Sun and Moon

[John.d.h]

I fixed up the Broch model a bit.  Pic related.

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[URL=http://img20.imageshack.us/i/0001e.png/][IMG]http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/448/0001e.th.png[/img]
Click me![/URL]

When do you think we can test it out? 
I mean when are you going to release some files... 

Oh boy... it might be a while, but I'm not really sure.  Moon will almost certainly be done before Sun will, and currently I have almost all of the regular models of buildings (i.e. not construction or destruction) done for both factions, but all of the human/animal/monster units still need to be made from scratch.  If I were to release anything soon, it would need a ton of placeholders, and would generally look pretty amateurish (sure, I am an amateur, but it doesn't have to look that way ) and honestly, putting placeholders in would take more time than it's worth, seeing as I'd have to redo a lot of XML work.

Nice equipment John.

That's what she said!
Heyyyoooooooo! 

Please let me help, I have a lot of time, which I may not have in the future, and I'm offering it.

Not a chance.  This is my baby.

[ultifd]

Lol'd. 
Anyways what are you working more on?  ??? Dark Magic or Sun and Moon?
 

[-Archmage-]

You're really...........wrong!
I'm not gay, FYI.

*headdesk* *headwall* *headfist* *headmonitor* *headlaptop* *headspeakers* *headphone* *headchair* *head- eh what da go blaghe.

Sud meh chenge wat meh sey in erly poste?!?!?!?!

[ultifd]

I cleaned up my posts too.
Sorry.
EDIT: D*mm it , I cleaned up both of them... 
Stupid me.

[-Archmage-]

Stupid me.

That's what she said!

JK JK JK!

[ultifd]

HA HA HA HA HA ha ha... Ha'.
Very funny. 

Ok, sorry John, END OF OT. =)

[-Archmage-]

Ok, sorry John, END OF OT. =)

You forget, the OT is John's fault!

[ultifd]

HA, I Did not forget, I  just did not post it! 
Sorry John, then again, you started it! 

[John.d.h]

Moving right along...

Anyways what are you working more on?  ??? Dark Magic or Sun and Moon?
 

I was working on Dark Magic, but there's not really much of anything left for me to do when it comes to that mod.  Hence, I'm back to working on Sun and Moon.

Edit: More progress.  Unwrapped the Broch, and did the Garrison model (just a modification of the Broch).

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[URL=http://img710.imageshack.us/i/0001os.jpg/][IMG]http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/7210/0001os.th.jpg[/img]
Click me![/URL]
The Garrison is Moon's basic barracks, which can be morphed into the Broch to make it a strong defensive fortification (with ranged attack and advanced unit recruitment).

Edit again: I modeled the Dun (both basic and construction), and I'm quite proud of the job I did, but I think I'll save it for a nice surprise when release day comes.

This means I now have all of the regular models for Moon's buildings complete, but most of them still need construction models and textures, and some of them need animations.

[Mark]

I like the broch model, but actual celtic broches were more circular, and consisted of two sets of walls of either wood or stone.  I think that what you have is good though.  And I recommend making the walls dark gray for a mysterious feel, like some evil celtic druid is working up there.  Just a thought.

[John.d.h]

What I did today:

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[URL=http://www.moddb.com/mods/sun-and-moon/images/broch-textured-and-animated/][IMG]http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/7998/brochanimation2232010.th.gif[/img]
Click me; I'm animated![/URL]

The Garrison and Broch are now both fully textured and animated.  I've been experimenting with physics in Blender, and I think it gives a more realistic flag waving animation than I was getting before with armatures.

To do (buildings):

• Textures for the Dun (WIP), Henge, Lifespring, Standing Stones, and Thorn Tree
• Construction models for Garrison, Henge, Lifespring, Standing Stones
• XML, sounds, icons

I like the broch model, but actual celtic broches were more circular, and consisted of two sets of walls of either wood or stone.

After further review, it seems you're right.  My original try at the Broch was circular (back when my modeling skills consisted of putting together a cone and two cylinders in AutoCAD), and I guess I eventually forgot about it.  Hence, the name stuck.  I considered changing it to "Caer", but Welsh phonetics are a bit eccentric to me, and I've grown accustomed to calling it a Broch, so I think it'll stay.

I think that what you have is good though.  And I recommend making the walls dark gray for a mysterious feel, like some evil celtic druid is working up there.  Just a thought.

