Highres scenery?

[goran]

We have highres wall textures, highres weapons, and highres items. Scenery seem to be the missing piece. What are your opinion on highres scenery? Desirable? Irrelevant?

[Drictelt]

Personally I think that the scenery's resolution is aesthetically less disturbing than the fact that it turns around as you walk around it. So, if you're gonna put energy in new scenery, I think 3D models would make more sense than just higher resolution. Especially for bigger objects like security trashcans.

That's just my opinion of course.

[ChristTrekker]

Agree with Drictelt. Is this a limitation of the engine, or do we just need more sprites?

[treellama]

As far as I know, the engine supports the same eight views for scenery as it does for monsters--there just aren't that many views in the shapes file for any of the scenery.

[herecomethej2000]

I know you can have 3-d models in A1 but, can you replace an existing sprite with a model?

Imoh, Visicom's Hi-Res scenery for M1A1 adds an awful lot to the overall aesthetic. M2 and Minf really deserve the same attention.

[President People]

If you gave the scenery a 3D model or even eight views, you would have to change the direction the scenery item was facing in from a map editor. It wouldn't be all that difficult, but you'd have to release an edited map just for high-res scenery.

[ChristTrekker]

If you gave the scenery a 3D model or even eight views, you would have to change the direction the scenery item was facing in from a map editor. It wouldn't be all that difficult, but you'd have to release an edited map just for high-res scenery.

How often is the "facing direction" important? Off the top of my head, I can't remember instances where seeing a particular view of a scenery object is critical to any plot points. But there are plenty of scenarios I haven't played, so YMMV.

[goran]

If you gave the scenery a 3D model or even eight views, you would have to change the direction the scenery item was facing in from a map editor. It wouldn't be all that difficult, but you'd have to release an edited map just for high-res scenery.

This is good critique against Drictelt's desire to have scenery objects with more view angles. A siren from the water set will look exceptionally dumb if it points towards a corner. Of course, not all scenery objects are as direction sensitive as the siren. A traschcan for example will be fine regardless of its direction. Perhaps "3D models/more view angles" can be applied to some scenery objects, but not all?

[Crater Creator]

This is good critique against Drictelt's desire to have scenery objects with more view angles. A siren from the water set will look exceptionally dumb if it points towards a corner. Of course, not all scenery objects are as direction sensitive as the siren. A traschcan for example will be fine regardless of its direction. Perhaps "3D models/more view angles" can be applied to some scenery objects, but not all?

I agree with ChristTrekker. I just looked through the Infinity scenery in Anvil. The only scenery objects that may have problems from certain angles when converted to 3D are the Jjaro set scenery objects made to look like giant far-away objects: the star, the planet, and the spaceship. The siren in the water set is supposed to look like a set of four sirens forming a cross shape, so it's omnidirectional, too. Everything else should work fine in 3D, at least in the sense that it could look as good as a single-view 2D sprite. If done well, I imagine the scenery of puddles, dirt, and the like could nicely supplement the details of the floor textures.

[CryoS]

I imagine the scenery of puddles, dirt, and the like could nicely supplement the details of the floor textures.

An neat way to make these would be a simple polygon that has a texture of say the puddle on it. as for rocks/dirt you might want some more volume though.

[Zott]

If done well, I imagine the scenery of puddles, dirt, and the like could nicely supplement the details of the floor textures.

I can't wait. The puddles, dirt and objects may touch the ground for the first time!

[goran]

I agree with ChristTrekker. I just looked through the Infinity scenery in Anvil. The only scenery objects that may have problems from certain angles when converted to 3D are the Jjaro set scenery objects made to look like giant far-away objects: the star, the planet, and the spaceship. The siren in the water set is supposed to look like a set of four sirens forming a cross shape, so it's omnidirectional, too. Everything else should work fine in 3D, at least in the sense that it could look as good as a single-view 2D sprite. If done well, I imagine the scenery of puddles, dirt, and the like could nicely supplement the details of the floor textures.

I've taken a more close look and you're right. Directional issues won't be a problem. The star, planet and ship are scenery objects you don't normally walk around anyway. So if they can't be in 3D, it's no big deal.

[Kurinn]

I've done some stuff with making puddle decals out of 3d scenery, it looks pretty good if you take some time.

[goran]

How do 3D models effect the speed of the game? Do they require extra memory? Are there limits to the amount of polygons?

[treellama]

Aleph One is not very efficient handling 3D models, but that usually doesn't matter with the CPUs and GPUs commonly available now. Memory shouldn't be a concern, but you would want to try to keep the number of polygons reasonable.

[effigy]

Any progress to report on this?

...it was determined that rotating the model wouldn't be important for canonical scenery? Would it be feasible to add rotation of scenery to Weland's functionality anyway (with 3rd party scenarios in mind)?

[treellama]

Would it be feasible to add rotation of scenery to Weland's functionality anyway (with 3rd party scenarios in mind)?

Try it

[effigy]

lol....

by "it" you must mean Weland :oops:

[tim4i]

Its funny - last night I was trying Gorans Landscapse & Textures, started shooting down some lights thinking that they needed an update to HD.
-And here is a post about it hehehe.

[goran]

Any progress to report on this?

Cryos and I have played around a little.

[thermoplyae]

Cryos and I have played around a little.

lightboxes please