Lamp wip

[Wiggles]

Thanks, you guys are have been a lot of help

I have to ask though, what is the point of texturing in ac3d if we have to do it in a render program? Isn't one of the selling points for ac3d is the ease at texturing?

[lisa]

Originally Posted by Wiggles

I have to ask though, what is the point of texturing in ac3d if we have to do it in a render program? Isn't one of the selling points for ac3d is the ease at texturing?

Many render programs only render, they don't UV map. If I do a model and render it with POV-Ray or Poser or Terragen, I can alter the material parameters in those programs, but I can't change the texture coordinates.

It's also needed for real-time models, such as for games or scientific visualization.

[Wiggles]

lol, i'm confused. I just use ac3d for uv mapping? Then I apply the texture using bryce?

For games, you don't render your models?

[lisa]

Originally Posted by Wiggles

lol, i'm confused. I just use ac3d for uv mapping? Then I apply the texture using bryce?

Correct. You uv map and apply your diffuse texture in AC3D, and then set your material properties in your render program as well as apply any additional texture maps, like bump or specular. --By "apply", I mean "tell the renderer to use this bitmap for this function"...you don't actually have to figure out the uvs over again as both bitmaps can use the same set of texture coordinates a lot of the time.

Originally Posted by Wiggles

For games, you don't render your models?

Again, correct. The game _is_ the renderer.

Some games still have an in-between step because they need certain things precomputed--typically lighting-related values and collision\partitioning data--but it's frequently something that happens in the level editor or as part of a custom "build" process.

Hope that's a little less confusing.