Something about (unit) art

[The_Coyote]

more or less this thread is thoug about unit art of the mod (to avoid using all the time a internet webhost to send maniac the files ). If somebody is thinking a unit needs desperadly new art and it´s no human like model, you can also leave a comment here

to do list (Maniac - copied from Planetfall main thread 21.06.09):

Spoiler :

Graphics Task List

* Help create recruitment posters for Planetfall!

See some examples and ideas in this thread.

* Flags for Angels, Drones, Pirates, Caretakers, Usurpers and Native Life/Barbarians

* Trench feature nif model (done by Lord Tirian [adapted Spice resource from Deliviator])

* Textures for the Spartan and Believer citysets

Should explain more...

* Angel & Drone citysets

Should explain more...

* Improvement model of two smaller greenhouses

Spoiler:
Background:

The Algae resources are enabled by the Greenhouse improvement:

On the left you see the Greenhouse. On the right a White Algae resource.

The problem is the Algae resource is hardly visible anymore when placing a Greenhouse on it.

Therefore I'd like to create a seperate improvement for enabling Algae resources, with a different graphic. Namely two somewhat smaller greenhouses, one placed on each side of the algae resource.


* Sea Fungal "Tower" unit model

Spoiler:
The land model of the fungal tower looks kinda odd on water. A possible alternative: create a version without any stalk, with only the crown. And with the tentacles on the sides pointed more upwards, so they are not hanging into the water.

This is the old post for the fungal tower model:

As for possible animations, this may just be an wild dream, but I kinda imagined the fungal tower would have a couple tentacles attached to the sides of the top (as in Units.pcx) which would move randomly in the air while simply animated, and lash out at the target like a whip while being attacked or doing its ranged strike.

Other possibility (especially for a ranged attack animation) would be a little hole opening at the center of the top of the fungal tower, and a little orange cloud (see current spore launcher animations) - representing locusts - streaming out of it and doing an attack run on the target.

* Spawning Spot improvement model

Spoiler:
A geological structure as on the right of the Cult of Planet wallpaper.

Gaian cityset models (with a different texture) perhaps could be recycled for this.
The end result could also be added as a generic cityset building for the Gaians.

* Cloudbase unit model (homeworld model atm available modified by Lord Tirian)

See Cloudbase Academy secret project movie
Plans for this unit are either a slow-moving aircraft carrier, or the last unit in a line of bunker upgrades. It should obviously not be as detailed as on the movie (which shows like half a city on the cloudbase), to save poly's.

* Create buttons for all buildings and techs

The guide is here.

* Spartan HQ building model

Let's hope woodelf re-appears...

* Subspace Generator building model

Example image: subgen_sm.pcx

* Nif of a leafy tree

For use in the Believer cityset as a generic building

* Add glow to the center of the Psi Gate building

Something similar to the FfH Inspiration spell building.

* Unity Library, Unity Cryobay, Unity Hydroponics Bay building models

Spoiler:
The current Headquarters nif model with different textures?
Instead of the faction symbols:
For the Library: the Information Networks icon.
For the Hydroponics Bay, perhaps the leaf with water inside (x1,y2) as on logo_thumbnails_v2.png
For the Cryobay, the medicine icon (x3,y3) as on logo_thumbnails_v2.png

* Unity Observation Bay building model

Perhaps a slightly damaged disc as on the button for this project, together with a small side-building for control, and a windmill for energy.

* Battle Ogre unit model

Spoiler:
As per SMAC Battle Ogre Mk1.

* Spider unit model

Spoiler:
Something like the StarCraft Dragoon.

* Progenitor Scoutship unit model

Spoiler:
The Progenitor ship which appears in the SMAX intro movie and the Progenitor victory movie.

* Aircraft Carrier unit model

Spoiler:
A futuristic version though. I'm thinking it should be a submarine carrier. It would use mass drivers to launch aircraft. No strong idea myself on how it should look. This is an option:

* Textures for the Sea Colony and Material Supplies units

For the record, IIRC someone once said there were some bugs in the nif models for these units which prevented animating them. So besides textures these models might have to be redone entirely. I don't know.

