Hard Light Productions Forums
Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: aldo_14 on February 16, 2007, 10:44:54 am
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I'm hoping to find someone who can make high quality background nebulas (and possibly planets; I need to inventorise exactly how many we still need, as we have some excellent ones already from c914*). I'd prefer skyboxes for animation purposes, but the 'old' style is equally fine. In either case, it isn't a big job - enough for 2 systems (I have ideas of specific styles, but the artist obviously can use their own judgement and choose something different if they wish).
An effects or weapons artist would be handy too (albeit Grug is responsible for the latter), as would the usual 'we wish we had these but there's virtually no chance' group of people - namely those who can make nifty new sounds, or facial animations.
*who seems to have vanished for quite some time, sadly
Because, after all, it's about time I released a screenshot newer than this (http://www.sectorgame.com/aldo/ls/media/devss/devScreen01.jpg) - especially given that everything about it is now out of date :D
Job comes with the usual perks of long hours for no pay and moaning at people over the internet. ;)
But you will get to see very interesting things.....very interesting....
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*who seems to have vanished for quite some time, sadly
He doesn't has time for FreeSpace. He has got to learn and study and he wants some time for private life...
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I can do (habitable) planets. This one went for another project, but I can make others. I haven't yet tried to make uninhabitable planets, but I suppose I could do those too. Probably would be easier to do, too, what with no need for making water and separate continents...
(http://users.tkk.fi/~lmiettun/Kuvat/Space/mandala_prime_onestar_thumb.jpg) (http://users.tkk.fi/~lmiettun/Kuvat/Space/mandala_prime_huge.jpg)
Beware, it's a big file ([email protected] kB JPG).
I don't really know how to make nebulae that would work well as FS2 backgrounds. So I guess I'll just do some planets if you want them.
And I know next to nothing of how to make a viable skybox texture... :blah:
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*who seems to have vanished for quite some time, sadly
He doesn't has time for FreeSpace. He has got to learn and study and he wants some time for private life...
Fair enough :) Shame, he was a really talented modeller/artist.
I can do (habitable) planets. This one went for another project, but I can make others. I haven't yet tried to make uninhabitable planets, but I suppose I could do those too. Probably would be easier to do, too, what with no need for making water and separate continents...
(http://users.tkk.fi/~lmiettun/Kuvat/Space/mandala_prime_onestar_thumb.jpg) (http://users.tkk.fi/~lmiettun/Kuvat/Space/mandala_prime_huge.jpg)
Beware, it's a big file ([email protected] kB JPG).
I don't really know how to make nebulae that would work well as FS2 backgrounds. So I guess I'll just do some planets if you want them.
And I know next to nothing of how to make a viable skybox texture... :blah:
Looks good. Let me check, I honestly have no idea whether we need planets or just a few Generic Moons. Think we need both. Anyways, I'll get back in, ummm, a wee bit after me dinner :D
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A suggestion.
The X3 Reunion game/series has a site and forum, of which backgrounds
have been made by modders there. Some of just the "stock" BG's included in
the original game are just jaw dropping beautiful... maybe it's partly the engine, but
if they can be imitated - it would be worth checking out.
Ask for ones those modders have made... better yet recruit the people themselves. :D
http://www.egosoft.com/games/x3/info_en.php (http://www.egosoft.com/games/x3/info_en.php)
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I can do (habitable) planets. This one went for another project, but I can make others. I haven't yet tried to make uninhabitable planets, but I suppose I could do those too. Probably would be easier to do, too, what with no need for making water and separate continents...
If you can do that :) then these might help
http://www.ap3d.com/betterspace/betterspace-tut-04.htm (http://www.ap3d.com/betterspace/betterspace-tut-04.htm)
http://gallery.artofgregmartin.com/tuts_arts/making_a_star_field.html (http://gallery.artofgregmartin.com/tuts_arts/making_a_star_field.html)
You might not need this one. :)
http://gallery.artofgregmartin.com/tuts_arts/making_a_planet.html (http://gallery.artofgregmartin.com/tuts_arts/making_a_planet.html)
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Ok HT, reggie at sectorgame (http://www.sectorgame.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=37) and I'll sort out internal access. We're doing a bit of internal housekeeping, natch, so it might a little messy in there....
A suggestion.
The X3 Reunion game/series has a site and forum, of which backgrounds
have been made by modders there. Some of just the "stock" BG's included in
the original game are just jaw dropping beautiful... maybe it's partly the engine, but
if they can be imitated - it would be worth checking out.
Ask for ones those modders have made... better yet recruit the people themselves. :D
http://www.egosoft.com/games/x3/info_en.php (http://www.egosoft.com/games/x3/info_en.php)
I don't think there's much point in going outside the community, natch; and obviously no intention of using stuff from other games.
