what would be wrong with this object?

rdmgarcia · Nov 30, 2010

Gents,

I'm starting to inccur in the 3d objects world. I don't have 3ds or anything like that yet. I'm just in the early stages of my learning curve here.

One exercise I tried before spending any money was to download a simple and free object from www.turbosquid.com and tried to use it to create an x-pack for rfactor.

Well, it didn't work. The x-pack got created, besides x-packer *****ing about missing textures; nothing I didn't expected from a free object and this being a little exercise.

Nevertheless, when I tried planting the object on my new track, I created a mess: The object seems larger than the whole track itself, and the relative position of the roof/colums is messed up. Let alone the textures.

I was wondering if you guys could help me out trying to see what's wrong and help me learn about this more.

Now the 3ds object is larger than the limit established on this forum, but you guys can easily download it from turbosquid:

http://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/free-carport-3d-model/253203

Miguel

sadistiko · Nov 30, 2010

Sometimes people set larger dimensions of some model than it is in real world, so you must load it in some 3ds capable model editor like 3dsmax and set real size of this model. Also, when you make that you could set real texture on object, because if Xpacker said there is no texture you must set one then.

mianiak · Nov 30, 2010

The textures have to be in the same folder as the .3ds file. Not all models have textures, they can just have colours in the 3d software.
But from past experience, most free models (or any model not specifically created for rFactor) are just random sizes.

In all honesty, if you have no knowledge in 3d modelling, I would stop where you are, you have kind of skipped a few learning steps.
What your trying to do is complicated to understand if you don't have any 3d knowledge. There is no short cut to quickly get things to work.

Before you put it into xpacker you need to open it up in a 3d modelling program and size it up (or down). But before you can do that you need to pick your 3d modelling program. Most people here use either Google Sketchup or Blender. I'm not too sure how Sketchup works and I don't know if you can import 3ds into it. But I can speak for Blender, you import the 3ds into Blender and resize it to fit. In Blender, the default 3d grid = 10m. (in flat view, (top/side/front) there are grids that go down to 1m)

This might help you understand what's involved, it's a tutorial I made for making a car prop in blender. It covers building the model and mapping a texture to it.
http://3rdgearmotorsports.com/wordpress/?p=120

On that note, if you just want to get started at building a track, there are lots of pre made xpacks and most people here will happily build you models if you ask. By just fiddling around with it you will pick up certain things that will teach you how it all works and you will learn 3d as you go.