/3/ - 3DCG

>>446990

Which claim? That Blender is a great tool to have or that it can't compare to Max or Maya?

>>446980

This anon is right.

I use Blender myself, I love that it's available and I have the rare luxury that I can use it at my job without any problems in the overall project workflow. However, I would never, ever suggest Blender to anyone starting out with 3D and who has the goal of working as a professional 3D Artist.

Blender is a great tool. It's small and multifunctional but comparing it with Max or Maya is plain stupidity.

>>445921

I agree with this. It is totally unrealistic that it would say that anything you make after you stop working for them is theirs.

On a side note, it does happen sometimes that in a contract there's a non-compete clause or NCC. But I would say that, as an artist, when the job and contract ends, you are free to work for another studio doing the same thing. How else are you to work as a freelancer?

>>444624
>>444641

I second this. Without several years of experience you have no chance of becoming a Project Lead or Project Manager, either in a big or small studio. These are jobs with high responsibility and won't be done by someone they do not know and trust thoroughly.
Even if you went to some school giving courses focused on that aspect of game creation, they won't give you such a position if you haven't actual work experience.

I don't know how is the situation in America regarding internships. In Europe it would depend on the studio. If it is big and sociable enough (Cooperation with a technical school, for example. Fostering new talent and all that jazz.) there might be possibilities for internships.

>>444143 (OP)

Did a quick search, he's got a imdb page. I see no reason why he wouldn't be trustworthy. Do you have some background info to back up your suspicions?

There are some more pictures on facebook. Just look for Police1013

>>444143

Did a quick search, looks like it's this guy: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1254704/

I see no reason why he wouldn't be trustworthy. Do you have some background info to back up your suspicions?

>>444324

No, they won't. Painting directly on the model actually decreases the chance of bugs, since the values will match perfectly on either side of the seam.

>>444240

Ok, let's not get things mixed up here. There 'seems' to be some confusion here (badum tschhhh!).

Basically you can't properly unwrap meshes without creating seams, seams being the edges of the UV islands you create. Nothing wrong with seams, as long as you keep things simple.

Now, it looks like you are worried about seams as in what you see when a texture on a model doesn't line up properly on and there is a visual discrepancy, indeed what you can also call a seam.

Having a bunch of the first kind does not mean you automatically end up with the second kind. You only get those with poor texturing. In the olden days, when you had complicated shapes, you would try to hide the seams in places where it would be hard to spot the errors. This is still good practice, but with the software we have now things are so much easier.

I really can't imagine why you wouldn't want to paint directly on the model. It is so much more comfortable. There are some good tutorials and examples available.

>>444081 (OP)

It's not particularly tough, even though it might not be such a great idea. It might be easier to have a few chunks instead of just one big grid. If the grid differs too much from the actual shape of the polys, the texture is stretched and won't look good.

>>444126 is a good way to finish the job.

Firstly though, you need to mark UV seams which tells Blender how to break up the UVs and map them properly. It seems nobody here mentioned this.

In Edit Mode, click the tab Shading/UVs in the Tool bar. You've got the Mark Seam / Clear Seam buttons there. Select the edges of your model that you want to mark as seams and then click the button to mark them. Use this to break up the UV mesh. You can create seams along the ridges of the pumpkin.

Then, if you unwrap again, you'll see that the UVs look a lot better.

After that you can tidy up the UVs as shown in the vid.

Cheers.

>>444081

It's not particularly tough, even though it might not be such a great idea. It might be easier to have a few chunks instead of just one big grid. If the grid differs too much from the actual shape of the polys, the texture is stretched and won't look good.

>>444126 is a good way to finish the job.

Firstly though, you need to mark UV seams which tells Blender how to break up the UVs and map them properly. It seems nobody here mentioned this.

In Edit mode, click the tab Shading/UVs in the tool bar. You've got the Mark Seam / Clear seam buttons there. Select the edges of your model that you want to mark as edges and click the button. Use this to break up the mesh, separate along the ridges of the pumpkin.

Then, if you unwrap again, you'll see that the UVs look a lot better.

After that you can tidy up the UVs as shown in the vid.

Cheers.

>>443906

I second this suggestion. Whenever I read anything about the situation in America, whether it is the whole animation studio monopoly scandal or the difficulty finding decent, well-paid work in the game industry, it's almost always negative.

Find some job in Europe.

>>443902

Hi OP,

no need to get discouraged.


- Figure out what is your goal. Creating a simple GDD will help you to figure out what you need and explain it to others. You don't have to worry that much on having the ultimate template.

Some good stuff here: http://www.pixelprospector.com/
Gamasutra is also useful: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131632/creating_a_great_design_document.php


- Adjust your goals to what's feasible.

