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Gothic Arch


Fingernail

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Diffuse needs a little bit more work before I'm happy;

 

cathedraltexturetest1ll.jpg

 

That's just 2 textures: one 512x256 diffuse with 1024 normal (no specular), and one 64x128 for the trim (2x size normal, again no specular).

 

I modeled the arch in Lightwave for the excellent normal; you wouldn't believe how 3D it looks when you move a pointlight across it.

 

For locations close to the player I'll make a lowpoly 3D model, to give even more depth, but this is fine for faraway walls or otherwise complex locations where polys are at a premium, for instance.

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Just because I'm a nice Fingernail, I made you a lovely 3D modeled version of it, complete with one error in the mesh (must sort that out!):

 

cathedral3d4jg.jpg

 

EDIT: it was a UV map problem, one triangle that got left behind. The entire mesh is 128 tris, so it's really performance-friendly, and looks better than the flat version when you're up close or at a < 45 degree angle to the surface as the pillars actually stand out now.

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You shouldn't use the same normals for the 3D version as for the flat version. Why, you ask? Because you get horrible shading artifacts around corners and curves - for instance, right at the, er, peak of the pillars on your model, where it goes pitch black. Think of it this way: the normal map is relative to plain, vanilla, flat normals, so if you're now painting it over a normal that's at a 45 degree angle to a flat one, it'll go crazy.

Edited by DeepOmega
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You know what, DO?

 

I re-UVed the model, re-rendered the normals and it looked exactly the same. I compared the colours of the sloped sections and they were EXACTLY the same...

 

So although your theory is sound, it doesn't seem to make any odds in practice.

 

Strange, I would've thought it would do.

 

And that black bit? It's probably just the position of that light.

 

Also those bits at the top of the pillars you picked out ARE 100% flat...

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stupid9oc.jpg

 

CHECK IT OUT THREE WINDOWS.

 

Seriously, though, bottom 2 rows = model, third row = texture only. When seen from player-stance it should look as if there's hardly any difference as it goes up the building.

 

And the windows are just stupidly extravagant, I know, but it's just a test wall.

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Alright, I'm gonna stop posting WIPs until I'm sure I'm done... the diffuse map is only 256x512 and yes, the bricks need a better texture, but since my original plan was to put a statue in front of each alcove (I'm working from a photo here).

 

Bear in mind the distance-filtering that D3 does (at least on my video settings!). Textures get blurrier as you get a certain distance.

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