SCS Blender Tools 2.4.1 (v8) (unofficial update)

[Michaleczeq]

Due to long lack of updates adding new features, I made my own SCS Blender Tools unofficial update (based on version 2.4.1), that adds support for newer shaders and features.

Be aware. Latest version require minimum Blender 5.0!

Important changes:

Update to Blender 5.x!
Release v8 adds support for Blender 5.0.
Release v7 adds support for Vulkan backend
Release v5 adds support for Blender 4.4.
Release v4 adds support for Blender 4.2 LTS and 4.3.
There are a lot of changes due to this, so please report any bugs/problems.

Support for "dif.spec.amod.dif.spec" shader
Same as dif.spec with one more texture which overlay with base texture using mask.

Shader will just overlay second texture using mask texture mixed with vertex color alpha. Vertex color alpha is divided on two parts that factors can be controlled by Decal blending factors.
Vertex color alpha with value 0 will apply the most and value 0.25 won't apply overlay at all. It can be controlled by first Decal blending factor.
Vertex color alpha with value 0.5 will apply the most and value 0.25 won't apply overlay at all. It can be controlled by second Decal blending factor.

Example usage of this shader are adverts on tarpaulin, where texture of rope or other holes/hooks is applied over base texture and it can't be done with only vertex color alpha.

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Support for "a" flavor in "shadowonly" shader
Flavor enables alpha test on shader, meaning surfaces will be transparent where opacity value is greater than 0. Opacity is donated by base texture alpha channel.

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Support for "tsnmapcalc" flavor
Same as "tsnmap" flavor, but used when two normal maps must be used.

Example usage: prefabs and roads that use two combined together materials, both with normal map.


Support for "interior.lit" and "interior.curtain.lit" shaders
(without proper "interior mapping" effect)

Similar to "window.lit" but with better depth.

There is also additional UV_1 responsible for perturbation of reflection on glass. By default every vertex is mapped to top-left corner. Moving UV vertex position of specific glass pane, move reflection.
"curtain" version uses additional over texture, that allows you to set texture of curtains.
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Support for "baked" shader
This shader is intended for LOD models, where multiple different shaders from multiple objects are baked together on one plane.
Instead of attributes, this shader use Diffuse, Specular, Shininess and Env Factor as textures

• Base: Base texture mixed with diffuse
• Over: Shininess (R) and Specular (G) textures (shininess attr/255 = R)
• Mask: Env Factor texture (linear color space)
• Mask_1: Texture mask responsible for Base Paint Color ("paint" flavor only)

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Support for "lamp.anim" shader
This shader is intended for vehicle animated lamps, where specific lights turn on in sequence eg. sequential turning lights in Renault-T.

• Sheet frame size: Defines size of single frame on U and V axis in mask texture, for specific color channel
• Mask, Mask_1, Mask_2, Mask_3: Defines light textures for specific color channel from def (R,G,B,A)

Support for "Custom" company Spawn Points
This function allows you to set custom depots in prefabs using locators, like using "Company" tool in ME. So far, limited number of predefined Spawn Types without possibility to change trailer lenght and type have been used.

Whats more, I decided to visualize it a little bit, and because of that, "Custom" locators are now better marked and it should help a lot with work.
Depending on Trailer Lenght, Depot Type and Parking Difficulty, marking change his lenght and color.

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New Visibility Tool for glass reflection
Special tool, that allows you to disable reflection effect on glass, on interior shader.
Visualization is available only in "interior" shader, but this tool should works also on other similar shaders with env factor effect like "window" etc.
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Updated "tg0" and "tg1" to new format
Flavors "tg0" and "tg1" have been updated to new version (from float2 to float4), and now you can use rotation inside them.
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Support for new Vehicle Lamp mask UV tile
In one of the recent updates, a new UV layer was added to the current Vehicle lights system by splitting the fourth layer into two.
New description:

• original texture - front left side of vehicle
• first texture tile - front right side of vehicle
• second texture tile - rear left side of vehicle
• third texture tile - rear right side of vehicle
• fourth texture tile - middle left side of vehicle and DRL
• fifth texture tile - middle right side of vehicle and DRL

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Changelog:
(v8):

• Updated tools to Blender 5.0
• Added support for new UV Tile (5) in Lamp System + changes in 4th tile
• Added auto remover for "diffuse_secondary", "is_dynamic_road" and "is_terrain_material" material attribute (not supported in current material format)
• Tweaks in global nmap flavor (removed B channel support and forced 2-channel group node)
• Added preview for "tsnmapuv2" and "tsnmapcalc" flavors.
• Added few new FriendlyTags for nmaps
• Added 2 new settings (by default ON) to control automatic activation of parts when added, or when new variant is created.
• Added interactive icons to SCS Parts to inform which part the object is assigned to. Clicking on such an icon will act as an Assign button.
• Changed error text when texture attribute is not set (From "Texture file doesn't exists" to "Texture is missing")
• Changed default Factor color for "piko.alldir" from 0.0 to 0.5
• Increased reload_icons interval a little bit (for faster systems to prevent not loading icons on first start)
• Fixed "defaultpart" part that was always being added to every imported root even if not exist
• Fixed Preview Model not working correctly with some paths
• Fixed Preview Model not reloading preview if type was changed
• [v8.1] Fixed error when importing/exporting .pia files
• [v8.1] Replaced old context property "user_properties" by "properties"

