Tuesday 15 February 2011

Opacity Maps Test

In my meeting with Adam on Friday, we discussed the possibility of making a headdress for the Indian character.
He suggested using opacity maps to make clumps of feathers, then using these to construct the headdress. I haven't used opacity maps before, so i decided to do a quick test to see if i could achieve the effect i wanted.

As this is just a test, I started by finding a picture on Google. If i was to use this method for my project, i would likely scan a feather in, or use a picture I have taken myself.
   Using Google images i found this picture. I then took it into Photoshop to create an opacity map. To create the opacity map I first exported the diffuse map, then i edited the image using various setting. Firstly I desaturated the image, making the image gray scaled. I then inverted this, so that the background was black, and the image of the feather was a mix of greys. I then adjusted the brightness and contrast to make the difference in colour more apparent.
 
 I then imported the two images into Max, and made them into a material. I then applied the material to a plane, and this was the final result.


  When rendered, only the white areas of the opacity map are rendered, the black areas are ignored. This is shown in the image above, as the ball behind the plane is visible, even though the plane obscures it in the view port.

Cloth Test Pt 1

In the scene I want to have a flag pole, with the American Flag hoisted upon it. It is not an essential part of the piece, it is just a small detail that I thought would look nice in the background and would add to the feel of the piece.
I decided the cloth modifier in Max would be the best method for getting the effect i wanted, and so i began playing around with the various settings and applying different forces. Using the cloth modifier with a wind force applied to it, I was able to create this effect


 

Monday 14 February 2011

Asset Models pt 2

Campfire
To begin work on the campfire, I first started trying out emitters for the fire. The fire is the central part of the campfire, therefore it needs to look as good as possible. Using a combination of emitters and texture maps, I was able to create this;


 I then made some rocks to place around the logs to create a classic campfire look. I made the rocks by applying a noise modifier to a sphere, and then applied a texture map i created in Photoshop.



After modelling a few more assets for the campfire, all that remained was assembling it into a usable asset. 

Asset Models pt 1

The Revolver
To start modelling the revolver for my Cowboy character, I looked at photographs of old weapons on the internet. To make sure the weapon was modeled accurately, I wanted to use a source image as a guide for scale and detail. With the help of Google i was able to find this image.

 With this image as a guide I began modelling. This is the revolver so far, but I intend to change the textures and add more detail soon.

Concept

For my project I intend to design and model two characters for a game. The models will be high poly, to be used in cut scenes and advertisement rather than the game engine.

Story
The game is set in the Wild West period, during the time of great tension between the settlers and the natives. The player chooses which side to fight for, and competes online in battles of up to 32 players. The player must choose their side and class carefully, as there are advantages and disadvantages to each.
Each games mode has “class upgrading” on. This is a system where if a player doesn’t well enough, they are given the option to upgrade to a different class mid-game. These classes each have their benefits, but also their weaknesses, so the decision should be based on the player’s skill and the situation they are in. Each class has a unique in game appearance, so that the players can identify the class of enemy and use a strategy based on their opponent’s weaknesses.

Style
The characters will be based on a cowboys and Indians theme. One character being an Indian warrior, and the other a cowboy. The Indian will be armed with a knife or bow and the cowboy will be armed with a six shooter.  The character style will be realistic, with high levels of detail. I have chosen this style as it suits the adult theme and game play. 

Setting
The setting is the Wild West, Arizona. Game play will take place in several settings, including small western towns, mines, forests and farm plains.  The action scene I am creating will take place in the forest, with the characters surrounded by tall trees and rocky cliff sides.