MM2/ZMod Discrepancy.

[Azbestos8]

Hello boys & girls.

I've been having an especially annoying problem with ZModeler & Midtown Madness 2.

In ZModeler, my vehicle is fully textured, and nothing is missing. However, in Midtown Madness 2, certain parts of the car are untextured.

Previously, I created a "!patch.ar" containing a 24-bit alpha-less *.tga copy of the original texture, and that solved it, but even that doesn't seem to work now. And the funny this is, I've previously built another version of this car which seems to be working trouble-free, on a different basename of course. I'm also certain I haven't made any ameteur mistakes such as using conflicting texture names, I'm testing this vehicle on a blank installation, but I just have no idea what the problem is.

Much thanks in advance for any help.
Az.

[Franch88]

Have you saved the .tga files without the RLE compression? If you notice a bad look of those textures in-game, it's given because you've saved them with the RLE compression.
Instead, if the texture isn't showed making the model part where's assigned invisible, it's given because the same texture it's already used for another material; here a topic about this problem.
Also, if the part is white instead of textured, it's just a problem of the texture file name, different than the one that you've used in the ZModeler material, or because it uses unicode characters.
If this don't help, please tell more showing an in-game picture of the problem.

[Azbestos8]

Have you saved the .tga files without the RLE compression? If you notice a bad look of those textures in-game, it's given because you've saved them with the RLE compression.
Instead, if the texture isn't showed making the model part where's assigned invisible, it's given because the same texture it's already used for another material; here a topic about this problem.
Also, if the part is white instead of textured, it's just a problem of the texture file name, different than the one that you've used in the ZModeler material, or because it uses unicode characters.
If this don't help, please tell more showing an in-game picture of the problem.

- I haven't used RLE compression.
- Nothing is invisible.
- There are no unicode characters.
- BUT the part does appear white.

I thought it was something to do with duplicate textures, but I have another version of this car, which this is based on that uses duplicate textures without a single problem, it's confusing. I'm really lost for ideas. I already read that topic. Tried the TEX tool out of desparation, but it didn't do anything, but I read on MM2C that Maxoff's *.PKG filter might solve my problem, but that doesn't seem to work for me for some reason, I've tried it with ZModeler versions 1.05, 1.06e, 1.07a, 1.07b. According to the readme, it's good for versions 1.06b & up.

[Franch88]

BUT the part does appear white.

If it's so, it's given because there's no texture assigned to one of the car's materials in ZModeler, or, because one of the textures has been renamed or doesn't exist anymore in the Texture folder, and so it isn't found. The white color that you see is the white color of the material. Opening the .z3d file or importing the .pkg file of the car you can see if it's all ok with the materials/textures.

If you want that I give a look, so I can see what's really the problem, PM me.

[Azbestos8]

I've checked all the textures, it appears fine in ZModeler. But I think I may have cracked it. After comparing this version of the car with the original, I've noticed differences in texture names.

In the problematic car the textures are named as (e.g.);
tex_1c0
tex_1c1
tex_1t0
tex_1t1

Where as in my original, the names are;
tex_1c0
tex_1c0
tex_1t0
tex_1t0

I've tried renaming through ZModeler 1.x and 2.x without success. Well... I successfully renamed them, I'm not retarded, but during exportation, they seem to be renamed into the problematic format.

[Franch88]

The problem should be because there's a texture with the same name assigned to two materials, and when you export it as .pkg it, the second one got renamed from tex_1c0 to tex_1c1, and since in the Texture folder there isn't the texture called tex_1c1, the second material results white, or better, without texture assigned; anyway, this doesn't really happen when the .pkg file is exported, because on the second material the name of the assigned texture there isn't anymore.
But if I don't see how's made the car, I don't have a clear situation. If you want to give me the car file, I'm sure that I'll solve the problem.

[Azbestos8]

Unfortunately, I'm not permitted to redistribute it, because it isn't ALL my work, and I don't think the author would appreciate it, but thanks for all the help anyway.

What I can't get over is the fact that my first edition of this car, never had this problem.

But, thanks again!

Edit: your picture reminds me, I don't suppose you know if there's a Fiat 500 available for MM2?

