Rooxon

k will do, thank you! gotta try em out. @@Circa @@AshuraDX I've uploaded Zayne's saber to this site for download already, try it out, I've done it to Ashura's favor, with a 12 sided cylinder as the 18 sided one had too many verts (1015 to be exact) so I've left that saber behind me and did a new one. I might try to go with a 14 sided one, but this looks pretty neat already too. Surely more like I want it too but still not totaly like that. Here's some quick pics if you don't wanna waste time downloading it: @@DT85 and @@AshuraDX Well if Circa forwarded you here to this topic, you have to be a very good modelers. I might need a tip or two for those sabers, as now I'm sure I'm gonna do even more detailed versions of all the JKA hilts, so if you want to say anything to me that would make this pack and my models better, I'd be very happy and appreciate it. And this is a message to everyone: I might take a break from my personal project and do some things together with @@CaptainCrazy, which varies from tutorials to sabers made from his concepts, even I might take my try at concepting after a long time, I'm very much looking forward to working with him. For the time that we will have plans, I just won't continue my project as it can be a distraction, I'd rather focus on one work at a time.

@@AshuraDX yes I've heard of it.. though I haven't yet considered getting it and I don't know where. Also, what version is free for students? does it have the needed plugins availible? I so or so thought already that gmax is a bit old and that I schould at least try another program

@@AshuraDX you're right but it's still too boxy sometimes. 18 makes it seem like it's actually rounded. Also I don't use 3ds max, newer versions because of a lack of working plugins... and i'd also have to get an original version, I'm not really into downloading programs from torrents, mostly I just pumped my computer with viruses. The older versions though had plugins, but gave me a headache each time I exported models... either they crashed in modView or didn't export correctly at all. Gmax seems to work a lot nicer regarding that, though I wouldn't model a playermodel in gmax, it just lacks the said functions regardin vertex connecting, edge spliting and creation and so on. Though maybe I'll go and try to use less sides. It's just the look is important to me.

Poly, why? Oh now that you ask, I think mesh would be better, right? but why?

here you go yes it might be good if I found the right amount of sides I'd have to use for the models to look exceptionally better and I strongly doubt that we're playing with computers not able to run those models Well at the most, the engine could prove problematic. Anyway @@DT85: @@Circa yes well look I know I'm the guy who IS capable to do something exceptional, I was just satisfied with what I've done up till now. So why not take this to the next level? I reckon I'll have some problems on the way, maybe even remaking the sabers times over to get the polycount straight. But it's worth it and maybe I'll even encourage others to follow my work and do to-the-point detailed mods/models. I don't care if I'll be the only one doing this, I just think it's time to change the way mods have been done up till now

Well why not? The standard of computers has gone up a long time ago. Port them over, I believe the Serenity Engine allows higher-end models in JKA.

Stunning. I do not know what else to say. Keep this up, it's excelent!

Good well I'm continuing with my dual sabers pack reworkings. I'll keep you posted. EDIT: I've got something important to tell you. Recently I was inspired by the work of some other people, which made me kinda depresed I dare make a HD mod that isn't truly HD, even though they're nice models. Some have made a quick weapon and it's by far better than I've done mine from the start, as I was just coming back to modding. So now I'm gonna try to do models detailed up to the limit. I think all of us modders here know what I mean. Up to now I've mainly done a 10 sided cylinder as the initial shape when I started modeling, now I'm doing my first model with an 18 sided and with almost every detail MODELED. It'll be Zaynes Lightsaber which @ requested of me today. After that, my existing packs are getting an update with those new detailed models... and that's the new plan concerning my project for now. I just want to do the best I can do for you guys. Looking good so far? That's the way of modeling I mean. I'm also working on my texturing skills a bit, until I perfect this style of modeling I'm gonna take a break from my project, at least concerning the dual sabers as I'm so or so probably gonna redo all of them from start. I kinda had something like that in mind from the start, that's why I've put such low version numbers in my mods.

Well everybody than with what came up today, the progress may all be... just my own try at doing the pack, I'll probably keep it, except if @@CaptainCrazy does better concepts than I've done remakes I want the pack be as good as possible and will do everything to make it so. These are my remakes (the final tex probably): @@Circa, is this fix better? Sith Scepter and Sith Sword: Ingame: Now let's see what me and CaptainCrazy come up with together. Can't wait. :3

Yeah, in the last stages of my texturing right now I'm comparing the original and my weapon and try to draw as much same details as possible... You're right, I see that now it looks more shiny on the original, mine is a bit... well, I guess not-shiny or something like that would be the appropriate expression Any opinions on my staff modifications? I've made the model have parts stand out in the top part, if you look at the original... that'll make it kinda cooler I think, also this upper part, or as I'd call it, "head", is a bit smaller than the originals... I think it's more realistic, dunno, need your opinions! Aaaand I schould mention that @@CaptainCrazy and I are going to team up, if it turns out great I might even ask him to do all the sabers again with him making the concepts and me the models&textures... or maybe we could even split the work, but than I'll no longer name it MY weapons pack, it'll just be WeaponsHD @ I'm still counting on you for the bug testing, you'll get the misc saber pack as soon as I finish these sith weapons, but as stated above, I might decide to do them all again.

