Crater Map

[Xoel]

This is the thread for the creation of the crater map.

So far I have created the heightmap and worked it into PnP, to good effects.

It is still far from a professional level however.

Workflow:

Create heightmap. (DONE)

Create four game-quality tileable textures. (0/4 - Two low quality ones for experimentation done)

Apply four textures to heightmap in PnP.

Create concepts for: Mining outpost, crashed ship, any other meshes needed (rocks?)

Create meshes to go in the map.

Export to Crystal Space and walktest the map, then add to TA engine and mark as finished.

Will add replies updating what I may need assistance with, and so on.

[Xoel]

Four tileable textures:

Mimas is composed mostly of ice with some rock at surface level also.

We will need:

Snow (white, sandgrain style texture)

Grey Ice (aimed at being exposed rough solid ice)

Rock (darker grey, for cliffs around the crater)

Smooth Ice (slightly lighter than Grey Ice, with a smoother appearance)

Matching normal, spec, parallax, etc. maps would also be much appreciated.

[Kieve]

Matching Spec I can do, normal/parallax stuff might be on someone else's table. Can handle the textures fine though.

[Xoel]

Normal and Parallax I can do in minutes with CrazyBump. At the moment though we need:

An Art SVN repository.

Aforementioned Textures.

A bit of time.

[Kieve]

Behold, visible progress.
Skybox:

Ice Textures:

[Xordan]

Can you split the skybox into 6 textures? (up, down, left, right, forward, back)

[Kieve]

Easily - I'll pack a .zip with some 2048-square DDS's, when I get some extra time.

[XilliX]

This is going great. We have some decent progress on our bots also. Keep it up folks, you're doing great.

[Xoel]

Kieve: can you lay the ice textures on a plane, repeated ten or twelve times (one texture at a time) and see if the result looks like the texture is repeated?

They look fairly even-toned which prevents this, I just want to be sure.

Edit: also can you put them up in PNG not JPG? We do need to get a good repository going for this sort of thing.

[Kieve]

Actually I intend to save as DDS, I just posted JPGs for display purposes.
On that note, the second ice texture (the darker one) does need a slight bit of tweaking. It'll tile, but there are some minor seams where the rocky bits don't line up quite perfect.

UPDATE:
Skybox DL (Mediafire)
Six DDS files at 2048x2048, and a JPG to show how they're arranged.

[Xoel]

Not sure if PnP does DDS, will have to ask Xordan.

We have to put the ground textures through PnP for arrangment, then export to CS (and that's when we change it to DDS version afaik)

[ulf]

I'm blocking out a CTF layout for the crater map. For the time being I'm working it up as perfectly symmetrical because it's easier.

The map elements will be styled as debris, old boilers, steam engine parts, wrecked spaceship.

The flag buildings are 2 story with 2 entrances at ground level and 1 at the top level which leads to the underground tunnel which connects the two buildings.

When practical, elements will be designed and built for reuse in other maps. For example, the underground tunnel will be partially natural crevasse in the ice and part man-made tube/tunnel.

This is rough and thoughts are welcome.

[Sen]

I got asked if I can think about some parts that we need for the first map, so I just made up some list (With the help of Shurrim, thanks for that)

I apologize in advance if there are stupid ideas amoung them. I have no idea about art and how realistic it is to create things (and can't do concept art), so it's really just a list of things that came to my mind. Maybe it can serve as base to add and scratch items.


General (for all sizes and thus exterior and interior)
 - Valve
 - Pipe
 - Knob
 - Cog


Exterior
 - Big boiler
 - Metal wall(s) as part of a wreck of an industrial component/building
 - Wreck of industrial components (metal wall, something like machine blocks) as obstacles and places to hide
 - Something like machine parts as wreck of an industrial component (wheels, axis to connect them, some solid metal block)
 - Wreck of vehicle (Too complicated?)

 - Lost helmet
 - Lost (protection)goggles
 - Lost armor parts (Metal pieces, probably?)

 - Marsian mock (I hope that's the right word)


Interior
 - Chair
 - Table
 - Pictures as wall decoration
 - Simple weapon models as wall decoration
 - Whistle (from steam pipes)
 - Handle
 - Gauge
 - Apparatus with levers

[XilliX]

Please focus efforts on getting this finished for us. We need something tangible in 3d asap.

[Xoel]

Just thought I'd throw this in there:

What if the Crater is in fact a collapsed dome? Early colony... "lost" some way or another... Would allow a bit more artistic play-abouts compared to modelling the mechanical bits and pieces of an abandoned mine.

Just a thought.

PS: would only mean adding the dome around the edge, some support structures internally, and some housing.... if uninhabited for long enough, the place will be full of a "moon dust" kinda thing.