Difference between revisions of "LFS Editor/Modeller"

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This is not intended as a complete manual. It's more like an incomplete FAQ and reference document.
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{{Under construction}}
  
To learn the basics of the LFS modeller, please watch the mods tutorial videos.
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The Modeller is a part of the [[LFS Editor]]. It is used to edit the 3D model, which includes editing the mesh and applying textures.
  
== Background images ==
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For user guides and walkthroughs for various modeller features, see [[Modeller Guides]].
  
You can load background images to help with modelling.
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== Requirements ==
  
* Save a square png image (probably 1024x1024 or 2048x2048) in your data\bkg folder
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To be able to use the modeller, you must have an S3 license. To get the S3 license, you can visit the [https://www.lfs.net/shop/licenseselect LFS shop page].
* Go into a 2D view (R/F/V etc)
 
* At the bottom right click "load bkg" to load your image
 
* Click "adjust" then use the mouse to adjust the position and size
 
* After clicking "adjust" you can also click "bkg scale" to type in the scale
 
* Repeat the steps above for any of the other main 2D views
 
* Then click "save scm" which saves the whole scheme of adjusted backgrounds so you can easily load it next time
 
* The "use opposite" option: for example on the left side it will use the right side image and position, automatically flipped
 
  
== Customisable colours ==
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== Starting the modeller ==
  
You can set colours to be adjustable, when a user enters the garage screen and clicks "New colours".
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[[image:LFS Editor welcome screen.jpg|thumb|Entry screen]]
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[[image:LFS Modeller - start screen.png|thumb|Modeller start screen]]
  
This is done by giving some of the mappings a special name. Each mapping has a colour, but sometimes you want several mappings to have the same colour. For example the top and side mappings of a car. You can define a "Main" colour and "Copied" colours. So for example you could set top mapping to be a Main colour, then assign the side, front and rear mappings to be Copied colours of the top. Main colours are identified by the letter M followed by a number, while copied colours are identified by the letter C followed by the same number.
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Once you have the editor installed and run the LFS Editor application, you will be presented with the entry screen. Click the {{button|Modeller}} button to enter the modeller.
  
Taking the example above, you could name your mappings (colours) like this:
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The modeller can also be entered from the [[Vehicle Editor]] by pressing {{key press|E}} or clicking the {{old button|E - Edit Model|#a1a1ff}} button on the right hand side of the vehicle editor.
  
<pre>    M1_top
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== General modeller tips ==
    C1_side
 
    C1_front
 
    C1_rear</pre>
 
As soon as you set the names this way, you will notice the C1 colours aren't adjustable in the modeller. You can adjust the M1 colour and all the C1 colours will take the same value. Also this colour is now adjustable by the user, in the settings block. You can see that in the vehicle editor in the Colours section.
 
 
 
You can allow more than one customisable colour group, as seen on some of the LFS cars. This is done by creating M2 / C2 colours, up to a maximum of 4 customisable colours.
 
 
 
Note 1: You can use copied colours without them being adjustable by users. Use higher values than 4. E.g. M5_original and C5_copy.
 
 
 
Note 2: Customisable colours are also available for subobjects. To use this feature, select the subobject and switch on &quot;use custom colours&quot;
 
 
 
Advanced: You can also create a darker copy of the main colour, by using the prefix 'D' for dark or 'E' for extra dark. This can be useful to fake reduced ambient lighting if you are adding surfaces in a place where there should be less light. For example:
 
 
 
<pre>    M1_main - the user can set this colour
 
    C1_copy - direct copy of M1_main
 
    D1_dark - darker copy of M1_main
 
    E1_extra - extra dark copy of M1_main</pre>
 
 
 
== Modeller tips ==
 
  
 
* The list of colours at the bottom left in 'tri' mode is a different view of the list of mappings in 'map' mode.
 