@@AshuraDX What about now, take a look. I've updated it with the 512x512 map. The 1024x1024 texture looks hideous cause it's overall too detailed for such a small model like a weapon. It's only nice to take it for a spec map, I'll leave the main texture at 512x512. Geez buddy I know you're probably right, but you just demoralize a bit everytime, you know that? Also, I tried to make it look like a 5000 year old weapon, so yeah... sorry if it looks a bit like stone... @@Circa you're also right in a way... but what about the staff being further out so it covers the blade width? I mean, if the part where the blade stands out looks (viewed from the top) more like a cube... you know what I mean?

@@Circa actually I will fix the model of the scepter. It will have... like openings so part of the blade can look out sorry but the original shape of the sword is just too thin for my taste, to me it never even looked like a sword schould. Not one that can be hit by lightsabers. Any objections? I tend to do my mods FOR the community, not really totaly to my liking. I just like to always be original. Ahh what the heck, I said I'd surprise you with the sword, but I'll just show you what my final skin looks like. @@AshuraDX I can show you the difference between the effect I tried to teach you back on the fifth page I think. For now I haven't applied it yet. Sith Sword:

Heh thank you! @@GraysonKale and because of guys like you, I'll keep doing them. I can't wait the day when I revise how to weight playermodels and start on doing them. But before that, all weapons are getting remakes, including guns. Also I think for that I'll learn how to model in another program, as Gmax is well, easy to use but too bugged in my opinion. It's good enough to do any weapons I like, but that's that. Once I release the two packs in the making, I'm gonna go and start the guns already, but also I'll take my time, maybe do a few other mods, just to see the feedback of those already released and do any bugfixing they're gonna need. If not, I'll just go and do the final touches I deem needed and release the "final" pack version, which would include every remake I've done so far and also my opinion then will be that nothing needs fixing anymore. That's still a long way I guess as I haven't got much time to do mods because of college. Sword is slowly getting it's skin, and so is the scepter:

Yeah though I'm posting a lot more progress pictures than drafts... Also today I'm going to re-update the first post again with all the progress I've made so far. Nice Idea though, if anyone wants to take the concept and maybe try on his own... or fix something. Anyway, my concepts haven't got too nice lines, but they show just the important details that are later seen and used on my model, especially the shape.. or overall look of the saber, I dunno how to put it really. I also know some drawing techniques and I could do them a whole lot better, I've been going to a course in primary school for 4 years, where we drew sketches, plans for various objects out of metal, wood and such, and later also realized them. Though I want just to get an Idea, a bit different design than the originals, so I doubt I'll be putting any more effort into those. It would be a whole different story if I wanted to make real-life counterparts... but that doesn't really help me modding JKA so, no.

I've just compiled them to gml and looked at the positions of the tags there (sorry I even asked what to do, didn't think of it sooner), though this is gonna take a few retries, I'll do it this way. I think I have to make the saber face left with the top, the right spike being on the tag_weapon tag and flash being where it is for the scepter. Update: Models are texture ready. Today I'm going to a huge party here in our country, tomorrow morning I'm going to start texturing those.

Allright I guess I can't argue that.. It's true black&red is quite a stereotype choice. Hm, now I need serious help. The two models are texturing-ready, but now I saw in the folder 2 md3 files, sith_scepter and sith_scepter_hand. Now, I can't look at how the tags are positioned and how to turn my own saber so it'll work together nicely... Those two are probably needed only in cutscenes, right? Like when Tavion is shooting out of the scepter or at the final battle light side, as she pulls the sword out of the scepter... has anyone any advice how I could easily do that?

Hehe well he/she's just given an example, let it be @ Though you're right too on the other hand... I never really played minecraft, I like the concept but... Dunno, it's just not appealing. Damn boxes everywhere. Anyway, a few screens today... These are just the models, I'll keep this and the scepter's textures a surprise for the release as I'm really going to put effort into it... this means also time, which I have a lot due to being home because of the eye. For now I have finished the sword, awaiting texturing, and modeling the scepter. I'll update as soon as I have something though I'm feeling a bit tired -.- Sith Sword: Sith Scepter: Guys, I've been thinking. Maybe overthinking, anyway... You're all probably experts as to how the engine in JKA works, is it possible that some people could have lagging because of my models and high-res textures? It's just something I'm utterly eager about. Also, any chance to bypass the polycount limit?

