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Advice for starting out modding...

Started by BlueFireChelle, May 23, 2018, 05:11:09 AM

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BlueFireChelle

For ages, I've had a concept in mind for a full themed set that I wished I could create. But my old laptop couldn't handle Blender or much of anything. After months of saving, I finally built my new PC yesterday. :) So I have now been able to install Blender and actually have a look at what this whole modding thing involves.
I've had years of AutoCAD and Photoshop experience, so while I knew it would be a huge learning curve, I figured it would be okay.... Nope! LOL! Blender is like nothing I have ever used before. So I can see this is going to be a slow process.  ??? :'(

Anyway, I was hoping for some advice for the things you wish you knew when you started out... like, I know there's a thing about Interaction Point on buildings where the Bannies actually go to. Is that something I need to consider when making the model? Or does it not matter at that point?

In the tutorial here, we need to delete the bottom faces of the house. Why is that? What things in Banished specifically do I need to make sure my models have?

I'm assuming that the best place to start is to learn to make models, and then look at the Modkit side of things, would that be correct?

How do you all go about saving the three different construction phases? Because they all have textures, but I guess I don't add that until the end. So do you save your models at two earlier points and then go back and texture? Or how does that all work?

sorry for all the vague questions.... just really happy for advice as I start this daunting process!

Voeille

I'm a beginner myself, but there's one think I can say I've learned from the few models I've made for games – you don't leave the texture to the very end. You need to think of the texture early, because you have to make a UV map, which decides how the texture is placed on the model. For example, my trees and bushes are made out of planes. They would share the same leaf texture, so I made one, mapped it, and then made the rest using the first plane. As the model changes, you might want to adjust the map so things don't look stretched, and it's easy to do it if it's already linked to everything you want. Maybe it's different for other kind of models, but for all I've experienced so far, it pays off to do modelling and mapping together. And for models that involve alpha, it's good to make a very basic texture early, so you have an idea how the thing will actually look. But that's from a newbie perspective, maybe there's a better way I don't know of.

BlueFireChelle

thanks heaps @Voeille   That is definitely helpful. Do you download the existing textures for stone and timber that Banished already uses?

Voeille

I haven't done much yet, now I'm trying to add my Cities Skylines plants to Banished, so I haven't needed stone and timer yet. If/when I do at some point, I'd attempt to make stone and wood from scratch by drawing (my goal is to become independent of stock images), but if I fail (I'm not good enough at drawing yet to be able to do everything; and if I do manage to draw something, I need to look at pictures for reference, as I can't draw from imagination yet, it all goes wrong if I try), I would use them if they're available for download somewhere, or find free stock images online (Textures.com is a good source).

Hawk

[b][i]Hawk[/i][/b]

[color=#800000][i]Yes, I can multitask. I can listen, ignore and forget all at the same time.[/i][/color]

Voeille

Thanks, that does look interesting!

BlueFireChelle

those links look great! I think my goal would be to make my own textures too, but for now just learning how to make the models will be a big enough learning curve. I've grabbed some free textures to play with so I'll see how I go using those to start with.

RedKetchup

when i started, i only got some experience with Microsoft Paint.exe. absolutely no experience of 3dsmax, absolutely no experience with photoshop.
my learning curve was the hardest possible. the only thing i've got, be able to know to use my computer.

which i see some doesnt have that and want to try to do mods. (like not even knowing to take a screenshot, go in an folder, copy paste.... etc)
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Voeille

I guess I'm having an easy time then ;) I've modded other games (nothing huge or complex but still), and I'm a last year computer science student. But as shown in my other thread I still have a lot of trouble, because there are a lot of things very specific to Banished. I imagine it must be really hard for someone with no IT experience whatsoever, and it needs a lot of determination to keep going.