Current Concept Project

May 28, 2010, 10:56 am

≫ Next: Arena SketchUp walkthrough video

$

0

0

I was recently asked (about a month ago) to do some conceptual work for Arc Development with a new game called World Of Mandana Some of the work includes a Temple, Arena and more. So, what better program to use other than Google SketchUp itsself? I have created hand-drawings in pen/ink/pencil before but I figured a 3D concept model will have more presence and environment to portray. Instead of just flat, 2 dimensional drawings, I can create a 3D world in SkechUp and use my own custom materials to create conceptual models that look more realistic. I even found a program called Kerkythea that will create photo-realistic renderings from SkechUp files. It imports the models, materials, lights and even scenes. The best part is SkechUp and Kerkythea are totally FREE! Check out some of my renderings... Temple Temple Temple Interior Temple Library Temple Library Temple Catacombs Temple Catacombs Arena Arena Arena Exterior Arena Exterior Arena Exterior Arena Exterior Arena Exterior I was recently asked (about a month ago) to do some conceptual work for Arc Development with a new game called World Of Mandana Some of the work includes a Temple, Arena and more. So, what better program to use other than Google SketchUp itsself? I have created hand-drawings in pen/ink/pencil before but I figured a 3D concept model will have more presence and environment to portray. Instead of just flat, 2 dimensional drawings, I can create a 3D world in SkechUp and use my own custom materials to create conceptual models that look more realistic. I even found a program called Kerkythea that will create photo-realistic renderings from SkechUp files. It imports the models, materials, lights and even scenes. The best part is SkechUp and Kerkythea are totally FREE! Check out some of my renderings... Temple Temple Temple Interior Temple Library Temple Library Temple Catacombs Temple Catacombs Arena Arena Arena Exterior Arena Exterior Arena Exterior Arena Exterior Arena Exterior

---

Arena SketchUp walkthrough video

June 3, 2010, 10:26 am

≫ Next: Pirate Ship

≪ Previous: Current Concept Project

$

0

0

This is a video walk through of the Area.  You will see the long swerving canyon that leads to each class entrance.  There is a lower class, middle class and upper class entrance and the architecture reflects their worth.  Everything was modeled in SketchUp and all materials were made from scratch. This is a video walk through of the Area.  You will see the long swerving canyon that leads to each class entrance.  There is a lower class, middle class and upper class entrance and the architecture reflects their worth.  Everything was modeled in SketchUp and all materials were made from scratch.

Pirate Ship

June 11, 2010, 2:21 pm

≫ Next: Pirate Ship final Renderings

≪ Previous: Arena SketchUp walkthrough video

$

0

0

I have been secretly working on a pirate ship for a game.  I was given the description of a Flying-Dutchman-type of ship.  So I started brainstorming how I could create an "antiqued" ship with battle capabilities. I also created a decomposed whale skeleton to frame the bottom of the ship.  The skull forms the front of the ship too. Below are some SketchUp Work-In-Progress pics of the Pirate Ship.  It is super high polygon with as much detail as I can think up.  I know SketchUp isn't really made for this type of detail, but I know it can handle it.  I am still getting decent frame rates, but started working on pieces of the ship in separate files. My goal is to render it with a Port Landscape in the background in super high resolution. Here is what I got so far: I have been secretly working on a pirate ship for a game.  I was given the description of a Flying-Dutchman-type of ship.  So I started brainstorming how I could create an "antiqued" ship with battle capabilities. I also created a decomposed whale skeleton to frame the bottom of the ship.  The skull forms the front of the ship too. Below are some SketchUp Work-In-Progress pics of the Pirate Ship.  It is super high polygon with as much detail as I can think up.  I know SketchUp isn't really made for this type of detail, but I know it can handle it.  I am still getting decent frame rates, but started working on pieces of the ship in separate files. My goal is to render it with a Port Landscape in the background in super high resolution. Here is what I got so far:

Pirate Ship final Renderings

July 3, 2010, 12:00 pm

≫ Next: Island Port

≪ Previous: Pirate Ship

$

0

0

I have finally created Kerkythea renderings of the Pirate Ship.  After a month of modeling and over a week of rendering, I finally had some success.  The main thing I learned was not to put soo much detail in SketchUp.  I need to make some short-cuts for curved edges instead of using 100's of polygons for one curve.  This will speed up production times and rendering times. I continually got errors in Kerkythea because there were way too many polygons to render. Everything is a 3D model except for the furthest ocean and the sky.  I looked for Public Domain High Resolution images with no direct sunlight to blend into my renderings. The barrels, rails and steps came out pretty nice.  I did have problems with the posts in the front.  They didn't like to project the material around, but I did make them smooth out. Canons and Sails.  I had a lot of fun creating the texture for these sails and then adding a bump map.  If I had more time, I would have added detail to the tears. The water splashes in each rendering was created in Photoshop so the ship would appear to be moving.  The white/gray surfaces is a whale skeleton under the ship. The water was also created by merging two photos of water in Photoshop, making it a seamless tile and then creating a repetative mesh surface that pointed up in many areas.  Very difficult and you can still see the tiling.   I give respect to those who have created a convincing water or ocean. I have finally created Kerkythea renderings of the Pirate Ship.  After a month of modeling and over a week of rendering, I finally had some success.  The main thing I learned was not to put soo much detail in SketchUp.  I need to make some short-cuts for curved edges instead of using 100's of polygons for one curve.  This will speed up production times and rendering times. I continually got errors in Kerkythea because there were way too many polygons to render. Everything is a 3D model except for the furthest ocean and the sky.  I looked for Public Domain High Resolution images with no direct sunlight to blend into my renderings. The barrels, rails and steps came out pretty nice.  I did have problems with the posts in the front.  They didn't like to project the material around, but I did make them smooth out. Canons and Sails.  I had a lot of fun creating the texture for these sails and then adding a bump map.  If I had more time, I would have added detail to the tears. The water splashes in each rendering was created in Photoshop so the ship would appear to be moving.  The white/gray surfaces is a whale skeleton under the ship. The water was also created by merging two photos of water in Photoshop, making it a seamless tile and then creating a repetative mesh surface that pointed up in many areas.  Very difficult and you can still see the tiling.   I give respect to those who have created a convincing water or ocean.

Island Port

August 16, 2010, 12:12 pm

≫ Next: Pirate Port Sketchup

≪ Previous: Pirate Ship final Renderings

$

0

0

Creating organic material is one of the hardest elements to 3D modeling.  Specially using SketchUp.  It is definitely possible, just requires more time.  This recent project is a mostly modeled Island with a run down port and bar.  The first thing I did was draw up all the elevations for the island mountains.  Then used Sketchup Sandbox to mesh over them.If you know anything about meshes, they are great for mountains, plains, hills, etc.  Then I found an amazing high resolution shot of Devil's Peak.  So it seemed like a cool idea to have a volcanic mountain on this small Island.  So I make the image seamless on the X-axis.  Worked out pretty good, but Projected materials in Sketchup like to stretch.  So I did the best I could to eliminate the "stretching" effect so it looked natural.You can kinda see the "stretching" at the top of the mountains, but hopefully the Victorian Era bar/hotel will distract you instead. A nice side view of the port with old-school retaining wall.  I had a lot of fun modeling all the windows, borders and pilasters for the bar/hotel.  It looks even better up close This is a close up of the clock on the bar/hotel.  Everything is custom:  wood tiles, paneling, and frosty windows.  I love that SketchUp will use fonts on your system and model them in 3D Another view of the port out to sea.  Yes that light post is leaning.  Darn Pirates, always creating havoc.  I also enjoyed modeling the crane from scratch.  No, the boat isn't floating, its the shadow on the sand below The Port ship yard where boats/ships can be constructed.  I'm not sure where everyone went, but that ship isn't going anywhere. This is a better view of the crane from the port.  I did have some problems creating a smooth transition from water to other surfaces.  Some photoshop helps, but I really wonder how they do it in games.  I would have liked some small splashes of water on the stone or even salt staining. A wide view of the port.  I modeled every plank of wood on the port. Close up of the crane.  Every piece of wood is mostly a rectangle, but I did tweak some of the edges to look worn out.  I think the wagon modeled very well too.Creating organic material is one of the hardest elements to 3D modeling.  Specially using SketchUp.  It is definitely possible, just requires more time.  This recent project is a mostly modeled Island with a run down port and bar.  The first thing I did was draw up all the elevations for the island mountains.  Then used Sketchup Sandbox to mesh over them.If you know anything about meshes, they are great for mountains, plains, hills, etc.  Then I found an amazing high resolution shot of Devil's Peak.  So it seemed like a cool idea to have a volcanic mountain on this small Island.  So I make the image seamless on the X-axis.  Worked out pretty good, but Projected materials in Sketchup like to stretch.  So I did the best I could to eliminate the "stretching" effect so it looked natural.You can kinda see the "stretching" at the top of the mountains, but hopefully the Victorian Era bar/hotel will distract you instead. A nice side view of the port with old-school retaining wall.  I had a lot of fun modeling all the windows, borders and pilasters for the bar/hotel.  It looks even better up close This is a close up of the clock on the bar/hotel.  Everything is custom:  wood tiles, paneling, and frosty windows.  I love that SketchUp will use fonts on your system and model them in 3D Another view of the port out to sea.  Yes that light post is leaning.  Darn Pirates, always creating havoc.  I also enjoyed modeling the crane from scratch.  No, the boat isn't floating, its the shadow on the sand below The Port ship yard where boats/ships can be constructed.  I'm not sure where everyone went, but that ship isn't going anywhere. This is a better view of the crane from the port.  I did have some problems creating a smooth transition from water to other surfaces.  Some photoshop helps, but I really wonder how they do it in games.  I would have liked some small splashes of water on the stone or even salt staining. A wide view of the port.  I modeled every plank of wood on the port. Close up of the crane.  Every piece of wood is mostly a rectangle, but I did tweak some of the edges to look worn out.  I think the wagon modeled very well too.