* Drop Pod animation

Spoiler:
Something like the drop pods in Starship Troopers, or like this pic and video I found on Warhammer. (The interior shouldn't have any details of course.

The drop pod could land, open its pod doors and then fade away to be replaced by the unit that just dropped.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf157ILqJQQ


* Make the Morganic cityset use Art/Structures/Cities/all_mod_lots.dds as underground

* Empath Specialist button

Button needed for the Empath

I'd suggest using the SMAC Empath graphic for Planetfall's similarly named specialist.

A big problem though which I'm not sure how to solve:

The SMAC source material is rectangle instead of square. This didn't cause a big problem for the other specialist button, as the SMAC source's background was black anyways (so could easily be turned transparent). But it does form a problem for the Empath. The background is an integral part of the button, and without adding stuff to the left and right, the hands would look cut off. Any method to create a good looking square button from the SMAC source material? If not, any other ideas for what the Empath button can look like?


No idea how the following should look like myself:

* Sea Spawning Spot improvement model?
* Nif models, buttons and gamefont icons for the bonus resources which don't yet have any (precise list can be made if anyone is interested in doing this)
* Unit Models for four religions' Missionaries: Ascetic, Creator, Missionary, Thinker
* Unit Models for Great Person units.
* Buttons for the Missionaries of the Consciousness, Edenism and Homo Superior
* Building models for the shrines of the Edenism, Ascetic Virtues and Homo Superior religions
* Planetary Council building model
* Unity Mining Laser building model

so far the three base alien lifeforms have got 'new' art taking the afterworld boss as base and a adjusted texture. The IoD has been flatten and for the Locust a flying egg has been created [if somebody is interested all in nifscope], the mw is the base afterworld model. Pic is below of all three units

@ maniac

Spoiler :

the centering problem can be reduced in teh xml changing the formation type to default (atm it´s animal) and for the IoD and Locust it´s good to reduce the fBattleDistance in the ArtDefines to something 0.1 (it´s godd for the IoD but for the Locust it could need a minor adjustment). And yes would be nice to use the delete link

Next in the row would be the fungal tower, spore launcher and sea lurk. While by the later two i have an good imagination how an attack could look, i have no idea what to do with the fungal tower.

Also looked at the Ice meshes to have an imagination how much work the trench would be - seems doable but a bit later (need the right mood for this, it will be mostly a texture job, and this is something i´m not really good at)

 

[Maniac]

Thanks for the Locust!

the centering problem can be reduced in teh xml changing the formation type to default (atm it´s animal) and for the IoD and Locust it´s good to reduce the fBattleDistance in the ArtDefines to something 0.1 (it´s godd for the IoD but for the Locust it could need a minor adjustment)

Done. Thanks again.

Next in the row would be the fungal tower, spore launcher and sea lurk. While by the later two i have an good imagination how an attack could look, i have no idea what to do with the fungal tower.

This may just be an wild dream, but I kinda imagined the fungal tower would have a couple tentacles attached to the sides of the top (as in Units.pcx) which would move randomly in the air while simply animated, and lash out at the target like a whip while being attacked or doing its ranged strike.

Other possibility (especially for a ranged attack animation) would be a little hole opening at the center of the top of the fungal tower, and a little boil of locusts streaming out of it and doing an attack run on the target.

Also looked at the Ice meshes to have an imagination how much work the trench would be - seems doable but a bit later (need the right mood for this, it will be mostly a texture job, and this is something i´m not really good at)

Really? I got the impression you were rather good at texturing.

