Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: RandomTiger on October 06, 2002, 07:03:40 am

Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: RandomTiger on October 06, 2002, 07:03:40 am
Whats slowing down your mods?

Oops, this was meant o be a poll, never mind:

Texturers
Modellers
Level makers
Voice Actors
Story / script writers
Coders to implement stuff you need
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: aldo_14 on October 06, 2002, 07:07:57 am
1/ (**** hot)modellers & (2)texturers
3/ Voice actors

I'd say coders, but I'm honestly not sure... mainly cos most ongoing projects still use the original game code.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Killfrenzy on October 06, 2002, 07:13:00 am
TEXTURERS!!

Jeez I could do with someone who can do basic UV maps for all my stuff so I can put things over the top. My texturing is passable.......but my warships don't have the gold plating and coloured bands that I want......only a UV map could do this...
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: karajorma on October 06, 2002, 07:31:12 am
Texturers without a doubt. If there were more I`d have farmed out my texturing rather than spending days working on it myself.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Killfrenzy on October 06, 2002, 07:53:10 am
I'd have farmed out my texturing because I just can't do it!
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: RandomTiger on October 06, 2002, 08:01:10 am
Is there somewhere on the internet, forum etc, you could go show some nice screenshots and try to draw people in?
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: aldo_14 on October 06, 2002, 08:05:22 am
Quote
Originally posted by RandomTiger
Is there somewhere on the internet, forum etc, you could go show some nice screenshots and try to draw people in?


Doubt it...to want to do stuff like the aformentioned, you'd really need to have FS (for both reference and testing the stuff)....and not many people who have and are skilled would want to mod a 3 year old game.... at least until we have some **** hot screenies from the SCP to impress them with. ;)  I think for most people here, FS2 is the only game they've modded.

Might be able to draw in a few people from Starlancer or Wing Commander comunities, I guess... but it'd be tough.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Unknown Target on October 06, 2002, 08:07:04 am
Texturers, most definately.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Stunaep on October 06, 2002, 08:51:44 am
TEXTURERS.

Pof editors too. Other are just fine.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: RandomTiger on October 06, 2002, 09:08:21 am
Quote
Originally posted by aldo_14

Doubt it...to want to do stuff like the aformentioned, you'd really need to have FS (for both reference and testing the stuff)....and not many people who have and are skilled would want to mod a 3 year old game..


I suppose, what about making use of the demo? Thats freely distrubutable, meanwhile hopefully a coder can work on making the demo data work with the new exe.
 
And finally the demo can be used as the base for MOD's so everything can be legally distributed.

Quote

.. at least until we have some **** hot screenies from the SCP to impress them with. ;) [/B]


Well, Im not sure you expect from us in that area. We can make stuff look better but we require artisic help. Ironically we need texturers as well.

I suggest you try anything you can to get more texturers from anywhere, we obviously need them. We have nothing to loose and a lot to gain.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: aldo_14 on October 06, 2002, 10:04:13 am
Quote
Originally posted by RandomTiger



Well, Im not sure you expect from us in that area. We can make stuff look better but we require artisic help. Ironically we need texturers as well.
 


Well, the DX8 upgrade obviously has a lot of potential, and we've already seen some stuff like fighter beams and nav lights.......
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: IceFire on October 06, 2002, 10:34:23 am
Definately texturing....TBP would have been done by now if we had more texturing people.  Tomcat can pump out fully LODed models like the dickens...but texturing takes so much more time to do.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Ryx on October 06, 2002, 10:44:38 am
Quote
Originally posted by IceFire
...but texturing takes so much more time to do.


Indeed. :sigh:
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: RandomTiger on October 06, 2002, 10:52:34 am
OK, we all need texturers then.
If this was coders I would know where to go.
Anyone got any ideas of where to look for texturers, we we ask enough people then some will help.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Corhellion on October 06, 2002, 11:25:19 am
Texturers!!!

I have about...7-8 ships that need to be textured, and they have been made for...months now!

and possibly voice actors, and really good/godly level designers.

Cor

200 posts!!! yay!
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Darkage on October 06, 2002, 01:05:18 pm
And we need more animators....

Damn i am a animator/render:D

Seriously though, more and more people want Custom CB ani's and stuff and there are only a few animators.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Ryx on October 06, 2002, 01:20:09 pm
Quote
Originally posted by darkage
And we need more animators....

Damn i am a animator/render:D

Seriously though, more and more people want Custom CB ani's and stuff and there are only a few animators.


Making anis is not that hard. Of course that depends what's supposed to happen in the ani. :blah:
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Darkage on October 06, 2002, 01:29:39 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Ryx


Making anis is not that hard. Of course that depends what's supposed to happen in the ani. :blah:



Thats what i mean, battle scene's sound easy but they arent easy. And you can't make very good ani's in a pint prog. Real good ani's are made in real rendering progs.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Ryx on October 06, 2002, 01:37:05 pm
Quote
Originally posted by darkage



Thats what i mean, battle scene's sound easy but they arent easy. And you can't make very good ani's in a pint prog. Real good ani's are made in real rendering progs.


