"I need support damn it!!!!"

OK don't be to alarmed by the title of this entry.

After returning to the queens building to verify my model, i noticed that I had missed out a lot the little details that were essential, this mainly was the supports holding up the pipes, why I forgot them in the first place? I have know idea, anyway here is a screen shot of the different types of supports around this part of the building, they are also already unwrapped, and ready to texture.

Also just to let you know that the first floor pipes are already unwrapped, so they entire thing should be ready for Tuesdays meeting. (Fingers crossed)

Signs, Signs, there everywhere, but where do I go?

Here are the signs that i have been set to do, don't mind the poly count I have left them like that for now, but will lower it on the larger signs when I come to unwrapping them

Work for next Tuesday

Work to be finished for next Tuesday are in black text. Grey text means work that are already finished.

Don't forget to unwrap the things you've modelled :). If you have time, you can even start texturing 8D.

Mind your Head

"Cafeful as you come through, you dont wanna knock yourself out do you."

Here is what will hopefully be the final version of the piping model, collions planes have been added, and it is ready to unwrap.

The model is also on the forum for you to have a look around properly

dont forget to flush!

It took a little tweaking as somehow the placeholder pivot was still off im not sure how that happened but meh these things do. but you'll be glad to know zongyi that your toilet is in ^_^. Yes i realise the flashlight isnt displaying any shadows that would be a small forgetful fail on my part there lol. ill get the the mens in then woo :D

I know its the same as marks, but i figured i'd post it anyway! I've been working!!

Lights

so damn boring i had to put it on grey...
But WHY am i ok doing these things?? mundane for the win.

el marco el returno

hey people just letting you know im back from jollys knuckling down tonight ^_^

Trolley

Progress shot

New updated shot from unreal so far ( Any new assets please post on forum and i will make sure they go in asap! also dont forget to centre your pivot to 0,0,0 and if asset is a standing object e.g. chair,trolley etc.. then make sure the bottom of the box is on '0' coordinates in the Z axis) Everyone else if your placeholder model has moved for some reason please make sure each level is back at 0,0,0 or pick up the last placeholder and move your new geometry across!
Thanks ^_^

light of my life :) ill post everything i have tomorrow including the UDK and UPK.

Seats so far

Assets I've done:

Progress report

quick screeny of progress in unreal ^_^

Grim and Grimey

Here are a few concept Sketchs

Paint overs for the windows

These are they. Just a few visuals, let me know what u think!!








Last one is a mood for the windows reference/inspiration... Thanks to Priya for her post with wall writing! Looks awesome!

Model of female toilets

Screenshots of the female toilet I just modelled:

Repeating Assets & Texture Sharing

This is the list of repeating assets that will be included:
- Bin
- Chairs
- Sofas
- Desks
- Some doors
- Keypads
- Some Lights
- Light switches
- Stairs
- Banisters
- Toilets
- Fire Extinguishers
- Signs
- Pipes
- Some windows? (depending on the different styles in the building)

Areas sharing texture space:
- Walls
- Flooring
- Ceiling

Not sure if i've missed any?

Writing on the walls - images from Left 4 Dead

These a few screenshots of writing on wall found in Left 4 Dead. I only found writing in the safehouses, not in the open areas of the game due to the fast pace of the game distracting the player from stopping to look at the walls.



We could put writing near the lighting where the player is most likely to take their time navigating around the area to influence curiosity and draw the player to the next door/area.

Let me know what you think :)

Colour and paint

Forgive the amateur paint, I can't do as much justice to this as Z! ^^ Just a follow up to the screen shots I took from silent hill.

Screen shots from silent hill

I took these while the game was being played, as research. They all had hues of strong underlying colour, mostly yellows, blues, greens and reds. I used these to then knock up some colour trials of the toilets...

Game Art of Bioshock

Heres a video i watched this morning, based on the environment design for Bioshock 2,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GkQ1fprBKI

the Lead Environment Artist, Hogarth de la Plante. Talks about how the environment were designed and how the lighting was used to create a really effective atmosphere.

There are also another 4 videos on the design of Bioshock, Including Character design. Definatly worth watching

Work schedule

Work, you Slaves of Spaazm!

Mark
- Concept male toilets in middle floor. Start modelling some basic objects e. g. cubicles, urinals, etc.

Priya
- Make list of repetitive assets. Concept the stylisation. Colour schemes, etc.
- Concept different ways of blocking up doors: barricaded doors, boarded up doors, locks, padlocks, broken keypads, etc

Aby
- Assign the layout of the blockaded objects to the floors.
- Concept windows. Grimed boarded up, cracked glass, etc.

Simon
- Concept the pipes; broken, grimed, etc.
- If more time, start making/testing the assets on ceiling.

Andy
- Concept stairs; grime it up, think of how the middle staircase is blocked off (objects in the way? broken off?).

Zongyi
- Sit back and relax.
- Concept female toilets. And other things.

Unreal Notes from Si's lesson

Export mesh from Max with several IDs.

Call the box a certain code, "UCX_"

Box - Do not modify. Attach everything else together.

Assign IDs in max like one normally would.