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Welp, we were outside the community, until a few months ago.
Most everyone here was, at one point.
How many total conversions from "outside the community" are going on, or completed, at this point?
Tachyon: The Fringe
Babylon 5
Wing Commander
Star Trek
Star Wars
Starfox
Battlestar Galactica
...
They're all from "outside the community", at some level. Yes, they're part of it now - but isn't everything brought into a community by anyone who was at one point, not in the community, from "outside"?
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Welp, we were outside the community, until a few months ago.
Most everyone here was, at one point.
How many total conversions from "outside the community" are going on, or completed, at this point?
Tachyon: The Fringe
Babylon 5
Wing Commander
Star Trek
Star Wars
Starfox
Battlestar Galactica
...
They're all from "outside the community", at some level. Yes, they're part of it now - but isn't everything brought into a community by anyone who was at one point, not in the community, from "outside"?
You'll note they are TCs, not mods for the existing game. :)
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Okay, registered. :)
Water: I use GIMP, so Photoshop guides can sometimes be useful and sometimes not. At best it takes a lot of adapting, but sometimes it's ueful. The starfield guide I have seen before, and it's been useful.
The nebula guide was interesting, I'll have to try some similar stuff on GIMP.
The planet guide was otherwise interesting - for example, it used a different way to create atmospheric glow than I have used - but I use a bit more complex and time-consuming method (mostly the time-consuming part is applying some filters to 4096x4096 layers, though... I could really use another gigabyte of RAM...).
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Water: I use GIMP, so Photoshop guides can sometimes be useful and sometimes not. At best it takes a lot of adapting, but sometimes it's ueful. The starfield guide I have seen before, and it's been useful.
The nebula guide was interesting, I'll have to try some similar stuff on GIMP.
The planet guide was otherwise interesting - for example, it used a different way to create atmospheric glow than I have used - but I use a bit more complex and time-consuming method (mostly the time-consuming part is applying some filters to 4096x4096 layers, though... I could really use another gigabyte of RAM...).
True. I don't find much Gimp stuff other than standard. Usually what makes photoshop guides a pain is filters that have no Gimp equivalent. Also in http://gallery.artofgregmartin.com/ under Biography and writings is a walkthrough for a nebula: Riven ( stupid Flash) And the Capturing Heaven pdf has some good images.
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Okay, registered. :)
Unless your nick is dr.tamiflu (in which case you've been a very naughty boy!), I can't find you :)
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That's definitely not me. :lol:
Weird... I know I registered, I got an e-mail and followed the activation link, and I was able to log in to the forums... but not anymore. When I click to the link in the e-mail it just says "No such user exists".
I'll just register again and send you PM to see if it really works.
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That's definitely not me. :lol:
Weird... I know I registered, I got an e-mail and followed the activation link, and I was able to log in to the forums... but not anymore. When I click to the link in the e-mail it just says "No such user exists".
I'll just register again and send you PM to see if it really works.
Well, you're up & in the internals list now. Welcome in :D
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Uh oh.
It looks like the anti-spambot script might have malfunctioned and wiped you after I added your name. Hunters' taken it offline for the moment, so can you (eek) try again? Sorry 'bout this.
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Yep, I'm off again. :lol:
Fastest two consecutive bannings ever... Well, no biggie. :D
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How many weapon effects do you need? A round estimate will do. Think I can do them no prob (just dont ask me to tackle with the tables... has been years since i last done that :P)
And what kind of other effects are you meaning?
EDIT: heres a quick sample btw, just done it in 5 mins
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y188/sb38R2/effectsample.jpg)
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Welp, we were outside the community, until a few months ago.
Most everyone here was, at one point.
How many total conversions from "outside the community" are going on, or completed, at this point?
Tachyon: The Fringe
Babylon 5
Wing Commander
Star Trek
Star Wars
Starfox
Battlestar Galactica
...
They're all from "outside the community", at some level. Yes, they're part of it now - but isn't everything brought into a community by anyone who was at one point, not in the community, from "outside"?
Those all have pretty much been "within the community", no?
Tach started here, Babylon 5 started on VWatch and then moved here, WC IIRC started here, Star Trek started here, as did Star Wars, AFAIK, and Star Fox and BTRL are both on GW, which shares the same server as Hard Light.
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Nope, Tach didn't start here. Had never been here before I decided to use this engine.
None of the games that the mods are based on started here. None of the tv series those mods are based on started here. Not even FS2 started here. FS2_Open started here.
I was just saying - don't think creativity can't come from outside this particular community. That's all.
I appreciate your support - I really do. You guys are great. However, I will almost guarantee that the vast majority of the end users that play my mod will not only not be from this community, but will have never heard of it, before the link they follow from my site.