* The list of colours at the bottom left in 'tri' mode is a different view of the list of mappings in 'map' mode.
* When you select a triangle, its colour is selected in the bottom left list. If the list is long, click &quot;cols : X&quot; to bring the selected colour onto screen.
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* When you select a triangle, its colour is selected in the bottom left list. If the list is long, click {{old button|cols : X|#ffffa1}} to bring the selected colour onto screen.
* In 'subob' mode you can select a subobject with CTRL + click while pointing at one of its surfaces.
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* In 'subob' mode you can select a subobject with {{key press|Ctrl|click}} while pointing at one of its surfaces.
* In 'tri' mode, CTRL + click adds or removes triangles from the selection. ALT + click starts a new selection (one triangle).
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* In 'tri' mode, {{key press|Ctrl|click}} adds or removes triangles from the selection. {{key press|Alt|click}} starts a new selection (one triangle).
* In the special view modes (like groups or mappings) the group select feature (CTRL + SHIFT + click) does a flood select within the group.
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* In the special view modes (like groups or mappings) the group select feature ({{key press|Ctrl|Shift|click}}) does a flood select within the group.
* Press SHIFT+F to temporarily hide the editor buttons.
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* Press {{key press|Shift|F}} to temporarily hide the editor buttons.
* To reduce clutter, use 'hide selected' to temporarily hide points and triangles, then 'unhide all' to show the again.
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* To reduce clutter, use {{old button|hide selected|#ffffa1}} to temporarily hide points and triangles, then {{old button|unhide all|#a1ffa1}} to show the again.
 
 
== Light colours: headlights, indicators, etc.==
 
 
 
All light mappings have a name with prefix &quot;l_&quot;
 
 
 
The cutouts for all light mappings must share a single texture page.
 
 
 
The special names for light mappings are:
 
 
 
<pre>    l_brk - brake (main mapping of brake light)
 
    l_sbrk - side brake (e.g. side of a curved brake light)
 
    l_tbrk - top brake (e.g. top of a curved brake light)
 
    l_cbrk - centre brake (e.g. brake light in rear window)
 
    l_head - headlight (main headlights)
 
    l_side - side light (smaller lights near headlights)
 
    l_tail - tail light (red rear lights)
 
    l_stail - side tail light (e.g. side of a curved tail light)
 
    l_ttail - top tail light (e.g. top of a curved tail light)
 
    l_rind - rear indicator
 
    l_find - front indicator
 
    l_rsind - rear side indicator
 
    l_fsind - front side indicator
 
    l_rfog - rear fog light
 
    l_ffog - front fog light
 
    l_rev - reversing light</pre>
 
 
 
== Level of detail (LOD) and Shadow / Physics / Collision meshes ==
 
 
 
When you first start work on a mod, you can test it in LFS with only a single level of detail. That is the main graphical LOD, known as LOD1. But your mod cannot be uploaded to the website like that. It needs at least a physics or collision mesh, and finished mods should usually have a shadow mesh too.
 
 
 
There are two possible LOD choices for a mod you upload to the website.
 
 
 
=== Work in progress / test mod - 2 levels of detail ===
 
 
 
LOD1: The main graphical LOD<br />
 
LOD2: The low resolution physics / collision mesh<br />
 
<br />
 
In this case, the collision mesh doubles as the shadow casting mesh. For most models this approximation is too crude, because the collision mesh is very limited in the number of points and triangles. But it's fine for early testing.
 
 
 
=== Completed mods usually have 3 levels of detail ===
 
 
 
LOD1: The main graphical LOD<br />
 
LOD2: The shadow and distance view mesh<br />
 
LOD3: The low resolution physics / collision mesh<br />
 
<br />
 
In this case, LOD2 is drawn when the mod is in the middle distance. This saves the graphics card doing a lot of work drawing detail that you can't see and helps with frame rate. This LOD should be a good representation of the shape of your mod, so it looks good in the distance, and casts a good looking shadow. LOD3 is only used as a visual representation when the mod is very far away. Its main purpose is for collisions with other vehicles or when your mod hits a wall or rolls over.
 
 
 
=== How to add an automatically created physics / collision mesh ===
 
 
 
* In the modeller, click the + (plus) button to the right of lod1 (near the top left) to add a new LOD
 
* Now select lod2 or lod3 (the newly created, empty LOD)
 
* Click &quot;auto-create collision mesh&quot;
 
 
 
The automatically created collision mesh is created based on the size of the existing LOD1 (high detail) mesh. This should provide basic collision physics but you will probably want to improve the shape to make it a better match for your vehicle.
 