Have 1 diffuse in canvas slot. Just need diffuse in first one to work.

When comes to exporting, slot has to be assigned to diffuse.

Select all in the collision, Export > Export Selected > Save to a folder. Save as ASCII Scene Export (.ASE).

WWW.HOURENCES.COM!! Advanced tutorials and help for Unreal. And Unreal Wiki.

-IN UNREAL -

Build a simple block.

First thing to do, add a light. Hold L and left click.

- Small black box button next to a pair of binoculars. "Content Browser" window comes up. A place to store textures, materials, collision meshes, etc.

Import object. Give package new name in Unreal. Ignore next pop-up window.

And the model is IN!

- Import textures. If diffuse, leave the Compression Settings to default. If Normal map, then select "Normal" otherwise won't work.

Can't simply assign textures to model. Must make materials like Shader. Right click, New Material. Opens up Material Editor. Go into TextureSample >Drag in texture you have and pull top black box to Diffuse in List

"PreviewMaterial". Blend Mode > Masked blend.

Simply pull the boxes on the left side of the Texture box to the list on the left. Eg. when assigning alpha, pull white box to OpacityMask.

Right-click > Static Mesh > Materials > Assign from content browser.

- SCALING -

One character = 96 Unreal units.

In Max, always scale a model next to a biped of 96 Units.

In Unreal, select the static mesh. Left box scales everything.

- BRUSH -

Brush is the red box. Right-click on brush, > Add volume > Lightmash importancevolume > That will stop the light gonig outside the box. Keeps light bouncing inside.

- WHILE IN "GAMING MODE" (Right-click > Play from here). -

While in "gaming mode" 8D: Press Tab. Behind view > Fly: to navigate through level.

Ghost -on. Go through walls. Jump around easier.

Press windows tab for full-screen lol.

To hide gun, it's show hud.

- HOW TO SAVE -

Right-click on Package > Save > Make 2 folders (one called "level". And then "UPK"). SAve in UPK. The package is what we save as.

If want to move, select all in the Content Browser and go into "LEvel" foldier.

- HOW TO OPEN FILE -

Go to Content Browser, load Package. Click the little Open Folder icon. Then Open Package. Package opened. F'yeah.

- LIGHTING SYSTEM -

When building, if there are any gaps then lighting will go bad. Don't ever change Drag Grid. Ever. Keep Snap Grid on. At 16.

- ASSIGNING MATERIAL TO FLOOR -

Drag 'n' drop.

- TOOLS -

Use a Gizmo tool to scale.

Select what you want to import first.

Go into UDK files. > UTGame > Screenshots. Find screenshots of super high res.

Have own work. Do work on uni machines.

whitebox and unreal

Hey guys and gals sorry so late with this entry anywho no point giving excuses, on with the blog(sorry if i waffle on lol).. The white box has been done and over the weekend i was experimenting with it by trying to find the best way to use it in unreal. In the end although not time efficient in principle, in practice recreating the mesh using unreals brush tool seemed the more time efficient option after issues importing the mesh ( even in parts) as a brush for use as the bsp.

So think of the placeholder model(whitebox) as your reference point for placing your objects into the game. I strongly recommend that once everyone is allocated a section of the model, that you add simple cube objects which are labeled as the different assets.

Obviously we need to set aside those that are repeated assets and those which to be used once. These will be separated by separate folders but naturally everyone will get access to both of them and there textures as we should update the texture and model library constantly and keep good contact on what has been done. (Aby i remember you had a list of the assets? If you could, could you possibly put them in a excel spreadsheet so we can tick of what has and hasn't been done, thanks ^_^) .

Obviously before all that can be done we still need to agree on the style which can hopefully be decided at the next meeting but a few nice ones have popped up which are very cool and I'm glad we are all on the same line of believable is better, as it definitely has more of an impact on the player than an over exaggerated one.

-The Library Setup-
Well this isn't totally set in stone but for now it should keep us all relatively in sync. The whitebox model is in the zip file.
SPAAZM

Well I'm not going to continue waffling on last words are.. If you are making a replicated object set the object and its pivot point to 0,0,0 but if you are creating a single use object then place it where you want it in the scene and export it with the pivot point at 0,0,0.

Assets for Barricades

These are some objects that can be found in the Queens Building which can be used for barricaded areas:

A follow up

This what I was working on, similar to andrews photos with the plans... But less neat with notes, so SORRY to Z! ^^

Floor plans update

Thanks to Priya for going back to Queen's and getting more details on the objects, I've made an update on the floor plans:

Moodboard

Asset layout

Just to give a better idea of where bits are exactly

It sets the scene

hfnwtundfjwe4tjbnejr4ktbfdkjgbwe4tsbe w3 moodboard

Initial grime paintover idea

Grimed it up! Looks beautiful.

Piplines

Here are the plans for the pipelines in the queens building stairwell

Mould/grime on concrete

Some reference pictures of the effects of water on concrete with thw build up of mould. We could possibly use these references for parts of the walls where there's constant water flow on some areas:

Floor Plans with Assets

If anything is confusing or unclear give me a shout :)