Nosslaks stuff

[Serpentine]

Cubes are horrible!

 

(Who's just spent a few hours making new icons for DR? icons with many... many cubes )

 

Slightly on topic, spheres are not all that bad on poly count so long as you're not using quad sides.

 

 

Comparatively, if you used a cube light with a trims on the edges you'd end up with almost the same tris as a basic sphere like that (6+12*6 if it wants to shade correctly, manifold edges) or , prolly slightly more verts if that matters. The 320 spheres are quite badass and shade quite well in most games, with some manual trickery you can knock it down to about 260 without too much loss anyway.

[Tels]

Cubes are horrible!

 

(Who's just spent a few hours making new icons for DR? icons with many... many cubes )

 

Slightly on topic, spheres are not all that bad on poly count so long as you're not using quad sides.

 

 

Comparatively, if you used a cube light with a trims on the edges you'd end up with almost the same tris as a basic sphere like that (6+12*6 if it wants to shade correctly, manifold edges) or , prolly slightly more verts if that matters. The 320 spheres are quite badass and shade quite well in most games, with some manual trickery you can knock it down to about 260 without too much loss anyway.

 

Yes, and case in point, a cube needs exactly 12 tris... No question that we *want* round things and sometimes even need them, but if you can choose, choose the simpler form.

[rich_is_bored]

If I'm understanding the way the rendering works it's more about making efficient use of draw calls. The idea is that for each draw call you aim for some magic number of polygons. Too many taxes the GPU and too few taxes the CPU. Yin and Yang.

 

Of course I have no idea where TDM sits in all this. I just know that it's possible to split a model into several draw calls by using more than one material and that the ability to use a separate mesh for shadow casting makes this an appealing option.

[Tels]

If I'm understanding the way the rendering works it's more about making efficient use of draw calls. The idea is that for each draw call you aim for some magic number of polygons. Too many taxes the GPU and too few taxes the CPU. Yin and Yang.

 

Of course I have no idea where TDM sits in all this. I just know that it's possible to split a model into several draw calls by using more than one material and that the ability to use a separate mesh for shadow casting makes this an appealing option.

 

With v1.03 it is also possible to combine more than one model into a "megamodel" which then uses only one drawcall instead of X.

[Nosslak]

I still think the globe one is fine, though.

Nice!

 

The UV sphere would be a regular sphere in Max, those give the best overall look imo. The Ico sphere link doesn't work, but from your descript I'm sure it's comparable to the geo sphere.

(The Ico is based on quads [4 sided polys], the others are based on tris, or octogons or something. So the edge loops don't go straight around, that gives the uneven look I mentioned from different angles) In Max the geo sphere has several settings, octo and a few others. (octo I suppose is based on 8 tris to form a 'loop' and the loops overlap with others).

That do sound similiar to Blenders ico-sphere, but Blenders are on based hexagons intead of octagons. Anyway, I've always felt that as long as you don't need to attach stuff onto the ico-spheres they are the smoothest, I can try to make a more even uv-sphere, though.

 

Minecraft is made of cubes, but when you said cubeism (or whatever...) I thought of the cubist painting movement.

ie:

 

That imo would be a very cool game world, the minegraft cube thing to me is blah.

Yeah, I'd like to play that too.

 

Slightly on topic, spheres are not all that bad on poly count so long as you're not using quad sides.

 

 

Comparatively, if you used a cube light with a trims on the edges you'd end up with almost the same tris as a basic sphere like that (6+12*6 if it wants to shade correctly, manifold edges) or , prolly slightly more verts if that matters. The 320 spheres are quite badass and shade quite well in most games, with some manual trickery you can knock it down to about 260 without too much loss anyway.

Yeah, I know. I tried to make mine like the one on the right side, but apparently my attempt wasn't even enough.

[Serpentine]

Yeah, I know. I tried to make mine like the one on the right side, but apparently my attempt wasn't even enough.

 

Hahah, you know it'll look great when it's got a material slapped on it

[Springheel]

Yes, I assume the point about not using globes is primarily academic. As far as that model goes, it will look great in game.

[Nosslak]

As far as that model goes, it will look great in game.

Hahah, you know it'll look great when it's got a material slapped on it

You know it:

My new sphere attempt turned out more or less identical to the last.

[Springheel]

The brass part looks fantastic!

[Baddcog]

The brass does look really good. I might put a little more brown in the deep crevice, to bump the contrast and color range a bit more though.

 

And I think the rivets under the glass should just be on the flat areas. That one in front on the crease just breaks the illusion imo. (they'll look round on the flats, but look v shaped from alot of angles on a crease).

 

But the lamp looks great and I'd say just go for it, add a few more polys to the sphere and it'll look really sharp. It's just such a big/obvious/noticable part of it I don't think you should cut corners there. And extra 20-30 polys isn't gonna kill the game but I think it'll make a big difference in the looks of that model.

[Nosslak]

The brass part looks fantastic!

The brass does look really good.

Thanks!

 

I might put a little more brown in the deep crevice, to bump the contrast and color range a bit more though.

I've just tried this and it looks a lot better, so thanks.

 

And I think the rivets under the glass should just be on the flat areas. That one in front on the crease just breaks the illusion imo. (they'll look round on the flats, but look v shaped from alot of angles on a crease).

Yeah, you're probably right. I'll try to fix this till next time.

 

But the lamp looks great and I'd say just go for it, add a few more polys to the sphere and it'll look really sharp. It's just such a big/obvious/noticable part of it I don't think you should cut corners there. And extra 20-30 polys isn't gonna kill the game but I think it'll make a big difference in the looks of that model.

I've just tried using an ico-/geo-sphere and I think it looks a lot better it and it saves some polys too.

