Clarification of TXMTs

[jasonduskey]

I have a pretty good idea how to switch out opaque TXMTs for transparent (glass) TXMTs. I've tried the same thing to make a shiny metal TXMT into a matte one, but I couldn't get the object to appear correcty. I'm assuming there's more involved than simply replacing the TXMT. What' the entire procedure?

In the simplest terms possible, my understanding of the TXMT is that it links a subset of the GMDC to a texture. It's also the resource that tells an object "be shiny" or "be glassy" or "be opaque". Is this correct?

[Sophie-David]

I think your definition of a TXMT function is exactly right. There is a good discussion of the TXMT here (http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=35769) - it gets really interesting from Page 4 onward where they get into EnvCubes, reflectivity and opacity. Essentially the EnvCube is just a secondary built-in texture that can used to overlay your object's native texture. The EnvCube overlay is not coincidental with the native texture as the camera rotates around the object, so the EnvCube appears to create a reflective surface.

The shinyness of your object would most typically be controlled by the EnvCube values and texture. If you lower the values or set reflection Off in SimPE's EnvCube section (the last tab of the TXMT, right near the top) that should remove the shinyness. I'm probably telling you nothing you don't already know...

[Pixelhate]

Some interesting bits in the WIKI also...
http://www.sims2wiki.info/wiki.php?title=TXMT

[jasonduskey]

Okay, I'm starting to catch on. With a matte subset the Environment map looks like this:
stdMatEnvCubeBlurFactor: 0
stdMatEnvCubeCoef: 0, 0, 0
stdMatEnvCubeLockedTo Camera: false
stdMatEnvCubeMode: none

Whereas with a shiny metallic subset it looks like this:

stdMatEnvCubeBlurFactor: 0
stdMatEnvCubeCoef: 51, 51, 51
stdMatEnvCubeLockedTo Camera: false
stdMatEnvCubeMode: reflection
stdMatEnvCubeTextureName: reflectionkitchenhighcontrast-envcube

So if I wanted to maintain the reflective quality, but tone it down a few notches, could I change the coefficient value to something in the neighborhood of 15-20?

[Sophie-David]

Yes indeed. And yes, the parameters you've listed look appropriate. There is some debate about whether to use stdMatEnvCubeLockedToCamera or not. I usually leave it off. It does give a more intense effect (hard to describe) and might be more appropriate for jewelry.

There are many object that can benefit from a little EnvCube, it livens them up at bit. You do see this in Maxis objects too. As I look around my room here its surprising the number of objects I can see with a reflective sheen. The painted walls, woods, metals and some plastics, but also books and CD cases. About the only thing I can say for sure at the moment is that the carpet doesn't have it.

What I've found though is that it takes a bit of experimentation in various ambient light levels, which can be frustrating at times, trying to settle on a reference level for the room lighting.

[Pixelhate]

There are other values for stdMatEnvCubeTextureName which can give interesting reflection effects:

reflectionbronzenonlit-envcube (dark orange)

reflectionbronze-envcube (light orange)

reflectiondarkgold-envcube (darker gold)

reclectiongoldnonlit-envcube (med tone gold)

reflectiongold-envcube (light gold)

reflectionsilver-envcube (silver)

reflectionsilvernonlit-envcube (darker silver)

reflectionsparking-envcube (black to red)

outdoordaytime-envcube (outdoor texture day)

outdoornighttime-envcube (outdoor texture night)

gothlivingroom_01-envcube (brown)

reflectionkitchenhighcontrast-envcube (good for glass)

reflectionkitchenhighcontrastonyx-envcube (blue)

reflectioncubecityscape-envcube (city texture)

fencemoroccangate-envcube (weird orange)

swimming_pool-envcube (swimming pool texture)

neighborhooddesert-envcube (desert texture)

neighborhood-sky2-envcube (sky texture)

nightreflection2-envcube (night time texture)

reflectionoutdoorwater (water reflection)

sidebluelights-envcube (blue texture)

skymap-generic-day-envcube (sky texture 2 mostly blue)

skymap-generic-day-highres-envcube (2 shades blue)

skymap-generic-night-envcube (real dark blue)

I don't know if we can create reflection-texture envcube or replace them (I don't know where they're located).
But I can be an interesting way of experiment..