Screenshots

[Anthem]

Wow, it looks like that person has 2 thumbs. Does the game take place in Chernobyl?

(Only kidding. )

[fKd]

credit where credits due. great looking model o'dium.

[Anthem]

credit where credits due. great looking everything o'dium.

[Bonnebez]

I am going to experiment grotto chunks modulrity to see if it's possible to build a network of underground tunels using them, and see what kind of result we can get without using a terrain pluggin or anything else:



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I think we can forget about this. If you want to suck with me you can download the test here:
http://serge.billault.pagesperso-orange ... o_test.pk3

[Noruen]

Bonebezz - but this approach is not suitable in Q3Arena. Because 1) Models are not solid (bullets go thru) 2) If yes, it create very complex collision map (not good for AAS calculations) AND 3) no terrain blending

[Bonnebez]

If you try the test you might change your advice on cliping. You dont need a per-triangle precision collision mesh. Nowadays, even with stronger game engines, we continue to use simplified collision meshes. Cliping for weapons can be added the same way it was added for the player, with maybe a little more precision. But in any case, my eyes still bleed from seeing my horrendous tunel.

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After reading your post again something tingled in my mind, i did not dare to understand: you think that models tris are checked for collisions.

It have never been the case for more than 10 years. Phobos_dm is an exemple of how bots can perform well with "complex" geometry made of models that are clipped with... clip brushes.

[Noruen]

Of course, simplified collision map can be used, but Q3A is not supporting it. I think q3map2 can create collision map right from the model tris, but it is too complex and too not-aligned. And I simply cant imagine how I import my model (terrain) into my map and do collision by simple brushes - it is good for terrain where is nothing "closed" (ceilings) but when you have cave... Also, you will get only that terrible effect when bullets hit something in the air because of simplyfied collision map. I know what I'm talking about - I damned myself many times when I was creating collisions for small stones (models) in my map

And of course, there is still problem with terrain blending. You know - when you create your cave by normal brushes, you have "weapon collision map" and player collision map is a question of a few minutes.

[Bonnebez]

RTCW enemy territory is also a good exemple of how a lot of models in the most popular maps use clip brushes. They did it with some of their tunels and models way before i begun to use models. You will have to erase RTCW from history if you want to continue in that direction.

[Bliccer]

g0th also used models and it was an ease for him to add terrain blending. He did it within the modeling prog.
I did the clipping. In some spots (when it goes to the outer area), it was nasty and hard to achieve a good result in clipping.

Carved Grounds

[Bonnebez]

It is also used to simulate sandy surfaces by placing cliping brushes slightly beneath the level of the ground so that the feet appear to "penetrate" the sand. You dont use simplified collisions everywhere, but they are used for sure. I think Noruen should have enough exemples by now.

[Noruen]

Clipping and clipping, that's what's going on - as also Bliccer said. But Iwould be interested how he did blending on models - blending compatible with Q3A technology

I also thought about using model of the mountain in my map and then to clip it, but it is not so elegant for me and that clipping... Practically - you must build it anyway again to create collision. I think models are good in maps for something what CAN'T be created by brushes.

[Bonnebez]

I am no more used to dig into the q3 helps you can get but here is one:
http://nemesis.thewavelength.net/index.php?c=2

A note says:
- Ability to export hint brushes along with your terrain for polygon reduction (visibility) in Quake engine based games

It doesnt talk about automatic mesh reduction exported in the form of clip brushes thought, but one that could make that terrain generator should be able to easely integrate col mesh export.

To see is to believe.

[^Ghost]

that would be perfect for defrag

[obsidian]

The first Q3Map2 terrain blending test map actually used a model. Models work fine for both dotproduct and alphaMod blending. I think it'll even work with old-school alpha image blending if you're still interesting in jumping through all the hoops of setting it up.

Both of you are right about clipping though, you can set Q3Map2 to do automatic triangle mesh collision testing (but with lots of polys, not very efficient) or set up your own simplified clip brushes (but you have to spend time creating manual collision surfaces). There's some give or take regarding precision so while you're modeling the terrain, you have to keep that in consideration and keep playable surfaces relatively flat and smooth. For bot collision, it's probably best to create a separate .aas just for bot collisions using a simplified map and then reattach it to the proper map (search for -fixaas). It's how sock got bots working for Pyramid of the Magician after ydnar shoehorned the feature in.

[Hipshot]

I've meant to try to create a simpler collision mesh for models for a while, just haven't gotten around to it.

Might be as simple as I think, create a simple version of the original model, then apply a shader that you can't "see" to it and use the autoclip function.

May or may not work, as I said, haven't tried it yet.

[o'dium]

It is that simple. We still do the same in OD for static mesh clip models. Unless the model is inlined of course for map geo, in which case we dont need one, and its a bad idea for using a lower density clip model for terrain anyway.

[Silicone_Milk]

Kat has a tutorial covering mesh clipping using simplified models with a clip material applied over at http://www.katsbits.com

Here's a tutorial on alphamod texture blending with ASE models - http://www.katsbits.com/tutorials/idtec ... levels.php

And here, http://www.katsbits.com/tutorials/idtec ... models.php

if you scroll down to the part that talks about editing texture paths it tells you what property to edit to apply a texture to the model in-game. Replace this texture with the clip texture you want to use.

[Bonnebez]

http://www.katsbits.com/images/tutorial ... ts_sml.jpg

"The Retopo Tool is a quick and clean way to rebuild low poly meshes from higher resolution objects... a valuable and handy skill to know!."

.... Pure and beautyfull, i love it.

[fKd]

fun with curves:

[fKd]

wee bit of time put in...

[Eraser]

That looks great. The colored lighting could be a wee bit less green/blue if you'd ask me though.

[fKd]

last shot for the evening sorry bout the spam. but there was a lack of screenshots on this page lol

[Anthem]

It seems like you were just doodling, really. Yet, you were able to make it look kick ass. WTF?

[Plan B]

Sweet pics as usual fkd.

However, what I'm always wondering about (but lazily never investigated, hehe) is how bots navigate major patch construction, because AFAIK they get a bit bitchy about how they handle patch geometry.
Do you clip all that shit for their convenience?

[Bonnebez]

What i would love would be to play into the NCC 1701 ( Enterprise ) or inside some other known vessel, made by the best mappers possible. Sometimes i pray so that a talented mapper come and say: "Beam them up, Scotty".