and open the reflective_glass.rvmat file with the Material Editor or by double clicking on the file. A Material Editor screen will pop up as seen in the image bellow.

(http://www.armedassault.info/_hosted/bushwars/tuts/glass3.jpg)

NOTE: if you opened the file in the Material Editor by double-clicking on it you have to press File/Open and open the file in the editor again otherwise you cannot edit it.

Don't know why it does that but seems to be a glitch with the software. Scroll down to the bottom of the material editor and only change the following entries.

a: is the specular power you want for you glass.
HINT: the lower the value the more reflective the glass becomes, play around with the setting using the slider to suit your requirements.

NOTE: do not change the stage config no 1 as this is the standard FresnelGlass setting used by the ArmA graphics engine.

b: Stage 2 is for a texture that will give your glass a reflective aspect of the environment around you. I have used the standard BIS one as bellow but you could actually make one to suit your environment.

(http://www.armedassault.info/_hosted/bushwars/tuts/glass3b.jpg)

This is also a good way to apply reflection to your models rearview mirrors. Just change the UV texture from the glass one to a non transparent mirror type texture.

Click in the Source Name field and select the reflect_co.paa file from where you placed it in your model's work file.

c:  This is the link to a material file (glass-pass2.rvmat) with an alpha pass. You can look at that file but do not change anything as that is a standard setting.
Click Browse and select the glass-pass2.rvmat file from where you placed it in your model's work file.

Save the file and close the material editor.

STEP 4

Open your model in Oxygen 2 PE and select the glass named selection or the selection you want to apply the reflective glass material file to.

(http://www.armedassault.info/_hosted/bushwars/tuts/glass4.jpg)

d: Click on the yellow folder on the right of the material field and select the reflective_glass.rvmat file from where you placed it in your model's work file.

Press Apply and then ok.

STEP 5

View the model with buldozer and there you have it lovely virtual reflective glass.

(http://www.armedassault.info/_hosted/bushwars/tuts/glass5.jpg)

You can play around with the Specular Power settings as in step a: above to get more or less reflection off your glass.

Hope this tutorial helps and gives a little understanding of how the ArmA material files are applied.