 
 
== Draw order of materials ==
 
 
 
You can see a material list in the vehicle editor &quot;Class/Textures&quot; tab. That should represent the draw order of the materials.
 
 
 
To actually change the draw order of the materials, you adjust the draw order of the cutouts in the modeller. The draw order is assigned by the order the materials are first encountered in the cutout list. The material's index is the number on the right of the 'material' column in the list of cutouts.
 
 
 
The idea is to make sure the material for the steel frame appears in the cutout list before the material for the cloth cover. For example if you selected a material with material index '2' and move it to the top of the list, then on reaching the top, it should acquire material index '1'. What was material 1 will become material 2.
 
 
 
== Draw order of individual triangles ==
 
 
 
Within materials, triangles are drawn in the order they appear in the internal list of triangles. LFS doesn't give you direct control over this list, but you can improve the draw order by clicking &quot;magic triangle sort&quot;. This function tries to adjust the draw order so that further away triangles are likely to be drawn first. This may be better than randomly ordered triangles, and may help with &quot;Z fight&quot; problems if the nearby surfaces share a material so you can't manually correct the draw order by ordering the materials.
 
 
 
== Creating a SKIN texture ==
 
 
 
A skin is a special texture designed to cover the paintwork of your vehicle so that other people can create their own custom paint jobs. The idea is to uniquely cover the whole paint surface of the vehicle without any part of the texture being used more than once. As a mod creator you may take on the task of creating a default skin that people can modify to use when driving your mod. Here are a few tips for designing skins.
 
 
 
A skin must be created as 1024 or 2048 square image. To load it into LFS it must be saved as a JPG in your data\skins folder, with a name like ABC123_NAME.jpg where ABC123 is the Skin ID of your mod and NAME is a name for the texture (usually DEFAULT for a plain texture).
 
  
The artists who create custom skins prefer everything lined up as well as possible, so try to use the options &quot;link with SIDE&quot; / &quot;link with FRONT&quot; / &quot;link with BACK&quot; / &quot;link with TOP&quot; for the main mappings, so your mappings have the correct width.
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<br style="clear: both" />
  
You can type in the height of the mapping, to make sure front, back, side mappings have the same height. You can also type in the right, front, up values.
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== Loading a model ==
  
Try to keep the pixels of your mappings fairly square (cutout has a similar aspect ratio to the mapping). The squarer they are, the easier for your skin artists.
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[[image:Modeller RB4.jpg|thumb|RB4 GT loaded in modeller through [[Vehicle Editor]]]]
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[[image:RB4 modeller standalone.jpg|thumb|RB4 GT loaded in modeller using the 'LOAD' function. Notice the absence of wheels because the object was not loaded through the [[Vehicle Editor]].]]
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[[image:Modeller subobject.jpg|thumb|The RB4 GT steering wheel loaded in modeller]]
  
TIP: Not *everything* needs to be skinned from a proper direction. E.g. skin artists may be quite happy with a single mapping for a wing mirror, probably from the front, that goes right through the object (so the side and top surfaces are not individually mapped). Smaller mappings don't 'link' with any other mapping.
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You can load either an existing object made in the LFS editor, or an external model in OBJ format. The corresponding buttons are located in the bottom left corner of the screen:
  
Skins on models with complex shapes may have the added complication of overlapped areas. So you should plan this in advance, where you want the MAIN top, front, side, back mappings and allow enough space for the overlapped areas to be mapped separately. You may wish to follow the general idea of one of our default skins, and change it to suit your needs.
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[[image:Modeller load and save objects.jpg|The RB4 GT steering wheel loaded in modeller]]
  
You may find the &quot;copy screen shot&quot; function useful. It takes the correct size screenshot of the mesh for the selected mapping, and copies that to the clipboard so you can paste it into your work-in-progress skin in your 2D graphics software. Before using this function, use a white (or light grey) car colour, and move the lighting UP by using CTRL + left
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=== Loading an entire vehicle made in LFS editor ===
  
== Importing from other 3D modelling software ==
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An existing vehicle model can be loaded into the modeller by loading a vehicle in the [[Vehicle Editor]] and switching to the modeller by pressing {{key press|E}} or clicking the {{old button|E - Edit Model|#a1a1ff}} button.
  
