PlaneShift

Gameplay => General Discussion => Topic started by: Mogweh on February 08, 2012, 02:00:40 am

Title: Planeshift character models
Post by: Mogweh on February 08, 2012, 02:00:40 am
I have spent the last week playing with MakeHuman and Blender for an event post picture. What fun!

I remember seeing someone's animation using ps character models imported into blender.

Does anyone know where I can get hold of these? eg a kran or a Menki

Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Aramara Meibi on February 08, 2012, 02:57:51 am
are you thinking of completing the missing character models? that'd be most awesome.
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: bilbous on February 08, 2012, 05:52:06 am
umm from the art directory? somewhere near there anyway
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: novacadian on February 08, 2012, 07:34:42 am
My bet would be art/characters.zip.

- Nova

Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: LigH on February 08, 2012, 08:07:41 am
Character models will be included in a CrystalSpace binary format. To import such a mesh back into Blender, one would have to convert it back to the XML format using the CrystalSpace tool "docconv".
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Mogweh on February 08, 2012, 09:11:37 am
Hmm I guess that is a start I'll have a hunt around.

Anyone else got any clues to this mystery? Or maybe even an example file I can find and attempt to convert as LigH suggests?
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: bilbous on February 08, 2012, 09:59:35 am
../art/meshes.zip/kran
etc
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Mogweh on February 08, 2012, 10:49:32 am
tried docconv -outds=tinyxml on a selection of files there but to no avail just gives error that file is not in binary format.

hard to believe that the source of the models isn't sitting somewhere... Like when they were originally created.

The search continues..

Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Aiwendil on February 08, 2012, 01:44:43 pm

Poke me in IRC..much easier than explaining it all here.

In short: The docconv -outds=tinyxml works (At least it did last time I felt to urge to get rid of the stupid idle animations of some races)...The main problem is that you will get CS-xml versions of the models. And I have no clue at all if b2cs (or b2.5cs) even has an option to reimport the models to blender.

Edit: It's very unlikely you will find the sources of the models somewhere..you know, those are the eagerly protected ABC license artworks PS is sooooo proud of. No way you will get your hand on them without signing a NDA, ABC license and join the team, work your way up the hierarchy and promising to never make use of them for something else than improving PS..so probably not what you want. But even if you figure it out on your own be careful...the ABC license doesn't allow the reuse of the models so they are probably out of your reach for any PS inspired artwork.

But to be more constructive...the models can be found in art/meshes.zip. But each model will use more than one file there (CS allows including of other files from xmls...so the mesh and the animations can be in separate files for example)
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Mogweh on February 08, 2012, 02:19:43 pm
Thanks Aiwe, I will.

First cut of my own Kran.  Kra is still a bit square, but he is getting there  ;D

(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/2848/krank.png)
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Rigwyn on February 08, 2012, 05:27:57 pm

lol! I think I like you're kran better!
Paint it black and you'll have the first ever kran in latex  ^_*




Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: verden on February 08, 2012, 09:18:00 pm
That would be too much information, Rigwyn. ;) It is a promising bit of modeling, tho.
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Candy on February 09, 2012, 01:40:28 am
Your Kran looks much like I imagine one does when kra's gemmating...
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Hipie_Froboz on February 12, 2012, 08:53:10 pm
Talk to Zalya, she retextured fenki models a while ago
http://www.hydlaaplaza.com/smf/index.php?topic=39171.0
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Mogweh on February 13, 2012, 02:18:58 am
Thanks Hipie. However, I think Zalya has changed the clothing skins, which is cool, but I want to recreate the models in 3d.

Here is the latest of Kra. He is fully rigged for animation, and if he can learn to keep time, I may post a vid of him disco dancing. I'm not too set on his colours (he needs skin) and the eyes are just something I was playing with as my Kran is meant to have eyes like a shark (well in my head anyway ;) ) I don't like his mouth either.... :(

Nor his hands...

(http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/2721/kranfullyrigged.png)

Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Rigwyn on February 13, 2012, 02:56:27 am
Mogweh, that's wicked! LOL!
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Mogweh on February 14, 2012, 08:54:41 pm
So, It is assignment due-in-time, so naturally I feel inclined to be creative and do anything but write a 5000 word essay.

Aramara inspired me to fiddle with some textures. It's still pretty rough ( lol ) but here goes:

(http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/5637/kranosofus.png)
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Aramara Meibi on February 14, 2012, 10:07:52 pm
I especially like the area around the eyes. I think you've modeled his eyelids and brow well. Those black orbs are pretty captivating as well.

There's a problem I think with using bumpmaps, which is an issue within the game as well, where everything tends to look like wet mud rather than a firm solid surface. Maybe here it was intentional, but as Kran are silicon based lifeforms, I've always imagined them having a more translucent, crystalline quality, like an opal, rather than freshly mixed concrete. Just my thoughts, whatever they're worth.

I've only just started playing around with blender, and I haven't even touched the texture side of things, is there a specularity setting you can adjust?

The UV mapping looks good on his body and head, but the two look disjointed at the neckline.

Maybe a finer grained texture would make it look less rough and more smooth, depending on what you're going for.

Overall it's looking good!  :thumbup:
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Mogweh on February 14, 2012, 11:32:26 pm
Thanks for the feedback :)

Kra is just an experiment, an end to end journey of the animation process. I made sooo many mistakes, like modelling him with his arms down... really makes it hard to model cloth and the deformation in his arms can be a bit funky during animation. And, as you say, the seam I took for the UV mapping was a bit visible.

The overall look for this one, as he is my evilz BF priest, was dark and rough and gnarly, not your normal happy-clappy Kran. I tried the more silicone look but he started to look like a gummy bear. I'm working on a disco animation to complete my little modelling odyssey (Getting a 24 fps animation to keep time with a song that is 101.3 bpm is a bloody nightmare challenge ;) ) and once that is done I'm going back to the start and taking a little 3d modelling course, focussing on the human body.

I know what you mean about the wet look. Secularity is adjusted in the Material and Texture sections and can also be excluded or included from light sources (lamps). I didn't turn it down too much as I found he started to look a little dull and flat. However, that is probably because I have just started playing with Blender myself and everything sparkly and shiney looks awesome (to me). Once that has past, I will no doubt turn the settings down to a more realistic level ;)

Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Aramara Meibi on February 15, 2012, 12:23:49 am
a disco dancing black flame priest? now I've heard of everything.
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Mogweh on February 15, 2012, 12:30:01 am
okay... I uploaded a test of the first 17 seconds. It still needs work on the F-curves to give it more snap, and of course the disco background is not in place.

Call it a spoiler  ;D

http://youtu.be/zFChI9GBYhc
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Aramara Meibi on February 15, 2012, 12:46:30 am
LOL  :woot:

Plus, I now know that Kran is German for Crane.
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Rigwyn on February 15, 2012, 01:20:15 am

LOL! ... You just need to bend those knees and shake kra's ass a little  \\o//
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: bilbous on February 15, 2012, 01:31:47 am
Stevie Wonder isn't exactly disco. Krantastic is my copyrighted word and I'ma gonna send out a takedown notice if you don't send me 10 million tria forthwith.
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Eonwind on February 15, 2012, 10:50:05 am
your work is wonderful  \\o//

PS needs your skill as a 3D developer! please apply!!!  :D
Title: Re: Planeshift character models
Post by: Catlemur on February 15, 2012, 01:32:19 pm
The video made my day.