They'll mostly be ex-Tachyon players, or flight simmers that are refugees from another online sim. That's how it's been, in every space sim I've ever played. Yes, the new campaigns or mods based on, and in, FS2 will be mainly enjoyed by this community. It's the ones that aren't, that I'm talking about.
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don't think creativity can't come from outside this particular community. That's all.
Thats not the case at all. The problem isnt creativity. Its reliability and trustworthiness. People from outside are unknown to us and (like the case of that one dick with BTRL) may even distribute sensitive material he has no right to.
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Well, as far as alpha/beta testing, or development goes, sure - don't just let anyone work on, or test, your mod. You should always pick people you trust. Especially as far as sensitive information goes.
Once it's released, and it's public, all bets tend to be off, though :D
The subject was artwork, though, wasn't it?
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How many weapon effects do you need? A round estimate will do. Think I can do them no prob (just dont ask me to tackle with the tables... has been years since i last done that :P)
And what kind of other effects are you meaning?
EDIT: heres a quick sample btw, just done it in 5 mins
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y188/sb38R2/effectsample.jpg)
I'll need to chat with Grug :) Other effects were stuff like engine flares, explosions, etc.
I was just saying - don't think creativity can't come from outside this particular community. That's all.
Um, I kind of meant the opposite actually; why would people from 'outside' mod for FS2 when they can/already do mod something else? If they have an interest in something like BSG or Starfox, etc, the motivation is easy - they like the TC universe and get to put their name to a wholly new game. For a mod upon the existing FS2 universe, then it's almost certainly more rewarding for them to work in their own 'sphere'.
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Well, as long as u dont need the effects to be animated, I think I can do it no problem (so forget explosions from my part)... Think I can even have a go at nebula, old style, but Ive never tried.
If you need me just drop me a PM either here or in FS2 Sector :)
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you should learn proximus, animating that sort of stuff is easy ;7
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hmm, where can I acquire such a thing? is it freeware?
Tbh I think im gonna dive into the 2d effects (texturing included) world soon enough... I can say I can handle 3d more than good, so a next step is in order :)
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@Raven - I'm just waiting for Grug to get back to me so we can work out what needs done. Since weapons are kind of his thang, I feel obliged to give the crazy ozzie timezone nipple-obsessed guy a major say, plus I have no idea how much has been done.
As an aside, here's what I did over the weekend.
(http://sectorgame.com/aldo/aw/cm1.jpg)
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I have a few models I need to get mapped, myself.
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hmm, where can I acquire such a thing? is it freeware?
Tbh I think im gonna dive into the 2d effects (texturing included) world soon enough... I can say I can handle 3d more than good, so a next step is in order :)
it's a program I'm writing, look for the prox 2.0 thread for a recent version, currently I have a more up to date version with some cool features, but no one NO ONE seems too interested in using it other than me (see the weapon effect thread in the FSU forum), or they say it's too hard to even beging trying to use, or it crashes after ten seconds (and don't tell me what they did that caused it), I've used it for hours continuously, and only had a few crashes.
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nice, ill take a peek at it then... bout time I start learning this kind of stuff anyways
@aldo: sure, just drop a line If u need me :)
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if you are going to start playing with it I'd suggest starting off with functions based off of 1-r and I'd also suggest starting off with HSL mode, RGB is easy to comprehend but HSL is easy to make nice things accedently.
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Ill be honest... I DID try! But I just cant get the hang of it... maths were never rly my sort of thing :\
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That looks similar to some of the Gorn, Romulan plasma weapon images I have from various Trek Games... :D
Anyway (Bob) I DL'ed it, what more do you want? (giggle)
(A minute later) ok I unrared it and ran it... Didn't crash on start (after 10 seconds) or when I exited (unlike Aurora! Improvement!!! :nod:)
Ok so... I forgot did you have instructions on how to use this in that thread or a tutorial?
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it's a program I'm writing, look for the prox 2.0 thread for a recent version, currently I have a more up to date version with some cool features, but no one NO ONE seems too interested in using it other than me (see the
Well I'm still interested - Mainly because some of the math may be useful later for shaders.
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I have given instructions and a number of example codes, the more recent version is even easier cause when you make a new layer it sets everything up for you.
here is a quick tutorial;
after starting proximus, hit ctrl+n type 256 into the first two text boxes, then... just about anything made from leters into the third, and select HSL from the combo box, click done, on the script editor you should now see three variable definitions they start with '@', after the '=' there is a zero that is the default script for that variable, that zero is what you need to change, do not modify the @ the = or anything between them (for now).
now, leave H alone, change the value of S to be 1 (rather than 0) and L should be changed to 1-r. hit the evaluate button or f10, there should now be a orenge/red bolt in the display pane, go to image->save image, type in the file name you want (or use the default file name) the next screen type in 256 into the two text boxes (resolution of the saved file)
you should now have a file saved somewhere with that image in it.
congradulations you just made a not too bad effect suitable for a primary weapons.