 

[The_Coyote]

thanks for the idea, will surely help (but i think option will not be that easy possible - will go for option one). Sporelauncher finished, now some little work for you

Spoiler :

add the following lines to the Civ4Effectinfo.xml

		<EffectInfo>
			<Type>EFFECT_BLOOD_THRUST</Type>
			<Description>Blood splatter effect</Description>
			<fScale>5.0</fScale>
			<fUpdateRate>0.6</fUpdateRate>
			<Path>Art/Effects/NatBlood/fx_sword_hit_thrust.nif</Path>
			<bIsProjectile>0</bIsProjectile>
		</EffectInfo>
		<EffectInfo>
			<Type>EFFECT_BLOOD_SLASH</Type>
			<Description>Blood spray effect</Description>
			<fScale>4.5</fScale>
			<fUpdateRate>.6</fUpdateRate>
			<Path>Art/Effects/NatBlood/fx_sword_hit_slash.nif</Path>
			<bIsProjectile>0</bIsProjectile>
		</EffectInfo>
		<EffectInfo>
			<Type>EFFECT_WEAPON_SPORE</Type>
			<Description>spore attack effect</Description>
			<fScale>3</fScale>
			<fUpdateRate>.2</fUpdateRate>
			<Path>Art/Effects/NatBlood/fx_sword_hit_slash.nif</Path>
			<bIsProjectile>1</bIsProjectile>
		</EffectInfo>
		<EffectInfo>
			<Type>EFFECT_SPOREDUST</Type>
			<Description>dust for spore</Description>
			<fScale>6.0</fScale>
			<fUpdateRate>0.1</fUpdateRate>
			<Path>Art/Effects/NatBlood/fx_sword_hit_slash.nif</Path>
			<bIsProjectile>0</bIsProjectile>
		</EffectInfo>

copy the effect folder from the zip in the art folder and the sporelauncher to the art\units folder

this are the xml values i used (almost the old ones - only minor changes):

Civ4UnitInfos

Spoiler :

