Crystal Arrows

[oDDity]

If you ever have a chance, oDDity, I'd be interested in seeing you make a crystal arrow.  Start to finish.  Or any arrow for that matter.  It'd be neat to see you work in Lightwave from beginning to end, including textures.  If it's too much of an inconvenience, don't worry; I'll figure it out some day.  If you do make a screen-capture video, though, it'd be very helpful to see pop-ups showing when when you do certain key combos (e.g., CTRL+T, or something).  Just a thought.  Thanks man.  Your work really is exemplary.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'll video the making of your water crystal, but I doubt it'll be much good to you unless you want to make another water crystal.

The problem with learning CG is that every model is different, a new challenge, and I don't work to a set of rules or plans, I work on the fly and just invent as I go along. The only way you can learn that, is through years of experience and 1000's of hours spent modeling and rendering.

 

Anyway, I think my plans for the arrow situation are the best.

Include them both, but give the crystals advantages over the mechanical versions, make the crystals the premium version, but also the far more expensive ones. That should please everyone, and make finding arrows on a mission realistic whether you're in a pagan enclave or breaking into the inventors guild.

[Springheel]

Seems like a reasonable variation of the "both" option from the poll, which looks like the preferred option. Let's do it.

[Domarius]

I can make it so that you can just change one word in the def file in each arrow to change what visual models it uses.

[sparhawk]

Since it seems we are going for Oddity's idea, we may need to be able to handle all of them. For the weaponsystem, it shouldn't make any difference though. At least not for the animation.

[Springheel]

That would be great.

[oDDity]

Here's model of you watergem, DF, and one way to do it in lightwave.

[Darkness_Falls]

Awesome! Thanks a million for making the tutorial. I'm gonna watch it now!! I understand how modeling different objects will require different methods. I'm okay with this; it doesn't scare me. There are plenty of programs where as soon as I understand how to do certain things in them I can experiment more and unleash my creativity on them. It sounds like you work the same way.

 

Macromedia Flash took me several trials to finally figure out what the hell to do, and then one day -- weeks later -- it all came together and made sense. Now I see Flash movies and can reverse-engineer them in my mind to know how they did them. (Within reason, of course. I'm no expert at Flash, by any means.)

 

It's the very beginning of learning complicated programs that I struggle with. Once I get over that hump, as viewing videos helps, then I will be better on my way.

 

Thanks again!

[New Horizon]

WTF, how are these always so photo-realistic? I just don't get it.

 

I think he's actually building real world versions in his 'mad scientist' workshop. He then scans them into lightwave with some kind of laser device.

[Darkness_Falls]

I think he's actually building real world versions in his 'mad scientist' workshop. He then scans them into lightwave with some kind of laser device.

Actually, as much as he hates to admit it, he does it via magic!

 

We're lucky he likes Thief and not Pokemon. Otherwise he'd be modeling characters for Pokemon games

[New Horizon]

We're lucky he likes Thief and not Pokemon. Otherwise he'd be modeling characters for Pokemon games

 

That's a scary thought.

[Darkness_Falls]

This is more the shape I was thinking from the side. (Your crystal looked like it might be more round than it is flat. I wanted it to be somewhat flat from the side; I actually wouldn't mind if mine was even a bit flatter at the base.)

 

I needed the modeling practice anyways...

 

 

... And the top view of it would have the shape like my drawing on the last page; similar to your rendition.

 

PS: Thanks for the tutorial. Helped a lot! I still haven't figured out how to render in high-res anti-aliasing, etc. though. I can only do 640 x 480, too.

[sparhawk]

Hey! That render is not bad. It's not like Odd's yet, but it's got the right direction. Would be cool if after a few months we get a second Oddity here, just don't learn his attitude as well.

[oDDity]

You find the camera and antialiasing setting in the camera properties window. Hit P when you select the camera. That render looks really terrible, just like my first attempts looked a few years ago We all start like that, it's pefectly normal.

 

 

I was playing around in the particle editor and decided to make a decent splash for the water arrow video that was at least showable to the public. It's on CVS

Splashdown video

[Domarius]

Hey, I like the new splash!

[sparhawk]

Looks MUCH better. Isn't it a bit small though? Maybe the radius should be bigger?

[Domarius]

I thought it was actually pretty big.

[sparhawk]

Hmmm. Did you see it in real or only via the video? Can't say much with the video. It looks pretty cool, but there is no object where I could judge the relation. I guess it will be more easily judged if seen ingame.

[oDDity]

It's big enough, you don't want it looking like it's covering half the room with water.

To download this you need to update your particles folder, your mtr folder, your def folder and your texture/water_source folder.

I also added a temp sound from Thief as well so you'll have to update you sounds folder as well.

[Domarius]

I just looked at the video cause I'm not at home right now.

[oDDity]

Would it be possible to use a separate particle affect for when the water arrow hits a flame as opposed to when you miss?

Then you could show steam rising as well.

[sparhawk]

Well, we can always add steam later if it impacts on a flame. I don't think this should be a big problem. It can also be linked to the flame instead to the arrow, which makes IMO more sense.

[New Horizon]

Well, we can always add steam later if it impacts on a flame. I don't think this should be a big problem. It can also be linked to the flame instead to the arrow, which makes IMO more sense.

 

True enough. I would imagine there would be a possibility that if you had the steam added to the arrow and only grazed the flame, the steam would be off on a wall somewhere. Much better attach it to the flames. This can then be how all flames react to water stimulus.

[Darkness_Falls]

Would be cool if after a few months we get a second Oddity here.

Well, maybe after about 1000 more hours with the program and 3 or so years

[pakmannen]

That firearrow is amazing! Great work Oddity!

[Darkness_Falls]

Ahh, this looks a bit better than my last render:

Darkness Falls Hi-Res Water Crystal