Graphics

[Zuu]

I don't know why, but you don't seam to have the mirror transp tab in materials view.

I have blender 2.36. So it might be that they have changed it in a newer version. Or that you are using an older version, but I doubt that as you seam to be a more active bleder artist.

[Arathorn]

I have 2.37a, the mirror transparency panel is to the left on my screen, I had to drag it from under another panel, it seems that with the latest interface changes they've created too many panels to fit in a normal setup.

[Lorkki]

Seeing as we're in 2005 now, couldn't the graphics engine make use of automatic LOD adjustment? That way there could even be some "super-zoom" level details for the awe factor and they wouldn't have such an impact on framerate on more typical zoom levels or older hardware. Some models could probably also make good use of spline-based details, such as those darned chimneys.

Of course, all of this does require some amount of work, but it might make some of the artists' work easier.

[Arathorn]

I have no idea about programming, so I don't know how much work that would be. But I think you can zoom into these models pretty far while still looking quite good, and they don't use that many polies anyway. To be honest, it's very satisfying to make detailed models with a limited amount of polies.

Welcome to the fora by the way.

[PJayTycy]

We will have to use several level of details. Not only about polygon/vertex count in the 3d models, but also in the textures. Each texture can be put on each model (because they are essentially just resized versions of the biggest texture). The smaller textures reduce memory size a lot, simpler 3D models reduce the burden on the graphics card.

As an example, RT3 uses +/- 5 LOD's for textures (1024*1024, 512*512, 256*256, 128*128, 64*64) and +/- 5 LOD's for 3D meshes (1400, 1050, 750, 500, 300 polygons)

We have to remember almost all objects will be in the gfx card memory at any time. In 2D worlds, you can easily "forget" about the invisible parts of the world, but in 3D you can tilt, rotate & zoom around to a lot of camera positions wherre you actually see the whole world.

[Arathorn]

How does that changing the level of detail work in game? Does this mean I have to make, for every object, a number of models plus textures?

[PJayTycy]

How does that changing the level of detail work in game? Does this mean I have to make, for every object, a number of models plus textures?

The game engine automaticly changes far away structures to a lower level of detail. You can change a few sliders to say which objects should get priority (eg: ground mesh <=> buildings <=> trains <=> tracks <=> trees). Then it automaticly loads high detail models and textures for close objects and lower detail models and textures for further models.


You can read more about it here:
http://philsteinmeyer.com/modules/wfcha ... pagenum=40
(= blog of the lead designer of RT3, who left his company about a year ago)

Topic locked, extremely premature topic (15112006).