You can import the points and triangles from another 3D program by exporting an OBJ file and loading it into LFS from the data\obj folder. Texture mappings and materials are not imported.
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To go back from the modeller to the vehicle editor, press {{key press|Esc}} - the changes done in the modeller will be carried over automatically, there is no need to save it explicitly.
  
How to export from Blender:
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=== Loading an object saved in LFS editor ===
  
=== Scale ===
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To load a standalone object saved from the modeller or the [[Vehicle Editor]], enter the modeller in a standalone mode from the LFS editor entry screen and then click the {{old button|LOAD|#00ff00}} button at the bottom left of the screen. Such object can be either the main object (car body) or a subobject, like a steering wheel.
  
LFS uses metres for units. If you use another unit, please export using an appropriate scale.
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=== Loading an external OBJ file ===
  
=== Position ===
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If you have a 3D model in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file OBJ format] that you want to import into the modeller, you can load it by clicking the {{old button|OBJ|#ffffa1}} button at the bottom left of the screen. The file must be located in the 'data\obj' directory and must have a '.obj' extension.
  
Your model should be approximately centred over the origin and ideally the body should sit on the ground (without the correct ride height)
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The OBJ file must be exported properly to be useable in the LFS editor. You can read about [[LFS_Editor_Guides#Importing_from_other_3D_modelling_software|importing from other 3D modelling software]] on the [[LFS_Editor_Guides|guides]] page.
  
=== Backface culling ===  
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==== Warning about licenses ====
  
Live for Speed uses single sided triangles. While modelling in blender and before exporting, make sure you look at your model with back face culling enabled so you can be sure the surfaces are facing the right way.
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If you are using a file made by someone else as part of your model, even if you modify it, you will need to declare this when you upload your mod.
  
=== Export Settings - Export OBJ file ===
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You will need to specify the license that the original creator applied to the model and provide information such as the name of the creator and a link to a website where the license information is displayed.
  
Transform:<br />
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If no license is stated, by you or the original creator, you cannot upload the mod!
- Y forward / Z up (so the model is oriented correctly in LFS)
 
  
Geometry:<br />
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Some licenses do not allow you to create work by changing the model you downloaded.
- Write normals (so LFS can work out smoothing groups)<br />
 
- Triangulate faces (as LFS geometry is based on triangles)
 
  
== Extrude and Lathe functions ==
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Please check that the supplied license allows you to distribute modified versions of the original model.
  
To use the extrude or lathe functions, first you select a series of points in order to create a cross section that you will either extrude linearly (extrude) or rotate around a point (lathe). You can see the cross section by enabling the 'trace' option in point mode, then selecting points in the correct order. It can sometimes be confusing which order to select the points, and then choose 'inside' or 'outside' to get the desired effect.
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== Saving a model ==
  
=== Extrusion ===  
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=== Saving a standalone object ===
  
* Put your viewpoint on the side so that you will pull the extrusion towards you
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To save a model as a standalone object, click the {{old button|SAVE|#00ff00}} button at the bottom left of the screen. The object will be saved into the 'data\3dob' folder, which can be loaded again through the modeller or [[Vehicle Editor]].
* Select the trace points in anti-clockwise direction as seen from that point
 
* Create extrusion by clicking 'extrude' (and select outside, inside, etc.)
 
* Pull the points towards you
 
  
Then you should find that your inside / outside request is respected.
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If you have entered the modeller through the [[Vehicle Editor]], there is no need to save the model explicitly. You can go back to the vehicle editor by pressing the {{key press|Esc}} key.
  
=== Lathe ===
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<br style="clear: both" />
  
* Put your view on the side where the lathe operation will initially head towards (at the start of the curve)
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== View modes ==
* Select the trace points in anti-clockwise direction as seen from that point
 
* Rotation will take place around the last point you select (which may or may not be included as part of the cross-section)
 
* Go to 2D view and create lathe object by clicking 'lathe' (and select outside, inside, etc.)
 
