New Graphics - Blender ".blend" thread (Works In Progress)

[Zephyris]

Try playing with my brick textures (see attached), they aren't detailed but don't give noticeable repeat pattens due to their large size. These are the ones I normally use and are quite dark, nothing brightness and contrast can't fix...

[Ben_Robbins_]

Been away for a short while. I return to find loads of new models. Great stuff!

Zephyris: Nice models. I'd suggest, if you want the 'rustic charm' that either all the beams should be bendy also, and/or you make the beam have many small bends in it, rather than 1 large arch. In the most recent renders the buildings appear quite dark without too much contrast on the different sides of the building, and the shade on the windows changes. Have you rendered with the standadised light setup?

[Zephyris]

It is the standard light setup, but not the standard glass texture... Any advice?

[Ben_Robbins_]

There isn't any standardised glass texture, although it is important that they all look the same. Personally I would suggest having windows quite dark. Maybe just slightly darker than this one. Although in seeing a reflection in the window from above you would actually see the street, people are so used to seeing windows reflect the sky that I think it would be better to have a dark blue than having a light grey for the pavement.

It may be helpful to make a quick mock up building with a window on each side and when there is an agreed shade that works, stick that on the wiki and people can work to that.

[GeekToo]

Actually, there is a glass material in the standard materials blend on the wiki, but it is rather purple. I think it should be updated, and I agree upon that it must be a pretty dark texture (as windows look dark when viewed from outside)

[LordAzamath]

Well. I have worked on that mall a bit. this is what it looks now
Haven't assigned any textures yet and the second rooftop needs appropriate design.

EDIT: Actually I maybe will do a small restaurant to the top of the second roof

[GeekToo]

I like the shape of the building, but my first impression was: if this is a mall, it must be closed now.
-Shop windows are usually very well lighted (lit?), so customers can see what they can buy.
-Same goes for the corridors between the buildings: also bright, and inviting, and not dark and scaring
-Advertisement boards on the pavement / walls
-Often shops keep their doors open, saying: come in and spend some money


I did some work on the rock tiles, they are a little too bright still, but that is easy to adapt. But it is hard to get a nice arrangement that does not look very ugly when repeated (I did expect that after my work on the grass tiles, and Grambles warnings).

Does anybody have any suggestions to break that, other than making all rocks the same size and shape, and arrange them perfectly symmetrical?

[athanasios]

But doesn't need to light all floors/sides. Most supermarkets/shops will close side & back windows to have more space for their products.

I suggest a small restaurant on the roof with tables and chairs outside with a tent over them. In winter these could be removed (is it possible?)

I think one of the rocks is too high. It would be OK if we could have code for random sprites but for now the repeated pattern of the higher rock is not OK. At least, we are not used to it. Default sprites are somewhat flat .

[GeekToo]

You're right, code for random sprites is definitely on the wish list, for grass and rocks. But I've not yet seen a project NewGrf Terrain. So for now we'll have to work with the tools we've got at our disposal.
If we've got more 32 bpp graphics, and this aspect turns out to be the ugliest of the game, I'm sure the developers will pick this up. And else, we'll have to remind them a little...
But personally, I like to keep the progress going, while dreaming what could have been, instead of waiting for things to become perfect, and do nothing.

OK, back to the rocks, I've changed the brightness, so they look more like the original, and flattened the highest rock a bit.

[Jupix]

Frankly, it now looks good enough for me. I honestly don't see a way to make it any prettier when repeated. In that screenshot there are far more important tiles you could be working on, the beachline for example. Why not spend your time on that one, huh?

[athanasios]

I think the rocks still need to be a little more dark. The original tile has plenty of black edges as rocks are smaller. So in total the original tile looks darker. That's not big deal, please test it. Oh buy the way, have you though of adding a little brown, instead of this full grey?

Jupix: There are many rock tiles (Slopes). So there is a lot of work.

[EDIT]: Check middle tile for my suggestion. It is pretty hard to increase the contrast. Repeated pattern looks more ugly. But I had to. I noticed there was very low contrast.

About beach tiles: I suggest you have a word with Lepkka. His new water grf is very nice. It may just need a few more pixels in 32bpp. There was a discussion it had somewhat more orange...

[GeekToo]

Funny that you request a browner one: I started these rocks for myself as being brown, and then modified them to look more like the original.

Anyway, a little more contrast, and browner make them look like this:

[Jupix]

Looks like a dog's #2 Although that'd make quite a large dog..

[LordAzamath]

Looks like a dog's #2 Although that'd make quite a large dog..

Actually it now looks like a good old rocky place. In the previous pics the light seemed to be cold and sad. Now the colours are warmer.

Anyway, gotta go to sleep now. A scoolday tomorrow waiting. Good night everybody

Lord

[shampie]

Is there a way to have multiple rock formations (@ random) rather than all-the-same images? (like trees)
That would make it ever better!

[ThePenguin]

Shouldn't be too hard to program. I'll go look at the source and see if I can make anything of it.

[Gramble]

Hi! I've got a few questions to search for the next model to start (last one is still in progress):

Do you think, that the new 3D buildings should look exactly like the orginal, or is it more important, that they look real? Or a mix of both: quite real, but everyone can recognize it?

I think there had been already a few track tiles. Does anybody know what happend to them?

I think it would be useful if we add the blend file to the finished models in the wiki and set all the models in the new finished section under GPL License. So everyone who posts graphics there agrees to the terms of GPL.

[Jupix]

Do you think, that the new 3D buildings should look exactly like the orginal, or is it more important, that they look real? Or a mix of both: quite real, but everyone can recognize it?

I think there is room for some artistic leeway. There's no reason that I can think of to be bound to the shapes of the original models. (Even if there was, I don't think anyone would be very successful in replicating the original designs.)

I think there had been already a few track tiles. Does anybody know what happend to them?

I believe Ben Robbins modeled a full set of railway tracks. I don't think he never released them, though. Ben, if you're reading, now would be a good time.

I think it would be useful if we add the blend file to the finished models in the wiki and set all the models in the new finished section under GPL License. So everyone who posts graphics there agrees to the terms of GPL.

I'm not sure whether forcing people into GPL is wise, but adding raw model files to accompany the sprite tars would be very good for the lifespan of the models in case the original author loses interest.

[Ben_Robbins_]

I haven’t actually finished the railway track, I made a few pieces but met the hurdle where sprites don't work well next to each other as elements of it exceed the tile edge. I've actually done very few bits, but here is the file I currently have.

[Gramble]

You don't have to finish them, but I think it would be usuful to know the dimensions. I think thats why there aren't many train models in the wiki. It would help to know how many blender units the tracks(?) are away from each other and how wide one track is.

I've started already with a wagon (although it is a really difficult model for me), but I doesn't know the seizes for the axis.


I hope you understand what I'm writing here - I try to write correct English, but it's really hard for me