Graphics / Models / Hovercraft

[Petr Schreiber]

Hi,

I am not in the graphic team, but in coding yes, so here are few hints from technical point of view.
This topic will concentrate the general rules for modeling hovercraft for our game.


Facecount1000-2000
TexturesYes, mandatory. Not bigger than 512x512


General advices for modeling:
- if you use quads, make sure they have all points in one plane, "bended" quad causes geometry and texturing flicker, which visually differs on each graphic card.

- make models with +/- same size. In real races there are no competitions where bus races with VW Bettle ( ! to avoid communication problem, we are making game about hovercraft, no cars, no ships, no bikes, no airplanes, no shuttles )

- use one and only one :) texture per model. This is good for performance ( large chunk with one texture draws faster than small chunks with different one ). It also allows easier skinning of models.

- make sure textures do not look stretched

- keep one "style" ( but this will be easier to decide once we have story / setting )


Petr

[Michael Hartlef]

- if you use quads, make sure they have all points in one plane, "bended" quad causes geometry and texturing flicker, which visually differs on each graphic card.


Thanks Petr, I agree. But sometimes impossible. We will see how it turns out. About the textures. How important are the bottoms? Are they visible?

[kryton9]

Nice tech tips Petr for modeling.

I would say to make it look good from all sides Mike, in case of jumps and or cool crash sequences where we could see all sides of a vehicle.

[Michael Hartlef]

Yes Kent, didn't thought about jumps.

[Petr Schreiber]

Hi Kent,

good point with the crashes, I wrote following and did not see your reply:

I think bottoms will not be visible for the most time, but we cannot ignore them completely.
My idea is to make them textured in more lazy way - mask it with particles OR make them dark like cars have usually.

I would like to have motion blur for this game as well, I worked whole summer on this effect, Journal #2 will say more.
You can imagine motion blur also helps us to hide some details ;)

The visibility of bottom part also depends if we will allow hovercraft to make "frog jump" over oponnent.
In case the game will be first person, the bottom would be visible. In case it will be 3rd person, it would not be too much.

In my opinion, first person view brings more immersion. But I am going offtopic now so I stop here.


Petr

P.S. Going to post ( mail building :) ) right now, will be back ASAP.

[Michael Hartlef]

The vessels, should they have replaceable parts? Like different engines, Fronts, wings?

[Michael Hartlef]

Which dimensions should the vessels have? I would say :

Max width: 16 units
Max height: 8 units
Max length: 40 units
Model center: 0,0,0

[Petr Schreiber]

Hi Mike,

how does unit relate to SI meter? Do you mean Blender units, TBGL units ( which I take as 1 unit = 1 meter to simplify things )?

Ship tuning sounds very, very tasty. But also need different approach in modeling, lets see what modelers think. From game code point of view it means no problem, hovercraft body could be simply parent for all other ( engine ) entities.

I think lot of people enjoy customization of look.


Petr

[Michael Hartlef]

1 Unit = 1 Meter. I think that this should be ok. Then 1 Unit = 1 TBGL unit.

[Lionheart008]

short reply, I am now offline:)

good hints to the technical side of the objects, texture aspects... that's what I need... and there will be more question about it, I am thinking, sometimes I have problems with texture mapping, sometimes it does function everything ok... - but more come later, I am sure...

I mean after building new hovercrafts objects and texture it;)


Max width: 16 units
Max height: 8 units
Max length: 40 units
Model center: 0,0,0

1 Unit = 1 Meter. I think that this should be ok. Then 1 Unit = 1 TBGL unit.



that's really important for me..

good thread/board here, thanks petr:) and mike:) for pushing it...

ciao, Lionheart, week-end :)

[kryton9]

Reading the design documents that Michael wrote, it seems like making parts that can fit together might be the way to go. I don't know how putting parts together will effect Physics work for the coders, what do you guys think?

Just as an idea to give custom looks the parts could be main parts such as these:

Front Lights
Back Lights
Front Compartment (could be engine, or fuel storage and auxillary equipment)
Back Compartment (could be engine, or fuel storage and auxillary equipment)
Driver Compartment (single driver or do we provide space for driver and copilot/navigator)
Engine(this could be different shaped pods for propulsion that are attached to the Front Compartment or Back Compartment)
Weapons( Different Vehicle types might have differnt weapon layouts, so picking a vehicle type effects how many and the types of weapons you get)

I am not sure about the dimensions, for instance if the view is inside from the drivers view (first person) or like a chase cam in most racing games.
Perhaps the length does not have to be that long as possible now. Since you will see from behind the vehicle in chase view, having more detail in the rear section seems like a focus and an internal cockpit view.