  
== Moving parts of a model to a different model ==
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In the bottom right part of the screen, you can choose different view modes of the model:
  
This is done by saving a subobject from one mesh and loading that subobject into another mesh. In 'subob' mode, with a subobject selected, you can see light green 'load' and 'save' buttons beside the word 'subobject' at the bottom left. These will load and save subobjects with the extension '.sre' in the folder data\3dob.
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[[image:LFS_Editor_Modeller_view_modes.jpg|Modeller view modes]]
 +
<br>
 +
<br>
  
But what if the parts you want to move are not part of a subobject? In this case you can use the 'break off' and 'merge' functions.
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; {{old button|layers|#a1a1ff}}
 +
: Each colour represents triangles assigned to a particular layer. You can toggle layers on/off by clicking the layer buttons in the top left part of the screen.
  
* Create a new empty subobject
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; {{old button|wire|#a1a1ff}}
* Select the triangles in the main object that you want to move to another object
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: Shows the edges as a wireframe. The edges can have different colours:
* Click the &quot;break off&quot; button
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:* grey - two triangles share the edge. This is the normal condition for most edges in an object.
* The triangles (and mappings) are moved into the new subobject
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:* red - an unshared edge - only one triangle uses this edge.
* Save the subobject
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:* cyan - three triangles share the edge.
* Load the mesh where you want to add the subobject
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:* orange - four triangles share the edge.
* Add a new, empty subobject to that mesh
 
* Load the saved subobject into your new empty subobject and move it to the right position
 
* Optionally, click &quot;merge into main&quot; to merge the new subobject into the main object
 
  
== Troubleshooting ==
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: When you see an edge that is not grey, it may be intentional or it may draw your attention to a bug in the model. There are reasons to have unshared edges or multiple shared edges in some : : cases. But if it is not intentional, it may indicate a modelling error such as:
  
=== Invalid texture [texture name] - Colour type RGBA but A is not required ===
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:* A double built triangle - this would appear as a cyan triangle where you expect grey triangles.
 +
:* A triangle connected to the wrong vertex - could cause unshared edges.
  
This means that you have exported a texture that contains an alpha channel (32-bit) but you are trying to load it as a non-alpha texture (24-bit). If you do want to include an alpha channel, the texture name must end with the suffix _ALP.
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: It's good to click wire mode occasionally and if you see edges that are not grey, make sure that you know the reason for them and that they are as intended.
  
* 24-bit (RGB) textures should be named like this: TextureName.png
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; {{old button|mappings|#a1a1ff}}
* 32-bit (RGB+A) textures should be named like this: TextureName_ALP.png
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: Each colour represents a different mapping.
  
NOTE: In the current public version of LFS, the alpha channel (just like the R,G.B channels, it is a number on each pixel from 0 to 255) is only used for transparency (actually 'opacity' - higher alpha means less transparent). In fact alpha channels can be used for various purposes, for example in the development version of LFS it can be used to specify the reflectivity of each point on a texture page.
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; {{old button|flat|#a1a1ff}}
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: Flat shading of the triangles without being smoothed.
  
=== ERROR in object X: N points with a bad normal ===
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; {{old button|groups|#a1a1ff}}
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: Smoothing groups. The boundaries between different smoothing groups usually have a sharp edge. All triangles within one smoothing group have artificial smoothing applied. In this mode, you can assign different smoothing groups to triangles by going to the "tri" mode, selecing one or more triangles and clicking the group number in the top right corner.
  
This usually means that some triangles, within a single smoothing group, meet at a point such that LFS does not know which direction that point should face. Most commonly, this can happen if a triangle is built in one direction, and another triangle is built on the same points, in the opposite direction. The point directions (known as 'normals' add up to zero, so LFS cannot decide where the normal should really point). Maybe the triangles were built this way by mistake, or maybe you intend to create a double-sided surface. If you do want a double sided surface, the triangles on one side should be in a different smoothing group from the triangles facing in the opposite direction and that will solve the problem.
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; {{old button|gouraud|#a1a1ff}}
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: The default rendering of the model with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gouraud_shading gouraud shading] applied. This is how the car should appear in game.
  