I've tried to make these kinds of anis, as well. I always get stumped, when try to find a good way to do lasers bolts. Particles seems to be the way to go, but a ***** to line up and fire correctly.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Stryke 9 on October 06, 2002, 01:49:33 pm
I can texture...

[ducks before stampede]

I do BladePro, though, and I don't do maps yet- at least, I suck at them, and RDS ones don't generally work in TrueSpace.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Sesquipedalian on October 06, 2002, 02:06:47 pm
The thing is, texturing takes so bloody long that anyone who can do it doesn't want to say so, for fear of being mobbed.  These things (GTF Vesuvius reskin (http://www.angelfire.com/space/sesquipedalian/VesuviusReskin.zip) and GVF Shu (http://www.angelfire.com/space/sesquipedalian/shu.zip)) took me days, and they were just reskins of already UV-ed models.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Darkage on October 06, 2002, 02:48:01 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Ryx


I've tried to make these kinds of anis, as well. I always get stumped, when try to find a good way to do lasers bolts. Particles seems to be the way to go, but a ***** to line up and fire correctly.


I use lensflares for laserbolts i tweak whit the setting and colors until i am happy whit it. after that i position them and animate them as i want them.
Title: hmm
Post by: TrashMan on October 06, 2002, 02:52:04 pm
I can do EVERYTHING (modeling, animating, FREDing, tbl.-ing, PCS-ing - well, I don't do excellent work in all areas, but it can pass) except texturing. I know how to use UV-projection, but only with textures that I allready have. I don't know how to make new textures (Tried a few times, but they suck!)
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Stryke 9 on October 06, 2002, 03:01:11 pm
Ses: If you do it entirely by hand. It's like modeling in OpenGL that way- you get something to help you do the slow, uninventive perst faster. BladePro doesn't look like hand-drawn, but it's still good. Chech it out, if you tex a lot.
Title: Re: hmm
Post by: Ryx on October 06, 2002, 03:12:27 pm
Quote
Originally posted by TrashMan
I can do EVERYTHING (modeling, animating, FREDing, tbl.-ing, PCS-ing - well, I don't do excellent work in all areas, but it can pass) except texturing. I know how to use UV-projection, but only with textures that I allready have. I don't know how to make new textures (Tried a few times, but they suck!)


Look at KARMA's guide posted in the modding forum somewhere. I haven't had a mesh to try out on, but it's given me many useful tips&hints.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Killfrenzy on October 06, 2002, 03:27:39 pm
Darkage: I want YOU for The Swarm War! :D:thepimp:
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Galemp on October 06, 2002, 03:48:15 pm
About how long does it take to UVMap a capship, if you already have the textures?
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Darkage on October 06, 2002, 04:22:01 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Killfrenzy
Darkage: I want YOU for The Swarm War! :D:thepimp:



Hehehe....sorry but i have to say, no for now.

I got already allot of stuff to for: OTT, Inferno, BWO. etc;)

So maby later when i get some time :)
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Killfrenzy on October 06, 2002, 04:32:18 pm
*Seethes quietly*

Ode to a decent ani maker!
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: KARMA on October 06, 2002, 04:40:23 pm
i like to draw with computer, i love photoshop (this is a little WIP of something i'm doing in this period: http://fateofgalaxy.port5.com/orologio.jpg ..i feel good:cool: ), i enjoy drawing textures but it takes really a lot of time
having someone that uvmaps models may reduce the time but i think that uvmappers must work at strict contact with texturers or must have a little texturing experience, in order to decide level of detail (how many maps) and to uvmap in the "preferred" way for the texturer (to make its work simplier)
i'd like too to find other texturers to share the work and speed up the job, since i'm very slow on what i do, but it seems a very long and difficult path to 1-find someone at all and 2-someone that works at an enough good level for my needs
my first suggestion is to try it on your own, it isn't (in my opinion) too difficult... once you understand the basis....and once you have an idea of what you want to do...in my opinion the learning curve is VERY long (i'm still learning a lot after one year of photoshop) but at the same time grows VERY fast after the first steps (and you will be able to build something decent after little experience...since experience helps you  more to speed up your work than making it nicer)
you may at least try to build you textures using other artwork, modifying/ customizing it or making even patchworks (bleah:p)...it is plenty of images-terxtures over internet
or you may try to build it completely on your own
there are a couple of simple but useful tutorials on www.xwaupgrade.com , i wrote also this one http://fateofgalaxy.port5.com/TexturingTutorial.htm (very slow, wait for the images to load, and i'm waiting for blue lion to translate it in an english language with some sense:) )
with those tutorials, a decent graphic program (photoshop, paintshoppro, macromedias one, but even others as soon as they support layers, masks and have decent geometry tools) you should be able to make some simple but nice looking effects to make your own textures
btw for making faster progresses in the star wars mod we will need also modellers/models
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: diamondgeezer on October 06, 2002, 05:51:29 pm
Voices
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Ryx on October 06, 2002, 10:58:05 pm
Quote
Originally posted by GalacticEmperor
About how long does it take to UVMap a capship, if you already have the textures?


