[C4:AC][Art and Graphics] Some 3D Graphics Research.

[Blake]

True, they can't have true spheres and square tiles (the distortion at the poles would be terrible).

But I mean the engine is built from ground up to be 3D, and converting it to 2D would be well.. possible, and probably not that hard. But benefit is dubious seeing as it's already a 3D engine. It's not like it'll make it run any faster or anything.

[PJayTycy]

And, the 3D engine will only be a few .dll's where we don't get the source for. I'm pretty sure we won't be able to change the engine. We might be able to lock the camera in a 2D-isometric kind of view, but even then, the world will still be rendered by the 3D engine as if it was still a full 3D world with a free camera.

[binTravkin]

Let's not pin our hopes down.
I am sure we will make some alterations to things so we can make it work at least close to what's in SMAC.

Alternatively one could write a script which goes through all possible chassis-weapon-armor-ability combinations and orders the 3D rendering software to make each of them ready as a sole 3D file.

[Kataphraktoi]

if the games c++ can be edited the graphics engine will be small chalange...do you actually code graphics engines? not a challange,just curious(i dont)

[PJayTycy]

Originally posted by Cataphract887
if the games c++ can be edited the graphics engine will be small chalange...do you actually code graphics engines? not a challange,just curious(i dont)

Well, Firaxis uses a 3D engine called Gamebryo. If firaxis releases the source code of that engine, the Gamebryo folks wouldn't be too happy (it costs 75,000 $)

Ofcourse, we could remove everything related with the on-screen-display (ie: all function calls to gamebryo) and write our own substitute, but then we aren't writing a mod anymore, but a full blown standalone game.

[PJayTycy]

Well, Firaxis uses a 3D engine called Gamebryo. If firaxis releases the source code of that engine, the Gamebryo folks wouldn't be too happy (it costs 75,000 $)

Ofcourse, we could remove everything related with the on-screen-display (ie: all function calls to gamebryo) and write our own substitute, but then we aren't writing a mod anymore, but a full blown standalone game.

(sorry for double post, I pressed "quote" instead of "edit")

[Kataphraktoi]

yall have 75,000$ right?

[binTravkin]

No, Gamebryo software will be compiled and non accessible for us, hence my offer to render all unit component combinations in case we can't build units from parts.

[gkclarkson]

A possible design methodolgy:
in SMAC a Unity Foil is assembled from parts like this:



tada


This isn't a bad method for creating a great many unit combinations. It might be worthwhile using the same method, basically reproducing many of the cvr models as modern polygon meshes.

Ideally it would be possible for the Civ4 engine itself to stitch the units together, but if not we could always do it manually and be able to easily create a selection of units from the pre-made parts. (altough this would be at the expense of polycount)

So if I were to amass a bunch of parts of units like this, we could just throw them together in every possible combination and then we would have our units?

Btw, how is that quality?

I would put those parts together into the foil, but I just spent an hour and a half on that, so meh.

EDIT- I need more of those parts blueprints - PM me

[gkclarkson]

Fine........

Just because I know you want it

There, a Unity Foil

um.. like 1500 poly's

I should probably get that down a little... can probably cut it down to ~ 1000

do I Have to put together every unit, or can one of you geniuses code it?

Edit: Blake, If you can get in contact with me somehow, I would like a jpeg of every one of those blueprints, as I cannot use the Caviar Viewer.

I think i could get every part done within a month and create the units by stitching together parts, I just need those pictures. There are not that many parts. Then we can work on the Texturing and Animations.
A quick graphic overhaul for the units, even untextured, would quickly draw attention, and it is one thing that would really give the SMAC feel.

[wgabrie]

Wow, you're great!

I think you've already done a major work here. The Copter, Foil, and Speeder units use the same cockpit and frame.

[Blake]

Holy crap man that's awesome!

I'll screenshot some more of the parts.

Whether or not the genius coders can assemble units on the fly depends mostly on the capabilities of the Civ4 engine. From python we certainly can't, and Firaxis implied that the guts of the graphics engine wont be exposed in the SDK - but we wont know for sure until the SDK comes out.

/me thinks the foil would already make a great publicity shot!

[Blake]

Okay here's the parts to make the iconic Former and Colony Pod! (And the transport module).

[Blake]

Okay here's some more bits.
Chopper, Rover (interesting to note: the wheels rotate and the hubs stay still ), Infanty weapon platform (that thing they push around). The weapon is impact.



We might be able to dynamically stich things together with XML alone!

[gkclarkson]

Nah, I figure that it would be easiest for me just to make each part of a unit in a different file, and to just throw together the combinations in a different file

There wouldn't be that many different combinations, and most aren't visually different; IE the different armor grades, they just have different numbers, not models. One thing I am set on is new models though. Low quality voxel graphics cannot go into this mod, it would be much better to use poly meshes.

And if you haven't seen yet

and


I already have eight parts of units done, between them three different units are possible. becuse I could stitch together a sea colony pod if I just attached the colony module to the foil parts.

I would need to know exactly what format the models will be in, as well as a way to coler code them for factions. I have no idea how that is done in-game.