This Project has been created to free OpenTTD from requiring original TTD graphics, while doing so we are taking the oppertunity to design the graphics for 32bpp (RGBA), and increase the resolution of the graphics to 4x larger
2.2 Software we are using
The software we will be using is called Blender, its a 3d modeling animation, and game package, released under the GPL licence. It is downloadable from the link above or this one http://blender.org
If you would like to use other 3d software (because you are already experienced), this is ok, so long as the renders remain fitting with the blender renders.
2.3 Tutorials for using the Blender
There are a number of tutorials available for blender. Most (the best) should be available right at the blender website.
Many people think the video tutorials are better (If you have the bandwidth)
1)Ignore anything on the screen you don't understand. its not important. However if you want to learn really fast then play with everything you don't understand and you will eventually work out what it does
2)Moving around in 3d space is done with your MMB (middle mouse button) hold it down and drag it around your 3d screen. how easy was that.
then add the Shift key to the MMB to drag yourself sideways and up/down on the screen.
3) selecting an object can be done by Right Clicking on it. it will then go pink in colour. Try right clicking the box in the centre of the screen.
4) There are two main modes in Blender, one is called the "object mode" the other is called "edit mode". Object mode lets you select objects. Edit mode lets you select point (vertex's) on an object. select an object and change between these modes with the Tab key.
that is enough info for you to get into Blender and start to make some mess. You will learn other things as you get to them, and telling you everything (which i almost could do) would confuse you
Any further learning questions about blender can be asked at these places
The lighting and camera setup *should* only be edited in these ways. (i say should because there are always exceptions if you know what you are doing, if you are still learning however, then these rules should make things easy for you)
Moving the camera and lights
To move the camera and lights use the Empty in the centre of the scene, move it up and down by "whole" or 1/10th blender units if appropriate.
Changing the size of renders
The camera scale works to a square root of 2 scale, the render size works to a 256 scale for each root 2.
This is a list of the "scale" settings (in camera edit buttons) and their corresponding render dimensions. render dimensions are the "longest" side depending if your object is vertical or horizontal.
we would expect you to be rendering with the render setting, 25% 50% most of the time (button in the render window). 100% would be a maximum possible zoom level for the game in the future and would be excessive with current computers.
Because the new GFX are intended to have many climate types on the same map, the GFX need to be able to blend in with many ground tiles without re-doing them each time a new climate is added.
Transparency in the tile
Transparency should be used when buildings or GFX have grass or concrete under them.
examples. (orginal building belongs to Dmh_mac, and has been photoshoped by me as example) The importance of the transparency is highlighted when the tile is overlayed with the ground tiles.
Shadows
For shadows to be incorperated in this overlay the transparent areas will still need to pick up shadows, this can be done in blender via a shadow-only plane being placed to pick up the shadows in areas where there is no material. this plane can be placed just below the other.
3.3 Tile/Object Sizes
Because we are looking to the future, with capabilities that exceed the current game, such as new zoom levels, we are requiring that all graphics be modelled to a sufficient detail level to be good looking at 256 pixels wide. while also being viewable for two smaller zoom levels. 128 pixels, and the current 64pixels wide.
Each of these tiles is the same real world scale, with a diagonal edge equalling 12.5meters in real life.
3.4 Tiles and tile-ability
Tiles will give variation to industry sizes and shapes, while also making additions and editions to graphics much easier.
The Industries and larger building complexes will be built up of tile-able sections. Each tileable section must be rendered at all 4 angles (unless they are identical).
Each section can be Any combination of single tiles, an example is given below. Tileable sections may be pipelines, factory buildings, rubish piles....... the possibilities are endless.
3.5 Realtime remapable colours
Overlays need to be used to achieve realtime colour remapping.
Company colours
Building colour schemes
Only objects that require colour remapping will need overlays. Each Overlay will be a 4 colour indexed PNG file, which will be mapped onto a RGBA base image.
Artists should consider that Buildings may have areas of paint colour. walls, the roof, the front door and around windows.....
using an overlay in these areas will allow huge amounts of variation ingame without re-rendering sprites. Once a file format has been finalised artists will be able to specify limited colours for each overlay. This will allow apropriate random selection of colours by the computer.
Overlay
Base Image
Index Colours and their order
The final results of these overlays will be "Any colour combination you like" with the current limitation of 3 company colours.
In the future this overlay system will be extended with more index information including blinking lights, possibly more CC's etc...
These Overlays can be rendered straight from Blender using "Shadeless" materials. Then indexed via batch conversions.