ART - Environmental Models

[Vaaish]

you can post the models as you finish them or upload them to the FTP. I really should start a thread to put all the links to the model files.

[mad menno]

Here's a bench i modeled and textures it has 128 tri's, there can still be deleted a couple is camera angle does not come below the seating.

 

Greets

[Vaaish]

Here's a bench i modeled and textures it has 128 tri's, there can still be deleted a couple is camera angle does not come below the seating.

 

Greets

 

Looks good so far,

can you change the framework(legs ad braces on the back) to a metal texture or change the uv mapping so that the wood grain goes lengthwise instead of across it?

[Jenksie]

This is my first model, The poly count is at 250, its quite high because of the shape of the bulb section. Criticism please

 

 

http://www.clan-server.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/1092568738.JPG

lamppostlj.zip

Edited August 16, 2004 by Jenksie

[Breunor]

That's a good design for the light post, but since you'll rarely see it from the bottom you can go in and remove any faces that face the bottom. For the bulb I'd use a simple geosphere design to reduce the count there, also because you won't see much of it. The main post can be 8-12 faces around, don't know how many you used there. But I wouldn't worry about a really extreme poly count though. Are you using Milkshape 3D? If so, check out the DirectX tool, select the entire model then open the tool, lets you reduce the poly count using a slider that's very handy. Once it starts visibly deforming your model, just bring it back a tick. Very easy compared to welding verts manually.

 

Perhaps we can work on piecing together some terror site sections here. The idea is to start with the basics, and attach the model to your post. Then the next person can download it and add in their own models. Pretty soon we should have some completed sections.

 

I see 2 categories for the standard city block terror site, the street section and the building section. The current plan is to make the site from modular sections of models. Each section is 15m square, with each block being a 2x2 setup. I will try to get a street template up and running if this doesn't make sense, and then people can create items to add to this template. The hope is that we will have a variety of building models, which can be plugged into the template with code to create a variety of good town layouts. I think having the town template will help people make models to the proper scale as well, so I hope to put something together by the end of the week. (just got a dvd burner, busy playing with my new toy!)

[Jenksie]

Thanks for the tip. I'm new to milkshape so didn't know about that tool. Its worked quite well. I've got the model down to 160 polys, and it still looks ok. Can you reccomend any sites that give more detailed info about the tools in milkshape?

[Breunor]

http://www.swissquake.ch/chumbalum-soft/ms3d/tutorials.html is the tutorial page on the Milkshape site, the first one listed is quite large and very good at covering all the bases. Some shortcut keys that can speed up modelling: the function keys let you switch between tasks, like moving and rotating, while 1, 2, and 3 let you toglle on/off the X, Y, and Z axis. I find it's quicker to use those keys for repetitive tasks than to move the mouse all over the place. I'm glad that tool worked for you, 160 is fine for the count on that item.

 

You can also select and group certain faces together, especially if the material varies. Say the faces on the glass part of your light compared to the metal faces. You select the glass faces, go to the groups tab on the right, and select regroup. Name it glass or something like that, then adjust the material settings so it's transparent. Then when a texture is applied, a light source in the lamp will still shine through.

 

Happy modelling!

[Altair]

Its been a while since i last posted a model.

 

School's started...

 

Here's a table lamp. Not the best job around, but hey, its only worth about half an hour of work.

 

24 polys, aka 48 triangle faces. Better textures are welcome. =)

 

Cheers

tlamp01alt.zip

[Vaaish]

looks good to me.

[kafros]

Simple is beautiful AND powerful! Edited September 19, 2004 by kafros

[mad menno]

Hey people, i am back from a long time and learned a lot especially wrapping and texturing. I let some creativity lose on UT2K4 and made a mesh that also sweets this game.

 

But i like to know how mutch has been done of the evironmental models. Can someone throw some light on what things i can try to make. cause i realy wanna help out (i hope i am good enough).

 

Anyway here is my ventilation shaft/tube it has 161 tri's and a texture of 512*512.

Shall i upload it?

 

Greets

[mad menno]

Is it correct that i read here somewhere that textures in PSD (Photoshop) format is welcome? or is it only PNG? Anyway i got a self made tyling texture dunno if you could use it though. So sending just some a jpg for the screeny.

 

Here are some of the same.

 

-EDIT-

OOps.... First does not tile.... but if you like i can make it tile it is a big file though

 

Greets

metal_plates_256_256.bmp

Edited October 10, 2004 by mad menno

[Vaaish]

Mad menno: you are free to make almost anything in the environmental category. Right now this section really hasn't been nailed down and we will need lots of prop items as well as buildings and other field pieces for battleview.

 

I'd like to get the models in 3ds or obj format for archiving with PNG textures though if you want to include the PSD it would be nice.

 

Our primary focus ATM is getting the aliens modeled and skinned up if you think you are up to it and you want to help with that let Fuxor666 know and he can get you hooked up with the models.

