What are you working on RIGHT NOW? - Community WIP thread

Judith on 22/8/2009 at 06:58

So it's better to have them connected in one mesh that split in parts, you say? Ok, I'll put some shapes together to make a few houses, or at least I'll make some "floor presets".

Ziemanskye on 22/8/2009 at 13:39

I'm not going to say don't release the single panels - just that it might be good to have pre-built blocks as well.

One of my early attempts at The Cabal mission was panel based, and while they really weren't very complicated (or, frankly, any good), they did very quickly start to count against the performance.

Also, with full blocks they're easier to seal properly for shadows/sound effects.

Judith on 22/8/2009 at 19:40

Ok then, but I don't think that it would be good for the whole buildings to cast shadows though.

At the same time I'm fiddling with Ion Shader again, and what bothers me is that in some cases you get different results in 3ds and in the editor itself. For instance, I was curious whether you can get a surface with transparent areas, a cubemap inside and also using the normal. In max it looked like this:

(http://img194.imageshack.us/i/111jlb.jpg/)

Inline Image:

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/8127/111jlb.th.jpg

While ingame it looked like this:

(http://img199.imageshack.us/i/222uyw.jpg/)

Inline Image:

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/5660/222uyw.th.jpg

I know the example is irrelevant, I was just using what I had done already. :)

matdmcc2 on 28/8/2009 at 04:45

Hi all! I have been reading a lot of these posts, many dating back several years. I had never known about FMs and I was looking to get started in them. Many of you seem to be old hands at this and I was wondering how much programing knowledge is needed to create these works? I suppose my biggest question is: Can I take existing maps and simply slightly mod them for my (and possibly others) amusement?:angel:

Ziemanskye on 28/8/2009 at 16:59

If (Programming knowledge == Null)
{
Not a problem;
}
:joke:

No, you don't need to be able to program. At all. In fact, because of what they did to Unreal to turn it into Thief, you pretty much can't do anything with programming skills directly for a game/map/mission/mod/whatever.

The editor gives you the original missions, and all of the pieces they were made from, in a form you can mess around with as you see fit, and the tools to build news ones should want to.

Judith on 28/8/2009 at 22:38

Da roof... da roof...

(http://img216.imageshack.us/i/11111ztc.jpg/)

Inline Image:

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/339/11111ztc.th.jpg

I'll have to tweak normals so the seam between the cap and the roof itself isn't that noticeable, but even without that it should be fine - roofs aren't that well lit in Thief ;)

clearing on 29/8/2009 at 08:58

Beleg Cúthalion on 29/8/2009 at 11:46

Now I just wonder if it only looks slightly comic-like on these screenshots or if it is in fact a little cartoony/medieval cliché. Have you had a look at some Flemish paintings or older copper engravings as a reference?

Judith on 29/8/2009 at 15:14

None of those, inspiration came from the Oblivion screenshots, mostly.

pwyll on 30/8/2009 at 12:14

Nice roof. I like it. :)