		<UnitInfo>
			<Class>UNITCLASS_SPORE_LAUNCHER</Class>
			<Type>UNIT_SPORE_LAUNCHER</Type>
			<Description>TXT_KEY_UNIT_SPORE_LAUNCHER</Description>
			<Civilopedia>TXT_KEY_UNIT_SCOUT_ROVER_PEDIA</Civilopedia>
			<Strategy>TXT_KEY_UNIT_SCOUT_ROVER_STRATEGY</Strategy>
			<Advisor>ADVISOR_MILITARY</Advisor>
			<Domain>DOMAIN_LAND</Domain>
			<DefaultUnitAI>UNITAI_ATTACK</DefaultUnitAI>
			<bMilitaryHappiness>1</bMilitaryHappiness>
			<bMilitarySupport>1</bMilitarySupport>
			<bMilitaryProduction>1</bMilitaryProduction>
			<UnitAIs>
				<UnitAI>
					<UnitAIType>UNITAI_ATTACK</UnitAIType>
					<bUnitAI>1</bUnitAI>
				</UnitAI>
				<UnitAI>
					<UnitAIType>UNITAI_PILLAGE</UnitAIType>
					<bUnitAI>1</bUnitAI>
				</UnitAI>
				<UnitAI>
					<UnitAIType>UNITAI_COLLATERAL</UnitAIType>
					<bUnitAI>1</bUnitAI>
				</UnitAI>
			</UnitAIs>
			<PrereqTech>TECH_CLONING</PrereqTech>
			<iCost>60</iCost>
			<iAdvancedStartCost>100</iAdvancedStartCost>
			<iMinAreaSize>-1</iMinAreaSize>
			<iMoves>1</iMoves>
			<bPsi>1</bPsi>
			<iCombat>2</iCombat>
			<iCombatLimit>50</iCombatLimit>
			<iAirRange>0</iAirRange>
			<iAirCombat>2</iAirCombat>
			<iAirCombatLimit>50</iAirCombatLimit>
			<bCanStrike>1</bCanStrike>
			<iCollateralDamage>100</iCollateralDamage>
			<iCollateralDamageLimit>50</iCollateralDamageLimit>
			<iCollateralDamageMaxUnits>6</iCollateralDamageMaxUnits>
			<iStrikeCollateralDamage>100</iStrikeCollateralDamage>
			<iStrikeCollateralDamageLimit>50</iStrikeCollateralDamageLimit>
			<iStrikeCollateralDamageMaxUnits>6</iStrikeCollateralDamageMaxUnits>
			<iXPValueAttack>4</iXPValueAttack>
			<iXPValueDefense>2</iXPValueDefense>
			<FeatureAttacks>
				<FeatureAttack>
					<FeatureType>FEATURE_HYBRID_FOREST</FeatureType>
					<iFeatureAttack>50</iFeatureAttack>
				</FeatureAttack>
				<FeatureAttack>
					<FeatureType>FEATURE_XENOFUNGUS</FeatureType>
					<iFeatureAttack>50</iFeatureAttack>
				</FeatureAttack>
			</FeatureAttacks>
			<iAsset>3</iAsset>
			<iPower>4</iPower>
			<UnitMeshGroups>
				<iGroupSize>1</iGroupSize>
				<fMaxSpeed>1.00</fMaxSpeed>
				<fPadTime>1</fPadTime>
				<iMeleeWaveSize>3</iMeleeWaveSize>
				<iRangedWaveSize>0</iRangedWaveSize>
				<UnitMeshGroup>
					<iRequired>2</iRequired>
					<EarlyArtDefineTag>ART_DEF_UNIT_SPORE_LAUNCHER</EarlyArtDefineTag>
				</UnitMeshGroup>
			</UnitMeshGroups>
			<FormationType>FORMATION_TYPE_DEFAULT</FormationType>
			<FreePromotions>
				<FreePromotion>
					<PromotionType>PROMOTION_FUNGUS</PromotionType>
					<bFreePromotion>1</bFreePromotion>
				</FreePromotion>
			</FreePromotions>
			<Special>NONE</Special>
			<Capture>NONE</Capture>
			<bFood>1</bFood>
			<Combat>UNITCOMBAT_NATIVE</Combat>
			<bAnimal>1</bAnimal>
			<bPillage>1</bPillage>
			<PrereqBuilding>BUILDING_BIOLOGY_LAB</PrereqBuilding>
			<iWorkRate>100</iWorkRate>
			<Builds>
				<Build>
					<BuildType>BUILD_FUNGAL_TOWER</BuildType>
					<bBuild>1</bBuild>
				</Build>
			</Builds>
			<FeatureNatives>
				<FeatureNative>
					<FeatureType>FEATURE_XENOFUNGUS</FeatureType>
					<bFeatureNative>1</bFeatureNative>
				</FeatureNative>
				<FeatureNative>
					<FeatureType>FEATURE_HYBRID_FOREST</FeatureType>
					<bFeatureNative>1</bFeatureNative>
				</FeatureNative>
			</FeatureNatives>
			<iCultureGarrison>8</iCultureGarrison>
			<iNukeRange>-1</iNukeRange>
		</UnitInfo>

Civ4ArtDefines_unit

Spoiler :

		<UnitArtInfo>
			<Type>ART_DEF_UNIT_SPORE_LAUNCHER</Type>
			<Button>Art/Interface/Buttons/Units/SporeLauncher.dds</Button>
			<fScale>0.45</fScale>
			<fInterfaceScale>0.8</fInterfaceScale>
			<bActAsLand>0</bActAsLand>
			<bActAsAir>0</bActAsAir>
			<NIF>Art/Units/sporelauncher/sl.nif</NIF>
			<KFM>Art/Units/sporelauncher/sl.kfm</KFM>
			<SHADERNIF>Art/Units/sporelauncher/sl.nif</SHADERNIF>
			<ShadowDef>
				<ShadowNIF>Art/Units/01_UnitShadows/UnitShadow.nif</ShadowNIF>
				<ShadowAttachNode>BIP Pelvis</ShadowAttachNode>
				<fShadowScale>0.9</fShadowScale>
			</ShadowDef>
			<fBattleDistance>0.4</fBattleDistance>
			<fRangedDeathTime>0.31</fRangedDeathTime>
			<bActAsRanged>0</bActAsRanged>
			<TrainSound>AS2D_SPORE_LAUNCHER</TrainSound>
			<AudioRunSounds>
				<AudioRunTypeLoop/>
				<AudioRunTypeEnd/>
			</AudioRunSounds>
		</UnitArtInfo>

if you have an better idea for sounds, it´s an easy change (atm it uses the bleeder sounds from afterworld).