 

 

BTW the model looks good. Are you scaling them to the base block?

[mad menno]

Hey mr.

 

Prop items? property items? propelling items?

 

 

buildings do you have something i can refer to? what should be the height of a floor? how many floors can it have? and maybe other specific information about buildings.

 

shall i upload those some tiling textures? or don't you guys need 'm? what about my ventilation system?

 

hmmmm skinning an allien.... dunno if i am that good.... where can i get the model i will try my best but i think it is to hard for me still. i do think i can skin and texture inorganic things.

 

ow and.... no they need to be scaled down i think.... the vent should be somewhere like 256*128*128 inch or something like that. But i will do that when i upload same as with giving it the correct name and extension. But befor i do that i'd like to know if there is enough potential in the model to use it? And i got a texture map for it that's 512*512 and it realy realy needs to be no smaller caus there is to mutch detail in it.

 

I can't find server info nowhere? whats the ftp adres and password and stuff?

 

and heres a concrete texture... like it?

 

respect and greets!

concrete_light.bmp

[Breunor]

If you take a look at the artwork asset list found at http://www.projectxenocide.com/artassets/assetlist.html you see a link to a block model towards the top. This block is the size reference you'll need. It's scaled to represent 40 inches square by 100 inches tall, or about 1 meter square by 2.5 meters tall. A little rounding, but that's the total height for a single story in a building as well. The list is out of date, but you'll also find some models at the bottom under environmental models, which have sample wall chunks and the like. We're making buildings in these chunks so they can be destroyed like the original game allowed. You'll also find a bunch of sample textures there, for small items we'll want to use smaller textures, since you won't see the LOD you get in a FPS. But for now larger textures are fine, since they can be scaled quickly enough.

[Vaaish]

prop items are just that, small items like lamps, bushes, beds, buckets, mail boxes, and signs that all add life to the scene.

[mad menno]

Heres a (toxic) barrel but i am not sure about the top. Any sugestions maybe? texture still is 1024*1024 but i asume that is to large?

[Vaaish]

looks good so far. For an object this size it would probably not need as many sides as you have right now and to improve the top I'd say maybe add a little hole or cap in the end for variety. Do a search for oil drums on google images if you think more reference would help.

 

Also i'd try to keep the texture down to 256x256 for an object this small.

[j'ordos]

Oh? 256*256? Then I'd better re-upload those objects I did before, I think I tried to keep the maps as small as possible, which meant something like 32*32 and 64*64

[54x]

Oh? 256*256? Then I'd better re-upload those objects I did before, I think I tried to keep the maps as small as possible, which meant something like 32*32 and 64*64

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Efficient background art is probably a very good thing

[Vaaish]

Oh? 256*256? Then I'd better re-upload those objects I did before, I think I tried to keep the maps as small as possible, which meant something like 32*32 and 64*64

 

For small prop objects like a microscope or barrel we can get by with small maps, but if it's going to be fairly large like units or bilboards or large fuel tanks then larger maps like 512x512 are fine.

 

Just to ensure everything looks good building the map at 1024x1024 and scaling it down isn't a bad idea. These sizes aren't set in stone but they are a good guideline to think about when working on meshes.

[mad menno]

I rather not reduce the sides it's gonna get real blocky imo. i could get rid of those 2 bands they take together 6 times 12 quads. and give fairly little detail (does make the shadow nice). some more feedback on this and i'll get started.

 

for the top i just make a hole in the texture. and maybe if i am already getting rid of those bands i'll make an extrusion in it.

 

BTW.

Why don't we post a message on some 3d model sites, that we are looking for people to make simple environmental models? Maybe this topic gets some more attention then.

 

greets

[Breunor]

In the past I made mention of us at the Milkshape forums, one guy is allowing us to use some simple tree models, which will need to be scaled up to fit style wise. I agree with losing the ribs on the barrels, as that detail will be lost at normal scale.

 

Are we going to incorporate the high detail bump maps as they were discussed for the units here too? Some items might benefit from it, like autos, but otherwise I'm not sure.

[j'ordos]

Maybe it's just better to make every map at 1024*1024 then, they can easily be scaled down later while scaling up if needed is a little less feasible

[Vaaish]

Maybe it's just better to make every map at 1024*1024 then, they can easily be scaled down later while scaling up if needed is a little less feasible

 

yes, that's what I was saying: *make* the maps at 1024, but downsample them when you apply them to the object.

 

eg, you have a barrel, create the map at 1024 so we have the capability to use higher res maps but save a copy at 512 or 256 when you get ready to package it up as finished and apply the smaller map to the final object.

 

Bru: I'm not sure if we have decided to go ahead and normal map everything or just bump map objects. if we are just going the bump map route it will be fairly simple to construct bumps from the color maps we are using now.

