Multiple Vehicle Textures Are IN!

[Mord]

Thanks to MJkerner I just found this out...unlike CMSF you can now have multiple textures for your vehicles! We've been wanting this since CMBO! So, I figured I'd post a thread in case some of you, like me, were unaware.

The trick to getting your textures to work are the number designations which are different than how we normally do multiple textures. Your first texture will not have a number after the file name, then your next one will end with 2, and then 3 Etc. EX. To get multiple hull textures the files would look like this; M4 Sherman Hull, M4 Sherman Hull 2, M4 Sherman Hull 3.

Here's a shot of two M4s looking oh, so awesomely different!

So, pat MJ on the back for figuring this out...it's a kick ass find!

Mord.

[sburke]

Thanks to MJkerner I just found this out...unlike CMSF you can now have multiple textures for your vehicles! We've been wanting this since CMBO! So, I figured I'd post a thread in case some of you, like me, were unaware.

The trick to getting your textures to work are the number designations which are different than how we normally do multiple textures. Your first texture will not have a number after the file name, then your next one will end with 2, and then 3 Etc. EX. To get multiple hull textures the files would look like this; M4 Sherman Hull, M4 Sherman Hull 2, M4 Sherman Hull 3.

Here's a shot of two M4s looking oh, so awesomely different!

So, pat MJ on the back for figuring this out...it's a kick ass find!

Mord.

I think Christmas came early for someone and screw the red rider BB gun, he got multiple textures.

Thanks guys, everything you find and create adds to the enjoment for the rest of us. Y'all rock.

[Paper Tiger]

Excellent find. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

[MikeyD]

You've discovered something even the BFC texture guys didn't know!

I think BFC 'officially' frowns on multiple vehicle textures for fear of creating a video card hog. But that's only an internal concern, not wanting to needlessly choke low-end machines to death. But if your rig can handle the load more power to you!

[mjkerner]

You've discovered something even the BFC texture guys didn't know!

Really? Ignorance is bliss; I just copied the 100A and 100B brz files when I first downloaded the game and exploded them. When I started messing around with modding the uniforms, I just copied the naming conventions of the various images, and later did the same with the vehicle mods others were doing. I think Mainzelmann's Normandy Tiger mods does the same thing.

Probably doesn't rank up there with Columbus' accidental discovery of America, though.

[Mord]

You've discovered something even the BFC texture guys didn't know!

I think BFC 'officially' frowns on multiple vehicle textures for fear of creating a video card hog. But that's only an internal concern, not wanting to needlessly choke low-end machines to death. But if your rig can handle the load more power to you!

I mentioned this a few times to Steve, about at least giving us the option...you know for guys that have bigger rigs and what not, seeing that we could do it with all the other stuff, it made sense to allow it. LOL but I didn't think it would happen! It shouldn't be a problem for most as long as they don't have thirty different random vehicles on each side of a battle.

And another cool thing, you can randomize without modding the entire vehicle if you don't want...like with that example above it just uses hull textures...the rest of the tank is sharing textures, which still provides variety while saving on VRAM.

Really? Ignorance is bliss; I just copied the 100A and 100B brz files when I first downloaded the game and exploded them. When I started messing around with modding the uniforms, I just copied the naming conventions of the various images, and later did the same with the vehicle mods others were doing.

You know, I am almost positive I tried this the week the game came out and failed then too. It was that numbering thing that probably threw me back then as well. I just figured they left it like CMSF...I am really glad I read your reply to Erwin 'cause I was about to tell him vehicles couldn't be randomized.

Probably doesn't rank up there with Columbus' accidental discovery of America, though.

Hell, brotha, this is the biggest modding discovery we've had since model swapping...actually better 'cause so many people have been yearning for it...so, one more ^5 for you!

Mord.

[Peter Panzer]

Oops, I have been doing this for some time - I thought it was common knowledge given the way folks mix uniforms!

The trick to getting your textures to work are the number designations which are different than how we normally do multiple textures. Your first texture will not have a number after the file name, then your next one will end with 2, and then 3 Etc. EX. To get multiple hull textures the files would look like this; M4 Sherman Hull, M4 Sherman Hull 2, M4 Sherman Hull 3.

Yep. This threw me off at first, but it does work in the manner you describe.

[Earl Grey]

We have ONE problem with this, though: Textures get mixed and matched ALL THE WAY. That might not sound odd in the first place because it more or less is what we want, too, but let me explain since I fiddled around with German tanks already:

Each vehicle needs more than one texture. Each texture provides the "coat" for different (and usually more than one) part of the vehicle. The current system doesn't take that into account, though, and rather pulls the texture for each part RANDOMLY from all available sets. Meaning: Unless all available sets look the same /and just decals are different), you'll end up with each vehicle showing textures from each texture set you have installed in random order. Not *quite* what we want yet. And I', afraid there's no proper workaround at this time.

[mjkerner]

We have ONE problem with this, though: Textures get mixed and matched ALL THE WAY. That might not sound odd in the first place because it more or less is what we want, too, but let me explain since I fiddled around with German tanks already:

Each vehicle needs more than one texture. Each texture provides the "coat" for different (and usually more than one) part of the vehicle. The current system doesn't take that into account, though, and rather pulls the texture for each part RANDOMLY from all available sets. Meaning: Unless all available sets look the same /and just decals are different), you'll end up with each vehicle showing textures from each texture set you have installed in random order. Not *quite* what we want yet. And I', afraid there's no proper workaround at this time.