The trouble is, you may not know exactly where the problem is when you see this message. It may also come up if you import a mesh (as an OBJ file) from some other 3D modelling softrware. Have a look around your model, for vertical red lines. LFS tries to display a red line where any of these bad normals are found. At the bottom of the red line you should find the offending vertex. The line is bright red where it is exposed, and a darker red where it is behind some surfaces of the model.
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; {{old button|n.c.level|#a1a1ff}}
 +
: Normal contribution levels. Each triangle meeting at a vertex, within the same smoothing group, contributes to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_(geometry) normal] of that surface at that vertex. In fact, large triangles have a larger contribution. So for example you could make a simple "hardback book" shaped object and most of the apparent curvature would be on the spine of that book. But the spine would still be contributing to the normals, so the front and back faces of the "book" would still be a little curved. If, however, you set the normal contribution level" of the spine to zero, then the spine would not contribute to the normals at all. Then the front and back face of the book would look totally flat.
  
=== Mod looks shiny in the editor but matt in game ===
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; {{old button|l.r.swap|#a1a1ff}}
 +
: Driver swap modes. The triangles can have different colours:
 +
:* grey - applied to mirrored triangles, which do not have any swapping
 +
:* blue (static) - do not change sides when driver side is swapped
 +
:* red (swap) - change sides when driver side is swapped
 +
:
 +
:In this mode, you can set driver swap modes to triangles by going to the {{old button|tri|#c9c9c9}} mode, selecing one or more triangles and clicking one of the swap mode buttons in the top right corner.
  
If you only have a single LOD (level of detail) the environment map is not shown because LFS thinks it is drawing the the physics LOD. That is because the collision mesh is defined by the lowest level of detail (LOD with the highest number).
+
<gallery widths="300px" heights="170px">
 +
LFS Editor Modeller layers mode.jpg|Layers
 +
LFS Editor Modeller wire mode.jpg|Wireframe
 +
LFS Editor Modeller mappings view.jpg|Mappings
 +
LFS Editor Modeller NC level mode.jpg|Normal contribution levels
 +
LFS Editor Modeller gouraud mode.jpg|Gouraud
 +
LFS Editor Modeller flat mode.jpg|Flat
 +
LFS Editor Modeller groups mode.jpg|Smoothing groups
 +
LFS Editor Modeller L.R. swap mode.jpg|Left/right swap
 +
</gallery>
  
To solve this, you can easily add an automatically created collision mesh (also known as physics LOD). How to do this is described in the 'Level of detail' section above.
+
{{Vehicle mods}}

Revision as of 19:07, 7 August 2022

TemplateIconUnderConstruction.png This page or section is being initially created, or is in the process of an expansion or major restructuring. You are welcome to assist in its construction by editing it.

The Modeller is a part of the LFS Editor. It is used to edit the 3D model, which includes editing the mesh and applying textures.

For user guides and walkthroughs for various modeller features, see Modeller Guides.

Requirements

To be able to use the modeller, you must have an S3 license. To get the S3 license, you can visit the LFS shop page.

Starting the modeller

Entry screen
Modeller start screen

Once you have the editor installed and run the LFS Editor application, you will be presented with the entry screen. Click the Modeller button to enter the modeller.

The modeller can also be entered from the Vehicle Editor by pressing E or clicking the E - Edit Model button on the right hand side of the vehicle editor.

General modeller tips

  • The list of colours at the bottom left in 'tri' mode is a different view of the list of mappings in 'map' mode.
  • When you select a triangle, its colour is selected in the bottom left list. If the list is long, click cols : X to bring the selected colour onto screen.
  • In 'subob' mode you can select a subobject with Ctrl + click while pointing at one of its surfaces.
  • In 'tri' mode, Ctrl + click adds or removes triangles from the selection. Alt + click starts a new selection (one triangle).
  • In the special view modes (like groups or mappings) the group select feature (Ctrl + ⇧ Shift + click) does a flood select within the group.
  • Press ⇧ Shift + F to temporarily hide the editor buttons.
  • To reduce clutter, use hide selected to temporarily hide points and triangles, then unhide all to show the again.


Loading a model

RB4 GT loaded in modeller through Vehicle Editor
RB4 GT loaded in modeller using the 'LOAD' function. Notice the absence of wheels because the object was not loaded through the Vehicle Editor.
The RB4 GT steering wheel loaded in modeller

You can load either an existing object made in the LFS editor, or an external model in OBJ format. The corresponding buttons are located in the bottom left corner of the screen:

The RB4 GT steering wheel loaded in modeller

Loading an entire vehicle made in LFS editor

An existing vehicle model can be loaded into the modeller by loading a vehicle in the Vehicle Editor and switching to the modeller by pressing E or clicking the E - Edit Model button.