the funny thing was that the texture is my early working texture (quick made first version because i don´t white models when animating), but i found the texture too nice so that it´s also the final one. The effect is a recoloured version of SeZereth´s Blood splatter effect

 

[GeoModder]

It is a nice texture, TC.

 

[Pfeffersack]

It is a nice texture, TC.

I like it as well IMO it is even better then SMAC's original (brown fits better as colour than red).

 

[Tssha]

Well, I don't know. I kind of prefer red to this. Just my two bits.

 

[The_J]

Nice one .

 

[Maniac]

Sporelauncher finished

Thanks! Shuck, you even provided the unit scale. (Saves me a lot of game loading and testing!)

Jusr checked it in-game as well. That spore attack certainly looks cool!

(In fact, I could also imagine that effect as a locust attack besides spores. Locusts are supposed to be very small after all. Perhaps this could be useful for fungal tower animations too in some way.)

if you have an better idea for sounds, it´s an easy change (atm it uses the bleeder sounds from afterworld).[/SPOILER]

Yeah, there you mention something. Kinda hard to find truly fitting action sounds for a bunch of tiny worms, or in this case the spore launcher. They aren't large animals which make growling noises (for which there would be plenty of sounds available).

The current attack sound doesn't sound bad to me.
But for the record, I have attached the SMAC spore launcher attack sound, and also the sound accompanying the Ensnare spell in StarCraft. Is somewhat similar. Perhaps these could be used in some way.

 

[The_Coyote]

thanks all ,

the sea lurk is a bit more troublesome than expected, especially the animation, think have to start from zero again. Also thanks for the sounds, will include them an will report back how the feeling with the standard attack sound is.

@Tssha

nothing wrong with your opinion, but iirc (with the AC art file open ) the spore launcher itself is brown (not that dark like my, but brown), "only" the base part is a kind of red. Perhaps i will later add a second texture with a red base (should be an easy colour change job)

 

[Maniac]

For the record in case you're gonna change the spore launcher sound: the directory the original SMAC sound should be in is Assets/Sound/fx

 

[Maniac]

Since some suggestions were made for infantry unit art, I figured I'd make an overview of the current infantry units:

Cyborg->Grave Bringer

Plasma Throwers can upgrade to these units, but since I've had the idea to let Plasma Throwers upgrade to Helions, these two units are kinda redundant. So unless someone can think of an interesting effect for these units, I may remove them from the game.

In that case the Grave Bringer art could be used for the Mobile Infantry.

In case anyone noticed, I changed the Cyborg art in the latest patch, but I don't really like it. I just don't know of anything better.

Drop Trooper -> Mobile Infantry

These are currently using placeholder art (WW2 paratrooper). Could use different graphics, provided those graphics can use drop pod (or at least parachute) animations

Flame Thrower -> Plasma Thrower -> Helion

These units should use a weapon with a flame effect. The Flamethrower uses a good model by SeZereth. Plasma thrower and Helion use unfitting WW2 art. So here two new unit graphics are needed.

Scout Patrol -> Infantry

The Scout Patrol currently uses the Cyborg art from Next War. I think it fits because the unit has a large gasmask, which I assume the colonists would use before they have found other ways to deal with the hostile atmosphere.

The Infantry unit art is modelled after the SMAC scout patrol (white uniform), but I think it fits better somewhat higher in the tech tree, because the unit has no gasmask. It does have a mouthpiece though to breath. So this seems like a sensible evolution to more easy-to-use breathing equipment.

Marine

This is the Navy Seal art. I'm not entirely fond of it, because its camouflage seems meant for a forest environment (which is not widespread on Chiron). But it can pass sufficiently as a futuristic unit I guess.