[j'ordos]

Maybe it's just better to make every map at 1024*1024 then, they can easily be scaled down later while scaling up if needed is a little less feasible

 

yes, that's what I was saying: *make* the maps at 1024, but downsample them when you apply them to the object.

 

eg, you have a barrel, create the map at 1024 so we have the capability to use higher res maps but save a copy at 512 or 256 when you get ready to package it up as finished and apply the smaller map to the final object.

 

Bru: I'm not sure if we have decided to go ahead and normal map everything or just bump map objects. if we are just going the bump map route it will be fairly simple to construct bumps from the color maps we are using now.

 

No, I meant: include them as 1024*1024, I already made all of them as 1024*1024 (or 512*512, I forget) and then downscaled them

Because it seems like maps can be made a little bigger than what I did, though I have no idea what the best size would be

Edited October 21, 2004 by j'ordos

[Vaaish]

No, I meant: include them as 1024*1024, I already made all of them as 1024*1024 (or 512*512, I forget) and then downscaled them

Because it seems like maps can be made a little bigger than what I did, though I have no idea what the best size would be

 

 

Do you mean create and use the map at 1024 or just have the 1024 version included with the model?

 

for current tech I'd say 512 is the max texture size. for older cards 256 however if you can map several small objects on a single 512 texture go ahead and do it so we don't have to load as many textures.

[j'ordos]

No, I meant: include them as 1024*1024, I already made all of them as 1024*1024 (or 512*512, I forget) and then downscaled them

Because it seems like maps can be made a little bigger than what I did, though I have no idea what the best size would be

 

 

Do you mean create and use the map at 1024 or just have the 1024 version included with the model?

 

for current tech I'd say 512 is the max texture size. for older cards 256 however if you can map several small objects on a single 512 texture go ahead and do it so we don't have to load as many textures.

Well, what I did so far is create them at a higher res and then downscale them, but I was thinking it might be better to include the high-res textures as well since it is easier if we're going to use high(er)-res textures.

As for the multiple objects on one texture map, that would be feasible for most if not all objects I did so far, but doesn't that only help if there are enough of the objects from that texture map on-screen then? If only one object from that texture map is shown that's a whole 512 map for one thing, or am I wrong?

[Breunor]

It would seem that using larger textures would be good for item groups, such as a complete house. A single texture could include the floor, roof, walls, etc. You wouldn't want to make a texture say for various trees, and load the single big texture unless all the trees were being used, that would waste video memory. But if you made a landscape texture that is used for certain climates, and the terrain generator was coded to load all the objects for that location, then it might be useful.

 

Including the larger texture might be handy if another wants to mod your model to make a variation of it. Just name it differently so they know which is development and which is production.

 

Someone was working on an Ogre model viewer, perhaps once that's running smooth a default zoom view can be set, and then we could load these smaller items into it to see how much detail is needed to keep the quality up?

[Vaaish]

Well, what I did so far is create them at a higher res and then downscale them, but I was thinking it might be better to include the high-res textures as well since it is easier if we're going to use high(er)-res textures.

 

 

Thats fine and it would help if anyone needs to make changes to the texture.

[mad menno]

Didn't have mutch time lately but i took some for this great project (i hope it isn't dieing)

 

Anyway i finished some dutch signs. took me a couple of hours to texture them all so i kinda sick of it for now. If there are more needed i am up for it but decent quality pictures of signs are realy apreciated. you can notice with the bike and the people on the signs that they are hand drawn (i suck with hand drawn stuff ).

[j'ordos]

What's bad about them? They look nice enough for me

About the only thing you could change is the 'one-way sign', the white horizontal bar can be made somewhat smaller. But that is if you really want to change something

And afaik we'll never see them this close anyway

[Vaaish]

not too shabby

[mad menno]

Wow.. i didn't expect a reply this fast...

 

Anyway sure i make that arrow smaller... i actually made it wider when i was making it .

 

anyone can tell me the ftp adress? tried to find it but didn't came across it. or is it best to put the correct file types in 1 rar and post it here?

[red knight]

Did you uploaded the old models + textures and the new ones? Cause if the models are not in the FTP, for Xenocide purposes they dont exists.

 

Greetings

Red Knight

[mad menno]

I didn't upload anything yet... Problem??

[red knight]

I dont get your answer. Do you have problems uploading to the forum the .obj files? and the textures?

 

Greetings

Red Knight

[Breunor]

Hey Mad Menno, welcome to the project, the signs look nice. Unless it's changed, I think recruits don't have ftp access to upload files, but you can zip up the model and texture files in a single .zip file, and attach it to your post for safe keeping. We've had many great models made that disappear with the user when they leave without posting the files, or their PC crashes and they have to start over. I've lost many hours of work that way...

 

So unless I'm mistaken, you can post the zipped files here for safe keeping, and once you've become a regular you'll be promoted to regular member and get ftp info which allows you to store these files in a central location.

