Normal Mapping show off
by Myk Sanders · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 12/17/2004 (8:28 pm) · 25 replies
*edited bbcode*
#2
Looks really good .
Do you have this without normal maps , i really want to see the differns.
This would be very interesting on a model like that .
12/18/2004 (3:12 am)
Scary one !Looks really good .
Do you have this without normal maps , i really want to see the differns.
This would be very interesting on a model like that .
#4
heres the build up, from wire to normal, the hollow jaw line , i havent really decided what to do with, but if you look closer he does have teeth, they are black, white didnt feel right for this character. I painted the normal map on this mesh in photoshop, normal mapping can also be done by comparing a highres and low res mesh, but I feel like this gives a bit more control. Right now this character is about 800 polys, Im not really putting this into a game, its more or less a tech demo.
From left to right:
Wireframe, Solid Shade, Diffuse Color Texture, Painted Texture, Normal Mapped.
12/18/2004 (10:42 am)
Thank you all,heres the build up, from wire to normal, the hollow jaw line , i havent really decided what to do with, but if you look closer he does have teeth, they are black, white didnt feel right for this character. I painted the normal map on this mesh in photoshop, normal mapping can also be done by comparing a highres and low res mesh, but I feel like this gives a bit more control. Right now this character is about 800 polys, Im not really putting this into a game, its more or less a tech demo.
From left to right:
Wireframe, Solid Shade, Diffuse Color Texture, Painted Texture, Normal Mapped.
#5
It's looking -really- nice!
12/18/2004 (11:08 am)
I'm pretty behind on the features available in TSE vs TGE regarding art, but was this in TSE, stock TGE, or modified TGE?It's looking -really- nice!
#6
12/18/2004 (1:00 pm)
Very solid. I think the hollow jaw is a great touch. Really outstanding work.
#7
Im must learn this , i feel far behind sometimes when i see something like this :(
But its very interesting stuff :)
12/18/2004 (1:10 pm)
How does it look in a game enviroment do you have any screens Myk ?Im must learn this , i feel far behind sometimes when i see something like this :(
But its very interesting stuff :)
#8
Stepen: You should download the TSE demo's, they can tell you the {new} features theyve built in. I know it introduces pixel and vertex shaders, but as for what else there is / will be, the demo can tell you alot more than I can. I downloaded it and exported this head into it just to see what the pipeline looks like, here are the results.
Not too bad, for some reason I cant get my specular map working, I think I might be hitting the artist -> programmer barrier. Ill keep trying and post results if any. I'm pretty sure that TGE is sans normal (bump) mapping.
I'm considering putting this model in an art pack, with others similar... but Im not sure, anyone have any idea as to intrest from the community?
::oh yea::
The first and second shots are renders from 3d studio max.
12/18/2004 (3:18 pm)
Thanks again everyone,Stepen: You should download the TSE demo's, they can tell you the {new} features theyve built in. I know it introduces pixel and vertex shaders, but as for what else there is / will be, the demo can tell you alot more than I can. I downloaded it and exported this head into it just to see what the pipeline looks like, here are the results.
Not too bad, for some reason I cant get my specular map working, I think I might be hitting the artist -> programmer barrier. Ill keep trying and post results if any. I'm pretty sure that TGE is sans normal (bump) mapping.
I'm considering putting this model in an art pack, with others similar... but Im not sure, anyone have any idea as to intrest from the community?
::oh yea::
The first and second shots are renders from 3d studio max.
#9
12/18/2004 (3:58 pm)
The more art packs the better IMO
#10
Even so, it's still amazing what can be done with art today by skilled artists--and for a first run into an early adopter Demo with little to no finalized exporters, that's an impressive image just the same!
Kind of like Easter Island gone crazy!
12/18/2004 (4:08 pm)
@Myk--yes, one of the reasons I'm not up to speed yet is that TSE is still in progress, as well as the fact that we are still in prototyping stages, and don't need production quality art yet! Once TSE is polished and released pretty much complete (obviously extensions will come over the years), we'll be porting our project to TSE from TGE.Even so, it's still amazing what can be done with art today by skilled artists--and for a first run into an early adopter Demo with little to no finalized exporters, that's an impressive image just the same!
Kind of like Easter Island gone crazy!
