Little update.


Its no longer pure color on sides of platform. I spent 3 hours playing with textures and shader network. I'm not fully satisfied with effect (especially rust) but it is enought for now.

About joining Fanwerkz

I'm not convinced about it. I haven't seen yet from their project, so i don't know how hight ttheir skills are.

Holy shit these are good!

EDIT: What is Unreal Engine 3?

looks good man, though I can see what you mean about the rust, it looks a bit too uniform with that very straight line where it ends

@Crashpunk

Unreal Engine 3 is one of best and most popular game engines. A lot of games was made basing on this engine. For example: Unreal Tournament3, Gears of War (and sequel), Bioshock, Army of Two, Batman Arkham Asylum, All Points Bulletin, Borderlands (I only mention most popular games based on this engine).

For more info visit http://www.unrealtechnology.com/

@Grieva

What do you suggest to do?

looks good man, I'd leave it as is and come back to it if you feel like it later

I think its the pattern repeats too quickly, if you could stretch it out a bit then erase a bit of the edge with a grungey brush in photoshop to make it uneven, and darken the base of the rust a bit, and a bump map

Well i dont have any custom brushes yet. I just ten minutes ago start looking for them :)

Have a look for a good rust image on : http://www.cgtextures.com/
Then use that as an overlay or a multiply layer in photoshop, add a mask and with an irrigular edged brush ( also change the brush settings a bit like jitter and size jitter) and paint out the rust where you don't want it).
It's the method that gives the best effect for adding rust.

I'm already using textures from cgtextures, and using that method except using custom brushes (until today :D).

Here is effect:


I added some scrathes to rust mask, modyfied rust diffuse texture. I only need to create specular textures and effect should look awesome :).

I added also detail normalmap (effect of this is visible on top of the platform)

yeah that looks better, nice work man

Any plans to put Abe in at any point?

Nice specular effect added.

@Josh

Not yet. I have small experience in creating character models. I probably start from slig model (slig should be easier to model).

@Grieva

Do you know any good character modeling video tutorial?

not off the top of my head sorry, from google this worded one seems good, pretty thorough

Spec effect looks very cool, and a sligs a good choice to model as TOGGs got some great references for it

Behind scenes
 

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/760...rmshader1a.jpg

We are in material editor (part of unreal editor).
This is whole my material network. It is made of 10 textures: Diffuse for top of the platform, Specular for top of the platform,
Detail Normal map texture, 3 masks for sides of platform, Green&Red mask for stripes, Base metal Texture, Rust Diffuse, Rust Specular texture.
Only normalmap texture wasn't created by me.

Material was created in that way which allow me modify colors of stripes.

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/6...rmshader1b.jpg

And here is material instance editor.
On the left side you can see two vector parameters values: orange and pink. They're responsble for color of stripes. I can change them freely.
Here is an example:

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/624...rmshader1c.jpg

Instead of orange i have yellow, and instead of pink i have black.

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/1...rmshader1d.jpg

Here you can see all color versions of platform from original game. In correct order (from top: Zulag1, Zulag2, Zulag3 and Zulag4)

Would it be possible to see any of the scenes straight-on? I'd like to compare them to the original AO screens.

*Head explodes*

I understand none of that, but it looks impressive. Keep up all of the good work.

well you better understand if you can see it from smaller distance. I zoomed out view to show whole network on single screenshot, but in consequence names of nodes dissapear (types of connection too). I can show material network from smaller distance, but then i need to show a lot of screenshots.

Zulag1Zone1. First secret area in game. Saw model and second screen was added. I don't know why, but on my reference screenshots those screens have yellow&black platforms (like zulag4)


Few new models added.


Part of Zone2. Until today it was completely empty :)

I'm pretty bored of working on making small upgrades for Zone1 and Zone2, so tommorow i will probably start creating Zone3.

@Mech Munchie

I can do it, but it will flood my imageschack. If i really have to show you whole level I will rather prefer to record video using web cam.

There is also one option more. You can dowload UDK, and i will send you all files.

