Converting Corellian corvette 3D model for use in D|S

Hellwolve

Hello everyone!

I'm trying to convert this 3D model of a Corellian corvette for use in D|S;
https://www.cgtrader.com/free-3d-models/space/spaceship/tantive-iv-blockade-runner-corellian-corvette

It imports just fine, it's the maps that are tricky. The ammount of maps that are included within that archive don't line up with the ammount of materials the imported model has.

The author mentions on the model's page that it uses something called 'UDIM Textures', which I assume is a way to split out texture map assginments without seperate materials.

Does anyone have a idea on how to fix this?

PerttiA

Which format are you importing to DS, FBX or OBJ?

Hellwolve

Aformentioned download contains both a OBJ and FBX. The FBX seems better suited to get the materials in working order, but it imports 'exploded', e.g., the pieces aren't connected. The OBJ imports as a coherent whole, but, has those map problems.

PerttiA

With OBJ, you have to edit the MAT file manually, so that it matches the location of the texture files in your computer.
Once you have done that, the OBJ loads with textures applied

Hellwolve

That's not what I meant - I know how to locate texture files :-)

Here's the model, with the 'hull' surface selected;

There's only one 'hull' surface, but multiple texture maps meant for the hull. How can I split it up easily?

I mean, this is what it's supposed to look like;

Mattymanx

The download shows Blend files.  Are you able to load the Blend file and have it render properly in Blender?

Hellwolve

Yeah, that seems to be allright;

I think this is my problem, but I don't know how to fix it to make it suitable for D|S;

markusmatern

According to this thread this is not directly supported by DAZ Studio without preparing materials for each UDIM tile in e.g. Blender. So I guess there ist no quick and easy way

Hellwolve

Guess I'll either have to find a different model or learn enough about Blender to be able to do that :')

Unseen

Just a suggestion: import the model in Blender and export it as a collada file (dae). Then import it in Daz Studio. Everything should import correctly and the etxtures shoukdlook okay. It's what I soetimes do when I have to import a 3D model that is not in duf format.

Hope this helps.

Hellwolve

It took a while for me to get back to this project, but, I tried your suggestion :-)

Seems it didn't really fix the 'out of bounds' texture problem I talked about earlier, though.

Mart1n71

It took a fair bit of time to do, but I imported the obj into blender then selected all the polygons in each UDIM tile, gave them a new material name (copied the name of the UDIM tile to make matching the texture files easier) then moved the UV projection from that tile to the bottom left tile position, then exported it as an OBJ and imported into DAZ. There are lots of material zones now, some UDIM tiles seem to have very similar textures and could probably use the same file on several parts, and I probably could have put 4 UV maps together in a cube and merged the 4 corresponding 2k image maps into 1 4K map, but that would have probably been even more time consuming. 

 

Hellwolve

That's awesome!

And you're describing all kinds of steps I wouldn't know how to do!

I hope you're not just teasing and that there is some chance you'll share the resulting .Obj with me/us?

Mart1n71

I'm not sure I can share the resulting obj, even if it is a free model without the owner permission, but I can point you in the right direction to converting it yourself. Blender seems tricky to stsrt with, but once you know how to do something with it, it is unbelievably easy.

Import the model into Blender then use the UV Editing tab for all your work flow.

 

In the top left of the UV window, make sure the little box with two diagonal arrows is active allowing selections from the UV window to sync with the modeling window.

In the modeling window, select a section of the model (in this example I selected Front.

Go into editing mode in the modeling window and select all the polygons for that part of the model.

In the UV window, carefully select just the parts within any given UDIM tile, in this case 1002.

Only those selected polygons should be active now in the editing window. Right click on this selection within the editing window and go Seperate -> Selection.

Rename the selection. I went with renaming it to the original UDIM tile name 1002 as the names of the texture files follow this format and this will make it easier to assign textures in DAZ.

Add a new material and assign it to the selection, again renaming it to 1002.

Finally, in the UV window simply move the selected polys to the bottom left UDIM tile location, or squarely in the UV grid.

Repeat for each UDIM tile then export the whole thing as a new obj ready to texture in Daz.