On the older version, I had sort of a medium-to-dark gray color for the walls, but I think what I have now is a big improvement over the old texture.  Since then, I've gotten much better at texturing and especially unwrapping.

[-Archmage-]

Wait you didn't use an armature for the flag, what did you do?

[John.d.h]

Wait you didn't use an armature for the flag, what did you do?

Wind.

I could explain more, but I've got class in a couple minutes, so just look up something like "Blender flag tutorial" on youtube and you'll see how it's done.  It's actually really simple, just a little trial-and-error.

I think the next thing I want to learn is soft body physics, which should hopefully let me make more natural-looking death animations.

[madmanntis]

  Awesome texture John!! A huge improvement!

Also, the flag animation does look quite a bit more realistic. I hadn't thought that anything but armatures could be used for g3d animations, but I suppose it makes sense... I mean, I guess it only really exports the objects in each frame, not the bones holding them in each pose.

NEAT!

[John.d.h]

Okay, I'm almost done with Moon's buildings.  When I finish them, I want to upload the g3d's/tga's so the community can look at them and give me some constructive criticism.

Question to the Glest community: Who would be willing to seriously examine my models, textures, and animations and give substantial feedback that I can use to improve my work?

Awesome texture John!! A huge improvement!

Thanks!  I did almost the whole texture with a couple photos from burningwell.org and the fill patterns from GIMP.

Also, the flag animation does look quite a bit more realistic. I hadn't thought that anything but armatures could be used for g3d animations, but I suppose it makes sense... I mean, I guess it only really exports the objects in each frame, not the bones holding them in each pose.

NEAT!

Yeah, I seem to remember someone saying a while back (when I first learning animation) that only animations made with armatures could be used in Glest.  I was actually looking for a good video on how to animate a flag using armatures, but I found a bunch on how to do it with physics, so I decided to give it a try.  I'm pretty sure that (and somebody who knows more should feel free to correct me) what the g3d export script does is remember where each vertex is in each frame, so anything that moves a vertex will be recorded, but anything else (particles, etc.) won't.

[-Archmage-]

Who would be willing to seriously examine my models, textures, and animations and give substantial feedback that I can use to improve my work

I would be willing to seriously examine your models, textures, and animations and give substantial feedback that you can use to improve your work.

[silnarm]

... but I found a bunch on how to do it with physics, so I decided to give it a try.  I'm pretty sure that (and somebody who knows more should feel free to correct me) what the g3d export script does is remember where each vertex is in each frame, ...

Correct. It's called 'vertex interpolation' or 'morph' animation. You can animate anyway blender will let you, what's exported is as you said, snapshots of vertex data at keyframes.

[Hectate]

That being said, you could also do it the old fashioned way (before bones/armatures) and play with the verticies yourself! Need to cave a head in? Break a leg? Snap a spear?

But cool stuff with the physics, I had wondered myself why armatures were required for animations in G3D if the format itself didn't use them (or the XML export either, IIRC from my blunders in that realm).

[ElimiNator]

How can you animate with out armatures?

[John.d.h]

I would be willing to seriously examine your models, textures, and animations and give substantial feedback that you can use to improve your work.

Cool.  I'll try to have something for you by next weekend.

Correct. It's called 'vertex interpolation' or 'morph' animation. You can animate anyway blender will let you, what's exported is as you said, snapshots of vertex data at keyframes.

Awesome.  This opens up all kinds of possibilities (most of which I don't know how to do yet)!

That being said, you could also do it the old fashioned way (before bones/armatures) and play with the verticies yourself! Need to cave a head in? Break a leg? Snap a spear?

Yeah, I just need to learn how to use shape keys.  I read a tutorial a while back, but didn't actually try it out.  I might have to look into it when it comes time to animate some more, though.

How can you animate with out armatures?

Physics and shape keys.  I'm still figuring out how to do it myself.

[-Archmage-]

Where's the wind thing, can I just have a quick link to where you learned it?

[ElimiNator]

yes it looks cool!

[-Archmage-]

Nevermind, found it on Youtube.

[ElimiNator]

Will you post it then?

[-Archmage-]

Nah...

Because the tutorials I found weren't so great, I finally figured it out though........

Anyway, go to Youtube and look up Blender Wind tutorial that should get you to about where I got.