Yeah I'm slowly seeing again... @@Barricade24 It was nothing too serious at first, I was grilling for dinner and got a bit too much smoke into the face... the eye was still more or less ok then, the problems started yesterday when I suddenly couldn't see on the right eye, everything was blurry and also, when I woke up, my eye was... like glued together.. I'm a bit better today, went to the doctors immediately, he treated the eye perfectly and I also got eyedrops I have to use 3 times per day, control check in 1 week but I think there's no reason for panicking, soon I'll be tip-top okay. Okay and now off of my medical record, tonight I'm starting doing the two sith weapons. @@AshuraDX Yes that's why I play with the levels... and It looks gorgeous, I'll try to show it to you today as I'll be doing the sith sword and scepter. And yes, if I wanted to make textures seem painted, I also mainly use the find edges filter on a merged copy But the dust&Speckles is a nicer choice, as the effect is almost the same and you can customize it any way you need. If I need a quicker choice of dust&speckles, I use filter/stylize/facet Now you wonder why I'm telling you that. Explanation: I found that trick I initially told you about this way; I upsized the textures of the sabers to 1024x1024, zoom set to 66,67%. I first copyied the whole layer, sharpened and embossed it + desaturation (doesn't really matter, the effect just looks a bit cleaner). Than after that I made a copy of the original layer and applied the facet filter to it. At this point I went to compare the layers, and after a while I left the original layer, the facet one set to 60% and the emboss to 70%, also leveled the lightness a bit. The look of the effect was simply gorgeus and the pic looked like it was perfectly upscaled and sharpened. I'm gonna show you what I mean, of course at first it looks hideous, you gotta make those outstanding cracks/folds disappear.

Oh I'm sorry @@AshuraDX I use it only on my own drawn textures, it does add realism that way. It looks hideous if you use it on any other pictures, anything that isn't drawn by hand. For example, things that you've drawn with simple techniques, like lines... undetailed metal, such things. Or an upsized picture of anything gets the part of detail the normal sharpen filter lacks. I forgot to mention you need both layers, the sharpened one, copy paste it when it's sharpened and THAN use emboss and so on. But in case of an upsized pic, I also copy-paste it once more (under both layers, the sharpened and emboss one) and give it a facet filter. Makes image seem sharper, lines are nicer... you probably know what I mean Guys I'm sorry I had a major accident and I can't really see good with my left eye. That's why nothing's come up even though I said I will.. well today and tomorrow I get to stay home because of it, I hope I'll finish both my planned packs and send them over to @ by the evening tomorrow for testing.

Your work reminds me of my working style also, you know I read your whole thread about the starkiller model, you're just the same as me. You were posting mid-progress, asking for opinions, move verticles around... you can look it up here, I was doing the same and I haven't known about your work yet then Yeah a sharpened layer does the trick, but if you looked at the arbiter, it's like that because I've mistakenly downsized the texture to 512x512 and lost the original PSD. That's why it looks awfull in the pics on the first post. Anyhow I'll try to redraw it again, maybe looking a bit more toned like the original... the upper part silver and not black like mine is. ... AAAAND I'll show you what I do to get sharpness, it's one of my own routines I've come up. 1. I need everything I've drawn on one single layer, which means I merge them. 2. I apply filter/sharpen/sharpen (same as you, now I'd need to play with the opacity) 3. I apply filter/stylize/emboss at 2px height and 150% 4. I set the blending of this layer to overlay (or soft light, depends on which looks better) 5. if needed I use image/adjustments/levels so that details don't stand out too much Et voila! Try this out, it gives really a special realistic feel to the tex and it makes the sharpness a bit better than the classic sharpen filter.

Well as you wish the offer's still up though if you change your mind, I know you must think I meant to show you how to do quick textures... well I think if you used photoshop at least once, you'd know that yourself. I meant more like getting the textures to be crispier, more realistic, cohesive.. Nevertheless, yeah now that I took another look at your textures, they're custom drawn, aren't they? Than I think you really wouldn't neew my help as you pretty much know your way around But I believe I could still give you a tip or two, if you ever need them

Heyaa well it's finally weekend and today I've got some time for my dear JKA mods. Those of you interested, I've already started working on newer Kyle's saber and I've added a control box and two buttons to the reborn's stinger, I'm playing with the textures to get out the most of it, trying different shaders, you know... I'm trying to use the whole potential out of JKA's engine, I'll probably use anything it allows for my sabers to look good.. well, it's not like my options are that wide, heh Anyway, keep checking back, I'll edit this post with further progress pics, @ possibly you'll even get a pack for bug-search before I release it! maybe two! though I still haven't got a good idea on how to do the sith sword and scepter... gonna draw some things now and maybe post here for you to decide which way I'll remake them. Additionally, I have a question. Something's been bothering me. Today I found out JKA doesn't allow normal maps, though I'll be damned if it isn't true that once I KNOW I had a mod that used them... dunno if it worked, though, It was quite a few years back, can't remember. Well seeing as it schould look, I totaly agree. Actually it would look wierd any other way, to me at least.

Nicely said Circa and a good advice, the community doesn't exist just so others could request the hell knows what.. the mods won't be done any faster that way. Though some of us, like me, are pretty open to others and I'm willing to teach anyone anything I know if anyone wants to have a go at things on their own. That said, back on-topic, @@AshuraDX I'm using photoshop now for 12 years, I can pretty much do anything with it from a white new picture. So if you still need good texturing tutorials, I can teach you how to do nice fibers, how to balance them out to keep details, how to filter the picture... I've been a bit rusty when I started again doing mods, but now I'm back at full throtle I think. Anyway, just say the word. I hope you'd finish your starkiller model, as it's looking great so far and like an authentic JKA counterpart! In the mean time, guys I've been wondering, I've seen some starkiller models, mind pointing out the best one there is? It's just that I'd like to play a bit with it in SP