#12
12/19/2004 (9:11 am)
Damn thats cool, Id love to see models like this in some nice new packs.
#13
Thanks again, Ill post a few more experiments when I have them done, Im now playing with the opposite direction, making normal maps generated from a high resolution mesh.
Last thing: in these model packs... what type of models do you think the community wants? Brave Tree seems to have tanks, women, environment objects etc, what resources does any one need?
12/19/2004 (11:46 am)
Well thanks guys, I think I might pull together a model pack pretty soon then. TSE looks pretty sweet, are there any TSE resources for an artist that I'm missing? Looks like I have to buy the engine to be able to look at the docs?Thanks again, Ill post a few more experiments when I have them done, Im now playing with the opposite direction, making normal maps generated from a high resolution mesh.
Last thing: in these model packs... what type of models do you think the community wants? Brave Tree seems to have tanks, women, environment objects etc, what resources does any one need?
#14
Great normal map demo. :)
Re what models the community would be interested in, I took this poll once and these are the results to date:
Buildings 11 (11%)
Characters 42 (45%)
Weapons 20 (21%)
Vehicles 14 (15%)
Props & Items 5 (5%)
92 Total votes
12/21/2004 (1:06 am)
Hi Myk,Great normal map demo. :)
Re what models the community would be interested in, I took this poll once and these are the results to date:
Buildings 11 (11%)
Characters 42 (45%)
Weapons 20 (21%)
Vehicles 14 (15%)
Props & Items 5 (5%)
92 Total votes
#15
For one, due to the fact that the RTS-SK uses .dts shapes exclusively for buildings (has to do with the nature of modifying and placing shapes by the player during runtime, instead of by a level editor during development-time), my personal gut feeling is that over the next year, fully .dts shapes will become much more interesting to developers/teams as prototype art.
I'd snap up any content packs that were of Timothy Aste's quality in a literal heartbeat if they were .dts instead of .dif for example! His castle pack is exactly what we could use for prototyping, except that they are .dif.
P.S.: I know my generalization above about "Half-Life/Doom" semi-clones does not apply to many, please don't take that as a condemnation of current/previous games. While it sounds like a crass remark, what I was getting at is that people are seeing "different" reasons now for when, and why, to use .dif vs .dts. Sorry if anyone was offended!
12/21/2004 (3:22 am)
I've noted this in a couple of places, and I fully admit it's a self-serving request, but as projects are getting away from the "Half-Life/Doom" semi-clones and more into original designs exploring the full capabilities of TGE, I think that a lot of developers are starting to lean more towards .dts shapes for things that would "normally" be default to .dif's, like buildings.For one, due to the fact that the RTS-SK uses .dts shapes exclusively for buildings (has to do with the nature of modifying and placing shapes by the player during runtime, instead of by a level editor during development-time), my personal gut feeling is that over the next year, fully .dts shapes will become much more interesting to developers/teams as prototype art.
I'd snap up any content packs that were of Timothy Aste's quality in a literal heartbeat if they were .dts instead of .dif for example! His castle pack is exactly what we could use for prototyping, except that they are .dif.
P.S.: I know my generalization above about "Half-Life/Doom" semi-clones does not apply to many, please don't take that as a condemnation of current/previous games. While it sounds like a crass remark, what I was getting at is that people are seeing "different" reasons now for when, and why, to use .dif vs .dts. Sorry if anyone was offended!
#16
The only time I've ever been offended by you was when you made fun of my mom.
Nevermind. That was my dad
12/21/2004 (3:29 am)
Quote:Sorry if anyone was offended!
The only time I've ever been offended by you was when you made fun of my mom.
Nevermind. That was my dad
#17
12/21/2004 (3:44 am)
@Charlie: He still smells of elderberries!
#18
12/21/2004 (4:54 am)
No Stephen. That would be better then he smells already
#19
12/21/2004 (9:10 am)
Can't you take those castle difs and turn them into dtses? Isn't the source art available in Tim Aste's pack? So can't you export it out to a desired format from an editor? 
Andrew
the lower jaw looks a little 'liquidy' on the side view inface the whole jaw on the sideview looks strange to me.. will it have teeth? it looks a little strange being so hollow atm.
good stuff though :)