[Refocusing on the PC]

Performance optimization.

This don't seems to be a joke

[Basic 3D Coat Painting]

Nope, Retopology and Normal map baking was done in previous blog.

This tutorial is directly painting on diffuse, baked normal map, specular map of the low poly model.

The textures are ready to use when painting is finished

[Sculptris tips and character making]

I tested Blender dynamic, but the dynamic "side" also.

 

1) In Sculptris is lot more intuitve for dynamic detail :

Camera near = very detailled polygons tools

Camera far = very low polygon tools

Lot more faster and intuitive than having to change numbers each time by hand like BLender.

 

2) Blender seems lot more slower when you begin to work with good amount of details.

 

3) Sculptris drawing seems more constant nad i feel more control using a pen tablet like some advanced lazy mouse function.

 

3) Interface and tools are more direct, interface seems more smooth at use, commands to select/ hide objects etc ... are really simple also.

 

4) Sculptris has GOZ support fo Zbrush direct import ( you can import obj file in BLender also).

 

As small program Sculptris is fun , easy and a pleasure to use.

 

But like Blender , Sculptris is very basic as sculpting tool , some few examples from 3D coat :

- Cutting tools

- Sculpting/extruding along a line or splines or shapes

- Clothes surface drawing and extrude

- Palette objects

- Masks

- Layers

- Pens objects

etc ... etc ....

 

All depends on what i need to do , precise work with advanced controls , i will go 3D Coat or Zbrush, simple characters for some simple game , i will choose the fast and easy way with culptris.

 

Now everyone has it's preferences, but as you seenon this tutorial, you can do cool stuff using sculptris.

[Building a Collaborative Content Production Pipeline - Part Two]

That's good, specially for programmers only.

[Key Configs and Tedium]

Great.

But like Rick said for keycodes, perhaps you can directly use :

if window:KeyHit(variableKeyStored) then ...

 

If this is possible it should even more shorten your code

without having ot call the function AssignKeyFromChoice, something to test.

[Caffeine, Assets and Rambling]

About automatisation : I agree there is lot of work.

Caus we would even never have to generate some Phy file, it should be automatic. We should be able to import a low poly collision model even obj files, or better have some decimation polygon tool to generate the low collision shape.

 

In Blender manually do the low poly collision is fast and easy using retopology, but additionnal LE3 tool to make it automatic using some slider to choose level of detail would be awesome.

This collision system of LE3 is in stand by from the beginning, i hope it will evolve and at minimum allow to import Obj or FBx low poly collision shape.

(Phy files should not exist, or be transparent, it just complicates workflow)

[Caffeine, Assets and Rambling]

Cool.for models if you make them enought detailled, not simple textures applied on planes.

 

About collision it's not valve method, but generic one, this is uper old method even used in UDK and others engines, nothing new.

[3D Coat column game making of]

I buyed 3D Coat V3 as stand alone long time ago.

Yes it's a all in one package, for my work it's basic work , anyone could do as good as Voxels are so easy ot use

[Leadwerks 3.1]

Great.

For reloading , it make the game more strategic indeed

Some people could include some reload gameplay like Gear of Wars game

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET4XCisT_YA

I like the their bar bullets display system also that's show you visually how much are left.

[Stretched Thin]

Better : make ONE project only at time , and make it as best as you can.

[Leadwerks 3.0 Update Available]

Just GREAT

[CSG editing in leadwerks 3]

It works, that's a way to decompose prefab to simple BSP indeed.

[CSG editing in leadwerks 3]

@knocks :

This is not auto reloading the subject, but more is BSP a good alternative to modelers.And mainly for non modelers lile pure coders that find BSP more easy to use than using a modeler and it's tools.

 

@Andy :

Have you tried google Sketchup ? I bet you'll go lot more faster and easy than BSP.

I really recomand it for totally new to modeling or non modeler at all

 

Sketchup cylinders are high def, but with right click you have a dialog to change side values number for cylinders.

[CSG editing in leadwerks 3]

LE3 generate one lightmap per level.

IF it could evolve and lightmap models and BSP in a separate texture (you would just create some prefab and check some option like : lightmap it), than yes it would be possible.

 

 

BSP UV editing :

- simple stuff ok

- complex scene, and UV need : some things are impossible, manipulating UV with menus and buttons on BSP becomes a nightmare, you are far from modelers visual UV editing.

 

BSP modeling:

- easy objects : OK

- advanced models and complex indoor : without booleans too much complex, merging objects as one is what lacks a lot in LE3 actually.

 

I would say , if BSP system evolve (visual UV mapping tool, booleans) than it would be a solid alternative even for 3D artists.

 

Actually you'll do faster/better on a modeler

[CSG editing in leadwerks 3]

Looks old school, bu not bad.

I already digged LE3 CSG a lot before, i seen very fast CSG limitations you point.I asked from long time booleans, so i just gave up BSP for complex scenes.

 

Seems we are the only two guys to have truly dig and test BSP

Or only two interested in BSP used fro something else than floor and cubes

[Procedural Terrain]

Great work and ideas.

[Game Week - Dungeon Master]

So Tournament is over , and i have lot more time this week, that's sad. Next time planning 2 weeks or a monthly challenge could be lot better.

[Game week - development of Lenga]

Don't take account of what i reported for swept collision fail (can abandonn my WipeOut game prototype ).

 

OK LE3 physics are fine, no problem.

[Virtual Texture Terrain]

Indeed we can't ask LE3 to be AAA engine big tech team, but Vector terrain is not possible one day in LE3 ? (from the HAlo tech link , don't give ideass to your users lol)

Will it be terrain LOD (adjustable ?) in LE3 ?

Specially adjustable for mobile optimisation (less polygons to display).

Great terrains are coming

[Refining Smooth Lightmaps]

Great.

 

Need CSG booleans and Visual UV mapping now

[LCP 2.0]

@Rick :

For textures, and realistic like games, i just pick textures from CGtexture site, and mix them as i need.

If you have some materials ideas, request, just ask also.

 

I read :

we will be reusing as much as we can from LCP 1. zombie, weapons, props for level designer

I hope you guys will have super detailled level textures with normal map and specular maps , plus next detailled gen zombies ?

It's LE3 : shaders , better graphics and engine, let's have detailled underground (cables , mecanisms etc ..) and characters

[LCP 2.0]

yep just ask me later when your game progress if you need extra assets :pipes, mecanisms, ladders, etc...

[LCP 2.0]

@Rick :

If you have clear ideas on some 3D assets i can contribute.

[Leadwerks on Steam]

So that's explains all C++ and BSP like focus

It's years since Source engine seems outdated for terrain games.

Do they want to stay focus on BSP only ?

[Component Based Engine design]

<p>Good work.

For speed it depends on your project, simple indie ones are good enought without too much speed needed. If you want some AAA style "Skyrim", yes optimize more.

Trine 2, TorchLight 2 style no need to go in incredible optimization.

Even playde some super indie game made with visual programming by a pure 3D artist in some popular indie 3D engine.

 

There is lot of optimisations and not in code, caus even with the better optimized code , if 3D art is not towards optimization, it will not work.

- At least 3 or 5 LOD steps

- MipMaps

- Shadows LOD

- shadows Z distance progressive display

- LOD on particles (more accurate maths as you come near)

- LOD on AI and NPC paths navigation (more precise calculation if they are visible)

- LOD on animations (far away NPC won't be animated each frame)

- Efficient culling system

- LOD for shaders (no shader at all at some distance)

- Efficient GUI system using one draw call only

etc ...