Site is active again, info concerning photogrammetry
by Ron Kapaun · 11/03/2014 (6:03 pm) · 48 comments
Howdy!
Long time, no blogs!
Well, many of you noted (and emailed) that my site was down. Simple fact, the site used WAY more bandwidth than what I paid for... Sorry about the downtime. However, the site is back up, and it's all the 'same stuff for free'. However, I will be making adjustments to the downloads. These adjustments will include removing the demo levels and 'shrinking' the overall size of the zip files. I will include .pdf files that will include common 'errors' and such and help new users install the content properly. This is a good opportunity to 'revamp' the packs to make them more user friendly and with luck, help new folks produce good quality visuals in their games and test levels.
WHAT THE H*LL HAVE YOU BEEN DOING!
Well, as many of you know, I have been dealing with T3D more as a hobby again. HOWEVER, I have been 'innovating' and coming up with a number of interesting NEW art techniques and processes based on.... well, I am not going to into it right now but, if any of you played or looked at The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, you will have at least an idea of what I have been working on.
So your site was 'Crashed' WTF???
Well, I am currently not making ANYTHING from these free models etc. So, this means I have to 'work' at a real job. I have been luck enough to actually pick up a programming job (full time) using Visual Basic, and a freaking HOST of MS products (Access, Excel, Word, Sharepoint, etc.) I am basically creating a number of automation systems using VBA and MS to basically do with one person, what a year ago took 2 or 3 people. (This is how bad the 'military' budget has gotten.) Anyway, I spend 45+ hours a week, sleeping in my car and working on these projects so, I do not get a whole heck of a lot of time to work my web stuff or my T3D dev. I hope this improves shortly and I am sorry for the MAJOR delays. Anyway, I will post more when I have some good stuff to show off (I have some of course, I just have not made a video or anything yet :-).
At last, I wanna say FAREWELL to a number of peeps that have 'left' the Garage Games Community. Will Zetter et all thanks for your work and time. I wish you all well. (there are more than a few and they will all be missed!)
With that, I will leave you all for now..... HOWEVER!
MORE TO FOLLOW
Ron
Long time, no blogs!
Well, many of you noted (and emailed) that my site was down. Simple fact, the site used WAY more bandwidth than what I paid for... Sorry about the downtime. However, the site is back up, and it's all the 'same stuff for free'. However, I will be making adjustments to the downloads. These adjustments will include removing the demo levels and 'shrinking' the overall size of the zip files. I will include .pdf files that will include common 'errors' and such and help new users install the content properly. This is a good opportunity to 'revamp' the packs to make them more user friendly and with luck, help new folks produce good quality visuals in their games and test levels.
WHAT THE H*LL HAVE YOU BEEN DOING!
Well, as many of you know, I have been dealing with T3D more as a hobby again. HOWEVER, I have been 'innovating' and coming up with a number of interesting NEW art techniques and processes based on.... well, I am not going to into it right now but, if any of you played or looked at The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, you will have at least an idea of what I have been working on.
So your site was 'Crashed' WTF???
Well, I am currently not making ANYTHING from these free models etc. So, this means I have to 'work' at a real job. I have been luck enough to actually pick up a programming job (full time) using Visual Basic, and a freaking HOST of MS products (Access, Excel, Word, Sharepoint, etc.) I am basically creating a number of automation systems using VBA and MS to basically do with one person, what a year ago took 2 or 3 people. (This is how bad the 'military' budget has gotten.) Anyway, I spend 45+ hours a week, sleeping in my car and working on these projects so, I do not get a whole heck of a lot of time to work my web stuff or my T3D dev. I hope this improves shortly and I am sorry for the MAJOR delays. Anyway, I will post more when I have some good stuff to show off (I have some of course, I just have not made a video or anything yet :-).
At last, I wanna say FAREWELL to a number of peeps that have 'left' the Garage Games Community. Will Zetter et all thanks for your work and time. I wish you all well. (there are more than a few and they will all be missed!)
With that, I will leave you all for now..... HOWEVER!
MORE TO FOLLOW
Ron
About the author
Guy that has been with Torque Game Engines since... well, since here was a Torque Game Engine. (V12 and beyond).
#42
I have A LOT in store over the next few weeks. (I will be 'out of the office' for the next 7 or 8 days though.) Business programming (aka Day job)... by the way VBA, HTML, and SQL all give me a HUGE headache! But, I do plan on trying to photoscan a tank... that should be interesting.... LOL. Anyway, like I said, I will be shifting this to a new blog. I REALLY REALLY want people to see this and give feedback. Don't care if they tell me this is a dead end or this is something they want details about so they can replicate it. I want EVERYONE at GG and into T3D to get 'Thrilled' about T3D again. It's about time.
Ron
11/11/2014 (4:08 pm)
@Daniel, Yeah... It feels REALLY good to be excited about T3D again (not that the steering committee has not worked REALLY hard, great releases lately, though I still MOD the hell out of the current version :-). I have A LOT in store over the next few weeks. (I will be 'out of the office' for the next 7 or 8 days though.) Business programming (aka Day job)... by the way VBA, HTML, and SQL all give me a HUGE headache! But, I do plan on trying to photoscan a tank... that should be interesting.... LOL. Anyway, like I said, I will be shifting this to a new blog. I REALLY REALLY want people to see this and give feedback. Don't care if they tell me this is a dead end or this is something they want details about so they can replicate it. I want EVERYONE at GG and into T3D to get 'Thrilled' about T3D again. It's about time.
