Black areas on custom character [FIXED]

[Impen]

I'll just get straight to the point. I've got this custom character modelled in Maya and NOT using Epics master skeleton. Everything works great except for these black areas that show up ingame (character creation screen works fine). I have a different model with the same problem.



Anyone got any idea what's causing this?

*EDIT*
The black areas are the parts of the texture the game thinks is supposed to be shoulderpads. Since we don't use shoulderpads it doesn't render the textures. We fixed this problem by following geodavs advice and use the two texturemaps from Epic for our characters. Thanks geodav and everyone else.

[geodav]

normally cause by not using the epic uvw setup as mentioned in my tutorials

[Impen]

These are the 2 2048x2048 textures, one for head and one for body, with specific areas for different parts of the character? I read yours and a number of other tutorials before I posted here.

I didn't model, rig or texture this character I only imported it into UnrealED so I could be wrong but wouldn't a singlecoloured texture work? I tried making 2 all red textures, each 2048x2048 and applied them to different MICs. I used one on the head and the other on all the other parts. I get the exact same result with these as I do with our original texture.

[geodav]

how is the character set up, eg single mesh or 2 piece mesh or multi part (epic) mesh.
this is important because the game creates the material from the named regions, this mean to use the full material area you must still have all the parts called in you ini file.
eg:- if you don't have a shoulder pad then that region will not be rendered (black areas)

[JaynaPavlin]

Maybe also consider a normals issue? Just a thought as you trouble shoot.



-Jayna Pavlin

[Impen]

Thanks for your input Jayna, but unfortunatly we already checked the normals and apparently they are fine :/

The character is 5 parts (head, torso, legs, arms and boots). It's using the skeleton and a physics asset from a 6th part which is the complete character as a single mesh. If you're wondering why it's because it seemed to work, that's all. Here's the code from CustomChar.ini:

Parts=(Part=PART_Head,ObjectName="CH_Bucket.Mesh.bucket_head",PartID="bucket_head",FamilyID="MDB")
Parts=(Part=PART_Torso,ObjectName="CH_Bucket.Mesh.bucket_torso",PartID="bucket_torso",FamilyID="MDB")
Parts=(Part=PART_Arms,ObjectName="CH_Bucket.Mesh.bucket_arms",PartID="bucket_arms",FamilyID="MDB")
Parts=(Part=PART_Thighs,ObjectName="CH_Bucket.Mesh.bucket_legs",PartID="bucket_legs",FamilyID="MDB")
Parts=(Part=PART_Boots,ObjectName="CH_Bucket.Mesh.bucket_boots",PartID="bucket_boots",FamilyID="MDB")
Characters=(CharName="The Bucket",Description="Custom Character",CharID="bucket",Faction="IronGuard", PreviewImageMarkup="<Images:UI_Portrait.Character.UI_Portrait_Character_TwinSouls_Male_Head03>", CharData=(FamilyID="MDB",HeadID="bucket_head",TorsoID="bucket_torso",bHasLeftShoPad=false, bHasRightShoPad=false, ArmsID="bucket_arms", ThighsID="bucket_legs", BootsID="bucket_boots") , AIData=(Jumpiness=-0.4,StrafingAbility=-0.2,CombatStyle=0.5,FavoriteWeapon="UTGame.UTWeap_RocketLauncher"))
ModFamilies=UTFamilyInfo_MDBucket.UTFamilyInfo_MDBucket

And here's the characters custom class:

class UTFamilyInfo_MDBucket extends UTFamilyInfo_Ironguard abstract;

defaultproperties
{
    FamilyID="MDB"

    ArmMeshPackageName="CH_IronGuard_Arms"
    ArmMeshName="CH_IronGuard_Arms.Mesh.SK_CH_IronGuard_Arms_MaleB_1P"
    ArmSkinPackageName="CH_IronGuard_Arms"
    RedArmSkinName="CH_IronGuard_Arms.Materials.M_CH_IronG_Arms_FirstPersonArm_VRed"
    BlueArmSkinName="CH_IronGuard_Arms.Materials.M_CH_IronG_Arms_FirstPersonArm_VBlue"

    NeckStumpName="SK_CH_IronG_Male_NeckStump01"

    PhysAsset=PhysicsAsset'CH_Bucket.Mesh.bucket_static_Physics'
	AnimSets(0)=AnimSet'CH_Bucket.Anim.BucketAnimSet'


    BaseMICParent=MaterialInstanceConstant'CH_All.Materials.MI_CH_ALL_IronG_Base'
    BioDeathMICParent=MaterialInstanceConstant'CH_All.Materials.MI_CH_ALL_IronG_BioDeath'

    MasterSkeleton=SkeletalMesh'CH_Bucket.Mesh.bucket_static'
    CharEditorIdleAnimName="CC_Human_Male_Idle"
	
}

"bucket_static" is not a static mesh just the character as a single skeletal mesh.

[geodav]

ok lets take this a bit futher

MasterSkeleton=SkeletalMesh'CH_Bucket.Mesh.bucket_static'

your master skeleton should be your rig skinned to a polygon (or a very small box)
to create your physics asset its best to use a single mesh with 2 materials

i still think your in-game problem is the uv mapping, if the black area's are in the shoulder pad region they will not be rendered.

if you want pm me a download link and i'll have a look

ps check your launch.log for any errors

[kobra_k88]

Check the uvw unwrap of the head mesh in maya. It should reside within the 1,1 coordinates.