Isometric assets
by Mario N. Bonassin · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 08/04/2006 (4:49 pm) · 2 replies
I was wondering if anyone can give me some advice on how to create art assets that look like
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/fallouttacticsbos/screenindex.html
I don't have any idea how to get started. Are they all done in photoshop? are they done in a 3d program then just exported as pics? or what?
I've looked online for some sort of tutorial but couldn't find anything. So if anyone can give me some ideas I would appreciate it.
Thanks
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/fallouttacticsbos/screenindex.html
I don't have any idea how to get started. Are they all done in photoshop? are they done in a 3d program then just exported as pics? or what?
I've looked online for some sort of tutorial but couldn't find anything. So if anyone can give me some ideas I would appreciate it.
Thanks
About the author
#2
Assuming you're talking about the isometric views in the lower part of that page, the original PC version of Fallout Tactics...
3DS Max is my preferred tool for creating art, and as Cabal shows, it makes isometric rendering a breeze. I'd assume Torque's Game Builder is the way to go for a 2D isometric game -- but I don't have experience with that product.
If you're not familiar with the concept, isometric projection (also called orthographic, axonometric, or 3/4 perspective) is a way of rendering an object so that parallel lines don't meet in the distance. This lets you create tiled graphics that have perpective, but still line up neatly on a grid. SimCity, Starcraft, Diablo, Command & Conquer, Fallout, and The Sims use isometric projection, to name just a few.
If you're hand-drawing your graphics, you can make an isometric floor tile by creating a square, rotating it 45 degress, then squashing it vertically by 50%.
For small characters and objects, you can use full 3D, and nobody will notice the difference from the isometric view. For walls and large objects, things get a little trickier, especially if their edges need to line up. I prefer to use a rendering tool like 3DS Max for that.
The earlier incarnation of my project was a 2D Macromedia Flash game. The characters were simply Poser figures imported into 3DS and reskinned. After setting up the character, I'd import a camera object I created: 12 cameras spaced at 30 degree intervals, set to Orthographic View. I'd hit Render, and the software would spit out all my frames, perfectly sized, at the correct angle, with transparent backgrouds. Push a button -- doesn't get much easier than that!
If you're looking for a 3D environment like the Playstation shots on the page you indicated, that's a whole new ballgame. For that, you'll need the Torque Game Engine (or Shader Engine). That's pure 3D, and the math gets much hairier than tile-based games, and there's a lot more work needed to construct your art assets. The results, however, are awesome, and the environment is a lot more flexible than a 2D game.
So, which approach are you considering?
08/05/2006 (7:13 pm)
Mario: What software do you have available? Are you using one of the Torque products yet?Assuming you're talking about the isometric views in the lower part of that page, the original PC version of Fallout Tactics...
3DS Max is my preferred tool for creating art, and as Cabal shows, it makes isometric rendering a breeze. I'd assume Torque's Game Builder is the way to go for a 2D isometric game -- but I don't have experience with that product.
If you're not familiar with the concept, isometric projection (also called orthographic, axonometric, or 3/4 perspective) is a way of rendering an object so that parallel lines don't meet in the distance. This lets you create tiled graphics that have perpective, but still line up neatly on a grid. SimCity, Starcraft, Diablo, Command & Conquer, Fallout, and The Sims use isometric projection, to name just a few.
If you're hand-drawing your graphics, you can make an isometric floor tile by creating a square, rotating it 45 degress, then squashing it vertically by 50%.
For small characters and objects, you can use full 3D, and nobody will notice the difference from the isometric view. For walls and large objects, things get a little trickier, especially if their edges need to line up. I prefer to use a rendering tool like 3DS Max for that.
The earlier incarnation of my project was a 2D Macromedia Flash game. The characters were simply Poser figures imported into 3DS and reskinned. After setting up the character, I'd import a camera object I created: 12 cameras spaced at 30 degree intervals, set to Orthographic View. I'd hit Render, and the software would spit out all my frames, perfectly sized, at the correct angle, with transparent backgrouds. Push a button -- doesn't get much easier than that!
If you're looking for a 3D environment like the Playstation shots on the page you indicated, that's a whole new ballgame. For that, you'll need the Torque Game Engine (or Shader Engine). That's pure 3D, and the math gets much hairier than tile-based games, and there's a lot more work needed to construct your art assets. The results, however, are awesome, and the environment is a lot more flexible than a 2D game.
So, which approach are you considering?
Torque Owner cabal_danien
Adjust your camera/view angle in the viewport as desired.
A single angle is enough for buildings if you don't allow map rotation. Commandos 1 & 2 allowed map rotation at 90 degree increments.
For rendering animated objects such as moving characters, you'll want to have the camera aimed at the center of your object.
Orbit the camera around the object, taking shots at discrete positions, based on how many angles you want. e.g., if you want 8 angles, you'd take a shot at every 45 degrees (360/8 = 45).
Another way of looking at it:
Imagine a round clock face centered and located directly above your object.
Starting at 6 o'clock, and looking inwards towards the center of the clock (but angled down where the center of your object is), take a shot.
Orbit 45 degrees (between the 7 & 8 o'clock markers), take another shot.
Orbit another 45 degrees (9 o'clock), take a shot, and so on.
Note: the screenshots in that gamespot link are for 2 different games. The 3D shots with perspective are for Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel for Xbox & PS2 while the 2D isometric shots are from Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel for PC.