thePolyPusher

The bathroom 2 modo tutorial released

2012-01-22T11:45:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
Just a quick shout out to let you all know that 'The Bathroom 2' modo tutorial has been released.
Check it out here: The Bathroom 2 modo tutorial

modo, Unity, Maxwell and Unigine

2012-01-19T13:16:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Well it has been an extremely busy month all round with new tutorial sets being released and new licenses being aquired.

First up, let me take a minute to shout out about 'The Bathroom 2', a modo architectural visualisation tutorial set. It is massive, weighing in at 8+ hours and 30 parts.

For further information, aim your browsers at: The Bathroom 2 - polypusher.net

Secondly, with Unity releasing their developer beta of 3.5, we took a while to evaluate it to see if it was a viable development route for the Tai-Pan series. This has slowed the Tai-Pan development, for which we are very sorry, but it's all back to full steam ahead... new parts should be coming this week.

Thirdly, we are now the proud owners of a Maxwell Render license and have been totally blown away by it! Whilst the modo renderer is fantastic and fast, you can't beat the lighting quality of an un-biased renderer. As soon as we get time we will 'port' the 'Bathroom 2' tutorial set to Maxwell.

Fourthly... Unigine Engine. I have been looking at Unigine for some time now and have been amazed by the rendering quality. That said, all was not great for the indie developer. As you know, polypusher strives to cater for the indie developer wherever possible and the license fee was just too high. Just before Christmas Unigine released a limited indie license that was cheaper than Unity Pro... this got my juices flowing. I think with the increase in engines catering for the indie developer (UDK, CryEngine et al), Unigine saw a nice window of opportunity. Anyway, nothing is set in stone yet, but we have been in contact with Unigine and are trying to arrange a 'tutorial handshake' to produce some content....

so stay tuned..... exciting times are ahead....

- Matt.

Tai-Pan Development Series update

2011-09-14T14:12:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I have just released the second September update for the Tai-Pan Development Series, 'Modelling the Sampan'. It is a whopping release at 3 hours, so hop over to polypusher.net to check it out.

Covering modo and Unity it is a fantastic tutorial resource (even if I do say so myself).

Kind Regards,
Matt.

Modular Asset Creation for Next-Gen Gaming - Maya

2011-09-12T05:39:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just a quick heads up and shout out about a new polypusher.net release aimed at game developers, 'Modular Asset Creation for Next-Gen Gaming'... and it looks amazing. I've had a sneak peak and the introduction to Maya section alone is worth the asking price.

Head over to polypusher.net and check it out.

Cheers,
Matt.

Summer Special over at polypusher.net

2011-08-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Check out polypusher.net as they have a summer sale on for their modo tutorials.

For the month of September they have a combo deal on their architectural visualization tutorials, The Bathroom and Beginners Surfacing.

Check out this deal and save 30%... for the month of September only.

Arch-Viz polypusher.net September Deal

Best Regards,
Matt.

Asset Creation for Games using modo and Sculptris

2011-08-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just a quick heads up that polypusher.net have released a tutorial of mine, so please head over and check it out - I know I'm obviously biased, but it is a great tut.

aims: to give the learner a complete overview of all the stages required to produce a 'game ready' asset.

topics covered: hard surface modelling within modo; sculpting high poly data within Sculptris; creating a low poly mesh based on high poly data; UVW creation; setting up base textures; creating normal maps from high poly geometry; painting within modo to generate unique textures; optimization techniques for texture combining.

It covers games engine asset creation using modo and Sculptris but the topics are generic enough to span any modelling or sculpting packages. I will try and get my hands on their promo video and post it here, but here is a couple of screen grabs.

In the mean time, please head over and check it out, it's a steal at €25....: Asset Creation for Games using modo and Sculptris.

Regards,
Matt.

Maya tutorials coming to polypusher.net v.soon

2011-08-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just heard that polypusher.net are putting the final touches to their Maya tutorial, 'Modular Asset Creation for Next Gen Gaming'.

This 3 part series of tutorials looks at the workflows and tools used to create Modular Asset Creation within Maya, Mudbox and Photoshop for Next Gen Gaming.

3D Environment Artist Richard Piper "AKA Pipes" will be your guide, sharing his workflow and modelling techniques for creating industry level game assets.

