Home Trending Latest threads New posts Developer diaries

[REQUEST] Creating and Importing Model A-Z Tutorial

Jump to latest Follow Reply
  • We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Cities: Skylines 6597 Support & Bug Reports 474 Suggestions & feedback 3279 Modding & Resources 1954 Official Information & Announcements 154 City Journals and Let's Plays 503 Cities: Skylines Console & Windows 10 Edition 1118
D

D41V30N

Private
1 Badges
Mar 13, 2015
12
0
  • Cities: Skylines
Can someone with adequate experience in 3D Modeling software (e.g. 3Dsmax) create a tutorial where they model and import an entire structure/building from start to finish (possibly in video format)? To elaborate further, these are the specific features I'm expecting the tutorial should include:

  • Opening 3D modeling software and properly setting the properties (e.g. scale, axes orientation) to suit Cities:Skylines asset editor specifications.
  • Creating a simple 3D model (e.g. may even be a single colorful cuboid), possibly with textures.
  • Loading the 3D model into Cities:Skylines Asset Editor.
  • Placing the asset in the game.

It would help out a lot of people out there if someone can create an elaborate guide like that.
 
I have done two streams on it already. All though not short nor cut in any way, as it was a live event.

Making a tutorial in short form on the other hand will most likely be a while until I can do.

In the first stream I modeled a very simple and thoroughly ugly house. No talking though as it was a test to see how my connection would keep up and I wasn't set up completely with a mic and all.

The other one I did yesterday goes through all the hurdles, pitfalls and mistakes all the way from finding reference on what to model, to the modeling and texturing itself, to the final glory moment of seeing it in-game.
 
I just put up a video myself covering this (Blender to Skylines building). Thanks to help from the community (in another topic) and some good ole fashion trial and error.

You can find the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ShfdBv-mF4&feature=youtu.be
Not perfect, and that mic can be a little annoying. But it does go from complete blank project to successfully importing! Also I think sometimes I fudge up saying object/edit mode when I meant the opposite. Helps if you have Blender experience already... otherwise just look at the dropdown box to see which mode I'm in.
 
yea i would appreciate it a lot if someone can make a tutorial for sketchup. in my case, i cant change textures in substance painter and nothing works properly :(
 
D41V30N said:
I'm not familiar with Blender either. Try to listen to what he says and find the tool he mentioned using the internet :).
Click to expand...

I already have the tool, and i could keep up with him (more or less) untill he gets the "painting" onto his model..
Really have no clue on how to do that. When i try to import the model into cities it wont work, probably because there is nothing there to show.
 
I don't think it warrants a thread just yet, but these are my processes using Sketchup and/or just 3dsMax. The latter of which; using just Max, is detailed in the following:

  1. Create the model as one normally would, using 3dsMax. Texturing is no different than for any other model.
  2. Finish creating the model. All modifications to the model must be complete at this point. It's time to start the export process for Cities: Skylines!
  3. Click Render, then Render to Texture (hotkey "0"). Scroll down to "Output". select Diffuse, Specular and Normal maps. I would recommend that the maps be 1024x1024.

    Follow workflow A. or B. if a step is noted as such:

  4. A. Click "Unwrap only".
  5. B. If certain textures are too small in the render (e.g. a detailed sign) you can go the model's "Modifiers" tab and click "Unwrap UVW". Take note of the map channel. Set it to 2 if it isn't already. Under "Selection" (still within the "Unwrap UVW" menu) click "Polygon". Finally, click "Open UV Editor", select everything, and flatten the UV map (under "Mapping"). You are now free to move the corresponding parts of the UV map around and resize them, according to your needs.
  6. B. In the "Render to Texture" window, under "Use Existing Coordinates" select "Channel 2".
  7. Make sure your output (under "Selected Elements Common Settings") is set to .jpg and take note of where you are exporting these UV map images to.
  8. Click "Render"
  9. B. Collapse the "Unwrap UVW". Right click the modifier in the menu to the right and select "Collapse To".
  11. Go to the "Utilities" tab and select "Reset Xform" then click "Reset Selected".
  12. Finally, go to "File" > "Export" > "Export Selected" (be sure your model is selected in the viewport and that it is the only model in the scene).
  13. In Windows Explorer, go to "C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Colossal Order\Cities_Skylines\Addons\Import". Add your .fbx and those UV maps/textures you had made earlier to this folder. Rename both the .fbx and the UV files to any desired name, so long as the UV files have the exact same name (case sensitive) with the addition of _d, _s, _n etc. for their respective use as diffuse, specular and normal maps.
  14. Start the game, navigate through the Asset Editor. Once you've selected a lot to create or modify, you should see your model in the list at the left. Select it and play with the orienation tools. I recommend increasing scale by 100%.
  15. If the textures aren't quite to your liking, simply modify them in an image editing program and reload the game.
  16. Have fun with your one-of-a-kind model made with your own tears, sweat and blood (well, hopefully none of the latter)! :p


Using Sketchup and 3dsMax.

