Tips From Bin-Masta
For Using BinEdit

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Bin-Masta's Tool's of the Trade
Make Folders
Copy and Paste?!?!
Making Complex Bins
When Size Matters
Tired of Changing Bin-Edit Preferences between MTM and MTM2?
NEVER DO THIS
Instant Fiberglass
Fix That Ugly Truck Damage
Do You Think Bin-Editing Is Boring??

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Bin-Masta's Tools of the Trade

A Notebook of graphpaper and a Pen/Pencil

ð These are my most valuable tools.
ð I draw simple sketches, jot down numbers, write texture names, etc.
ð I couldn't remember 4 three digit numbers in my head if my life depended on it.

A TI-83 Graphing Calculator

ðThis is my second most valuable tool.
ð I use it when I need more than one vertex on a line that is constant in only one dimension.
ð I make 2 lists (under stat/edit) of the non constant dimensions of the already made vertices.
ð Then I find an equation for the points(using stat/calculate/linear regression).
ð I graph the line, and trace to the point that I want to make on my bin.
ð I then go back to Bin-Edit and make a new vertex with the 2 coordinates that
ð I got using the calculator, and the constant coordinate that the line follows.

Pictures of What Im Making

ð A picture says a thousand words.
ð When Im making a realistic bin, I like to have a picture (or more) of the real life counterpart.
ð Obviously it is easier to copy something from real life, than to try to make something you don't know much about. However, Its much more fun to make something from pure Imagination.

A Small +-*/ Calculator

ð I may be a genius in math class, but I still can't add in my head.

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Make Folders

With so many in-game bins, File Management can be very dificult. I like to make folders for each and every bin that I make. After I complete a bin, the final product moves out into the /models directory. This not only saves time, but sanity.

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Copy and Paste?!?!

Believe it or not, there is a way to copy and paste in bin-edit. Here are the simple steps

ð Save the source first
ð Delete (using CTRL+X) all of the faces that u don't want to transfer.
ð Delete all unused vertices (option is under vertex menu)
ð Insert (option is under file menu)the bin which the source is being pasted onto
ð Save new bin as a DIFFERENT name.

Although technically not copy and paste, I use this technique all the time.

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Making Complex Bins

When making complex bin (over 100 faces), I find it easy to do several small bins, and insert them into the main bin.

ð Make the basic cubistic part of the bin first.
ð Jot down the range of the place where the small bin is going. For example:

x is either -150 or -320
y is between 500 and 700
z is between -6780 and -8100

ð Make the small bin with all components in the given range.
ð Save the bin (select NO when asked to center y dimension).
ð Open main bin and insert the small detailed bin

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When Size Matters

Size only matters when you are having sex... I mean when you make a bin, make all the coodinates of the vertices multiples of 10 or 100. After the bin is done(and it looks good), Resize the bin to accurate dimensions.

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Tired of Changing Bin-Edit Preferences between MTM and MTM2?

Ive been converting some of my MTM bins to MTM2 format, and I got tired of changing the folder options in preferences each and every time. I suggested to OP that Bin-Edit should have saveable preference schemes. He shared with me a much easier technique. We now have 2 Bin-Edit programs in different directories with different preferences and different taskbar shortcuts.

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NEVER DO THIS

MTM2 has a glich. When the edge of a texture is used on a face of a bin, an ugly line will appear on the edge of that face the same color of the sky. To prove my point, simply look at the barn in Farm Road 29. But in reality you can see this problem almost everywhere. Especially when an mtm1 bin is used in mtm2. So here is my advice......

ð Never Use The Edge Of A Texture On Your Bins' Faces
ð Always map inside of the texture.
ð Never just assign a texture to a face without mapping.

So, in conclusion....THE EDGE OF THE TEXTURE IS BAD

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Instant Fiberglass

If you didn't know, I invented fiberglass trucks in August of 1998, and it annoys me that I never get credit for it. Well anyway, here is the easiest way to make fiberglass objects. This method will not create fiberglass objects with thickness, but its an easy way to get started. Simply follow these directions.

ð open the bin u wish to fiberglassize
ð Select all faces
ð Flip all selected faces
ð Insert the bin that u just opened a second ago
ð Merge close vertices
ð Delete all unused vertices
ð Enjoy!

Note: All this does is make faces double sided.
ð It doesn't cut wheel wells.
ð You have to figure that out yourself.

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Fix That Ugly Truck Damage

If you haven't noticed, truck damage never quite works right. When a truck gets banged up, a hole is sometimes created. Even on the stock trucks this happens. Well, there are 2 possible reasons:

ð The first reason is that there were faces next to each other that appear to be connected, but really weren't. In this scenario, you must redo the faces so that they really are connected.
ð The second reason is that there was a four sided face that had one of its corners pushed around in the truck damage process. The limp four sided face will dissappear when viewed from certain angles. The solution to this problem is simple to understand, but not so easy to manipulate. Replace all four sided faces subject to truck damage with triangular faces.

Everybody should know this and put this knowledge to good use. It will make truck damage look less like swiss cheese and more like......a big dent.

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Do You Think Bin-Editing Is Boring??

Well, It can be at times. Thats why I always listen to music when i make bins. You can listen to anything u want, but i suggest something fast and hard. Techno. Techno is good bin making music. Juno Reactor is my favorite. If you don't like Techno, try some metal. Just don't make bins listening to something depressing like Jewel.

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