 

Here's how it coming along:

[SiyahParsomen]

looks good as usual

 

as baddcog said you should add more detail to sphere. Here check another lamp model with sphere (697 polys in total) from tdm assets.

 

[Tels]

Here's how it coming along:

 

I like the brass part, but the sphere definitely needs more polies.

 

Also, the brass part under the sphere looks ok (it looks like it is made like a hexagon), but the brass holder on the wall does not look right to me - it tries both to be round (via shading on the edge that goes to the wall) and cornered by having only 12 (or so) sides. I think you can improve it's look if you make it look like it is supposed to have N sides, not look like it is supposed to be round but has visible polygone corners. Do you know what I mean?

[Baddcog]

I think part of that is also just the screenshot.

 

A white back ground is VERY unforgiving, grey would help that some. If it was in game on a dark, colored wall with some texture and other shadows I think it would look 100% better and the shape would blend in a bit more.

[Springheel]

You could take any of our already existing models and post it and people will find things to criticize. A single model by itself always looks more significant than it will ever be in game.

[Nosslak]

looks good as usual

Thanks!

 

I like the brass part, but the sphere definitely needs more polies.

as baddcog said you should add more detail to sphere. Here check another lamp model with sphere (697 polys in total) from tdm assets.

Alright, alright I give up. Here you go:

680 polygons.

 

Also, the brass part under the sphere looks ok (it looks like it is made like a hexagon), but the brass holder on the wall does not look right to me - it tries both to be round (via shading on the edge that goes to the wall) and cornered by having only 12 (or so) sides. I think you can improve it's look if you make it look like it is supposed to have N sides, not look like it is supposed to be round but has visible polygone corners. Do you know what I mean?

Yeah, well that's what we get for using a 6 year old engine. Everything can't be perfectly smooth and Springheel said that he already thinks it's a little on the highpoly side.

 

I'm also not so sure about exposing the holders polygons either as I don't think it'll look particularly good on this model. I do know what you mean and I've done it to some models before but pretty often I find that it doesn't look all that good.

 

I think part of that is also just the screenshot.

 

A white back ground is VERY unforgiving, grey would help that some. If it was in game on a dark, colored wall with some texture and other shadows I think it would look 100% better and the shape would blend in a bit more.

I've tried a grey background instead now.

 

You could take any of our already existing models and post it and people will find things to criticize. A single model by itself always looks more significant than it will ever be in game.

Amen!

[Fidcal]

In use, it will either be lit in which case it will be bright white with no shadowing on the globe and blending better with a bright background wall lit by the globe. Or it will be unlit and the globe dark and blending with a dark background. In addition, most of the time it will be in the distance. Zoom out your web page and it looks very spherical.

[Aprilsister]

Hi Nosslak,

 

Butting in to ask if you'd be interested in developing along these lines? I hope so.

 

Come to think of it I know that the stuff I refer you to is functional and maybe your stuff is mostly (or strictly?) not so... but it seems the line has been blurred a bit with the globe, so I'm hopeful as I say. Could be a whole new area to let your creativity flow?

[Nosslak]

Hi Nosslak,

 

Butting in to ask if you'd be interested in developing along these lines? I hope so.

I'd be happy to if there is interest in it and I'm finished with my other projects.

Come to think of it I know that the stuff I refer you to is functional and maybe your stuff is mostly (or strictly?) not so... but it seems the line has been blurred a bit with the globe, so I'm hopeful as I say. Could be a whole new area to let your creativity flow?

So long as I don't have to do any complex animations for it (I have some experience of animation, but I'm not that good at it) or program anything (I know some Visual Basic, Java and C#, but no C++ or scripting) I can do it. I guess I could probably do some simple animations if necessary but I have no experience with bringing animations into a game and I'm not sure I can export my animations from Blender (I have tried using Maya, but I absolutely despise its illogical interface).

[Nosslak]

I haven't felt very creative lately so in an attempt to get the creative juices flowing I made this:

I remember posting a similar container when I wanted to join but it didn't generate much interest. Should I make a lowpoly and bring it into the game?

[Springheel]

Uh...what is it supposed to be? Kind of looks like a cartoon monkey head?

[Nosslak]

Uh...what is it supposed to be? Kind of looks like a cartoon monkey head?

Oh, I thought it was widely known that monkey head (Suzanne) is more or less Blenders mascot, just like Max's Utah Teapot, it is one of the built-in models that one can use. I was all out of fetuses and/or strange animals so I thought I had to put something in that container.

 

One of the reasons for me making this was that I think TDM needs more mad scientist props.

[Serpentine]

TDM could do with loads more mad scientist props

 

And on topic, I think that it would be somewhat nifty to have a set of display case type containers, both the rounded one and a modular 'counter' one, that could be extended or whatever. Sure you could use brushes and whatever, but a model would look great I think!

 

And that aint Max's teapot ... it's quite the nostalgic graphics icon. Wikipedia on Utah teapot. (I'm sure you know, but people seem to think everyone spends time modeling teapots for fun)

And yet another strange coincidence, I just finished watching a documentary which included that topic...

[Aprilsister]

more mad scientist props

 

Mad props to you!

[Aprilsister]

And since Serpentine is standing right there... allow me to post one off topic question in search of a better place:

 

Is there a thread (and if not, shouldn't there be), a sticky thread, where we can point out bad textures/normals/speculars/bumps/collision whatever-I-don't fully-know-whats... I have a "report" on a section of the bookcase that has, I think, a problem in one of these areas:

 

 

I'm not 100% sure that Serpentine wants to be bothered with this kind of stuff, but I think I have the right guy and the sort of thing he does?

 

Sorry for the interruption, but I didn't want to start another thread in case a thread isn't the place to report; or it's not what Serpentine or anyone has time for; or there is already a thread