Development Blog Update - Unknown Worlds Videocast #6 - Hive Art Process
Flayra
Game Director, Unknown Worlds EntertainmentSan Francisco Join Date: 2002-01-22 Member: 3Super Administrators, NS2 Developer, Subnautica Developer
Game Director, Unknown Worlds EntertainmentSan Francisco Join Date: 2002-01-22 Member: 3Super Administrators, NS2 Developer, Subnautica Developer
Comments
Surprised you didn't just point your artist at the NS hive and say "this, with these changes...".
I'd be interested to know about the workflow and techniques used for the various model maps, shininess, transparency, self illumination etc.
Do we know if the hive's "anchors" will be able to extend/retract to match the size of the hive room yet?
Will hives inner glow actually illuminate the room around them?
<a href="http://keepvid.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Duoll3_maMCA" target="_blank">http://keepvid.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.y...v%3Duoll3_maMCA</a>
You got a good looking, comfortable Studio and the Art in the Background looks just nice.
The Hive model does indeed look very good. I hope it will look a little bit dirtier, when hanging in some Cargorooms and like.
All in all a very sufficient Interview. Not too long, informatively and High Definition!
Really like it.
Hope there will come more of these.
Thank you and good luck furthermore.
And are those Armory concepts I see plastered all over the wall in the background? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
I have been wondering about that too. Perhaps there can be an additional model of a organic stalagmite that the hive can attach to?
Stalactite! Stalagmites grow from the ground up, stalactites grow from the ceiling down.
Any chance we can have an in-game screenshot/video with the NS Hive next to the NS2 Hive for comparison?
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
Noted that the transparency wasnt working.
But the light emitted from the hive was also emitted through the the non-glowing parts.
I had hopes for the glowing part to have some moving 'embryos' inside creating a very powerful visual effect.
<a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/7hq7o/from_concept_to_model_the_hive_in_natural/" target="_blank">http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/7h...ive_in_natural/</a>
You are my last hope for a good game.
the others are mostly like kill and run...other version of jump n runs <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/nerd-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::nerdy::" border="0" alt="nerd-fix.gif" />
except Mafia 2 that can be good to...maybe.
That's still possible. They could model an inner section then just put some alpha (transparency) on the glowing part.
I don't mean to criticize, but the hive's skin looks a little armor like. Maybe if it was covered in a little more infestation everywhere except the eye. Maybe make the tentacles look a little mossier. If this is something born from the infestation it should resemble the infestation in texture.
keepvid does not provide the real HD version (yet)
for the HD-version (1280x720) you need to change the <i>fmt=18</i> at the end of the download-link to <i>fmt=22</i>
<a href="http://keepvid.com/save-video.mp4?http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fget_video%3Fvideo_id%3Duoll3_maMCA%26t%3DOEgsToPDskLea3VZkMSUFa6Qb4a5wQvV%26fmt%3D22" target="_blank">download as 1280x720 MP4</a>
To everyone complaining about lighting & transparency issues, Cory did mention they were still working on those! Go! Rewatch video!
PS - In case you missed it, it's the bit where he talks about "alpha", near the end. Alpha == transparency.
Yes, i want to know whats about hitboxes, hitzones, physik, ladders, elevators?
What happend if you jump on enemy or something, all the tiny things that makes a engine good...or not.
Or what is about a serverbrowser?
The biggest issue i think that can happend with your game, are cheaters and maybe glitch/bug users.
I mean you are good, but if i see a game like Team Fortress 2, its full of unfixed glitches.
But here is the good thing, you are very active with the community, more then valve.
Can't wait to see it with specular mappin'!
Oh, and the hive will kind of be laying eggs, won't it? So... embryos would probably not make sense. Instead, you could make it full of un-laid eggs. Also, if it is possible to scale the model, it may be neat for hives to grow over time, perhaps depending on how much infestation is around the hive room? May be a neat effect.
Personally I think it looks really good, but I am also interested in how the hive "hooks" are going to work @ the top, it would be interesting if perhaps they were dynamic to where the hive was placed, and perhaps the mapper had to manually adjust where the corresponding bones of the hive connected to, though that would of course bring about so many more things to be done, and problems.
I am really pleased that you decided to upload the video in HD also, it makes it much clearer to get detail on your work.
It's really exciting to see the NS world in a much higher polycount now, really looks amazing, but I feel it is still very NS-like, but unique from NS1 in it's own way, like it has evolved (ironic).
Either way, thanks very much for the post, I'm really looking forward to seeing other aspects of the game.
I'd be interested to know about the workflow and techniques used for the various model maps, shininess, transparency, self illumination etc.
Do we know if the hive's "anchors" will be able to extend/retract to match the size of the hive room yet?
Will hives inner glow actually illuminate the room around them?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
We'd love to do a workflow video on techniques used for modeling and texturing a game model like the hive, but it's hard to record our outsource artist, since he is not onsite. We may do something similar in regards to environment models and textures with Matt, however...
The hive tendril "anchors" have an extension segment, which will either be subtracted, added or tiled multiple times, programatically, depending on the height of the ceiling. so mappers shouldn't be too restricted by the hive model.
The hive's inner glow will cast light on the room around it. This effect was not showing in the quick in game shot.
<!--quoteo(post=1695350:date=Dec 6 2008, 05:15 PM:name=Deadzone)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Deadzone @ Dec 6 2008, 05:15 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1695350"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->And are those Armory concepts I see plastered all over the wall in the background? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Maybe <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
<!--quoteo(post=1695363:date=Dec 6 2008, 06:19 PM:name=hottuna)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hottuna @ Dec 6 2008, 06:19 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1695363"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I had hopes for the glowing part to have some moving 'embryos' inside creating a very powerful visual effect.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
As mentioned in the video, most of the effects that are really going to sell the hive are either not functioning in game at the moment, or have not been hooked up to work with the model yet. A lot of that is more of a polish stage. This includes:
The transparency and translucency on the thin membrane on the outside of the middle section. There is actually an inner cavity that is modeled, that will be slightly seen, as well as several layers of internal alpha textures, that should all give an impression of a visible internal structure.
There will be animated glowing bits floating and moving about inside.
There will be self illumination which will cast light on the hive itself and surrounding area, as well as bloom effect.
Mist, animation, dynamic infestation surrounding the hive on the floor, walls and ceilings of the hive rooms.
All of these are the reason we didn't show a much in game footage.
<!--quoteo(post=1695409:date=Dec 6 2008, 11:55 PM:name=Stinky)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stinky @ Dec 6 2008, 11:55 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1695409"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Oh, and the hive will kind of be laying eggs, won't it? So... embryos would probably not make sense. Instead, you could make it full of un-laid eggs. Also, if it is possible to scale the model, it may be neat for hives to grow over time, perhaps depending on how much infestation is around the hive room? May be a neat effect.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The hive no longer lays eggs. This can be evidenced by the shriveled up, vestigal remnant of what used to be the birthing tube in NS 1, hanging down at the back. The glowies are emitted from the Hive, which is what will be seen moving around inside, eventually.