Ill be honest... I DID try! But I just cant get the hang of it... maths were never rly my sort of thing :\
awwwwww... that's what everyone says :(
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My account in Sectorgames is gone again... :( :nervous:
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I have given instructions and a number of example codes, the more recent version is even easier cause when you make a new layer it sets everything up for you.
here is a quick tutorial;
after starting proximus, hit ctrl+n type 256 into the first two text boxes, then...
Thanks :) have it running now.
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if you are realy that interested/have questions I just made an update in the actual proximus thread (prox 2.0).
maybe aldo can have his thread back now :)
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My account in Sectorgames is gone again... :( :nervous:
Oh, ****ing hell - now I'm very angry. Maybe you need to post in the non-internal forums or something.
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Ill be honest... I DID try! But I just cant get the hang of it... maths were never rly my sort of thing :\
awwwwww... that's what everyone says :(
Ya kno, im surprised that with your level of experience you didnt know the following already:
Most common Joe doesnt know much about maths... they know the basics and thats all.
As such, what you gotta give them is an interface that although it may limit a bit the possibilities of your program, it will allow the average Joe to be able to handle it, untill he starts learning the most complex stuff, trough use of the program... Atm the only people who are minimaly confortable with prox 2.0 are the coding peeps, and a few others that are confy with the most confy stuff at maths...
Now keep in mind that im NOT saying proximus sucks or anything... in fact, from what Ive seen it can be a powerfull program (as you showed us in your weap effects topic :) )... It just lacks that "general society" factor, but I obviously understand that takes time\patience to pull off, especially on your own. So thumbs up on your work as always :)
As for solutions to the general public, if your interested... mby try somthing like what you have on teh PS filters? Something like, you have those "filters" which translate from a certain function (i think thats it, may be wrg :P ), and then the sliders to fiddle with the variables... keeping, however, the current mthod as well, so that someone more experienced on maths may be able to do more original stuff (prolly even in a plugin style as well :) )... Or maybe even a more simple to use funciton maker (making combos of the basic functions and blah blah, with rough previews of each stuff so people can fiddle around freely and easily)
I know im not talking about a fast cake walk, and theres surely alot of stuff in here that shows that i dont know hell of what im talking about, but I hope you can take out any idea from this on how to make it work to the general public :)
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well you can put it into a sort of quick preview mode, if you just lower the resolution of the layer your working on to say 128/64^2, then you can test every change you make just by hitting f10, I supose I could make a popup menu that has all available commands/variables, the thing is every command, every function and operator is effectively a filter as would be used in photoshop, so I can't realy change it to a photoshop like interface as that would get messy FAST. and there is only one variable that realy changes, t, and it has a slider and a manual editor.
you just have to get used to the idea of typing in your instructions, that's the only thing I can see as potentially intimidated. but the worst thing that can happen is it crashes so I don't see why people are so sqeemish to try.
regular joe public might not have the brain meats for this but he certanly doesn't have them to use photoshop or 3DS Max either, I really don't think I'm overestimating the skil level of the people here at HLP, if you can use Max this should be simple.
you just have to stop and think, "OK, I want an effect that has a bright blue ball that fades to black, so as it gets farther from the center of the screen it needs to get darker, well r gets bigger the further you are from the center, starts at 0 ends at 1, and I want it to be brightest in the middle darkest at the edges so it needs to be 1 were r is 0 and 0 were r is 1, 1-r will do that, I'll put that in as the luminence channel of HSL and see how that works out" after that it's mostly a mater of "what happens if I square r or if I take the ##random function here, (like, oh tangent sin, log)## of the whole thing" after a while you'll just notice how certain functions of certain variables look. you realy don't need to know anything about the math other than the basic syntax. I mean you know what 1-1 and 1-0 are right? that's the level of mathematical competency you need, more is better no doubt, but not nesisary.
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Well... im just dumb then, coz I rly dont have a clue of what im doing there once I start the program :(
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can you follow the short tutorial I posed (like four posts ago)?
if you can get that far then just start adding stuff to it. you do understand mathematical syntax enough you just write some totaly random function right?
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Oki ill promise to give it another wirl next week :) ... and continue the discussion trough PM when I do... nouf derailing for now :P
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nebulas!
[attachment deleted by admin]
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nebulas!
nice :)
You realize that an image like that + the workspace = one part of a library of useful effects.
With a library as a starting point = more users.
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I read that and my head started hurting by the end of the paragraph... :D
Personally I think the longer you are out of school the dumber you get...
Grats on the program Bob... We might not (all) understand it, but it's a contribution to the community and that's what counts!