Pirate Port Sketchup

November 19, 2010, 11:56 am

≫ Next: New Start

≪ Previous: Island Port

$

0

0

New Start

December 22, 2011, 11:22 am

≫ Next: Linux and PC Games

≪ Previous: Pirate Port Sketchup

$

0

0

I plan to start modeling again this weekend during my Christmas break. I'm going to practice creating models from scratch in Blender and then doing some test baking high poly to low poly.  After that I will do some test imports into UDK and see how my models & normals look. I have been paying a lot of attention to games and their assets.  No matter what game I play (Far Cry2, Wolfenstein, STALKER, Legendary) all the assets still have seams.  The best models I have seen so far are ironically in Unreal Tournament 3.  But I admit, Assassins Creed models are very nice too. As I develop these assets, my goal is to learn how seams can be hidden so the UV mapping isn't so obvious.  Also, I have learned that normals retain display how lighting falls across surfaces, specially sharp edges and can make objects look less "perfect" and "computer generated". First I will be working on some simple crates and revolved pottery.  Then on to architectural elements like doors, roofs, walls, steps, etc. I would like to complete several assets to scale that can be used in Hells Reach custom maps.I plan to start modeling again this weekend during my Christmas break. I'm going to practice creating models from scratch in Blender and then doing some test baking high poly to low poly.  After that I will do some test imports into UDK and see how my models & normals look. I have been paying a lot of attention to games and their assets.  No matter what game I play (Far Cry2, Wolfenstein, STALKER, Legendary) all the assets still have seams.  The best models I have seen so far are ironically in Unreal Tournament 3.  But I admit, Assassins Creed models are very nice too. As I develop these assets, my goal is to learn how seams can be hidden so the UV mapping isn't so obvious.  Also, I have learned that normals retain display how lighting falls across surfaces, specially sharp edges and can make objects look less "perfect" and "computer generated". First I will be working on some simple crates and revolved pottery.  Then on to architectural elements like doors, roofs, walls, steps, etc. I would like to complete several assets to scale that can be used in Hells Reach custom maps.

Linux and PC Games

May 10, 2013, 2:53 pm

≫ Next: Gamers On Linux

≪ Previous: New Start

$

0

0

I have been meticulously testing games in Linux with Mint and PlayOnLinux. So far I have had a lot of success with PlayOnLinux and my PC Games. I continue to list my results here on my Game Cave website:

Linux Games List

Its amazing how well Wine works in Linux and the growth of Linux support. I can't wait to see more games being ported or released with Linux in mind.I have been meticulously testing games in Linux with Mint and PlayOnLinux. So far I have had a lot of success with PlayOnLinux and my PC Games. I continue to list my results here on my Game Cave website:

Linux Games List

Its amazing how well Wine works in Linux and the growth of Linux support. I can't wait to see more games being ported or released with Linux in mind.

---

Gamers On Linux

July 1, 2013, 2:06 pm

≫ Next: Gamers On Linux Facebook

≪ Previous: Linux and PC Games

$

0

0

I am involved with a team whose goal is to create step-by-step guides on running your PC games in Linux with PlayOnLinux. There are a huge number of Direct X9 games that run GREAT in Linux with modern hardware.  PlayOnLinux utilizes Wine to run games, but create a user-friendly interface and some advanced customization to ensure your games will run. Check out our growing community as we post guides, talk Linux, talk games and share success stories. Gamersonlinux.com Here are a few games I've successfully run in Linux with PlayOnLinux: Drakensang Online Fable:  The Lost Chapters Call of Duty 2 Bioshock Darkest of Days Dead Space Far Cry 2 Fallout3 StalkerSTALKER Ghostbusters Warhammer 40,000:  Dawn Of War - Dark Crusade Torchlight II Half-Life 2 Assassins CreedI am involved with a team whose goal is to create step-by-step guides on running your PC games in Linux with PlayOnLinux. There are a huge number of Direct X9 games that run GREAT in Linux with modern hardware.  PlayOnLinux utilizes Wine to run games, but create a user-friendly interface and some advanced customization to ensure your games will run. Check out our growing community as we post guides, talk Linux, talk games and share success stories. Gamersonlinux.com Here are a few games I've successfully run in Linux with PlayOnLinux: Drakensang Online Fable:  The Lost Chapters Call of Duty 2 Bioshock Darkest of Days Dead Space Far Cry 2 Fallout3 StalkerSTALKER Ghostbusters Warhammer 40,000:  Dawn Of War - Dark Crusade Torchlight II Half-Life 2 Assassins Creed

Gamers On Linux Facebook

October 9, 2013, 12:11 pm

≪ Previous: Gamers On Linux

$

0

0

At Gamers On Linux we are providing a new Guide every week. All of our game testing and updates are here on our Facebook page:

Gamers On Linux Facebook

Like us and follow all the games I'm currently testing in Linux with PlayOnLinux. At Gamers On Linux we are providing a new Guide every week. All of our game testing and updates are here on our Facebook page:

Gamers On Linux Facebook

Like us and follow all the games I'm currently testing in Linux with PlayOnLinux.