Jerboa would like to assist

[Tels]

I re-modeled the noose to better fit the texture. I made it more of a tear drop.

 

Looking better, but while we nitpick, the rope looks a bit wrong. It looks like a loop, with some unrelated rope wound aorund it. Shouldn't there be a start/stop slope to the rope that is winding around the upper part?

 

http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&...G=Search+Images

[Jerboa]

The closest/easiest thing I can do for a knot would to simply add a torus knot like so.

Texturing that knot might not turn out so hot tho.

[Tels]

The closest/easiest thing I can do for a knot would to simply add a torus knot like so.

Texturing that knot might not turn out so hot tho.

 

Heh that looks cool. The details really add to it. Just one question, why are the upper rings so much detailed, but the nose consists of only handful segments?

 

Wouldn't it be better to make the smaller rings less detailed and add a few more to the visible nose?

[Jerboa]

The loop/noose is just the low poly version before I apply the smooth. Here is another shot in it's texturing stages. Disregard the loop for now. I havent finished the stiching/welding of the vertices yet. So in this pic. It wont looked scaled properly.

 

But, this is what I have for the knot so far. I do need to know if you like/want this version before I finish the texturing on the loop. Because that'll take some time to do.

[Tels]

The loop/noose is just the low poly version before I apply the smooth. Here is another shot in it's texturing stages. Disregard the loop for now. I havent finished the stiching/welding of the vertices yet. So in this pic. It wont looked scaled properly.

 

But, this is what I have for the knot so far. I do need to know if you like/want this version before I finish the texturing on the loop. Because that'll take some time to do.

 

It looks okay to me, but I am not an artist Also, consider that the game will probably dark and the entire object not seen very up close by the player, so don't spent too much time on it

[Springheel]

I think the model itself looks fine. Any comments about the shape at this point would just be personal preference, I think.

[Jerboa]

Here is an aeriel view of the deck.

[greebo]

Here is an aeriel view of the deck.

Now that's looking quite good, if you ask me. This is already more than one could usually come up with by using brushes and patches.

[Jerboa]

Im not very good with the in-game lighting. But, here is a picture taken with the nooses attached. I do see a skewed face I'll correct that.

[greebo]

Is this the same model as in the above screenshot? It looks sharper than the above one. Wait, I assume you have smoothing turned on in the previous shot? This would explain why the edges look so sharp here.

[Jerboa]

Yes, same model. I just added the nooses using DR.

[greebo]

Hm, can you turn on smoothing for this model? I know that ASE models are always smoothed, but I don't know very much about LWO.

[Jerboa]

I can try to add smoothing normals in accutrans. But dunno if that'll stick in-game or not.

[Jerboa]

Nope, when I applied smoothing normals the model came up black in-game. But, I did fix the skew.

[greebo]

Nope, when I applied smoothing normals the model came up black in-game.

Nevermind then - maybe some of our modelers know how to smooth LWO models.

 

In the meantime, you could go ahead and package one of these models, so that it is ready for commit to SVN. The package needs to contain the material file, the texture and the model itself of course. Then I can have a look at it and see what might be missing.

[Jerboa]

Ok, I have 3 models packed and ready for upload. How would you like them sent, via e-mail?

Im unfamilliar with SVN. Please elaborate.

[greebo]

Ok, I have 3 models packed and ready for upload. How would you like them sent, via e-mail?

Im unfamilliar with SVN. Please elaborate.

You can send them via E-Mail to me or upload them somewhere on a free hosting site.

 

As for SVN: With "Applicant" status you don't have access to our SVN repository yet, I can introduce you into this process as soon as you're onboard (i.e. as soon as we're done with your application task here).

[Springheel]

Nevermind then - maybe some of our modelers know how to smooth LWO models.

 

You just have to make sure that smoothing is checked off in the surface editor. Smoothing won't help if the boards have ninety degree angles, however.

[Tels]

Now that's looking quite good, if you ask me. This is already more than one could usually come up with by using brushes and patches.

 

Yeah, these "rounded" corners are hard to do with brushes/patches.

 

One thing, tho, the platform is missing support bars - we don't want it to collapse when the overweight hangman steps onto it

[Jerboa]

Added an extra pole, support bars and bolts. Let me know if you want this version.

[Baddcog]

Sorry to do this to ya Jerboa,

 

But I noticed the beam across the top looks 10 sided. That's fine. But it has 4 segments and no shape to show for it. You could easily cut that down to 1 segment lengthwise. For a 10 sided cylinder that would save you 60 polys.

 

I know it doesn't sound like alot, but those polys could go into details elsewhere. Either on that model or just towards the budget of the scene. And that counts when it's details you can see.

Especially if there is no shadow mesh.

 

I like to (not saying you should, your call) pull the verts up a bit in the middle of cylinder posts (like the ones around the platform). It rounds them some and gives them more of a rough axe cut look.

if not you can optimize them and kill another 4-6 polys. If the polys are on the bottom of the posts you can delete them too (this model will never be on it's side or upside down), that's another 40-60 polys (can't see pic, can't rcall if it's 4 or 6 posts).

 

With those optimizations you could probably knock 10 polys off and not even notice.

 

Also. You could make one trap door as a seperate item. Place its pivot point on 0,0,0 and export. Delete the doors on the model (more poly saving). Then the doors could be added in editor and scripted to open/close (or just be open or closed).

Same with the lever. I'd make the top one object (it could also be used for anything the author needs a lever handle for) and leave the base on the gallows model for lever placement.

[Jerboa]

No worries, its all in the process. I agree with your tips. Here is what I have so far.

[Tels]

With those optimizations you could probably knock 10 polys off and not even notice.

 

Ah, nice trick.

 

Also. You could make one trap door as a seperate item. Place its pivot point on 0,0,0 and export. Delete the doors on the model (more poly saving). Then the doors could be added in editor and scripted to open/close (or just be open or closed).

Same with the lever. I'd make the top one object (it could also be used for anything the author needs a lever handle for) and leave the base on the gallows model for lever placement.

 

I was about to say the same, the platform should be one thing and the doors/lever/ etc. sep. objects so you can combine them together.

 

As for the trapdoors, it would then also make sense to make them an even number of game units, so people can build stuff out of brushes and re-use the same trapdoor, maybe with a different skin. (Sorry if this complicates matters for you even more

 

Also, as for the "bolts", they are probably fine, albeit a bit "modernish". Old wooden frames were build without metal bolds by just putting the wood together and maybe tops using wooden "nails" and "bolts".

 

Done a lot of detail fotos of stuff lately, so if you want a few reference pictures, just ask me to dig them out and post them.

[Baddcog]

Yeah, I agree with Tels but it hadn't crossed my mind. It is a very good habiot to get in early on making sure crucial parts of models align to the grid.

 

It really goes both ways, someone could use the door from this for another place, or they could make a brush door in the editor and use it for this. Either way if the corners of the door/holes are on the grid they will line up nicely both ways.

 

I'd probably call it good as it is. (well, maybe remove the lever first )

[Jerboa]

Done a lot of detail fotos of stuff lately, so if you want a few reference pictures, just ask me to dig them out and post them.

 

If you would, post one of the underneath support structure of the gallows. That will help me out alot. thnx