The Official Phase Two City Contest: Amdeneir

[Crj]

Here is some of my input:




A little fancy for a warehouse, but then its owned by rich merchants. 
The proportions of the frame are very different from the concept model, but since modeling takes only a friction of time compared to planning and texturing, this shouldn't pose a problem.

Unfortunately i have a huge workload coming up, so i will be able to spend even less time on this project.

[Illysia]

Although I don't have the time to devote to this. I have to admit, I like the park idea. Is the picture and the little paragraph about the park  a guideline and then we can play around with whatever isn't covered in the design package? I think I might see if I can make a model.  Although as I'm sure Baldur has seen with my models, I don't texture them. Anything I make will have to be textured by someone else if it is used because I can't make good enough textures on my own. 

[Nikodemus]

You don't have to make textures well, but you have to know how it works.
It would be great to have you to model park, but you need to know how to UV map it, how to take advantages of tiling and stuff. you don't have to make actual textures, but you should know how to make a texture with some singlecolored areas. Purple - here is a beam Brown here is pilar base and so on.
So that it is efficiently UV mapped. It has nothing to do with how artistic the texture will look lke. Pure planning. if you can do it, the person who know how to do textures from artistic side can do the other half of job done.

So you would do the logical thinking.
We do have some image of the park in out heads, but it is mostly not planned.
Be welcomed to join the irc channel and ask for details. We need every help.
Although helping out others takes out time , which can be spent on doing stuff, it is early now, and the time invested in this will pay out. So now when we have still 3 months left, it is early enough.

[Illysia]

I know how to texture and such, my problem is the quality of my textures. Well I have worked on the park and now I have a few pics to sow for it. One problem though. I realized after double checking the design package that the park is supposed to be in the center of the plaza which I figure would be about the same size as hydlaa's plaza. I need to rescale the park and move stuff around but you can see what I have so far.


By illysia at 2008-06-04


By illysia at 2008-06-04

So far, I have made the outer wall, the inner walls, a fountain, benches and tables.

[Nikodemus]

hm, i made a typo:

We do have some image of the park in out heads, but it is mostly not planned.

should be our.

You should really come on the #planeshift-citycontest and consult with us Also the concept art is not exactly accurate to what we agreed on. Thats why is is also a good idea to consult before doing anything (i maself hate doing stuff for nothing ;P)
I'm not sure if we was writing about it in our old topic, but the park is like 1m above the plaza and the fence goes then another 1m higher, so 1m high from inside and 2m from outside. Entrance is ~2m wide and has a possible arc above, there are probably few entraces, but these ought have a reason to exist, so again a good idea to consult
the ground is going with a slight slope down the centre. there are trees, plants and paths, but no tight labirynth between stone walls. There may be occassional collumns with some Klyros stylised arcs. and the mentioned fence is supposed to be very round... Now there is always the triangles/detail level compromise and i'm not sure if we need 500-1000 for the main park frame or can have 1000-2000, but the less the better. It may be hard to feel it out and don't overdo. because there needs also be some trees...

Your tables. I'm not sure why this shape, doesn't feel very good locking. It may be a good idea to have eg eliptic main shape and have some crazy shapes in the texture, as carvings or whatelse. A pattern is easy to draw and then an artist can use it as a mask and make the pattern into the texture.
A fountain should probably also be round ( + some simple arcs?)
Nothing is written into stone, and if we agreed on something there are reasons, so it is good idea to come, talk, find them out and then figure something, maybe design will change.

I hope you are not discouraged. We just have to work together as team, even if a bit short with time

[Zweitholou]

I have an update on the lower quarter texture:
I'll shift the side texture where the white is showing down soon. I've designed a texture for the smithy, but I'm still mapping it right now.

Let me know what you think.

[Nikodemus]

* Nikodemus thinks it is looking good

The wooden beams could contrast more with the rest. Maybe it is just that the texture is low res, but the whole gets kind of blurred. bevel the beams? I sometimes Use color balance, which i think can transform some areas with the same color/brightnes into something else, because in nature the older wood can have grey-bvlue shades and other coz of different processes. I think, so this may help.
maybe same about bricks?

Windows are a funny thing. Windows always reflect what is outside. But reflections are dynamic and texture is always the same-static. Thats why i'm of oppinion that we should maybe always draw a curtain (because if there is curtain, the window barely reflects anything (coz, oh i'm sure everyone knows why ;P) and the curtain is visible, though darker). Thats why the black color frame is not good, because if you wont include curtain, you should in fact draw pitch black. I'm sitting on second floor and i look at a winbdow on the other side of the street and i can see nothing whats in the room, pitch black. Your dark blue reflecting glass looks like it is evening and we are looking from the street level (what doesn't make sense from the point you took a screenie )

I would probably completly get rid of the ground level beams. (you save triangles too) No point that they are standing in front of the bricks, whicjh does supporting rather well i gues. That may be also sign of being poor, as wood may be actually more expensive than stone or bricks of which there is almost infinite amount (what you can't say about forests)

You know my thoughts about water leaking through roof if it ends with wooden plank.

on on closer look:

you should probably make a separate piece of texture, for the roof around the exits, and try making it somewhat seamless where it meet with the rest of roof. This may be somewhat tricky.
Oh, come on irc, i tell you which photos i have taken.

I think doors are a little too thin. Are they?

For the texture part with a window, you have used the same background as without a window. It should obligatorly look different just somewhat at least.

[Nalain Tarek]

That looks great. it's a little rough around the edges but the textures and model are good.

[Nikodemus]

The texture is almost finished, i'm wondering on the side wall. I should have finished it by now, but it just isn't going so well x] The texture will be soon available in our place. I hope you guys will finish yours too, so they can be put there and picked by others for reusing Also consider this. If you leave unused holes in your texture, because of various reasons... this is all work in progress, maybe later on someone want to fit something into that space, because even if building may reuse the same textures, they may have unique, small details. That's a good thing to remember, i think. - oH. If anyone has any idea for paint patterns, go ahead, let us know. Maybe you don't like it, let me know too ;Dt

[Nalain Tarek]

Any way i can help?

[Zweitholou]

Certainly, Nalain! You've already started helping by giving your opinion on what we've done. What area do you want to help in? Models, textures, designs, ideas? As a matter of fact, I have no idea what to do with the slums. They have to be ordered and built to look chaotic, which I can't figure out how to do. Or you could help with terrains or interiors, if you're interested with those. Just let us know what you want to do and we'll find some way you can help.
Thank you for showing interest and posting. 

[Nalain Tarek]

I'm not really great at modeling or textures, but designs and Ideas are my subject.

[Xillix Queen of Fools]

Very Impressive progress folks time is shortening keep it up!

[Zweitholou]

A little update on what I've been doing.


I'm going to add more variation between houses, but this shows what kind will go where.

A well I'm working on.

An idea for the burial well shape.

The beginnings of a guard house.

I've also started on a few other models but they aren't far enough along yet to show.

Nalain: I'm glad you can help. We do most of our discussion on irc, so if you get a chance join #planeshift-citycontest.

Nikodemus: The building looks great! I think I'll incorporate some of the texture into the tavern.

Thanks Xillix.
Everybody keep up the good work!

[Jeraphon]

Have you applied to the art dept yet? Seriously...