The area with the electric barrier looks great, and the part of zone 2 looks spot on, nice work

I don't think the structures in the background of the secret areas are cone shaped though, can't say for sure but if you look at this area in the first half of zone 2
http://www.oddworldforums.net/attach...1&d=1263939557
Its got the same structures in the background and the one on the left has an angular look to it, but its hard to say

yeah. I had big problem with recognizing shape of that Structure. My current model completely don't fit to rest of level, but i still don't know how to fix it... Any suggestions?

____________
Edit:

Zulag1 Zone3:

Wow! They look just like the originals! Thanks.

I haven't had time to learn the in's and out's of the unreal engine but I definatly would not have though about using a complex node system to get the hazard stripe sidetextures.
Would just have made a texture in photoshop and a layer that controls the color and then saved out the 4 different texture files and let them use the same specular texture (1 greyscale texture)
and then for the top texture the same thing. 1 diff, 1 spec and a bump (although a bump is not always that usefull on a flat metal surface unless you want scratches and heavy dirt/pits).

I had another look at the first few screens ingame. I would recommend getting rid of the top and bottom ruststripes on the hazard pattern and keep it rather clean with scratching and the brightness not to high.
And having on both sides of the texture a metal strip that gives the indication of a connection between different parts on a higher level using the bumpmap. And then also having those connectors on the top floor texture to break it up and add some interest to it.
Since it is unreal and unreal loves models => create a catwalk in 3ds max with details (connectors and side elements)
Make them with standard sizes (like 128,256 or 512 units long and 16/32 units high depending on what looks best) and have a couple of them with different side details, without sidedetails, different connections between the sections , end sections (have a look at AO ingame to see what I mean).
Could be that you have allready done this but it's hard to tell based on a couple of screenshots :)
Unwrap them , texture them and then have them ready as modular models that have all the sexy detail for use in unreal.


I'm not really getting the first secret area though:
zulag 1 screens: First zulag overview
Looking forward to seeing more :)


edit::
That geometry on the top right of the first secret area is a v shape similar to what you have here for the electric barrier.
It's a Ushaped bottom part with a rectangular border above that and then a v-shaped support that goes to the sidewall and the above catwalk.
The bottom of the V shaped sollid block that has a trapezium metal plate welded to it right above the rectangular border from what I can see. Behind the plate there are 2 structural rectangular holes that stick out a little bit above the plate and continue behind the plate. and then above that there is a big horizontal square hole that stretches over the V shape block wich gives you an U-shaped top part that connects to the catwalk above.

If it's to hard to follow or if you have problems visualizing it I will draw you a shematic :)

@Bretchos

About material network.

I know that i can do it in way you described, but i'm not experienced much with creating textures. I'm skilled with creating complex material in Unreal Material editor. I just simply chosed way easier for me :).

I don't think that this material is heavy. Material are very often very light for engine. My material network is based mainly on simple math operations (like adding inputs together, or multiplying by themselves) and blending operations.

About connectors.

I was thinking about it for few days :)

About secret area

It looks empty because meat saws machines don't have mechanism and cables yet. Secret area don't have also some small detail models (like small pipes, or entrance isn't boarded up [in this place i used google translate and i'm not fully convinced about translation] )

It's very nice that you want to help :)

Did the edit part make any sence (for the shape in the secret area)?
I will make a small sketch in paint tomorrowmoring and upload it here so you can see what I mean.

Fartuess's material structure means he doesn't have to keep going back and forth between programs to make minor changes (something that drives me nuts) which makes sense to me

brechtos is right about the structure shape, I think, the best ref pic I could find was in the rf2 cams ripped by Paul and Xav, and theres a rough model of the basic shape
http://oddworldlibrary.net/archives/togg/SS2/AO/

Nice refpic Grieva!
Was guessing with the square shaped hole on top based on reflection in that dark area ut must have been visual illusion, the thing did not tuch the above platforms and was hidden in darkness so that wasn't really visible.
THat Ingame screen you atatched is the perfect ref. Saves me the doodle in paint :)

Thanks Grieva. I'm going to improve that model

___________
Edit:

Spectacular all the way through.

I like it. A lot. 'nuff said!

awesome, nice to see some models soon

Sigh...nothing in a long time...is this thread dying, or will somebody come in "RuptureFarms scene - Unreal Engine3's darkest hour, and revive it? Hint, hint.