editing textures on a static mesh

[legacy-GalloPinto]

I'm just building my first level. I have several rooms lit in funky colors, and above the lights a static mesh from the humanhardware package lights section. The problem is that even the light is obviouslt coloured, the "light" mesh stilllooks like a white light.

On the map "plunge", static "light" meshes have been changes in colour to be the same colour as the actual light, so I know it's possible. Does anyone have any ideas?

[PointlesS]

sm's properties>display>skins and add the appropriate texture

you may need to add more than one to get to the right parts of the mesh...if say the part that you want changed is at the third slot...if so then leave the first 2 blank with the third one filled

[legacy-Apophis3d]

Easy fix, its called special lit. Add another light and make it the same color as the main light and set it to special light in its properties. Also do the same for the static mesh set it to special light and it will take the color of that light and the rooms main light wont be effected.

[legacy-GalloPinto]

Originally posted by Apophis3d
Easy fix, its called special lit. Add another light and make it the same color as the main light and set it to special light in its properties. Also do the same for the static mesh set it to special light and it will take the color of that light and the rooms main light wont be effected.
I don't think tthat'll work, because the mesh is self-iluminated with that color. But I guess it's worth a try.

[legacy-Apophis3d]

special light will make the mesh only get lighting from the light that is also set to special light.

[legacy-GalloPinto]

Originally posted by PointlesS
sm's properties>display>skins and add the appropriate texture

okay, that sounds good. Am I supposed to type in a path to a new texture? I don't understand exactly what to do after I've opened prop's>displ>skins

[legacy-Apophis3d]

no you dont go to skins you got to its lighint propertys for both the light and the mesh and set to special light. Make sure you made a copy of your main light in the room and set it to special light. What special light will do is only light meshes that you assigned the special light tag to.

[legacy-GalloPinto]

okay, I'm pretty sure pointlesS was right. I opened up DM-Plunge and looked at the properties of a similar static mesh there. Where he specified to add skins, there was added: "Shader'awcity.Lights.PurpleMod'" or "Shader'awcity.Lights.YellowMod'"

EDIT:
it made it purple, but it also applied a texture meant for a different mesh, so it was completely screwed up.

[legacy-Apophis3d]

yeah those work also, special light will work too if the shaders arnt quite the same color as your light. Or you can just make more shaders ;) Theirs alot of ways to do the same thing within unreal ed :)

[PointlesS]

special lit won't make any difference...if say the mesh has a blue colored lightbulb texture and he needs to make it brown...and you add a brown light...it'll still look blueish reguardless if it's special lit or not...


best way really would be to export the texture into photoshop and change the color...reimport it an add it as a skin...

for the skin part click on the add button...then have your new texture selected in the texture browser and hit use...that'll change the actual texture on that model only...if say for example you click add once...then select your texture and hit use...and it changes a different portion of the mesh...click on the clear button...then click the add button again and then use...keep doing that until you find the portion of the mesh where you want to change the texture

[legacy-Apophis3d]

OH lol I did not catch the part where he wanted the light bulb itself a different color. Thought he ment he wanted to tint the mesh itself a blueish color.

[legacy-GalloPinto]

trying to understand pointlesS is pointless. I'm just getting more and more confused:(

I liked what he said about exporting to photoshop. As soon as I see photoshop on my monitor I'll be back home on the road I know.

As soon as I start exporting and editing textures, I'd have to distribute texture files with my maps, though, right?

[PointlesS]

when you import the textures just save them in myLevel...myLevel is an internal package that get saved inside the map file so when you hit the save map button...it saves everything inside myLevel...do not save the package itself...just save the map...this way you don't have do deal with extra files

[legacy-GalloPinto]

so, where do I find MyLevel? Is a pre-created folder somewhere or do I need to create it?

[legacy-Zach]

Originally posted by GalloPinto
so, where do I find MyLevel? Is a pre-created folder somewhere or do I need to create it?
No, he was just saying to use "myLevel" as your package name because by doing so, it ("it" being texture, model, brush, animation, whatever) will get stored inside the map file instead of own separate package file.

Whether or not this is a good idea depends on your intent. For a static mesh, personally, I think it would be better to keep it separate so that you can easily use it in other maps. <shrugs> For textures, same thing.

See the MyLevel (http://wiki.beyondunreal.com/wiki/MyLevel) page on Wiki for more info.

[legacy-cwv_odedge]

like PointlesS stated, "myLevel" is actually part of your map file. When you import the texture, under "Package", type "myLevel". You can add a group if you want to organize it more and a name (no spaces). When you hit OK, the texture is added inside your map file.

But,you need to have that texture being used in your map before you hit save. If you don't, you should lose the texture. If you want, just create a little additive or subtractive brush, texture it. Now you can save the map file. Do this if you will add it later to a static mesh or something like that.

You will never want to save an external package called "myLevel.utx". This is a no no no no no! When you need to look at the texture in the browser, just open up your map, then go to the Texture browser, click open and type "myLevel" in the package filed. It will look inside your map for any textures and show them.