Ron
#43
Seriously, check out whatever you can google on the Vanishing of Ethan Carter. (For me, this is where all of this started.) I bought the game just because I like old school adventure games. I did not know CRAP about it. I just thought the Steam store presentation was good. However,this game was a step WHY beyond what I expected. Good story, Wonderful visuals and WOW.... from the same group of guys that gave us freakin BulletStorm...(WTF???). Still, they NAILED this one. Try it. It's not COD, or Evil Within but, it's got a good story and solid game play for what it is. I am thinking Cyan World would have LOVED to be able to pull off what these guys did.
Additionally, it's not a 'full price' game. it's cheap and the devs DESERVE to succeed. Anyway, nuff stumping for them. (No I don't get anything from them, this is just my personal opinion and I firmly believe in standing on the shoulders of great people to make cool stuff.)
Ron
11/11/2014 (4:19 pm)
Duion, Vegetation... NOT a candidate for for scanning. Just like all the different modeling techniques out there, this is NOT a final perfect 'be all and end all' solution. It has it's place. Plants and trees, not so much. I will tell you this though.... dead plants, like stumps and dead branches or fallen trees (BINGO). Seriously, check out whatever you can google on the Vanishing of Ethan Carter. (For me, this is where all of this started.) I bought the game just because I like old school adventure games. I did not know CRAP about it. I just thought the Steam store presentation was good. However,this game was a step WHY beyond what I expected. Good story, Wonderful visuals and WOW.... from the same group of guys that gave us freakin BulletStorm...(WTF???). Still, they NAILED this one. Try it. It's not COD, or Evil Within but, it's got a good story and solid game play for what it is. I am thinking Cyan World would have LOVED to be able to pull off what these guys did.
Additionally, it's not a 'full price' game. it's cheap and the devs DESERVE to succeed. Anyway, nuff stumping for them. (No I don't get anything from them, this is just my personal opinion and I firmly believe in standing on the shoulders of great people to make cool stuff.)
Ron
#44
11/11/2014 (5:16 pm)
Cyan still exists and are making a game with UE4... I really hope they get their hands on this stuff sometime soon! Though they seem to be going with a more abstract art style for Obduction at least.
#45
That said, you could break it down some and probably get good results.
As in, you do a scan of the trunk and a branch or two, then break off a few of the small branches with the leaves, and capture those separately. If you're only getting a small one with a relatively flat leaf configuration, you should be able to get a good pull that way. It'd still be to the artist to model the tree and add the leaf polies, but you could then apply your really nice textures and free normals to your mesh, and get some really good looking trees and stuff out of it that way.
More work than capturing rocks or buildings, but it should produce good results all the same.
11/11/2014 (7:55 pm)
Yeah, vegetation or any other depth-complex stuff will break for photoscan.That said, you could break it down some and probably get good results.
As in, you do a scan of the trunk and a branch or two, then break off a few of the small branches with the leaves, and capture those separately. If you're only getting a small one with a relatively flat leaf configuration, you should be able to get a good pull that way. It'd still be to the artist to model the tree and add the leaf polies, but you could then apply your really nice textures and free normals to your mesh, and get some really good looking trees and stuff out of it that way.
More work than capturing rocks or buildings, but it should produce good results all the same.
#46
(I think it's the same one you guys are talking about) would be something to check out. I also been looking for something on the animations side and came across brekel.com/brekel-pro-body-v2/
which looks interesting. We been hard working on finishing up his project horizon www.facebook.com/XNAhorizon?ref=hl which will be finish within the next couple month on xbox live. After that we plan on move back to finish up nightmare: origins. I love see all these new techniques it should make moving back to T3D a little more exciting!!
Thanks for the info Jeff and Ron!!
11/12/2014 (5:45 am)
My brother and I found out about photoscaning a year or so back but NEVER came across anything within a indy price range. So www.tgi3d.com/index.php?Page=PhotoScan(I think it's the same one you guys are talking about) would be something to check out. I also been looking for something on the animations side and came across brekel.com/brekel-pro-body-v2/
which looks interesting. We been hard working on finishing up his project horizon www.facebook.com/XNAhorizon?ref=hl which will be finish within the next couple month on xbox live. After that we plan on move back to finish up nightmare: origins. I love see all these new techniques it should make moving back to T3D a little more exciting!!
Thanks for the info Jeff and Ron!!
#47
We're actually talking about Agisoft's Photoscan www.agisoft.com
Which is far more reasonable at $180.
Also, yeah, brekel makes some interesting stuff, though I've yet to see their software not break down due to turning around or occlusion via props.
I've been eyeing Ipisoft's marker-less mocap myself. It supporting multiple cameras helps resolve a lot of the above-mentioned problems.
11/12/2014 (11:13 am)
@KoryWe're actually talking about Agisoft's Photoscan www.agisoft.com
Which is far more reasonable at $180.
Also, yeah, brekel makes some interesting stuff, though I've yet to see their software not break down due to turning around or occlusion via props.
I've been eyeing Ipisoft's marker-less mocap myself. It supporting multiple cameras helps resolve a lot of the above-mentioned problems.
#48
Thanks I'll be giving it a try soon..May even go ahead a pick it up given the price range ;)
I'll be awaiting you guys write up, it really does look very interesting!
11/19/2014 (4:11 am)
@JeffThanks I'll be giving it a try soon..May even go ahead a pick it up given the price range ;)
I'll be awaiting you guys write up, it really does look very interesting!
Duion
Another question I have, how to you scan vegetation? Isn't this going to be a ton of work?