Partisan

No specific unit art for this one at the moment.

 

[Lord Tirian]

Perhaps i will later add a second texture with a red base (should be an easy colour change job)

Hey, as you haven't done anything on this for the last couple of weeks... I thought I could take a stab at it, because I really don't like the relatively solid brown texture. It looks a bit... bland, I thought.

So I played around with it a bit - and brown still doesn't work that well (probably because Planetfall's terrain is a bit more vibrant than the original SMAC art)... after some tweaking over the last hour, I decided to take a hint from the yellowish colours of the mindworms... and I think it's looking more interesting than the brown texture, of course, YMMV.

If you/Maniac like it, I've attached the texture in the zip-archive (right now, I'm sort of looking for stuff to retool, texture-wise, because Planetfall has a lot of "plastic-looking" boxes - and I have to satisfy my Photoshop-itch - but the UV wraps on a lot of models are a bit messy... the Spore Launcher was very nice, however).

Cheers, LT.

 

[The_Coyote]

it´s really nice, imo better than my

 

[Maniac]

Thanks! I'll use it in Planetfall version 9.

 

[Lord Tirian]

Another sore spot is the lack of a proper fungal tower art... so I tried my hand at making a model. It's far from perfect... but it's my first try at modelling - and CivIV's handling of alpha channels is... weird. And I can't do animations yet, so it's still a still model.

I'll keep working on it - and mainly try to get it animated... but I thought I might share - first of all, The_Coyote might give me some tips, if he sees it, second, it's probably still better than the current placeholder art (and if I wait with releasing it until I'm really happy - that's going to be never, because I have a perfectionist streak ).

In the screenshot, it has a fScale = 1.66, fInterfaceScale = 0.8. It's size-wise in line with most other units, but in case you think a fungal tower should indeed TOWER above other units, you might want to bump it up a bit.

Cheers, LT.

 

[Tssha]

It's a good start, but I dislike the colours throughout it. The colour scheme is kind of...ick. While that may partly be the desired effect, I'm sure the column part of the tower wasn't meant to clash with the bulb-like part on top.

But yeah, it may be an improvement. I wouldn't put it in the mod yet though.

 

[Lord Tirian]

It's a good start, but I dislike the colours throughout it. The colour scheme is kind of...ick. While that may partly be the desired effect, I'm sure the column part of the tower wasn't meant to clash with the bulb-like part on top.

We-ell, I'm still working on it - and I'm going to scratch a lot - the only part I'm more or less happy about so far is the stalk itself. The bulb-shape and the proper attachment of fungal tendrils are killing me!

However, the colour scheme... is strongly derived from the original scheme of a full-fledged tower - fungus "crown" and a yellow-white stalk in the middle. But I'm working on it - first of all, I need to hit the fungus colour used in Planetfall better, second, I need to adjust it "until it looks good", after all Planetfall isn't a clone of SMAC, but inspired by it. Should apply to art as well.

Cheers, LT.

 

[Pfeffersack]

The stalk is too bright for my taste and maybe some more tendrils could be added (the two current ones looked for me like a strange circle on the first glance). Also the contures are too sharp (its current form reminds me a bit of an airport control tower), I imagine fungals towers having a rather blurry and fuzzy surface (kind of hairy). But as this is a work in progress, I'm sure in the end we will get another great model

 

[Maniac]

Thanks, Lord Tirian! I'll include it in the next patch (it was posted too late to include in version 9). But as you say yourself, in it's current state it is a better graphic than the previous one, but still a placeholder.

Since we're all giving comments my biggest peeve at the moment is the length (in height) of the crown. It should be reduced IMO. At the moment it looks too much like a regular mushroom. Of course, mushrooms *are* a fungus, but...

 

[Lord Tirian]

At the moment it looks too much like a regular mushroom. Of course, mushrooms *are* a fungus, but...

You can't believe how often I thought that... even more when I started and just cobbled some basic shapes together!

Cheers, LT.