ColdHeat

[jim]

Mm.. I'm going to drop it because I'm going to be a lazy animator... I actually got the decapitation idea from AvP2 aliens that could still attack the player when they had lost some body parts (but that don't work in the multiplayer). I think AvP2 has done it pretty much the same way as AvP (played it, but don't remember).

edited this paragraph:
Allright I've thought some alternative way to do it. I would make some 8 models with each having some body part missing. When the character loses another body part, it dies. It will still lose the body part it was going to lose, but it'll need the whole upper or lower torso to get decapitated as well. This way I don't need countless models with multiple body parts missing. How's this?


Sure, Zylyx_, I'll tell something...

I'll first draw some sketches on paper. Then I'll start modelling. Sometimes I start with some box or cylinder shape, sometimes I start with some splines, which I'll later turn into a mesh. When I get the model modelled, I'll make the uvw map and texture it. When I have it textured, I'll create bones and attach the model's vertices into the bones. In the modeling phase I might have done some tests on how it'll animate and I always try to model them so I don't need to modify the mesh in this animation phase.

Finally I have it all ready to go, I'll export it into Half-Life 2 format SMD files and convert them to a DPM model. Each animation sequence into a different file (this is not necessary, but then I don't have some unnecessary frames exported, however it would be faster to export all animation into one sequence SMD).

I'm not sure what are QSG extensions... I took a quick look at my QC codings and it looked like I had used setmodel function to load my models... I've also scaled my models with some DarkPlaces extension (is it the same as QSG extension?).

I fixed the uvw map for this , refitted the old skin into it and draw texture for the tail and horns. It's not yet finished, as there are some seams and other errors I'll fix

And now for something completely different:

[Zylyx_]

Awsome, thnx for the info. I follow relatively the same steps when I do modelling, although sometimes I build a low res mesh first, and then a hi-res mesh for normal mapping.

I'll try that setmodel function to see if it works.

[jim]

Ah yea, I'm not doing any high resolution models, since I don't have zbrush... and my computer is too slow to do high poly modelling in 3dsmax... So I just do the models that are going into the game. My normal maps I've done with CrazyBump from the diffuse textures. I'll also do some specular/gloss map, which I just do from the diffuse texture by making it darker or brighter depending how much I want specularity. I might change the colour of it too.

[Zylyx_]

[jim]

Oh, that sucks, no wonder one version of it stopped working when some time period has gone. I'll try that xNormal then.

Well...

I decided I'll make some better looking weapons (again). This time I think I succeed. At least they don't look so Earthling weapons. These weapons are plasma powered energy weapons:



The Plasma Powered Energy Blast Staff is 132,28cm long (maybe a bit too short?) and it shoots plasma balls or wave. Currently it does not have a trigger, but it will be placed to the front hand holding area making it easier to use single handed if necessary. It is 1606 polygons without the Plasma Power Source.

The Plasma Powered Shock Club is 88cm long and it is used to hit others. The Plasma Power Source adds some stunning effect into the hits and it can be used as a short range stun tazer without needing to touch the target. It will also need some trigger. It can be used without the Plasma Power Source. It is 1048 polygons without the Plasma Power Source.

The Plasma Power Source is used to power various weapons and it is 22cm long. It is attached or detached from them by rotating it around. They can be used as powerful plasma grenades too. It is 252 polygons.


On a side note.. I've rigged this character finally and I'll be animating it shortly after I get the plasma weapons textured:

[Urre]

Cool stuff, I like the pose you gave your character.

Is the resemblance between the Quake symbol and your new weapon model more than a coincidence?

[jim]

I got inspiration for the new weapon from a dream I was having a fight with some predators from some other hostile clan. The predators were equipped with Phoenix Staffs from Heretic that also featured a spear blade in the back end. The weapons themselves worked like in Shadow Warrior the enemies who shoot some really devastating fire or one of the Guardian head's fire modes that shoots the same flames. I was hiding behind some stone pillar in a cave waiting for those flames to hit some wall or the pillar. Then one of them came closer and I stabbed him with my Phoenix Staff spear. My Phoenix Staff went broken in the attack, so I took his and used it to kill two more of them.

So yea, it's a coincidence. Doesn't look much like the Phoenix Staff though..

Testing the plasma powered energy blast staff on the character... It got longer, now 189cm and the hand hold area got thinner. It can shorten to 132cm when it's not used. I also designed the energy cell will go to the front of the weapon. Weapon is 1598 polygons and the energy cell is 180 polygons. It's having some heavily sharpened skylight bake temporary texture...

[jim]

Here's the character sneaking, walking and running.. in game... featuring atmospheric music from 2003!


I've managed to do one animation per day and tweak a bit some older animation. The run animation has 10 frames, walk and sneak both have 20 frames. I think I'll make some jogging animation that would make character move about half running speed. Currently "run" makes character move 300 game units in 10 frames, "walk" moves 80 units in 20 frames and "sneak" moves 38 units in 20 frames...

[FrikaC]

[jim]

[jim]

Testing drawing some textures in 1024*1024.

Concrete floor tiles:


Concrete wall with blood (I wrote redrum with my alien script, I guess they've seen some shining too):


They're also supposed to be a bit winter themed. Though these are probably indoor concrete or are they too rough looking for indoors, or too rough anyway?

Aa, and here's a medikit (with more alien script):

[jim]

I decided to not make high resolution textures for this project... I don't like to do them. So I made 128*128 resolution textures:



Not sure yet what I'll do with model textures and model polycounts, maybe I'll decrease them too. I'll probably leave normal maps and other crap like that away To me they're just a waste of time.

[Urre]

Everyone has their own taste. I think all is good as long as it's consistent. I hate it when mods have some maps with high-res textures and normalmaps, while other maps don't. Even worse is when a map mixes both

[Spike]

green is the new brown, it seems.

[jim]

Or maybe it's just my favourite colour? I made another texture set and it's tinted green too. This time I made it 256*256, which I found easier to make, it took a little bit more time and gave me better results.