So, what are you working on right now?

[RPGista]

I think I'll post a screen of what I'm currently working on later that day. Want to know how to improve that buildings.

 

Yes, show us, I would be interested in seeing what you or anyone else are working on in the background.

[Bikerdude]

nb. new video to follow shortly with the new doors per Tels/Seuch comments.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbC3ShPJRR0&hd=1

[CrashT]

Hi, just started using Dark Radiant a few days ago. Got some ideas for a few FMs, so we'll see if I can learn DR without confusing myself too much by using UnrealED shortcuts.

 

I've included a picture of a very early stage, just thought it'd be amusing if I do finish to see how horrible it looked to begin with. Also wanted to just say hello and this seems like as good a place as any. Some of you folks might remember me from the old Ion Storm Austin forums.

Edited August 15, 2012 by CrashT

[pusianka]

Howdy there! Yea it looks aweful, but you'll sure do great in the end. Our last beginner's contest showed that ther is no such thing as a beginner in our community! Keep working!

[Sotha]

Welcome aboard, CrashT!

 

What you have there is pretty similar what I had on the 'canvas' when I first started DR. Later, after learning more and a bit of rebuilding, the thing turned into the scene the player starts around in a FM called "The Alchemist."

 

As always, I recommend starting with a small FM, as that gives you a quick overview of all the facets of mapping: geometry, brushes, details, patches, lights, entities, AI placement & patrols, objectives, conversations and so forth. There is a lot to learn but it will be fun.

 

Do not hesitate to ask for help if you run into trouble!

[grayman]

Welcome, CrashT!

[Bikerdude]

I've included a picture of a very early stage, just thought it'd be amusing if I do finish to see how horrible it looked to begin with.

Thats what we would call in the trade, "good basic architecture", after a few detail passes I imagine it will look a lot better.

[pusianka]

 

so ehm the whole thing consists of 6 parts which I have set here up to show that the whole thing is repeatable:

 

Wall arch(grey)

middle arch(blue)

rib(white)

vault(violet)

pillar(white)

pedestal(grey)

 

I will also cut the pillar in half for wallarch and the keystone is missing since I still can't decide what keystone would suit it.

 

I am quite happy with result and now to achieve personal goal of self improvement, I need to texture this bastard.

Edited August 18, 2012 by pusianka

[Andrey]

Some of you folks might remember me from the old Ion Storm Austin forums.

Justin Keverne? http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134593

[demagogue]

And there you have it. I visit a gaming site, and learn something about doors! Priceless!

 

I have to say I really didn't have much appreciation of things like load-bearing and tensile strength until I started reading editing threads and learned why you should rarely to never use stone or brickwork for a roof, and you should recognize where pillars or support beams should go, or how the walls work, when you're thinking about how a roof or whatever is supported. I really like when I learn new things about how buildings work. Once you pick it up, it starts being a general thing you look for in all sorts of places (like the support beams on doors).

[RPGista]

I need to texture this bastard.

 

Good work, I would probably go for a romanesque kind of feel (even though it kinda looks like gothic) - something like this, well cut but irregular stones (and not perfectly identical, machine cut rows):

 

[Seuchensoldat]

Hey folks,

 

still didn't post screens of my work but it will happen soon. Today I'm having a little problem with a swinging lamp. The lamp swings fine, it plays a creaking sound and the light I bound to the lamp swings fine, too. But I want the lamp to have a nice little glare (like in Fiasco at Fauchard Street) so I bound a func_emitter with the tdm_glare_lamp_01.prt particle to it. It moves with the lamp but somehow it spins around like crazy and flickers sometimes. Is there a better way to get a moving particle or is this simplay not possible? Thank you.

 

Edit: Ah, come on... Somehow I'm a bit confused today. I just realized I posted in the wrong thread... Sorry. -.-

Edited August 22, 2012 by Seuchensoldat

[CrashT]

Justin Keverne? http://www.ttlg.com/...ad.php?t=134593

 

Yeah, that's me. Decided it was past time I put my talent where my mouth is or something like that.

 

A few more shots of what I've been working on. I've got the basic layout for the FM I have in mind blocked out, so I created a test map to work on how the buildings should look. The environmental art side of level design has always been my weakest part, so I wanted to focus on that for a bit.

[Springheel]

Certainly nothing wrong with that so far. The street looks awfully wide and flat though. Most streets would be much, much thinner. At the very least, adding some patches to make the ground a bit uneven (quite easy to do, see http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/13338-newbie-mapper-tip-making-uneven-ground/ ) would add a lot.

[Sotha]

The details look promising. I agree with Spring with the wideness. Also medieval streets seldom are straight:

 

It is often a good idea to use some kind of reference image to guide building process. Google image search is a great aid!

Just simple curvature, bumpiness or detail broken stonework etc will make the scene much more interesting.

[Melan]

What the others said. It also helps to have more contrast in lighting - you don't have to leave the entire scene pitch black, but stronger lights and deeper shadows tend to do architecture good. The next step is breaking up rectangularity with odd angles and shapes.

 

The detailwork you are doing is good - love the edge of that building!

[Seuchensoldat]

Well, here is the promised screenshot I wanted to post a week ago. It is heavy WIP and there are almost no details yet. But you can get a first glimse at my little WIP mission. Simple architecture somehow inspired by Melan's and Springheel's work, but still a little blocky. But as I said before there are a lot of details missing. The street is not finished because I think I'm the slowest mapper ever but I wanted to show you something anyways.

 

[Bikerdude]

Now that's.... looking very cool for your first wip shot mista!!!

 

Drop me a pm if you need a hand etc.

[Seuchensoldat]

I could always need a helping hand especially since I have a lot of things to learn when it comes to patches... :/

[Bikerdude]

No probs, you know where I am etc.

[grayman]

Nice street scene.

[Melan]

That's a good scene! You've got various kinds of buildings, you've got machinery, market stalls and posters, and the pools of light bring life to it. (Note that this would be a very easy place to sneak through. You might have had that in mind, of course, just noting.)

[Seuchensoldat]

Thank you! Yeah, that place should be easy to sneak through because it's the starting point of the mission. Similiar to Fiasco at Fauchard Street. The guard in there is just a placeholder because I don't want to mess up the dimensions of the mission.

Edited August 26, 2012 by Seuchensoldat

[Xcen]

 

 

320 tris, same as the shortsword on top.

Edited August 28, 2012 by Xcen

[Tels]

Are both models new?