plastic Posted April 3, 2003 Share Posted April 3, 2003 this is a small tutorial how to change the color of RPC cars with 3dsmax and autodesk viz... first you will need this free plugin: http://www.cuneytozdas.com/software/ColorCorrect/ColorCorrect_v204.zip read more about it here: http://www.cuneytozdas.com/software/ it's a material plugin that allows to change the hue/saturation, brightness, color balance of any map in the material editor. it's a great tool, because there is no other way to change the hue of a map, for example. now, if you want to change the color of a RPC car, just load the RPC material into the material editor (with the 'pick material from object' eyedropper icon), and wrap the rpc bitmap into a new 'color correct' map. step by step for newbies: --- you should see a multi/sub-object material, with only 1 sub material. open the submaterial slot. (click on the button with the car name on it) you'll see a standard material with a rpc map in the diffuse color slot then. (blabla.rpc) now replace the RPC map with a new map: 'color correct'. a dialog will pop up, asking you to discard or keep the old map. choose 'keep the old map as sub map'(!!) --- now you can tweak the rpc map. to change the color of the car use the 'hue' and 'saturation' spinner. it reacts like the photoshop hue/saturation tool. works perfectly to change the color of cars, since cars have only one prominent tone usually. with people this technique won't work well, because it will also affect the skin color. that's it, have fun update: quick example...the original RPC color is blue. [ April 04, 2003, 05:58 AM: Message edited by: plastic ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quizzy Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 This only works with RPC3.4.... Right Marc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plastic Posted April 4, 2003 Author Share Posted April 4, 2003 Originally posted by quizzy: This only works with RPC3.4.... Right Marc? the version i used is 3.2.6.0 with 3ds max 5.1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quizzy Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 And the same goes for trees, you can create your autumn collection yourself: The only thing is: there are the same amount of leaves on the trees.... ah well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisus Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 Marvellous marc! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Mottle Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 There is one problem with doing this however. Becuase the Hue control affects the entire bitmap if you have a red car with red tail lights they are also affected. IE. you get green tail lights if you chnage the hue to green. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quizzy Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 Hey marc, post a picture of the rears of the cars.. I would like to see that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisus Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 Maybe this can be masked out in some way... Imho the creators of rpc have a job to finish nisus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Mottle Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 Hey Nisus I spoke to the guys ay ArchVision about this and it's not simply a matter of just changing the color of a few maps. I think an undertaking of this nature is quite complex and would require the stop in development of other advancments as it is so difficult. Originally posted by nisus: Maybe this can be masked out in some way... Imho the creators of rpc have a job to finish nisus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 Hey Nisus I spoke to the guys ay ArchVision about this and it's not simply a matter of just changing the color of a few maps. I think an undertaking of this nature is quite complex and would require the stop in development of other advancments as it is so difficult.That sounds like a bunch of horse-cookies to me. Did they go into any detail as to WHY their special way was so much more complicated than the most logical way to do what they do? Whether its maps or shading geometry, each is fairly easy to change. What else could it be that would NOT be fairly easy to change? Can you see the tense meetings where they had to choose the color for the PT Cruiser--"come on, people, we only have ONE chance to get this right!" If there is any criticism to be leveled on RPC its the low diversity of content. Obviously they are adding more all the time, but if they cannot see that there is a problem with putting all yellow VWs in a parking lot then there is, well, a problem. Also, there are times that you don't want such bright, colorful, entourage. ArchVision really needs to figure out how to allow some control of content. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisus Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 Imagine the following: - spending two months of R&D to change the color of existing products - spending two months of adding more models to the collection Which one will generate more money? (hint: Not the color-change as this is to make existing custumer more happy. Definately the second one where more contect is sold...) nisus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 - spending two months of R&D to change the color of existing products - spending two months of adding more models to the collection Which one will generate more money?This is making me crazy. Suppose I told you it would take me two months to model a block of flats. Wouldn't the logical response be "well, it shouldn't. What are you doing that makes it take so much longer than it ought to?" And before I buy their products what do I do? I come here and ask the rest of you what you think. It is very hard to keep getting new customers without pleasing the existing ones. This is not a product catagory that has a huge sea of humanity clamoring to buy it. Maybe they have sights on the Hollywood crowd, but I think there are fewer of them than even architectural artists. Their budgets do tend to be