There are plenty of possibilities to make a successful game with limited resources. The important thing is to think and know what you're doing:
- fun gameplay always wins out over flashy graphics.
- can't have next-gen, cutting edge graphics? Go for great visual style and design.


- Pick a suitable game engine to build the game on.

I don't really have a lot of experience with UDK or CryEngine, but I've been working with Unity for the past 1,5 year and it's really quite awesome what you can do with it. The benefits, to me, are that it has a low learning curve and that a lot of documentation and assets are easily available. Assets include rigged characters, plug-ins, scripts, models, etc. The basic version is free and is a good way to start. Check it out. I recommend it.

Anyway, you're not paying a lot of money.

If you are really serious about this. My advice would be as follows:

- Do not try to do a remake. You will avoid legal problems and if you have the drive to do something, wouldn't it be more worthwhile and satisfying to do something original?

- Do not start with backgrounds. You only start with building art assets until you have a solid plan. What is the core gameplay? What will the user experience be like? What's the story? Etc.? How are you going to ensure that the finished game will see the light of day?

Any talk about skyboxes, texture sizes, particles, etc. is not important. Those are just the minor technical details that come later.

Try to find some (e-)books about game design and game production.

>>443872

Hi OP, I didn't see this stuff before we mailed. Looking at the images in your original post, I assumed you wanted some simple 3D background based on those old 2D screens. Nothing too fancy.

Slowly it is becoming clear that you're aiming for high quality, HD stuff. However, in your email you stated that you didn't want to pay too much money. No more than 1000 AUS dollar, which is actually a lot less than the 1000USD in your first post, btw.

So, let me clarify things a bit.

If you want to have a 3D background on par with the latest games, you are looking at the combined effort of at least 5 professionals (ignoring level designers, concept artists, etc. for the pre-production). At least one (but likely more) 3D modeler, a texture artist, an animator, lighting artist and a FX artist. It would take, what, like 1,5 / 2 months to make the level.

Average game artist salary in 2011 in the States is $71.000. Which is $5900 per month. Of course not all artists mentioned need to work on it for the full period, but still. In total you would spend at least $11.000. QED.

Hey OP,

what level of detail are you looking for? It will take a lot of work to make the backgrounds as detailed as Street Fighter 4, for example.

Send me a quick message at obliqueopaque@yahoo.com so I can send you a link to my portfolio.

Hey OP,

are you actually looking for someone to build these environments for you, or are you just trying to learn more about the whole design process.

Do you use Photoshop CS6? It has a neat 3D texture painting feature in which you can use all your favourite features while painting directly on the model.

>>425026

I cringe when I see all the spelling and grammar errors. I should read more carefully what I write . Sorry.

>>424836

The premise is that we're dealing with a 'small indie dev team', as OP stated himself. Could be experienced guys, but could also be inexperienced. The latter is more likely since he is posting on 4chan.

1. If you only care about the money, then knowing more of the game besides what's needed to do the job is unnecessary. You do the job, make sure you get paid and you stop if or when the money runs out. That's it.

2. If you care about more than the money, you want the game to succeed. It will be good for your portfolio, you might get more money or might lead to more work. The better option, imho.

If you know more about the things I mentioned in my previous post, you can estimate the chances of the game being successful. Then you can voice concerns, offer suggestions, or perhaps decide it's not worth your time.

It is not particularly the responsibility of the developer to impress the artist. It is simply about exchanging portfolio's, a.k.a. proof of quality, trust, dependability. The artists portfolio and CV is easily checked. It is available online and the dev can immediately see if the artist is up to standard.

With an indie developer it can be harder. Is there a visible portfolio? Are there any prior released games. are the team members experienced workers from some other studio starting their own company? In such a case it is up to the developer to show some proof of viability.

>>423776

Hmmm, rethorical question or not, I'd ask you anyway to describe your game. No need for specific details, but simply what type of game you are making, name one or two games that this game is based on and what your game will improve upon.

It's pointless to work on a game that does not have a unique selling point in regards to gameplay / experience. And no, a deep and complex story-line or amazing art do not count.

If you are really serious, send me an email and I'll see if I can help you. I have +5 years game industry experience.

>>423021

Hi OP,

I had a look at the program which this course offers.

I don't know if you were already planning this, but if you think about this scene from the perspective of game design, it would be good to add some sketches about how this scene should be used as a level. Just making a pretty picture is not enough. Show that you understand what makes a good level. Show the flow, the points of interest, etc. and how the lighting, colours and shapes reinforce these things.

Besides that, you got already some great feedback.

I agree on the GIF issue. No GIF!

What is the purpose of this game design program?

Is it some general purpose course that will cover the basics of making games?

>>412573

:-)

No. The only thing which comes close is Blenders Cell Fracture tool.

Samples:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDnrGc2c388&feature=player_detailpage#t=1682

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uCuMRAiUrE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIPu9_OGFgc