Kamnet's Sprite Sandbox

[kamnet]

So, in the spirit of trying to be a more productive member of this community, I've had a lot of ideas floating around in my head about what I'd like to see, particularly with the graphics. I'd like to see them come to light, but truth of the matter is that I don't have any talent as a pixel artist. I'd love to inspire those who can draw to flesh out my ideas, but there's plenty of people who can talk up ideas, few people who can draw, and those artists are generally tied up in massive projects of their own that will leave their legacy on this project and they have no time for sleep, family life or work let alone finishing their own project. If you can't finish it yourself, abandon all hope.

Well, maybe not all hope. So I'll throw this out here and see if anybody wants to run with it. If I can start getting some basic pixels, would anybody be interested in fleshing them out to a finished product? I'd be very happy if we could keep this all public domain so that everybody can benefit, put them into NewGRFs (which I can't code, because I suck at that too! But I'm trying!), or use it to make something better.

SPRITES IN DEVELOPMENT

• Lift-Gate Dam / Hydroelectric Dam v1 | v2 | v3
• Heljan Container Terminal sprites

SPRITES RELEASED

• Rock Replacement for Transmitter NFO & PCX | Release
• Truck & Bus Lots v. 0.1 NFO & PCX | Release
• Airship High Mooring Mast NFO / PCX / GRF
• MLSS Masonry Depot
• Ford Transit Mk4 Minivan
• Jake's Improved Bridge Improver

[kamnet]

My first sprite I've started working on is a one-tile dam or hydroelectric dam. This is inspired by some of the locks and dams I've recently seen placed on the Ohio River. These dams are roughly 25-50 feet high and are used to create long stretches of navigable river deep enough to accommodate commercial traffic.

Here's my version sofar. And, yes, it sucks. No real attempt at shading, I can't draw a straight line to save my life, but I think it kinda-sorta represents what I'd like to see. As-drawn it looks more like a lift-gate dam, but maybe if it can be animated with some water running over the top it can look like a hydroelectric dam? Hopefully this will complement the in-game river lock graphic.

[planetmaker]

Hm, interesting. I just recently thought about making use of all those un-used features which concern rivers and canals in OpenTTD:
http://wiki.ttdpatch.net/tiki-index.php ... ion0Canals
http://wiki.ttdpatch.net/tiki-index.php ... ion2Canals

I've no idea so far how all those action0 are to be understood and interpreted, but it'd be interesting to see. On the other hand it'd make IMHO sense to re-work this whole thing slightly to a kind of river types (which just over-draws the ground) before it starts to become utilized...

[SwissFan91]

For a starter.. that's a good image Kamnet. Keep it up

[Kogut]

It is nice thing but where it is supposed to be placed?

[kamnet]

It is nice thing but where it is supposed to be placed?

hydrodam-screen.png (39.93 KiB) Viewed 24548 times

Photoshopped. Actually, that's a pretty good guesstimate on the scale considering I didn't even bring up the lock to compare it to when I created it. Top of the dams probably need to be several pixels higher. And with that much space available, you could create this as a lift-gate dam with space at the top for the support structures for the gate.

[SAC]

LOL Excellent work!

I'm just wondering how many of us are working - or intend to work - on dams...

[SwissFan91]

When SAC says she may intend to work on dams, does this mean that in the future a screenshot will appear in your thread of a land filled with various dams, waterfalls, springs ?

[kamnet]

I actually made the suggestion to SAC a few months ago about creating a dam. She said she'd consider it but couldn't fit it into her current development schedule. Originally when I was thinking of dams I was thinking of large gravity dams such as Hoover Dam. These smaller damns just happened to catch my attention today and I figured I'd give it a go.

Speaking of which, here's another revision. I realized why I was so frustrated the first time around, it's because I was trying to use Paint.Net for pixel editing and it really isn't suited for that at all. I dug up good 'ol MS Paint and gave that a spin, I think that resolved most of my issues. Gave a little follow-up in Paint.Net to add the water graphics.

hydrodam-screen2.png (18.33 KiB) Viewed 24503 times

[Kogut]

I wonder is it possible to put it into openttd Not as railway station tile, eyecandy objects are impossible (yet?)...

[Purno]

Hey, those sprites aren't bad at all. You got the scale and isometric view correct, which is a very important base =P
Detailing and shading is just the next step Keep up the good work!

[kamnet]

After some sleep here's a third try at it (thanks for the encouragement. BTW feel free to jump in and just finish this off if you get the urge )

hydrodam-screen3.png (18.56 KiB) Viewed 24422 times

[el koeno]

Time to change your thread title, I'd say.

[kamnet]

I wonder is it possible to put it into openttd Not as railway station tile, eyecandy objects are impossible (yet?)...

I don't see how you could put it into OTTD right now. Station tiles can only be placed on flat ground, this sprite covers a slope instead. And it would have to be tied to the water tiles for it to look correct, otherwise you'll get the concrete edges from the water tiles appearing. It could probably be added into TTDX's NewObjects.

Time to change your thread title, I'd say.

Kamnet's Graphics that Suck, But Less!

[michael blunck]

Station tiles can only be placed on flat ground

Nope. Since ages in TTDPatch (and since somewhere in january in OTTD) it´s possible to place them on slopes as well (track and slope in parallel, o/c). See e.g. this thread for screenshots

Apart from this, "objects" shouldn´t be coded as railway stations from obvious reasons.

It could probably be added into TTDX's NewObjects.

NewObjects would be the best choice, indeed.

I´ve already been working on a collection of newobjects in the past, and I´m currently reviving it now that TTDPatch development of newobjects got a new impetus. Weirs (height level difference = 1) and dams (height level difference = 2) will be included (there were already single tile weirs for rivers), among other things. I´ll show some screenshots when implemented (soon).

regards
Michael

[SAC]

Time to change your thread title, I'd say.

Yeah, couldn't agree more! This are professional work indeed...

I wonder is it possible to put it into openttd Not as railway station tile, eyecandy objects are impossible (yet?)...

I don't see how you could put it into OTTD right now. Station tiles can only be placed on flat ground, this sprite covers a slope instead. And it would have to be tied to the water tiles for it to look correct, otherwise you'll get the concrete edges from the water tiles appearing. It could probably be added into TTDX's NewObjects.

They certainly can! Into TTDP's New Objects feature I mean!

[FooBar]

Or replace the sloped river tiles with this dam.

A larger dam could work fine as Object. Or maybe even as industry. Imagine a hydro-electric dam accepting water

[michael blunck]

Or replace the sloped river tiles with this dam.

I had such tiles for rivers, though they never got released. IIRC, this was due to lacking randomisation for river water tiles back then.

W/r to newobjects, I´ve been thinking about "integration" of special newobject water tiles with river/canal tiles. Unfortunately, it didn´t seem possible to overbuild e.g. a river slope with a newobject tile. I´ll have to see what´s possible now.

Imagine a hydro-electric dam accepting water

Delivered by tank waggons ... good thing is that we don´t need electricity in game.

regards
Michael

[SAC]

...delivered by tank waggons ... good thing is that we don´t need electricity in game.

regards
Michael

But it would have been a nice challenge, making sure everything is powered up...

[michael blunck]

[OT]

it would have been a nice challenge, making sure everything is powered up...

Simutrans has this feature.

regards
Michael