[Franch88]

It's ok for me. For last thing, what I suggest to do is to check the .pkg of your car with the File Browser tool of the MM2 City Toolkit program; with it is possible to see all the materials of the .pkg file, allowing to change or put the textures file name to each material in a very easy way. That's what I was going to do.

Unfortunately, I'm not permitted to redistribute it, because it isn't ALL my work, and I don't think the author would appreciate it, but thanks for all the help anyway.

Yeah, I know that the 3D model isn't yours and that they're only private conversions, if you mean the cars which you posted some screenshots in the website gallery section months ago.

Edit: your picture reminds me, I don't suppose you know if there's a Fiat 500 available for MM2?

There's only an old Fiat 500 for MM2, the newest one still not, but one is actually in progress.

[dummiesboy]

If it was made using ZM 1.05, you can export with duplicate textures. What's odd is that 1.07 doesn't support duplicate textures. To fix the problem, delete the duplicates, and re-texture the parts that were affected.

[Azbestos8]

AHH! Thank you guys for the help, I think that solves the problem.

I think it was due to the fact that my first *.z3d > *.pkg was through ZMod 1.05, I didn't think I had the time to re-texture, so I restarted the conversion with the chopping and what have you.

I didn't think you remembered me Franch! I've just only recently managed to get my hands on that locker, so I've decided to work on these projects in my spare time, where I left off last year.

[Franch88]

If you edit a .z3d file saved with an old version of ZModeler using the latest one, you have to check all the materials and their textures assigned.
With the PKG filter of Maxoff for ZModeler 1.07b is possible to export .pkg files with no problems if there are more materials that uses the same texture. This thing is useful to have reflections to some parts and to don't have them to some other parts by using two material, but always the same texture file; with this, the .ar file results less big because there's no need to make a copy of the same texture file for the other material (this works only with the Maxoff's PKG filter).
After deleted the double material that uses the same texture, of course you have to assign the other one to the car parts that used the doubled one.

I didn't think you remembered me Franch! I've just only recently managed to get my hands on that locker, so I've decided to work on these projects in my spare time, where I left off last year.

Yeah, I know also that you have the .ar files locker program, got from Maxoff. I hope that you'll release some of your conversions, after having asked the permissions of course.

[Azbestos8]

I've actually had permissions for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo8 since early last year, I've released a test-release at https://homepage.ntlworld.com/az5135/ it still needs quite a lot of work. I wasn't too sure on the site's policy about submitting test releases so I thought I'd hold off until I was nearer to a final.

But back on-topic. I don't why now. I usually use 1.05final and 1.07b, easily switching between versions, but I just wanted to be sure of the route cause, so it can be avoided in future, and maybe referenced for others.

Edit; problem solved using MM2CityToolKit, thanks again for the help Franch much appreciated.

This is what it was for; https://img16.imageshack.us/img16/6307/drifth.jpg I'm working on a little arcade-style drifter for MM2.

[Franch88]

I've got and I'll test your first conversion release; that car looks good in-game.

That's all Azbestos8. With the File Browser tool of the MM2 City Toolkit is possible to fix, change and set the used texture for any paintjob, allowing to get the .ar file less big without use the copied textures and creating also interesting features. It's also possible to regulate the reflections intensity to each material and is possible to color them too.

[Azbestos8]

Yeah! It's one useful peice of kit, I'm suprised I've never seen that side of city tool kit, I've used it once or twice, but I rather sheepishly assumed it was only for cities. In my time, I must've made ~200-300 projects easily (you'll be suprised to know), and I've always made-do with ZModeler.

Edit: I accidentally deleted the *.PSD for that skin sadly. It wasn't finished, but I was quite proud of it. Haha, did you see the "Honda-Penis" thing?

[Franch88]

Interesting number of projects. If I had more time I could well made more than 100 convertions projects (only the 3D model and textures parts).

I accidentally deleted the *.PSD for that skin sadly. It wasn't finished, but I was quite proud of it. Haha, did you see the "Honda-Penis" thing?

That's bad, but actually that paintjob looks very nice. Yeah, I've noticed that write.