 

While not the official storage spot for art assets at this point, here's some other models and textures and various bits you can use in your designs. I can't recall where the official location is ATM.

[mad menno]

Great, so i can pick some models out that directory and try to texture them right?

 

Anyway here's a rar of all the files needed for those signs. Including a psd file if you want to change some stuff.

 

the rar is 3MB+ so better get it off this topic fast only 9MB left to post.

 

I hope i helped out with this.

 

greets

 

-Edit-

It won't attach or something, i was uploading meanwhile getting some lunch when i came back i press submit. Someone knows why i can't post? To big? shall i put it on my own web space for the moment?

Edited January 20, 2005 by mad menno

[mad menno]

hmmm for testing the upload stuff i took 2 of my old tileable textures. They may be used offcourse .

 

well this one works so i guess my 3MB file is to big.

 

greets

tileables.rar

[Breunor]

It should show the file limit when posting, while posting this it says global space left=0kb. Not sure what the issue is there.

 

Feel free to use whatever you like, although I'd check with Vaaish first to make sure you get the latest version of a model, I know there are various ones floating around. You'll find a texture folder in there with hundreds of tile-capable textures too, just FYI.

[mad menno]

Yeah i seen that map with textures, just thought let put my 2 best ones (i wanted to use for unreal map) on the site just for checking, but like i said use them if there is need.

 

Anyway i'd like to try and texture some guns and some of those base facility's. I'm also up for some unwrapping.... but i am not that good at it, i always get some stretching when it gets complicated. Should i PM vaaish for the models? Or do i have them in my mailbox tomorow?

 

[email protected]

 

I'd like to know more about alfa mapping. Is there somewhere a tree/bush model with alpha mapped textures? It's like the black makes it transparent right? Should there be some transparency on the leaves for more realistic look? How would i post alpha picture? just as a png, is it embedded in a png or choose another file type?

 

OT: PLaying enemy unknown right now, i got it somehow playable on win xp and geoscape speed is pretty good (just react fast). It's so mutch fun, why did they sized down the gameplay after tftd you are wondering... i am fan of real time with pause (That stuff was great seeing all those bullets flying in on running alliens )

 

greets

[Vaaish]

you need to sign up for an account on bugs.projectxenocide.com if you haven't already, then I'll assign you a model to unwrap and texture.

[mad menno]

Did that already. My name there is: madmenno

 

Where should i look if you have send it?

 

Thnx

[Vaaish]

the models are already uploaded to the bug tracker so what I do is just assign you to say the terror disc texture and you go i and download the model and start working on texturing it... after you finish you just attach the final version and upload it to the version tracker.

[mad menno]

Ok, ill check that side out now. Srry for not doing that already but i thought i had not mutch to do with that side.

'

-edit-

 

found it.... but not on the side but trough email .

Edited January 27, 2005 by mad menno

[mad menno]

errrr. Is it normall that the file that is called at download tdisc.3DS and the file you get is 17496292.tif and it aint a tif you also need to make it a 3ds extension? Is it some kind of comedian protection or something ?

 

Greets

[Vaaish]

errrr. Is it normall that the file that is called at download tdisc.3DS and the file you get is 17496292.tif and it aint a tif you also need to make it a 3ds extension? Is it some kind of comedian protection or something ?

 

Greets

 

hadn't heard about that one... rk?

[red knight]

Fails here too... Strange, try with other attachments and let me know.

 

Greetings

Red Knight

[mad menno]

Someone plz check out the model also, i am convinced it gotten buged... can't see/show any edges (They are there) If i delete 1 face/edge the whole thing is deleted. There are to many poly's for the little detail it has i think (Can't see the edges so i can't be sure about that one) if i convert to editable poly it goes to 1 polygon.

 

Also dunno how editable mesh works but i don't think it should have 1 big polygon and a couple of lost ones around the edges. Whats the differense between a face and a poly? Always though it was the same....... but i never seen a 937987498374 sided polygon devided by faces....

 

I also can't move the model,edges, polys, faces ETC. Button just not available on select tool button is highlighted.

 

I am a noob so i could be totaly wrong, but this is realy annoying me and i won't be able to unwrap it i think.

 

greets

 

-edit-

Checked out bug #23 model. It's completely the same from the .tif to the mesh "problems" i encountered, except that #23 has a couple of edges showing (not all). So i figuring now that it should be right (or not?)....anyway.... it just looks like a big mess to me. how can i see clearly how a face lies when it is smoothed and i can't see the edges? and i can't unsmooth (where can i find smoothing groups with editable mesh?)

 

I also don't see any edges in my UVW screen only verts.... Any tutorials on this? I am totaly confused and i think i get a mental breakdown when i try to unwrap it .

Edited January 28, 2005 by mad menno