Sahara for Torque 3D on sale
by Konrad Kiss · 10/05/2010 (3:44 pm) · 49 comments
Sahara is a tech extension for Torque 3D Pro (source required). It lets you create more realistic game environments by generating naturally accumulated dirt, snow, dust or any other material over your in-game shapes. It is a successor to Bitgap Games' Cliff Construction Kit and is currently available in our store for $59.95 (indie license).
Sahara is special, because it lets you use your existing shapes in environments where they would not normally fit in - without having to modify, re-texture and re-export them. This is something similar to what Crytek did in Crysis for their frozen over levels.
I've been delaying the public announcement for a while until I had the manual and the tutorial video done. Finally, they are ready, and I'm very happy to show it all off.
I owe thanks to many people who made this possible, most of all Tom Spilman (Sickhead), Sven Bergström (Luma) and Pat Wilson (Gameclay). To value our existing customers, Sahara was a free upgrade from the Cliff Construction Kit. It is available for the latest Beta 2 and Beta 3 versions of Torque 3D.
Purchasing Sahara is simple. Register on Bitgap.Com, buy via PayPal and see the product instantly appear under your account's list of products - very much like what you're used to here, on TorquePowered.Com. Sahara also gets the bonus cliff models from the Cliff Construction Kit.
The following is a short tutorial / quick start guide video for Sahara.
Excuse my accent, I'm not a native English speaker. :)
View on YouTube
And another video that shows off some of what really is possible with Torque 3D and Sahara:
View in HD on YouTube
Thank you for reading through.
As always, comments are much appreciated. ;)
-- Konrad
@konradkiss
KonradKiss @ GitHub
konradkiss.com
Sahara is special, because it lets you use your existing shapes in environments where they would not normally fit in - without having to modify, re-texture and re-export them. This is something similar to what Crytek did in Crysis for their frozen over levels.
I've been delaying the public announcement for a while until I had the manual and the tutorial video done. Finally, they are ready, and I'm very happy to show it all off.
I owe thanks to many people who made this possible, most of all Tom Spilman (Sickhead), Sven Bergström (Luma) and Pat Wilson (Gameclay). To value our existing customers, Sahara was a free upgrade from the Cliff Construction Kit. It is available for the latest Beta 2 and Beta 3 versions of Torque 3D.
Purchasing Sahara is simple. Register on Bitgap.Com, buy via PayPal and see the product instantly appear under your account's list of products - very much like what you're used to here, on TorquePowered.Com. Sahara also gets the bonus cliff models from the Cliff Construction Kit.
Sahara is now available for purchase at Bitgap.Com.
The following is a short tutorial / quick start guide video for Sahara.
Excuse my accent, I'm not a native English speaker. :)
View on YouTube
And another video that shows off some of what really is possible with Torque 3D and Sahara:
View in HD on YouTube
Thank you for reading through.
As always, comments are much appreciated. ;)
-- Konrad
@konradkiss
KonradKiss @ GitHub
konradkiss.com
About the author
http://about.me/konrad.kiss
#2
10/05/2010 (4:20 pm)
WOW ! Very Good ! 
#3
10/05/2010 (4:49 pm)
Brilliant package. Congrats on the release! 
#4
Sahara is great, easy to install and idiot proof to use. Play with the sliders and it's obvious what eveything does and how it affects the texture.
It really saves on making a gazzilion seperate textures for frost/concrete, sand/concrete, dirt/concrete, slime/concrete, aliengoo/concrete, etc, etc.
10/05/2010 (4:51 pm)
There's nothing wrong with you accent :)Sahara is great, easy to install and idiot proof to use. Play with the sliders and it's obvious what eveything does and how it affects the texture.
It really saves on making a gazzilion seperate textures for frost/concrete, sand/concrete, dirt/concrete, slime/concrete, aliengoo/concrete, etc, etc.
#5
10/05/2010 (5:18 pm)
Great work Konrad.
#6
@Cyril: Thank you!
@eb: Thanks. And thank you again for the additional arch cliff shapes you offered as a free download. Very very nice models.
@Steve: Thanks. Whew. It's really cool that you find it useful, Steve.
@Julian: Thank you. There is actually something else coming as an addon to this pack, but I can not yet announce a release date. I want to create a new shape replicator that procedurally places shapes and is forest based. I thought to add this as a free resource for every Bitgap customer. But I have no idea yet when this would be ready. It's all about keeping our customers. ;)
10/05/2010 (6:53 pm)
@Christian: Thanks. :) I wouldn't mind you inventing it. Would have been less development time for me. :)@Cyril: Thank you!
