Artists Information (new and Experienced artists alike)

Discuss, get help with, or post new graphics for TTDPatch and OpenTTD, using the NewGRF system, here. Graphics for plain TTD also acceptable here.

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Alltaken
Tycoon
Tycoon
Posts: 1285
Joined: 03 Dec 2003 06:24
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Contact:

Artists Information (new and Experienced artists alike)

Post by Alltaken »

1.0 CONTENTS
  • 2.0 Getting started.
    • 2.1 Project overview
    • 2.2 Software we are using (download locations)
    • 2.3 Tutorials for using Blender
    • 2.4 Basic project info
    • 2.5 Contact details
  • 3.0 Specific Rules and Standards
    • 3.1 Lighting/ Camera setup
    • 3.2 Objects on the landscape
    • 3.3 Tile/Object sizes
    • 3.4 Tiles and tile-ability
    • 3.5 Realtime remapable colours
Last edited by Alltaken on 17 Feb 2006 15:22, edited 10 times in total.
Alltaken
Tycoon
Tycoon
Posts: 1285
Joined: 03 Dec 2003 06:24
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Contact:

Post by Alltaken »

2.0 GETTING STARTED

2.1 Project Overview
  • 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)

    Text/image tutorials http://www.blender.org/cms/Tutorials.243.0.html

    Video tutorials http://www.blender.org/cms/Video_Tutorials.396.0.html
    • Quick personal tutorial from Me.

      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 :P

      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

    IRC: (freenode) #blenderchat or #blender
    Forums: http://www.elysiun.com
    Blender homepage (full of links) http://www.blender.org

2.4 Basic project info
  • Our main information will either be in this thread (or this forum) or at the Wiki.

    http://wiki.openttd.org/index.php/GFXDev:Main_Page

    Basic Modeling Info

    Each tile in OTTD will be
    2x2 Blender units
    12.5x12.5 meters equivalent (for modeling to realistic scales)

2.5 Contact details
  • Ben can be contacted by methods stated on his profile page.

Enjoy guys and girls, I hope to be working with you in the future to make OTTD a great game.


(Ben: updated 23rd August 2007)
(Ben: updated 16th January 2008)
Last edited by Alltaken on 26 Jan 2006 22:57, edited 7 times in total.
Alltaken
Tycoon
Tycoon
Posts: 1285
Joined: 03 Dec 2003 06:24
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Contact:

Post by Alltaken »

3.0 SPECIFIC RULES AND STANDARDS

3.1 Lighting and camera setup
  • Lighting setups are placed at the wiki as they are completed.
    http://wiki.openttd.org/index.php/Light ... raphics%29

    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.

    Code: Select all

    tiles   scale      dimension
    0.5     01.414     256
    1.0     02.828     512
    1.5     04.243     768
    2.0     05.657     1024
    2.5     07.071     1280
    3.0     08.485     1536
    3.5     09.899     1792
    4.0     11.314     2048
    4.5     12.728     2304
    5.0     14.142     2560
    5.5     15.556     2816
    6.0     16.971     3072
    6.5     18.385     3328
    7.0     19.799     3584

3.2 Objects on the landscape
  • 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.

    Image

    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.

    ImageImageImage

    Each of these tiles is the same real world scale, with a diagonal edge equalling 12.5meters in real life.

    Image

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.

    ImageImage


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
    Image

    Base Image
    Image

    Index Colours and their order
    Image

    The final results of these overlays will be "Any colour combination you like" with the current limitation of 3 company colours.

    ImageImage

    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.
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