Changelogs and download for previous versions are available here:
Update (v7) - Blender: 4.5
Update (v6) - Blender: 4.4
Update (v5) - Blender: 4.4
Update (v4) - Blender: 4.3
Update (v3) - Blender: 3.6
Update (v2) - Blender: 3.6
Update (v1) - Blender: 3.6

To distinguish official version from my edited, plugin version has been changed (".X" added at the end, where X is unofficial version) and author (me) has been added.

Installation: Download package from my GitHub using link below, unpack it and replace official io_scs_tools with downloaded.

Download (v8.1) - Blender: 5.0+

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If you appreciate my work, you can send me a donation via paypal:

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[Schumi]

@Michaleczeq Thank you for work! As far as I know the “interior.curtain.lit” shader requires a Conversion Tools update. Without Conversion Tools update this shader as well as some others are useless.

"eut2.dif.spec.mult.dif.iamod.dif.add.env" and "eut2.dif.spec.mult.dif.spec.iamod.dif.spec" these shaders are not supported by Conversion Tools and Blender Tools either.

In “lamp” shader, swap “ENVMAP” and “SHADOW”. After that you will not need to make shadows for headlights

“Fixed upside-down reflection in env shaders” shouldn't have done that, tell me how to put it back?

[Michaleczeq]

@Schumi
About interior shader. It now works only as "import only" :/ (I edited #1 post to not confuse users anymore)
Conversion tools works well here (I tested it with model data edited "by hand"), but for now, my BT version can't export some important data, and because of that, it not work properly (after export and convert in game you can saw a lot of "text_coord_2" errors). I cant' export for now UV1 which is responsible for glass reflection move/perturbation? (idk how to name it). You can saw it when you try import SCS model. There is not assigned UV_1, with "dots" in left-top UV corner. I can't assign it in shader_presets to any texture, because that UV don't use textures and it's not used in mat files, so I must think how to resolve it in other way.

From what I see, "eut2.dif.spec.mult.dif.spec.iamod.dif.spec" IS supported in BT and in CT also. I don't see only "eut2.dif.spec.mult.dif.iamod.dif.add.env" that I can try to add. It also should be supported in CT

Thanks for catch. I fixed it locally. By the way, maybe I try also add that new lamp anim shader when I will work here.

First of all, I trying to fix as much as possible with this interior shader, so when I will have more fixes/updates, then I release newer version.

[Schumi]

@Michaleczeq Thank you. Please answer this question
“Fixed upside-down reflection in env shaders” shouldn't have done that, tell me how to put it back?

It would be great if you add support for the “eut2.dif.spec.mult.dif.iamod.dif.add.env” shader. I really need it to fix the refueling for my Real company logo mod

Looks like the developers fixed something in this shader “eut2.dif.spec.mult.dif.iamod.dif.add.env”, because after it appeared CT didn't support it

[Michaleczeq]

It's only visual change in reflection texture in blender - I occurred problems on a lot of models with reflection on glass, where reflection was upside-down (below is comparasion), so I changed that part to fix it. You can revert it and check yourself.
Maybe there is something in model (not in shader, thats define it. If that cause problems on other models, I will revert that change.
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Hard to say. I don't test that one, but "(...).iamod.dif.spec" should works. CT (1.18) exported it without any errors.
If you have, you can also give me names of SCS models that use that material, then it will be easier for me to add it

[Schumi]

I'm having this problem with the “truckpaint” shader.

This model uses the shader “eut2.dif.spec.mult.dif.iamod.dif.add.env”
/model2/gas_station/gas_price_gryfoil_01_de.pmd

[Michaleczeq]

Yup - I checked some models, and looks like it depends on normal data or something else, and because of that some (new) models have upside-down reflections. I revert it then.

[Schumi]

Thank you

[Schumi]

@Michaleczeq
I remembered another shader that is not supported by BT “eut2.baked.spec.add.env.tsnmap.day”
It can be found in this model /model2/gas_station/gas_price_gryfoil_01_de_lod1

[Michaleczeq]

Thanks.
Yesterday I made that fixes from your previous posts, and I added support for that "(...).iamod.dif.add.env" shader, but idk for now, when I push it on Git. I want firstly fix a little that "interior" shader.
I will try to add that shader also, but I don't guarantee anything.