I'm not following you, Earl Grey. I mix multiple textures of the hull or turret of the mod, in a folder with all the other modded image parts of a tank (just one of each of those .bmp's, and from the same mod/modder, of course). Drop folder in z folder and I get, say, 3 different turrets on one (modded) base tank. So those 3 turrets will appear randomly on the same modded tank hull/chassis/wheels. At least, that's what I'm seeing so far.

[Mord]

This is what he means...used Ari's Panther A and Wyseman's Panther A. Wyseman's BMPS all end with a 2...hull 2, turret 2 etc.

The game randomizes ALL the textures throughout a model regardless of what number the file ends with...It didn't isolate turret 2 and hull 2 Etc. to one particular model. So, what you have to do to get random tanks is use the exact same textures but with different numbers or decals, on like the hull or turret, to give them some individualism. No having two completely different camo schemes on the Panther A and whatnot.

Mord.

[stoex]

mjkerner,

As long as you only want variations on one of the textures for a particular vehicle (meaning either just on the turret, as you said, or just on the hull), while all other textures are a single standard image, everything will work fine. However, if you want several vehicles of the same type (say, a certain Sherman variant) to have matching sets of markings on the hull as well as the turret (i.e. one tank should have turret mod A and hull mod A, another tank should have turret mod B and hull mod B, etc.), it won't work out that way. This is because the game will randomly apply your turret mods and hull mods to any tanks, so you could get turret mod A with hull mod B etc. in the game. This means that you can neither individualize single tanks, nor can you be certain that your tanks will look different from each other even if you have several modded versions of the textures.

[mjkerner]

Mord, Stoex, Oh I see what he meant. Agreed.

[Earl Grey]

Yup, Mord cleared that one up. As long as you use the same base texture and just add, say, turret numbers or the like, you're fine. As soon as you have two different camouflage patterns, though, it doesn't work anymore.

[Erwin]

You may want to test that.

I have used ALL the variants that Aris made available in each of his new mods (renumbering them so that turret variant matches hull variant etc) and in the game it appears like the correct turret matches the correct hull for each M4 variant.

It's possible I have been very, very lucky re probabilities. But, so far they all look like they match the way they are supposed to.

[Mord]

LOL I did check it (pic on other page)...the reason you aren't seeing any anomalies is because the textures with the decal or writing on them is the exact same...he basically cloned that portion of the vehicle and added the decal/writing/serial numbers Etc. The problem shows up when you use entirely different camo schemes and weathering.

Mord.

[mjkerner]

You may want to test that.

I have used ALL the variants that Aris made available in each of his new mods (renumbering them so that turret variant matches hull variant etc) and in the game it appears like the correct turret matches the correct hull for each M4 variant.

It's possible I have been very, very lucky re probabilities. But, so far they all look like they match the way they are supposed to.

Now maybe I'm confused again...that is what I thought I was saying, 'cause that is what I do, with the same results as Erwin, so maybe I'm having good luck on probabilities, too. Time to go to Vegas!

[mjkerner]

LOL I did check it (pic on other page)...the reason you aren't seeing any anomalies is because the textures with the decal or writing on them is the exact same...he basically cloned that portion of the vehicle and added the decal/writing/serial numbers Etc. The problem shows up when you use entirely different camo schemes and weathering.

Mord.

Ahhh, clarity again, in so short a time! I only use mods by same modder (Aris, atm), so I'm good to go...except, no Vegas.

[Erwin]

Well, yes, of course if you use two mods (that are significantly different) of the same unit there will be confusion. Not sure why one would do that anyway.

Esp when Aris is producing the best.

(Hmmm... well actually I did do that in CM1 quite a bit with vehicles. But, only when I wanted the horizontal surfaces to be a lighter shade than the vertical surfaces as that gave a great shadowed effect that made the models better. But those mods were very similar except that one was lighter than the other.)

[Mord]

Well, yes, of course if you use two mods (that are significantly different) of the same unit there will be confusion. Not sure why one would do that anyway.

Well, the whole point would be to have different kinds of paint jobs within' the same vehicle model...so all the camo and the like wouldn't be the same if you had more than one kind in a scenario. But what we have works well enough for me...it's at least some variety...better than nothing.

Mord.

[Erwin]

I understand, Mord. I suppose the question is whether, within a single formation, would one see significantly different paint jobs?

The other "nice to have feature" (which I suspect the randomization aspect makes impossible) would be to have a platoon of AFV's that are numbered correctly.

[Mord]

Ahhh, don't know but I imagine they wouldn't be exact...I don't know a whole lot about how they did those things...be interesting to find out though.

Yeah, the numbering will most likely be hit and miss because of the randomization, until they code stuff specifically for vehicles.

But I guess the bright side is we have a start.

Mord.

Mord.

[Earl Grey]

Well, maybe I can answer that one: During '43 and the first half of '44 vehicles were delivered in plain yellow to the frontline. The respective maintenance units would also receive canned camouflage paint with the order to camouflage all the vehicles by hand according to season and battlefield conditions, so you would see a wide variety of different patterns even wihin the same platoon depending on which maintenance guy camouflaged which vehicle.

From fall '44 on patterns were standardized and factory-applied as per official orders, but there's a good possibility they already started that during summer with the ambush pattern, but that is a bit hypothetical.

Does that at least partly answer your question?