gamophyte on 5/4/2019 at 14:38
Quote Posted by Soul Tear
Cool textures solution! DrK's style. However, with this approach, all the textures on the level should be processed the same way, otherwise it will look bad, disharmonious.
Thanks, I am not sure what I'm going for other than, basically I understand the photo-real textures at the start look too washed out. So I give them more contrast and darken them to "gamify" them. I think Drk's are more cruchy and burny if that makes sense, but I get what you mean. I will have to do a walk through many time to spot outliers breaking format. But honestly so far, just getting them to the same darkness and contrast, has worked well.
Most of my screens here are brightened by 40%, so the advantages I'm getting for the place to be dark is missing. When all said and done, it's mostly going to be lit by moonlight, mushies, and if the player wants to light some torches... or light their perm flair. So it will be pretty good I think, but not stressing on it too much, as I'm finding limitations in finding textures. Like painted ceiling beams from this era, I may have to make my own from photos but so much time has already been spent this way.
gamophyte on 11/4/2019 at 04:51
Just finished the second floor ceiling of the front tower. It was a lesson in texture alignment, and maybe took a little too long when I realized the way I started was illogical. It is part brush, part object, and pretty efficient.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/YUqXGhg.pngThe hole in the ceiling is going to be populated with non physical decorative boards to help it look more real and not so round. I'm laying off of it for now until I know more about what the floor above is to be like.
I've been playing around with a ivy generator plugin for sketchup as well. I'm still trying to work out how to get it to look okay enough, but not cost so many polys.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/QRz3zUa.pngWhat you saw there was still nearly 2000 sadly, and, I'm having issues with the inside vines are rendering in front of the leaves. But the plugin that does this makes a lot of component models so I think this is the reason. I will try "normalizing" them all to one model to see if that helps. When all said and done the main vines outside won't have many leaves, and will be thicker, so that will save some polys. If I can find a poly cheap method I plan to use these vines and ivy as a way to have some lighting in places that aren't lit otherwise, by adding vhots where I will attach glowing flower bulbs. What color should I go with? Was thinking something that added contrast the blues of the sky and the browns of my crungy area.
The generator is finicky and uses sliders for most of its attributes. For all the trouble it's very cool that I can export the world-rep from Dromed, import it into sketchup, then have this ivy crawl over it, so that object will custom fit the nooks and crannies of my brush work.
gamophyte on 28/4/2019 at 03:24
Hello normies. I was going to not update unless I had a good package or round up, but I stopped working on this for a bit while I scramble to move to Austin TX whilst looking for a job as well. I believe I found temporary provisions for both, so the search is still on and heavy.
The last point I was at was exporting the tower's worldrep to OBJ so I can do the finer details of the coal burning fireplace.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/Ex0UEWh.pngI red outlined the what would be the brush work primitives, then I can model around it with it in a separate ‘component' that I can delete and export the pieces.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/4j8tbeB.pngI really really enjoy this part of building. Because I can perfectly custom fit objects. There will be secret compartments and other blending of object and brushwork. Take those side air flow vents on either side of the real world fireplace; I can cut an air brush into where there they are, export worldrep, then virtually fill it with the object. So you have the hinge vhot door of the vent open and have something inside.
There is also new things I'm learning when making custom textures, such as, utilizing the repeating overlay layer FX in photoshop.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/jMWid1s.pngI realize with this level detail I'm going for in both arenas, the project will be slow going. But I believe it's worth it. At least in Austin I won't know anyone for a while and it will be all about working on this mission :)
Aemanyl on 28/4/2019 at 08:39
Gamophyte, inspiration for you:
[video=youtube;HitAtndOsWw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HitAtndOsWw[/video]
gamophyte on 28/4/2019 at 09:53
psshhh see now I have to scrap that whole area because I won't be able to convince you that I already thought of this ;)
Jokes aside, this was one of the more rememberable scenes that impacted my little kid brain. Really odd how I remember it being a more real creature than it really appear to be. They just like, wrestled. LOL.
gamophyte on 20/6/2019 at 15:52
Okay the hiatus on this project is almost done. I took a break to focus on finding a job in Austin, as my first opportunity that seemed 100% sure, fell through. I'm still looking, but I have some great temporary contracts. What's great about them in regards to this project, is that I can actually open dromed on my laptop and work on my mission, at work. I haven't yet as I'm training people but when I'm just to be on hand I can start back on this. I am always too tired when home to open it up, as I have to drive a lot just to get to this contract job.
There is also a prospect I'm going for that allows me to work from home, the idea is that if I get it, I can actually work on my mission between calls - which is like, a dream come true. I would like to pump this project out, make it good and fun and start on my "City of Lost Children" style mission I put on hold. I'm glad I did, this project has taught me so much, that I have a more realistic view of what I can do when I go back to city building. Side note, it may or may not now have the cathedral from Mont st michel as originally planned. The Patriot campaign did such a good job at reproducing it, I almost feel like I'm ripping them off in a way.