bigger, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisus Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 well... I don't like rpc... not for the technique, but especially not for their price... nisus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quizzy Posted April 6, 2003 Share Posted April 6, 2003 my opinion: if you would buy a pencil for instance. with some pencils you can play darts, with others you can't. but don't blame the manufacturer of the pencil you can't play darts with it. Its just a bonus if you can. You all know what you bought the pencils for don't you... As for RPC's, you can make a nice autumn version of trees (as shown above). Or tweak the RGB levels in the output to get a more lively view. You can even change the colors of the cars (tail lights = )with a little help from the color correct plug. But this is all done by people who wanted more out of the RPC plug then it was designed for. If you want a dart, don't modify a pencil to get one, just buy a dart!! my 2 cents Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted April 6, 2003 Share Posted April 6, 2003 You can even change the colors of the cars (tail lights = )...But this is all done by people who wanted more out of the RPC plug then it was designed for...If you want a dart, don't modify a pencil to get one, just buy a dart!! quizzy:I think realistic cars ARE what RPC cars were designed for. But having all cars of one type being the same color is NOT realistic at all. So where do we go to buy the multi-colored cars from RPC, rather than making 'a dart from a pencil'? I think I take things that are not logical too personally. This car color thing is obviously making me act nutty. And I don't even use RPC stuff. OK, back to work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingo Posted April 6, 2003 Share Posted April 6, 2003 Just curious, are these crappy cars empty, or are there some with people (mean drivers) in them ? And if not how do you put them into the cars ? So many questions, so little time ingo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Mottle Posted April 6, 2003 Share Posted April 6, 2003 You can use the sittng people collection and put any of them in the cars. Originally posted by ingo: Just curious, are these crappy cars empty, or are there some with people (mean drivers) in them ? And if not how do you put them into the cars ? So many questions, so little time ingo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plastic Posted April 7, 2003 Author Share Posted April 7, 2003 i agree with all who think RPC's suck. i'd never buy one of their people or plants collections. but i don't know any other way for cars. the thing is, i need cars. and i can't just photoshop them in, like trees and people. so if anyone knows an alternative for good cars, please tell me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingo Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 Wasn't there something like lowpoly cars available, carphotos mapped on lowpoly objects ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigcahunak Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 Yes there were, Ingo. Marc, here are your links: http://www.lowpolygon3d.com (.max or .3ds) You can get their great free sampls (.3ds) You can also buy their products collections on Turbo Squid, which is more expensive. Another one is http://www.geo-metricks.com which looks even "cheaper" on polys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingo Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 Thanks, that was what i meant. I specially like the collection of 24 different flying soucers, very useful for interior renderings :ebiggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisus Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 If you want a dart, don't modify a pencil to get one, just buy a dart!! Presuming a pencil costs 0.5€, a pencil-dart 10€ and a dart 2€: why do people by pencils to play darts with? (ok... enough rpc-hatred now) About lowpolygon cars... I love them! BUT first time I've seen them on turbosquid: 35$. Next time i turbosquidded: 75$ (that's when I ordered the first pack). A month later 85$... Surprisingly half a year later on lowpolygon3d.com (with special opening prices) only 10$... Imho this extreme pricing pollecy sucks bigtime!!! Anyway... as I said, I still like the cars... Changing of colors is possible too btw (with simple RGB-curves)... rgds nisus Anyway... this brings up some old thoughts about a new poll again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigcahunak Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 Originally posted by nisus: quote: If you want a dart, don't modify a pencil to get one, just buy a dart!! Presuming a pencil costs 0.5€, a pencil-dart 10€ and a dart 2€: why do people by pencils to play darts with? (ok... enough rpc-hatred now) About lowpolygon cars... I love them! BUT first time I've seen them on turbosquid: 35$. Next time i turbosquidded: 75$ (that's when I ordered the first pack). A month later 85$... Surprisingly half a year later on lowpolygon3d.com (with special opening prices) only 10$... Imho this extreme pricing pollecy sucks bigtime!!! Anyway... as I said, I still like the cars... Changing of colors is possible too btw (with simple RGB-curves)... rgds nisus Anyway... this brings up some old thoughts about a new poll again... Why didn't you buy it directly from them? They are from Finland you know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nisus Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 The website was NOT available at the time I first fall in love with their models... I still got prints from the turbosquid page with the pricings btw, so if you want me to check the date... rgds nisus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quizzy Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 Originally posted by nisus: Presuming a pencil costs 0.5€, a pencil-dart 10€ and a dart 2€: why do people by pencils to play darts with? thanx nisus that was just my point... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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