Island/Character size

[aiaf]

Would be good to have a flat land template of an island in a blender file.That anyone can use as starting point.

And a standard way to import that to proper size in leadwerks.

 

Task here:

https://bitbucket.org/alexandru_afrasinei/forth/issues/9/determine-island-size-release-01

 

Who can do this ? would be good improvement.

 

Discuss world/character size, but i think this can be done only by experimenting.

 

 

[mdgunn]

Flat land?  You mean some basic shape without worrying about it being so natural?

 

[aiaf]

This is just a first step to have some quick progress, a template that we know is the proper size and character is also proper size.

Then we can model proper islands from it.

 

[mdgunn]

Added some simple test files for map size to bitbucket in Maps/TestFiles/MapSize.  Added some simple CSG shape maps of various power of 2 sizes. Also added import and export sample to blender.

CSG->Export to OBJ->Import to blender->Export as FBX->Add physics Shape->Add Back to original map CSG exported from.

This may not be what was expected. If not let me know.

 

[gamecreator]

We're using the Leadwerks character controller, right?  If so, that has a strict size so it makes sense to have a 5 or 6 foot high character (around 180 cm).  We can scale anything we create in the editor's model viewer.

As for the first level, it depends on what we want the player to do.  Normally this would be an introductory tutorial level where the player learns to move and jump in a safe area, then is sent to kill 5 enemies or something to complete the level.  But we could get more use out of the level if people have other ideas.

[mdgunn]

Think it should be based around standard LW character controller heights though I think we have some custom controller in place and not sure if that is standard height.

 

[mdgunn]

Another example.  Added a few files to repo.....they are getting a bit big already. 

[Rick]

It's hard to get an idea of how big that is without seeing the LE controller on it but that looks really big.

[aiaf]

Cheers looking great , i think we may need to wait for the wizard model to be finished by gamecreator and then test/put them in the same map.

Maybe we can make the character smaller then is currently.

By looking at blend file i think it may be too many poligons, but is good we have some tests.

 

 

[gamecreator]

I added the wizard character so you guys can start playing with him but for now he's unanimated.

[mdgunn]

4 hours ago, Rick said:

It's hard to get an idea of how big that is without seeing the LE controller on it but that looks really big.

Oh yeah I think that map probably is too big too. This one was more to test a natural look and texturing.  The other CSG ones of fixed named size (in the repository) were the ones intended more to test size.  There are about 6 I think. 

I can do a couple couple more..of these type more a bit smaller to see if they are still successful at a smaller size and it may be necessary to try to do an island one and prove it can be limited to an area.  The previous white one was a version of something exported from LW taken to blender, made 'terrain-like' based on CSG brought in and then exported out. That one was more to prove a possible work flow.

There are really 3 questions here which I'm looking at;

1) What is the right size (my CSG simple circle area maps).

2) What is the workflow for transforming something of the right size to an interesting map (the blender export import maps I did).

3) Different techniques to produce and texture a low poly map (this last one - which is yes to big).

All maps are currently in the repo though better naming might help clear up what is what.

 

[gamecreator]

To get an idea of scale, I loaded up the model in the editor and put the 6 foot tall wizard on it.  He's the little black dot the red arrow is pointing to.  The terrain looks like it's 1,000 meters (or 3,281 feet) square.

As contrast, the below is a 10th of the size.

I think the ideal size, at least for the first level, is closer to the second than the first.  Depends on what we want to do there.  Should it be just an introductory level where we kill a few monsters and call it a day?  Or will there be more of a quest?

[mdgunn]

See previous answer about CSG map.  that textured map is in no way supposed to be testing size. 

[mdgunn]

Just another test.  Not in the repo. Size is about 10240cm square in LW size.

[gamecreator]

That should be about the same size as the second image in my post.  That's probably the area an intro level/island should be, in my opinion.  But again, it depends on what we want the player to do in the 1st level.

[Rick]

That size looks decent. Please be sure to delete the other bigger ones as the repo size is a premium for this and we need to be as tight as possible and remove any unneeded stuff.

[mdgunn]

An island test.   The feature detail is not right scale yet. This will take some time to settle on I think.  Also I think with structures in place it would counteract what your brain is trying to guess at.  Still just a test but maybe something to use in prototyping. There may well be ways to get this much more efficient (e.g. custom physics mesh, mesh reduction etc) so if performance is bad then it can probably be improved. 

Added to repo in maps/Test/MapSize/terrain_island.map

Deleted some of the other test maps that were taking up space.

 

 

[Rick]

I like that idea. I like being able to see that it's floating by having those peninsula's sticking out. Once the feature detail is a better scale that will look really good.

[aiaf]

Tried the map , looks epic

And made me think why we need third person ? first person like skyrim seem to work fine for now.

Use time to animate some monsters then main character.

 

[mdgunn]

Another couple of island tests. This a purposefully artificially rounded one with some unnaturally regular structures underneath and hidden entrance.

[Thirsty Panther]

Like these ones. Goes with our fantasy/SciFi vibe.