To go back from the modeller to the vehicle editor, press Esc - the changes done in the modeller will be carried over automatically, there is no need to save it explicitly.

Loading an object saved in LFS editor

To load a standalone object saved from the modeller or the Vehicle Editor, enter the modeller in a standalone mode from the LFS editor entry screen and then click the LOAD button at the bottom left of the screen. Such object can be either the main object (car body) or a subobject, like a steering wheel.

Loading an external OBJ file

If you have a 3D model in OBJ format that you want to import into the modeller, you can load it by clicking the OBJ button at the bottom left of the screen. The file must be located in the 'data\obj' directory and must have a '.obj' extension.

The OBJ file must be exported properly to be useable in the LFS editor. You can read about importing from other 3D modelling software on the guides page.

Warning about licenses

If you are using a file made by someone else as part of your model, even if you modify it, you will need to declare this when you upload your mod.

You will need to specify the license that the original creator applied to the model and provide information such as the name of the creator and a link to a website where the license information is displayed.

If no license is stated, by you or the original creator, you cannot upload the mod!

Some licenses do not allow you to create work by changing the model you downloaded.

Please check that the supplied license allows you to distribute modified versions of the original model.

Saving a model

Saving a standalone object

To save a model as a standalone object, click the SAVE button at the bottom left of the screen. The object will be saved into the 'data\3dob' folder, which can be loaded again through the modeller or Vehicle Editor.

If you have entered the modeller through the Vehicle Editor, there is no need to save the model explicitly. You can go back to the vehicle editor by pressing the Esc key.


View modes

In the bottom right part of the screen, you can choose different view modes of the model:

Modeller view modes

layers
Each colour represents triangles assigned to a particular layer. You can toggle layers on/off by clicking the layer buttons in the top left part of the screen.
wire
Shows the edges as a wireframe. The edges can have different colours:
  • grey - two triangles share the edge. This is the normal condition for most edges in an object.
  • red - an unshared edge - only one triangle uses this edge.
  • cyan - three triangles share the edge.
  • orange - four triangles share the edge.
When you see an edge that is not grey, it may be intentional or it may draw your attention to a bug in the model. There are reasons to have unshared edges or multiple shared edges in some : : cases. But if it is not intentional, it may indicate a modelling error such as:
  • A double built triangle - this would appear as a cyan triangle where you expect grey triangles.
  • A triangle connected to the wrong vertex - could cause unshared edges.
It's good to click wire mode occasionally and if you see edges that are not grey, make sure that you know the reason for them and that they are as intended.
mappings
Each colour represents a different mapping.
flat
Flat shading of the triangles without being smoothed.
groups
Smoothing groups. The boundaries between different smoothing groups usually have a sharp edge. All triangles within one smoothing group have artificial smoothing applied. In this mode, you can assign different smoothing groups to triangles by going to the "tri" mode, selecing one or more triangles and clicking the group number in the top right corner.
gouraud
The default rendering of the model with gouraud shading applied. This is how the car should appear in game.
n.c.level
Normal contribution levels. Each triangle meeting at a vertex, within the same smoothing group, contributes to the normal of that surface at that vertex. In fact, large triangles have a larger contribution. So for example you could make a simple "hardback book" shaped object and most of the apparent curvature would be on the spine of that book. But the spine would still be contributing to the normals, so the front and back faces of the "book" would still be a little curved. If, however, you set the normal contribution level" of the spine to zero, then the spine would not contribute to the normals at all. Then the front and back face of the book would look totally flat.
l.r.swap
Driver swap modes. The triangles can have different colours:
  • grey - applied to mirrored triangles, which do not have any swapping
  • blue (static) - do not change sides when driver side is swapped
  • red (swap) - change sides when driver side is swapped
In this mode, you can set driver swap modes to triangles by going to the tri mode, selecing one or more triangles and clicking one of the swap mode buttons in the top right corner.


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