  1. In an image editing program, create your diffuse, bump (normal), specular etc. maps. Make sure they register properly when overlayed. (Note that greyscale bump maps work in place of true normal maps).
  2. Save your maps as the same size I would recommend 1024x1024 for most applications. Make sure they have the same extension (I use JPEG).
  3. Make a new material in Sketchup using your newly created diffuse map. Be sure it is the only texture in the entire scene with the exception of the default material on backfaces.
  4. Delete all groups and components. The sketchup model must be a single object.
  5. Import the .skp file to 3dsMax.
  6. There will likely be two groups in the scene. Click "New Scene Explorer" under "Tools" and delete the second group.
  7. Select the remaining group; the model you had created. (It should appear no different after deleting the second object in the scene).
  8. In the modifiers tab, select "Unwrap UVW". Right click this modifier and select "Collapse To".
  9. Go to the "Utilities" tab and select "Reset Xform" then click "Reset Selected".
  10. Finally, go to "File" > "Export" > "Export Selected" (be sure your model is selected in the viewport and that it is the only model in the scene).
  11. In Windows Explorer, go to "C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Colossal Order\Cities_Skylines\Addons\Import". Add your .fbx and those UV maps/textures you had made earlier to this folder. Rename both the .fbx and the UV files to any desired name, so long as the UV files have the exact same name (case sensitive) with the addition of _d, _s, _n etc. for their respective use as diffuse, specular and normal maps.
  12. Start the game, navigate through the Asset Editor. Once you've selected a lot to create or modify, you should see your model in the list at the left. Select it and play with the orienation tools. I recommend increasing scale by 100%.
  13. If the textures aren't quite to your liking, simply modify them in an image editing program and reload the game.
  14. Have fun with your one-of-a-kind model made with your own tears, sweat and blood (well, hopefully none of the latter)! :p

I'd like to give a big thanks to all of you who had helped me out with 3dsMax and Cities: Skylines importing. I could of never got here without your assistance! ;)
 
Last edited:
dazappa said:
I just put up a video myself covering this (Blender to Skylines building). Thanks to help from the community (in another topic) and some good ole fashion trial and error.

You can find the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ShfdBv-mF4&feature=youtu.be
Not perfect, and that mic can be a little annoying. But it does go from complete blank project to successfully importing! Also I think sometimes I fudge up saying object/edit mode when I meant the opposite. Helps if you have Blender experience already... otherwise just look at the dropdown box to see which mode I'm in.
Click to expand...

WOW Thank you so much!

To everybody who may have had issues following this tutorial, I am going to try and make a much more comprehensive one while using this one as an example for myself. (It will cover super basic modelling in blender as well)
 
Last edited:
taette said:
yea i'm using substance painter. i import the fdx data like you in your video but then i cant change anything. i see the model but i cant change materials and so on.. :)
Click to expand...
Well that's a good start. If you can see your object it means it has a UV map.

How does the UV map look? (you can toggle between the viewer modes with F1-F3).

Make a fill layer and change the color. You're telling me nothing happens ?
 
Vampiro_nl said:
I already have the tool, and i could keep up with him (more or less) untill he gets the "painting" onto his model..
Really have no clue on how to do that. When i try to import the model into cities it wont work, probably because there is nothing there to show.
Click to expand...
Hello, if you have audio muted I imagine it would be quite confusing to follow. I tried to speak each hotkey I was pressing, but in general it does assume some Blender experience. The other thing I would advise is to watch at 1080p and watch the mouse closely. Particularly in regards to putting the texture on the model as you had trouble with. To import the image, I went to the upper right corner and clicked on the "texture" tab. It shows tooltips when you hover over each button. Then hit "New" if a texture doesn't already exist. Then click "Open" towards the bottom a bit under the "Image" category. For unwrapping the model, I split the view in two. You can watch in the video when I say this, I right click just above the animation editor at the bottom and hit "Split area". Then in that new window on the right hand side, in the bottom left of the window I click the icon of a cube and select "UV/Image editor".

I think for someone with little to no experience this might work better as a text/image tutorial. I'm thinking about writing one up on the wiki (if it'll let me).
 
taette said:
yea
Here i made some screenshots:
Imgur Gallery

thank you in advance! :)
Click to expand...

It's a bit hard to tell without seeing the polygon outlines in the UV view. Might look like the entire model is unwrapped so each polygon takes up the entire UV area. Would you mind sending me the model? I can have a look at it in both LightWave and Painter. PM me a download link.
 
Last edited:
There is no mention of size or does the model have to be a combined model or can it be peices. There are things left out of this tutorial. I'm not using 3dsmax and instead maya before I am forced to go to max. I cannot get the fbx exports to show up 99% of the time in the import list. The names there but nothing shows and it won't let me continue. The units are in meters, outside of the material which i figured I could do after wards, what else could cause the model to just not show or be useable on fbx export?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back