Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2020 7:16 am Post subject:
Unit Replacement Updates and Progress Thread
Currently working on replacing the Gunboat with a custom one instead of one based on an actual vehicle and have run into this weird graphical glitch, a petroglyph placeholder that occurs whenever the boat rotates to travel back towards the right.
I can't quite figure this out yet and It doesn't seem to make sense as I've rendered the model in the opposite direction to test and it shows up fine, and when that rotates the same thing happens. Very strange indeed and would love to hear any ideas you might think will be the culprit.
I'll include it here, but this isn't the finished version.
On another note, I've been extending Jimmy Arcades Unit Renderer https://www.nexusmods.com/commandandconquerremastered/mods/8 on a per unit basis so all of the rendering and metafile creation has been handled programmatically because bugger rendering 192 frames by hand in lots of 32 then copy pasting the same line 192 times each you want to test something. At some point I'll have translated that Python script TGAUtil crop function into C# as well but for now it works but not as intended.
I was also exploring zipping it all up so I could just run the game for each test instead of having to manually zip it each time but ran into authorisation problems, have yet to test this on my linux box but I suspect simillar issues.
Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 8:20 pm Post subject:
Shadows!
Finally got some properly lit shadows working, still tweaking the angles so that they don't get slightly cut off by the borders as well as the luminosity values to get it just right. I'm quite happy with the result, especially since the shadows on the unit are baked in real time and the ones on the ground are done via a shader.
After 2 days of tweaks, I think these are finally ready, a somewhat complete shadow system and a unified remap material to apply to all units that closely matches the originals.
The shadow system as it is will only be good for turretless vehicles, I suspect that for turret and barrel shadows to render onto the vehicle itself properly, will mean having to render all possible combinations of turret and chassis directions and then implement a way for that to work in the game correctly, the gunboat does this to a small extent ,but is only limited to two directions and three damage states. Having it implemented this far helps immensely for the next step.
Because of the need to change the way vehicles some are implemented, I'll have to create a mod that does the graphics updates as well as makes the changes required to how the game renders these units in order to extend the graphical fidelity to make them work.
It will have to include game play changes as well so will become more of a general overhaul mod
I'll still release the units with limited graphical fidelity as a stock replacer mod so that they wont conflict with other mods but limited means as they have been implemented in vanilla.
The lighting on the arty wheels makes it look wonky as hell. You need some depth to them, either concave or other details like a protruding rum and hub, it's also large enough where you could add peripheral bolts.
The added detail would probably fix the weird brightness inversion with the tracks happening on shaded sides, which also makes me suspect your material lighting settings need work. _________________ http://www.moddb.com/mods/scorched-earth-ra2-mod-with-smart-ai QUICK_EDIT
Yep, your not the first to point out the wheels, will have that sorted out next. There's also a remap problem at the tops of the headlights as well. It's getting close to being done though I think. Looking forward to getting the rest all done. QUICK_EDIT
So these are actually brand new 3D models made in a 3D program and rendered out to textures and not just some modification of the existing artwork? QUICK_EDIT
The former, either Max or Blender, but then rendered with Unity. I was originally using that Unit Creator but I'd since modified it beyond recognition since rewriting it, adding shadow rendering as well as utilising Unity's postprocessing stack. QUICK_EDIT
You should compare your units also with trees and buildings.
Even if all your new units have a consistent angle (unlike the original units), they stand out against other ingame assets since you see your units too much from top and not from the side as other assets.
e.g.
take the cooling tower of a TD powerplant. It has a cylindrical shape.
recreate the ring on top of the tower and you'll notice that 45° won't match (regardless if you set orthographic or perspective view on the camera)
If you have a very long unit, you may also notice how the FireFLH of the unit isn't matching the actual barrel end anymore.
Done in OpenRA, but the remaster surely have a similar hardcoded calculation for FLH position and Turret offset location
Iowa rendered in TS 60° (red) not matching the 50° (blue) used for turret location and FLH calculations
post in OpenRA modding
In your case the unit would go beyond the blue ring when facing north/south, due to your steeper camera angle. So bullets may appear inside the barrel, not on the end. _________________ SHP Artist of Twisted Insurrection: Nod buildings
Yep you're right on that one, thanks for picking that up, though you're 50 would be my 40 is you catch my drift. However due to the square tiled based nature of the game and the 8 directions of movement, the optimal angle is 45, even though it hasn't been implemented that way.
I'm surprised to see that you haven't been making any remastered assets yet though, going to jump across soon and make some?
I've actually been subtly offsetting this anyway as I've been increasing the scale along the y axis (That's up in Unity:P) on a per unit bases to around 5% to 10% anyway so this could be why. But as you put it, even by doing this the FLH values would be off anyway.
I'd be careful with making comparisons regarding the games camera angle with the building perspectives however as they are all off anyway. In fact most assets have their own unique perspective, which is abit weird but works for it I guess. QUICK_EDIT
Just to further add to this discussion about perspective, if you look closely at the original assets, they emphasize the sides of the unit so as to show more detail than the actual perspective would allow. If you then look at the turret positions when it rotates, you'll see the turret appears to come "down" on the body rather than overhang above as much as it should. These were tricks they used to make the low resolution assets show better, and because of their insistence on frame accurate remastering, they replicated this trickery.
Just to further add to this discussion about perspective, if you look closely at the original assets, they emphasize the sides of the unit so as to show more detail than the actual perspective would allow. If you then look at the turret positions when it rotates, you'll see the turret appears to come "down" on the body rather than overhang above as much as it should. These were tricks they used to make the low resolution assets show better, and because of their insistence on frame accurate remastering, they replicated this trickery.
If you are making all new assets, it's best to figure out how the turret/FLH coordinates work and base everything off that instead of the existing art.
Not sure if it's just me, but the way you type makes you come across like you know everything there is to know about everything. The advice you present comes across as quite generalised as it you've skimmed over everything and then blurt out an opinion that loosely fits with the subject matter, all the while assuming that whoever you're talking to know much less than you.
Firstly you've insinuated that I haven't looked closely at the original assets.
Then you're unsure whether I'm making new assets or not.
Then you advise that it's BEST to figure out how the turret/FLH coordinates work.
Then you assume that this whole time I've been basing everything off of the existing art.
Perhaps its BEST to read, understand, think then post, and probably throw in a little research into there as well. I'm all for criticism, bring it all on if I'm making a mistake let me know, I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong. However when you present this garbage, it comes across like you're making yourself sound like an expert and everyone else is here to be taught by you. By all means also have a go, start making assets for remastered and show us how it's doneXD QUICK_EDIT
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Unit Replacement Updates and Progress Thread
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