Do the game designers envision other views?

[Michael Hartlef]

Once the story and the game background is set, we cna think about how the vessels could look alike and then think which parts could be replaceable. I see the replaceable parts mostly like upgrades. Better engine, faster racing, better wings better steering, different hull, more control. Things like that.

[Petr Schreiber]

Hi Kent,

my idea ( from programmer point of view ), is to create kind of "authoring" tool for hovercraft pieces.
It would allow you to load engine model for example, and assign some "real" data, like how much power it can give, how much it weigths, and where does it connect to main chasis. This parts could be assembled in hovercraft editor.

Could be fun to have body very light, with extra strong engines but low ability to steer ( like Trabant with jet engine :D ), or the opposite ... so player decided how can he drive according to his custom tuning. I think this would make game quite rich, and pilot could scale his plane better to his driving style.

I am thinking of special part called "deflector", which would influence ability to steer vehicle. But maybe it could be part of engine characteristics to not complicate stuff too much.


Petr

[Lionheart008]

hi all... :)


my idea ( from programmer point of view ), is to create kind of "authoring" tool for hovercraft pieces.
It would allow you to load engine model for example, and assign some "real" data, like how much power it can give, how much it weigths, and where does it connect to main chasis. This parts could be assembled in hovercraft editor.

short input... I like this idea...from petr...

- perhaps the driver/pilot can 'choose and change' his driving motor engine from the start until the end of the race (first a trabant or vw beetle chassis with big power engines) and if the driver can efforts more power and skills to 'buy' or earn points to get more power to the vessel and the engines (for example best of the engines a 'ferrari' engine) to win last not least the race;)

- all pilots should have the same start options (less engines, less power...) and should earn during the race her new engines with her abilities and skills... perhaps the pilots can get so a new cockpit (new gui) for each hovercraft object with more power and abilities..

if I change my car from vw beetle to a new bmw or porsche, the cockpit changes and the power engines too with new displays and technical advices...

- best regards, Lionheart...
Good work here! ;) must laugh... and shame upon me... I will catch you again as soon as I can:)

[ISAWHIM]

If it is not too much additional programming...

My suggestion that I made for topdown3d would work great here.

Creating a single "Body core", with a designated set of accessories to "Pimp out" your ride as upgrades.

(Even if it is just specific to each model.)

Wing1, 2, 3 (S, M, L)
Guns1, 2, 3 (S, M, L)
BodyShape1, 2, 3 (Non streamlined, modest streamlined, super streamlined)

The items would just need a "Stem" that protrudes into the main body, so altering the placement and scale, makes them keep the same shape. The changes would be nearly microscopic, but enough to notice change. The textures could change slightly also. (Adding a "Noise map" to alter color to make it look dinged, or dirty for the cheap stuff, while the good stuff is clean an bright colored. You could change the light-reflect to simulate dull and old, or shiny and new, if adding a noise map is not a possibility.)

The body-shape would be a controversial object. (Making three body models might defeat the purpose. Though, stretching the height of the whole object, would simulate a slower design. While "Thin" represents streamlined.)

The other objects would be only one object, but could be scaled separate of the other objects.

Gun 1
Wing 2
Body 3

Guns = faster shooting, or more power, or one, and then the other... (First getting faster, then more powerful.)
Wing = better control, more responsive to actual input, less delay, or over-steer
Body = faster acceleration, or top speed, or one and then the other...

(Wouldn't matter which you choose... and upgrade is an upgrade. The size changes with each upgrade, only two upgrades each, but possibly only three or four total upgrades per ship... Thus, keeping it still a strategy to your play style.)

You could easily make 8 racers, but have the illusion of more. (If the objects are scaled and possibly also relocated... forward more, out more, in more, back more, upside down.)

If we use only grey-scale for details... you could allow colorized pallets, or just a colorization, to provide a feel of more variety...

If you designate a "Blank" surface area... as untextured... You can use that as the "Identity color", or as "Color 2". (Like having a trim-accessory on the object. Engine cover, edge slices, wing-tips, jet-flaps.)

[Michael Hartlef]

Guys, I think for replaceable parts we won't have time for it. There is a lot of coding involved in this. We have allready used up 1/6 of the time we have to develop the game and I think we should leave this feature out.

[kryton9]

Sounds good to me. So we just make whole gliders then, sounds like a nice simple solution.

[Petr Schreiber]

Mike,

I am happy from your decision, I think it is good one.
Multiple parts would be fun, but it would also mean much more testing, much more artwork...


Petr

P.S. Even if we decide for some engine upgrades for example ( in case we finish the game too early :D ), we can simply use different color of particles.