I was wondering in what version was baking materials implemented and exactly how do you do it? I did a search but couldn't find anything on the subject.

sometime in v15. Or was it 13?

for v15f there was this addition

http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?s=&am...st&p=302364


the option is in a right-click menu in the model window.

Thanks robcat

Not v13... at least v14 but I think it was the early version of v15.

*fuchur*

I hate to ask a dumb question, but, I'm not sure exactly how baking works. Does it take all the images and decals you have applied to a model, and save them out in textures, with all the lighting and such applied?
Because if so, this would be great. If I'm thinking right, I can just create materials, add decals, then save them all out to a texture that maps to an exported model?
Also, how long does it take to do this? Is it something you wait to do until the last and just let it go for hours?
Thanks.

I had to try "baking" (15F 15J+, PC) in order to see. (right click in model window, shift click on bake surface for options)

What I think? I found out is that baking a surface only incorporates decals that have been applied to a surface and combines/remaps all of them into 1 image/map. It does not seem to merge materials?

EDIT: it does incorporate materials as well - I musta done somethin' dum - see following posts

It seems to generate an image for color, specularity, spec size, ambiance intensity, bump, transparency in the same directory as the project is saved. It creates a new decal container in the model for the baked maps (called BakedSurface), that contains all those types. The image/maps are a tiled type UV map - so its difficult to see what area on the model maps to what area on the image. You can see the mapping that is generated by choosing EDIT on the BakedSurface decal container right click menu

It does not bake lights (did not try in a chor)

I had a little difficulty with the shift click option - as it wasn't clear to me how to set the size/resolution of the maps to be generated. Values of 10-18 resulted in a resolution of 512 x 256, resolution of 20 - produced map size 1024 x 512, resolution of 100 - produced 4096 (the max) - the larger the resolution, the longer it took to generate the images - but it was a matter of seconds in all cases (for simple case - only 1 decal container - might take longer for more? - I doubt it).

I used a margin of zero. More than likely one could then go into 3D painter with this mapping to refine.

The best way to see what something does - is to try it of course.

@Nancy
Yeah, I found some other posts about this. And, for what I am doing, it sounds like exactly what I need. If I am loading an exported model in Dark Basic, I can have different images, or maps, for different things. Diffuse, opacity, specular, and bump. I was hoping that if say, I build the FW190 model in the tutorial, and just apply color and some material properties and some decals, I could "bake" it, and it would save out all the images I would need to load up in DBPro as textures, or, even better, have the .x file do it for me. In code, I would turn on bump mapping. The main thing I was wondering is, does the uvmapping remain intact.
I will play with this, this sounds exactly like what I need to do. Render and bake a very highly detailed model, and, apply those images to a lower poly model for faster real time performance.
I think I'm starting to understand this.
Thanks.

Perhaps its not all materials that can get baked? - I tried an environment map material, gradient material with a decal surface (that had been baked) - and that seemed to work - however when I had originally tried a checker material - that didn't seem to get baked with the decal. Could have been something I did?

EDIT: Just tried a checker material - seemed to work (with an already baked surface - I rebaked)

So I must have done something silly? pretty neat! - works with many materials and many decals - but I would have a little concern about the seams - not quite always right

all I am hoping for is I can say apply a basic color, and maybe assign a metal material, like aluminum, then stick some decals on it, and, hopefully, a green tinted aluminum type texture with a decal of the German Luftwaffe on it. And after I bake it, I end up with the images to apply to my model in DBPro.
Am I thinking right on this?

edit:
and, my thinking is, if you have a bump or normal map, could you just bake with ambient light, and, in DBpro, the normal map or bump map would provide further shading via real time lighting?

I am not familiar with DBPro and how it deals with A:M models and A:M's UV maps. So I can't address compatibility.

Baking in A:M does not produce a normal map - even if you had applied one (I'm almost sure this is true).

You would probably have to use the plugin to create a normal map - bake it as a color - then change the type to normal in the baked decal container (all in A:M) - then go into DBpro

Like I said - best way is to try it - create a simple test case sphere type model - apply some decals, materials - try baking, go into DB pro and see what happens

ok, I'm off to experiment!
Thanks!