@eb: Thanks. And thank you again for the additional arch cliff shapes you offered as a free download. Very very nice models.
@Steve: Thanks. Whew. It's really cool that you find it useful, Steve.
@Julian: Thank you. There is actually something else coming as an addon to this pack, but I can not yet announce a release date. I want to create a new shape replicator that procedurally places shapes and is forest based. I thought to add this as a free resource for every Bitgap customer. But I have no idea yet when this would be ready. It's all about keeping our customers. ;)
#7
10/05/2010 (7:43 pm)
Hey Konrad, are any of the material settings exposed to script ? 
#8
just been to you site and Sahara 1.0 for Torque 3D 1.1 Beta 3 downloads the same file as Sahara 1.0 for Torque 3D 1.1 Beta 2
is this because there were no changes at all or is the link wrong?
10/05/2010 (7:48 pm)
hey Konradjust been to you site and Sahara 1.0 for Torque 3D 1.1 Beta 3 downloads the same file as Sahara 1.0 for Torque 3D 1.1 Beta 2
is this because there were no changes at all or is the link wrong?
#9
@Luis: Correct. They are the same file, because it turned out, that the changes of Beta 3 did not affect neither the installation nor the operation of Sahara. So the Beta 2 version works great under Beta 3 as well. But to make compatibility evident, I chose to list this version just like Beta 2 (and any upcoming versions). Just trying to keep kit support simple. :)
10/05/2010 (7:55 pm)
@eb: Yes, every setting is available in script. Save a material with an accu map (alter every accu property) and the saved material will have all the fields that are exposed. You can use these just like you would use any other material feature (ie. normal map, pixel specular, etc...)@Luis: Correct. They are the same file, because it turned out, that the changes of Beta 3 did not affect neither the installation nor the operation of Sahara. So the Beta 2 version works great under Beta 3 as well. But to make compatibility evident, I chose to list this version just like Beta 2 (and any upcoming versions). Just trying to keep kit support simple. :)
#10
10/05/2010 (9:12 pm)
Now that's beautiful. Congrats on the release, that's a great looking effect!
#11
..and perhaps have storms increase the effects as the game is played.
10/05/2010 (9:16 pm)
- I plan to dynamically set accumulation vars for certain levels/worlds...and perhaps have storms increase the effects as the game is played.
#12
10/05/2010 (9:18 pm)
@eb: neat idea! that is completely possible with Sahara. 
#13
Sahara is beyond awesome.
10/05/2010 (9:24 pm)
The single best 3rd party addition for Torque 3D yet! Loved the CCK with it's initial accumulation tech but the expansion of that feature for Sahara opens up the whole world to a new level of tweakability that allows broad climatic changes across the board as well as additional beautification of previously boring assets. Sahara is beyond awesome.
#14
10/05/2010 (9:26 pm)
@ eb's idea -- very easy to set up such a thing. That was one of the reasons the material accumulation tech was something I wanted :) 
#15
10/05/2010 (9:43 pm)
oh lordy I cant wait for this on our repo lol. been knocking up a load of new textures tonight after reinstalling fallout 3. going off topic, but i can honestly say that T3D can really give games like that and crysis etc a very good run for their money on the graphical effects, and will be even more awesome with this running on it.
#16
10/05/2010 (9:44 pm)
@Michael: Thanks so much! I am very glad you find Sahara useful. It's a simple idea, but the really interesting part is what you guys come up with. :) Thanks again!
#17
10/05/2010 (9:46 pm)
@Andy: Thank you. I'm not on my dev pc atm, but will be available in the morning in case you guys need help with the integration. And many many thanks for lending me a hand with testing Xenocell. :) 
#18
Awesome add-on!
BTW, can it be applied to terrain too? I guess so. But I'd like to make it sure as it's not clear from the videos.
10/06/2010 (12:54 am)
@Konrad,Awesome add-on!
BTW, can it be applied to terrain too? I guess so. But I'd like to make it sure as it's not clear from the videos.
#19
10/06/2010 (4:11 am)
Just way too cool, Konrad. Great, great work.
#20
It really deserves excellent feedback as the installation is straight forward as the use of it. If you look at the video or different screenshot, you can have amazing result at low cost and provide some special effect in realtime for the game! All in one!
Nice Job on this Konrad
10/06/2010 (6:46 am)
Just to say that I'm an happy owner of this pack!It really deserves excellent feedback as the installation is straight forward as the use of it. If you look at the video or different screenshot, you can have amazing result at low cost and provide some special effect in realtime for the game! All in one!
Nice Job on this Konrad
Torque Owner Christian S
Oak-Entertainment
Only complaint -why dident I invent this ;)