Modeling/Texturing

Okay, I know we have a few 3d modelers and texture artists onboard, so I think it's about time we made a list of assets that need to be modeled/ textured. So far I can't think of much, but here's the list. Feel free to help add on to it.

Assets to be Modeled

-Rocks (stuff found on the ground, such as boulders and the likes)

-asteroids (large, small)

-Mineral formations* (crystals, etc)

-stilactites/stilagmites (also any other odd ocks for caves)

-Function Parts for TE


Textures

Textures for these things will be needed- please makre them as hight quality as possible- they can always be downsized.

-ground textures^A_B^C

-sky textures_B

-textures for modeled assets_B^C

-lightning, clouds, atmospheric phenomena_B


Creature/Tech Textures

We don't yet know exactly how we are going to wrap textures onto creatures, so we should hold off on making them any dedicated texture maps. Techs should be colored by their makers.

*real ones, please- don't make up your own
^A make tilable
_B make available in grayscale and in color
^C include normal map/bump map

Info on Texturing

I wonder if for asteroids we couldn't use a procedural generator? Think about the bloat factor "Every single asteroid in the universe is unique"

I think skies should be postponed until we decide what sky model the graphics engine will use. Some newer stuff allows for really stunning sunsets and such stuff would be wasted.

So we have no polygon limit yet? Should we say 2000 poli's max for our rock and crystal formations? That offers high quality and can always be reduced later.

Gotrol wrote:

So we have no polygon limit yet? Should we say 2000 poli's max for our rock and crystal formations? That offers high quality and can always be reduced later.

Try to keep them pretty low poly- good texture mapping can make a world of a difference.

As for skies- yes, it does depend on what engine we're using. I kind of forgot about that. We'll probably only need a few different asteroids, I'm guessing players won't be exploring them tooo thoroughly.

Allright, how about a limit of... 50 polys per formation. That should keep optimising.

Gotrol wrote:

Allright, how about a limit of... 50 polys per formation. That should keep optimising.

50 recommended, 200 max.

Keep in mind that with the proper tools you can optmize a high poly model into a low poly one with ease.

Djohaal wrote:

Keep in mind that with the proper tools you can optmize a high poly model into a low poly one with ease.

You can also make a low-poly model higher poly with subdivision and smoothing, etc.

~sciocont wrote:

Djohaal wrote:

Keep in mind that with the proper tools you can optmize a high poly model into a low poly one with ease.

You can also make a low-poly model higher poly with subdivision and smoothing, etc.

Continous detail, yes, but not fine detail like a textured surface that looks like a keyboard magically turn into a keyboard.

One question, what format should our models be in, or we still dont know because we have no engine?

Gotrol wrote:

One question, what format should our models be in, or we still dont know because we have no engine?

I really don't know, but most modelers can save in a varety of formats.

For instance extentions like .lom need porting to work under directx, so it may get confusing between different versions of 3dsmax and other programs not exporting right. It wouldnt hurt to do the models now anyways, just that we need to decide what are the requisites for the final model.

quick question
We can use blender as the modeling program right?

I've never used it before, but, as long as it has at least some crossover formats with 3dsmax (as I assume this is what most people use) it will be fine.

http://www.file-extensions.org/3d-studio-max-file-extensions

A list of formats (extentions) from 3dsmax for you.

It can export as a .3ds file which is the main one for 3d Studio Max

Then, by all means, go ahead and use it. its good stuff then!

(50 polys is ideal remember! )

50 POLYS GOT IT

Blender is a good choice, since it's free. Personally, I use sketchup, which normally only exports .skp files, but i can modify them to be collada files, which are read by pretty much everyhting.

thats why i picked blender Freedom!!

I use sketchup too, but for anything more serious its 3dsmax for me =)

Gotrol wrote:

I use sketchup too, but for anything more serious its 3dsmax for me =)

A little expensive for me. I rely on the internet to give me free stuff (legally, of course: I'm not into piracy- people should get what they seek when they create something good.)

You are absolutely right, I like free stuff too!

3dsmax is one of those programs you pick once for a very loooong time! Thats why is stick to it

Quote :

which are read by pretty much everyhting.

Be aware that openGL has no mesh importer. It will all need to be hard coded. Someone will have to write a serious parser.

Sooo... yea, no DirectX for us, ahhaha should've guessed that before.

roadkillguy wrote:

Quote :

which are read by pretty much everyhting.

Be aware that openGL has no mesh importer. It will all need to be hard coded. Someone will have to write a serious parser.

Thanks for the heads up. I'd think someone would have written one for openGL before us though. It seems like a very useful thing. Talk to Bashi about it.