Well, the last 'destroyer*' took 7-9 hours(working on & off).

*see my latest thread, here in the modding forum.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Sesquipedalian on October 07, 2002, 12:54:56 am
Quote
Originally posted by Stryke 9
Ses: If you do it entirely by hand. It's like modeling in OpenGL that way- you get something to help you do the slow, uninventive perst faster. BladePro doesn't look like hand-drawn, but it's still good. Chech it out, if you tex a lot.

I'm too much of a perfectionist to be satisfied with anything of lesser quality, but thanks.  I'll maybe give it a look. :)
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Stryke 9 on October 07, 2002, 03:30:33 pm
Well, I never learned to texture properly by hand, so I can't compare. If you get good at it, it just looks stylized. You're no good, it looks cel-shaded or just like nothing at all.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Raptor on October 09, 2002, 10:20:43 am
Sounds like most of you other modders are in the oppositepostion to me.  I can handle .TBL stuff, weapon effects (sort of), and texturing:D  But all my attempts to take one of my design ideas from a drawing on paper to a fully working POF has ended in disaster!:mad:
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: IPAndrews on October 09, 2002, 10:55:09 am
The community is short of texturers obviously, and people willing to work with me on the Battlestar Galactica mod.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: karajorma on October 09, 2002, 11:15:43 am
Quote
Originally posted by Raptor
Sounds like most of you other modders are in the oppositepostion to me.  I can handle .TBL stuff, weapon effects (sort of), and texturing:D  But all my attempts to take one of my design ideas from a drawing on paper to a fully working POF has ended in disaster!:mad:


I`d duck and cover if I were you then. A texturer who can't model will be in high demand since byt definition he can only work on other peoples ships :D

BTW what was the disaster in your modelling attempt? Actually making the ship or converting it to a pof?
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Killfrenzy on October 09, 2002, 11:58:13 am
Quote
Originally posted by IPAndrews
The community is short of texturers obviously, and people willing to work with me on the Battlestar Galactica mod.


You mean that's actually still ALIVE???

LET ME IN!! LET ME IN!!!!!!! GAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!

"Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny, the last Battlestar, Galactica, leads a rag-tag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest - a shining planet, known as Earth....."

Daaah, dah dah dah da da daaaaah da da daaaaah.....

:nervous:

I'll get my coat.......
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Raptor on October 10, 2002, 03:22:00 pm
Hell, I don't mind working on other peoples ships, along as they give me a good idea of what they want.  Oh, and if it was one of these U-V Mappings, you would have to give me the basic file (even a 2 bit (black/white) map would do.:)

As for my disaster at making my own POF's, well, not enough cash, and in England, so buying new truespace editions is out.

Tried Truespace 1, but the mapping was Rubbish:shaking: , I could not get ANY submodels working, they came out wrong size, facing the wrong way (as in, the 'left' side of the ship was the 'Front'!) and nearly all the Faces were inverted!:mad:

A couple of attempts actually made it to working in FS2:eek2: , but looked AWEFULL.  Only showing the thruster sub-models, with no thruster texture? :doubt: Hmmm.....

Note: I was using a desktop CAD program to create my models, converting them to DXF file format, then importing in TS.

But since I can't get my models in myself, I thought if I helped other people do their own mods, they would do this part of mine. ;)
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Killfrenzy on October 10, 2002, 03:56:49 pm
My chief problem is, whilst I can do virtually everything under the sun to do with FS2 modding, I can't UV map to save my life!

And I SWEAR Lith HATES my models! It makes VERY nasty UV maps, which then don't work in TS - so I just give up and texture the 'Cap Ship' way! :D

And it gives reasonable results. :)
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Stryke 9 on October 10, 2002, 04:57:13 pm
[pimps Ray Dream]

Addon texture mapper software...:p
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: IPAndrews on October 11, 2002, 03:04:51 am
Quote
Originally posted by Killfrenzy
You mean that's actually still ALIVE???


People think it's dead? Oh dear. Well I can't say I'm surprised. There's only so much you can do when you're a team of one and you've got a full time job. Still, I've had it doing some cool stuff in the past. A battlestar and 2 wings of Vipers launching a co-ordinated assault on a 100 turret Cylon Base Star. That was fun...
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: Killfrenzy on October 11, 2002, 06:24:24 am
I was actually looking at (one of) your basestar models last night - and OWCH!!! POLY COUNT!!!!

Have you got a lower poly version?
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: IPAndrews on October 13, 2002, 09:15:57 am
The one I'm uising is a simplified version of the one on the web site. It's about 1.8k polygons. Fortunately it LODs nicely. So the polys drop quite dramatically at longer distances.
Title: What people is the comunity short of?
Post by: aldo_14 on October 13, 2002, 09:23:03 am
Quote
Originally posted by IPAndrews
The one I'm uising is a simplified version of the one on the web site. It's about 1.8k polygons. Fortunately it LODs nicely. So the polys drop quite dramatically at longer distances.


:yes:

(feels value of LODing is vastly underestimated by most people)