Now back to this project; With the latest NewDark patch, there are things I can now do, that I had to throw away. Also there was an AI that I had planned that had "dead lights" from it's POV, so you have to stay out of it's view. I didn't think it was possible, but now seeing it done in the war bot in The Patriot, I'll implement it. It was for an area that was very dark and you had to keep dodging moving beams of light from the AI - which gives a very spine tingling sound if it finds you.
The previous method of making vines are just not going to work out. Just making them twisty enough on the lowest poly setting still makes too many polys. I am going to try to look into the google sketchup plugin source to see if I can hack in making the vine 2d. We'll see. I may just the 3d vines sparingly as to poke out of all the other grass and bushes every once and awhile.
Finally, I'm pleased to see there was an actual floor plan released for the chateau I'm basing this on, finally showing inside places that I didn't ever find reference photos for. I got over trying to be too precises in mimicking the real place, but it's nice to see a new degree of accuracy I can have if I want it. Cheers.
gamophyte on 23/6/2019 at 01:57
It's been a busy weekend, lots of things I had a-ha moments about. I redid some things and finished the outside chimneys (for the front tower).
I connected the respective chimney to the coal fireplace on the second floor - of which I finally finished. Well I say finished, but there's likely to be small changes before release.
The fireplace grate opens a little, but I'll have to redo the sound so that it doesn't sound like a door. There is no gameplay involving the chimney connection, or grate, as of yet. Could implement something later but nothing planned other than giving the player that "this is a real place" feeling - for now.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/iXcR6VL.pngLike in my source photos there will be pile of debris in this room, and will partially cover that stone tile part of the fireplace. It was hard to make the paint transition to crusty wall. I am not 100 satisfied with it, but will roll with this for now.
I'll finish with outside light-bright shot of tower chimney. It's a cluster of three cylinder brushes, like a 3 leaf clover, then capped with an object to make a detailed top. Brushes, because you can look down in it and drop stuff down it.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/BiUoSjc.png
DarkMax on 23/6/2019 at 07:28
This looks great. Good to see the progress, too.
gamophyte on 9/9/2019 at 20:06
As I mentioned in the "What are you working on RIGHT NOW - T1/2 Dromed Edition" thread, I've switched gears from trying to complete a single room for "completeness inspiration", and went for more bulk brush work. It was a constant nag in my mind, as I moved around objects to get them retro-fitted, that large portions of the place were just not done.
I can appreciate why now, you may want to do such details near the end. I realized the "keep going" feeling was more potent if I had the place actually laid out.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/WwJlrKc.pngAs with always with screens this early, I am aware that the textures are not orientated or aligned correctly. In fact these are nearly all are placeholder textures, to remind me of the different parts. Most are going to be replaced with unique moldering/ruined textures. I'm still not 100 percent happy with the main brick. I have to be choosy because it will be varied into tons of other textures based on it; some darker, more blemished, etc. Also redistributed to object elements that need the same texture or a variation.
I think I already said this but I gotta say it again, I'm really loving the brush "OP" settings.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/fQsc5vG.png I am using it more than I thought I would, especially when trying to copy real life architecture. You definitely have to get some of those crazy windows and room alcoves. It's actually fun to use it to tackle problems of making a shape without cutting into other existing shapes. Like, I had the two window slits established earlier, but to not cut into it with triangles (window shape base), I needed to flood around it. Then evaporate, then water back to solid.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/tjeF2dX.pngInline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/IftUABd.png(images don't show every step, not meant to be a tutorial)
I happy to say that I've been working in Dromed daily now. Hopefully I can keep it up.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/wuOX40P.pngThe only downside, now having tons more architecture added, is the burden of working with a source image/building with angles that I cannot recreate in Dromed. This means a lot is pushed down as I imagine the diagonal lines straitened out. See the inner walls? I can't make angles less than 22.5 if I were to stay with the grid.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/dZXCST3.pngIt's not just stretching, it's internal items not meeting up right. I have to readjust a lot, to see where sacrifices can be made. I wish I knew how to have warped the image straight before I started the place. I tried a little after to be honest but I didn't know how to do it. I puppet warped in photoshop but it would just blur up details I need and it was so tedious.
Anyway that's all for how. Here's some new screenshots that, are okay, but I can't wait until I can show more complete overheads of the whole place. I may do at least the front once the final textures are chosen. I may post some sooner if they are interesting. Maybe some scary lighting shots.
Inline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/m3pxivH.pngInline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/C0UgEFO.pngInline Image:
https://i.imgur.com/RvO5Eao.png
PinkDot on 9/9/2019 at 20:32
Quote Posted by gamophyte
The only downside, now having tons more architecture added, is the burden of working with a source image/building with angles that I cannot recreate in Dromed. This means a lot is pushed down as I imagine the diagonal lines straitened out. See the inner walls? I can't make angles less than 22.5 if I were to stay with the grid.
Have you tried using combination of cubes and wedges for getting these odd angles and trapezoid shapes? This way brushes can stay at right angles. To get the windows at odd angles, you could do the same - cube for most part and wedge(s) to make the openings look perpendicular to the walls. And since it's a medieval ruins, you don't need to be super precise.
The project is progressing in an interesting direction overall.