ZylonBane on 9/6/2006 at 21:07
You know that orange Many goop all over the place in SS2? Poking around in the model files, I discovered that it's actually supposed to have some 3D lumpiness to it instead of being flat. But, due to some reversed normals in the model files, the bumpy parts of the models ended up facing "away" from the player, rendering them invisible from most normal viewing angles.
I've uploaded fixed versions of the models over at (
http://www.strangebedfellows.schwarzsilber.de/index.php/topic,178.0.html) Strange Bedfellows.
As it turns out, it's probably a good thing this goof happened, as the modeled detail is rather angular and not even properly texture mapped.
Vigil on 9/6/2006 at 21:35
Actually I think it looks rather good in <a href="http://www.strangebedfellows.schwarzsilber.de/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=178.0;id=441;image">Kolya's screenshot</a> - a bit angular as you say, but then you can say that about pretty much every single organic thing in the game, and it's on the right track at least. If you do do an update to them then I'd say it's worth trying to do a more subtle version of the bumpiness rather than just keeping them flat.
ZylonBane on 9/6/2006 at 21:41
Yeah, the problem with making a properly bumpy model is that in a lot of places, the goo is mounted backward -- with the bumpy part facing the floor or wall. A new flat model could render this goof invisible with a pair of planes, each only visible from its "front".
I guess you could do the same thing with a bumpy model, but the facing sets of bumps would certainly intersect, and lord knows what BSP would do to the resulting model.
Vigil on 9/6/2006 at 21:51
In which case you could make it out of two submodels (a la doors and chests), since submodels are never intersected. Actually this task would be as easy as creating a bumpy model facing one way, duplicating it as a submodel and flipping it.
ZylonBane on 12/6/2006 at 00:34
Neat! I see you dealt with the random facing problem by putting two copies of the model back-to-back. Unfortunately this moves the "bottom" of the model, which can cause it to be lit differently. See the sample shots below:
Before:
(
http://img121.imageshack.us/my.php?image=goobefore7wy.jpg)
Inline Image:
http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/4861/goobefore7wy.th.jpgAfter:
(
http://img60.imageshack.us/my.php?image=gooicenine7jt.jpg)
Inline Image:
http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/452/gooicenine7jt.th.jpgThe modeled detail itself renders a bit oddly. It almost looks like there are some convex parts near the edges. And of course there are sharp edges where the modeled detail ends.
IMHO, the main problem with the original and IceNine's models is that the model consists of a backplane, with the surface detail modeled on separately. This causes two problems. First, it makes it really hard to keep the textures perfectly aligned betwen the backplane and the detail. Second, this separation creates a sharp edge where the detail meets the backplane.
IMHO, for something like this to look good the model would need to be a single plane, then subdivided and vertex-tweaked to create the desired detail. This would allow the gouraud shading to work uniformly across the entire surface.
demagogue on 13/6/2006 at 14:40
I hope that can be fixed, but even still I think it's a big improvement on the flat goo, which has always struck me as just like a sticker or decal slapped against the wall.
RocketMan on 14/6/2006 at 01:55
Hard to believe an elevator could get clogged up with even an infinite supply of the 2D goo.
Anticheese on 14/6/2006 at 05:33
Considering that The Many is a sentient organism with its own goals and desires, It's not surprising it wished to block the shaft.
Besides,All that biomass has to go somewhere :devil:
Bluegrime on 14/6/2006 at 07:47
Hmmm.. I suppose your implying that the Many used the elevator as the galaxies largest outhouse?
