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Graphics Discussion
2008-12-12, 04:29
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12 posts

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Jun 2008
Hello everyone

I am undertaking an ambitious school project for 3D animation and design. The first thing I thought about doing was remaking all weapons and items.

Since we have a dedicated community for my favorite game, I thought this would be the appropriate place for feedback as I take steps for this project into completion. I am really excited to work on this project as I have a lot of plans and ideas.

The first thing I wanted to do, is to remake the rocket launcher. Not to just remake it, but redesign it. It will still look faithful to the old, but with subtle changes. I want to give it an updated look, and increase the animation complexity to rival today's standards. For instance, I always wondered what those three little half tubes sticking out of the main body were actually for, if you put it into perspective to reality. I done a rough 15 minute sketch on the RL design itself and my implementation of those tubes in animation.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c4/Moshman_77/rlconcept.jpg


Now I need some feedback from the community because I don't just want this to be a grade for my class, but a contribution to the community. How faithful do people want models to be? Does it have to be exact to the old down to the letter? Or do people want something more out of the originals? Not changed completely, only maybe 2 degrees from 100 percent faithful.

I also plan on making 3 separate armor models. How I plan to do this is create 3 models in Maya, then combine all three into one. When I go to make the actual skins, all three models will be UV mapped on the same UV. So say I have the green armor, to get just the green armor model to show through the stack of models that'll overlap each other, I will create alpha channels on the yellow and red armor UVs so they will be invisible, leaving just the green armor skin visible.

Here's a quick sketch of the green armor:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c4/Moshman_77/GreenArmorConcept.jpg


My plans for the armor designs are to keep the basic features from the originals. Similar base shape for the pauldrons and breast plates. altering the outline shape ever so slightly with each armor design. This green armor will have a leather look to it, being green of course with some chain or ring mail on the bottom. The yellow armor will be plated with some scale mail. Red armor will be a Gothic style design being all metal.

When I am done, I am going to make optional bright skins for the weapons and items for all those competitors out there. Similar to Q4Max's style of bright skins.


I have some questions:

Note I will be developing these models primarily for EZQuake.

1. When animating models, do I animate based on the animation length of the original models, or do I animate based on the number of frames on the original models?

2. Should I do md3 models, or mdl models? If md3, explain the advantage of it over mdl or vise versa.

3. Am I able to implement q3 style shaders?
2008-12-12, 11:42
Member
705 posts

Registered:
Feb 2006
Do you know what the current artist's have done? ruohis/primeveil/plauged monkey ? they might be a good source to get ideas.
2008-12-12, 14:24
Member
12 posts

Registered:
Jun 2008
I have definitely seen their work and they are quite impressive, in fact almost discouraging and intimidating which made me reluctant to consider this as my project. I intend on giving these models a fresh modernized look and spending a lot of time on the animations to make each one unique. Like for instance, I really thought the handles on the original rocket launcher looked rather out of place and don't compliment the base shape's curvy nature. So I blended the handles in seamless to the shape of the body. Also I plan on making the material on the RL to be a shiny brass or bronze color.

These rough preliminary sketches don't do justice to the complexity I tend to implement here.
2008-12-12, 15:39
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1102 posts

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Jan 2006
I like your idea about the the armors a lot. It would be something unseen but (to me) very fitting.
2008-12-12, 19:10
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805 posts

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Mar 2006
Yeah, go for something not faithful! We already have many faithful projects and I think that now we need some diversity!
https://tinyurl.com/qwbrasil - QuakeFiles
2008-12-12, 22:35
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Feb 2006
wouldn't you need to modify the actual engine to increase animation complexity?
2008-12-13, 01:01
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Mar 2006
my opinion is to explore your own new ideas, don't stick to faithful we already have great faithful projects. looks cool though.
It Takes A Tough Man To Make A Tender Rocketjump
2008-12-13, 04:58
Member
12 posts

Registered:
Jun 2008
Final design for the RL.
This will be used as a base in Maya.
Yes I know I have girly handwriting. =8]
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c4/Moshman_77/rlconcept2.jpg
2008-12-13, 05:19
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344 posts

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Apr 2007
make these mdls if you can
2008-12-13, 05:31
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Jun 2008
How may I export mdls from Maya?
2008-12-13, 13:44
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805 posts

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Mar 2006
A think md3 is the best option! You should get in contact with Ruohis, so he could give you some tips about Quake modelling (poly count limits, etc).
https://tinyurl.com/qwbrasil - QuakeFiles
2008-12-13, 14:24
Member
51 posts

Registered:
Sep 2006
The sketches look great for the RL, just get the colors right.

I would go for mdl for ezQuake, it doesn't have that good support for md3s. The big advantage with md3 over mdl is that the model wont wobble like jello when you animate it, just look at the player model when he stands still (easier to see the effect), but for v_models (at least in Quake, but in Q2 on the other hand ) there seem to be no problem, at least I haven't seen any wobblyness on them, or have I?!

And shaders: no ezQuake doesn't have support for them.

Good luck with your project!
2008-12-13, 15:36
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Jun 2008
I have just started fleshing out the model in Maya. Thanks for feedback so far, I'm happy to see that there are no purists.
Now the delema of md3 or mdl, hmmm...
I will post WIP shots tonight.
2008-12-13, 17:19
Member
705 posts

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Feb 2006
there are plenty of purists, it's just that they are pretty satisfied with what we already have and can stay cool. =)
2008-12-13, 20:01
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805 posts

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Mar 2006
The problem with mdl is that you'll have to deal with a very low limit for polygons! And the ezQuake "not so perfect support" for md3 is not such a big problem. It'll be probably fixed in the next months, since many modelers are developing in this format!

GG!
https://tinyurl.com/qwbrasil - QuakeFiles
2008-12-13, 20:32
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705 posts

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Feb 2006
how's the progress?
2008-12-13, 21:23
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51 posts

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Sep 2006
There are really no big problem with the md3-support in ezQuake, just small things like they wont get affected by any kind of light/shadows, they're always fullbright which doesn't look that great. And special graphics features wont work like underwater caustics, also bloom bugs around when using md3-models for v_weapons.
Maybe the developers will fix it sometime, but they work on ezQuake for free which is great so you cant really blame them.

But the models wont wobble and it's probaly easier to find a md3 exporter for Maya, so go with md3 (I changed my mind!), someone can always convert it from md3 to mdl if they want, better to have them in a less lossy format..
2008-12-15, 06:27
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Jun 2008
Here's some WIP. Just the base is complete now.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c4/Moshman_77/RL_WIP_01.jpg


http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c4/Moshman_77/RL_WIP_02.jpg


I will make both md3 and mdl and let people pick what they want.
2008-12-15, 09:43
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Feb 2006
Looking quite nice so far
2008-12-15, 13:43
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Jun 2006
It looks very nice =)
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