The lessons within part one will look at the first steps of modelling modular assets within Maya, UVW unwrapping and optimising the model in preperation for export into Autodesk Mudbox 2012.

Once imported into Mudbox 2012 we will look at sculpting intricate details to the surface of the model and extract a variety of maps to capture this detail enabling us to explore the next gen pipeline

The final part of this tutorial series explores the texturing methods used by modelling professionals utilising Adobe Photoshop CS5 and how we can bring the model to life with a variety of real world texture references.

This course is aimed at all skill levels and will take you through the basics of the Maya interface, the workflow I use when modelling polygonal assets, and the techniques I use within my role as a 3D Environment Artist in the gaming industry.

I have seen a sneak peak of this and it is looking amazing! Stay tuned for further information and head over to polypusher.net to see there other tutorials.

Best Regards,
Matt.

Maxwell Render tutorial coming to PolyPusher soon

2011-08-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just heard from polypusher.net that they are currently working on a texturing and surfacing tutorial for the fantastic Maxwell Render. Head over to maxwellrender.com for further info on this cracking renderer. I will post further info as I hear more.

Regards,
Matt.

Tai-Pan Development Subscription Competition Results

2011-08-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

polypusher.net are pleased to announce the 5 winners of the Tai-Pan Development Subscription: Phil Clark, Siim Sammul, Hans Thedarkseer, Guillermo Vilas & Matt Simpson. Congrats to you all and sorry for all those who entered and were unlucky. If you are 1 of the 5 winners, could you please email us at: polypusher at polypusher dot net, so that we can get your email details and get you setup. Congrats again!

Great stuff for the winners of the competition!! I am looking forward to the year and seeing how the Tai-Pan Subscription Series develops. To read the full Facebook entry and to keep up to date, head over to: http://goo.gl/DIKIw

Also, check out polypusher.net for further info on the Tai-Pan Subscription Series and modo tutorials.

Best Regards,
Matt.

Beginners Surfacing and Lighting Tutorial

2011-08-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just wanted to give a big shout-out to polypusher.net for releasing their 'Beginners Surfacing and Lighting' tutorial for modo501. http://goo.gl/IPqSp

Please follow the link and check it out, it is a fantastic tutorial (I should know, I am the tutor). Even though the tutorial is centered around an architectural scene, the same processes are true for any other genre. The aims of the tutorial is to give the viewer a good understanding of modo materials, image projections, the shader tree and render settings.

Best Regards,
Matt.

Tai-Pan Development Subscription Competition

2011-08-01T05:42:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Today is your last day to 'like' polypusher.net's Facebook page, or Twitter feed, to be in with a chance of winning 1 of 5 Tai-Pan Development Subscriptions. Winners will be announced today along with the Tai-Pan launch.

Check out the polypusher.net contact page for links to Facebook and twitter... goo.gl/S7OB7

Regards,
Matt.

'The Bathroom' - modo501 architectural visualization tutorial set... Released

2011-07-21T13:56:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

As promised, 'The Bathroom' - modo501 architectural visualization tutorial set has gone live and is available for purchase over at polypusher.net (http://goo.gl/JZjIU). Hop over for further details.

Regards,
Matt.

'The Bathroom' - modo501 architectural visualization tutorial set

2011-07-20T12:32:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

Just a heads up that polypusher.net are releasing their 'The Bathroom - modo501 architectural visualization tutorial set' tomorrow.

Aimed at modo newcomers and those with an interest in arch viz, it will lay the foundations for future tutorials on surfacing and advanced topics. At 3.2GB, 24 Parts and 8+ Hours it is a massive release. Head over and check it out - goo.gl/JZjIU

Regards,
Matt.

Win 1 of 5 free subscriptions to the Tai-Pan Development Set

2011-06-28T14:57:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

Fearedfuturegames and polyPusher are giving away 5 free year subscriptions to the Tai-Pan Development Set to coincide in with its launch.

If you would like to be in with a chance of getting a free subscription, it is very simple... Just head over to our contact us page where you will see links to our facebook and twitter pages. 'Like' our facebook site and/or 'Follow' the twitter feed and your details will be put into the hat - if you do both, you will have two entries in the hat! Just after the launch, 5 names will be pulled from the hat and the winners notified.

Keep checking back here and keep an eye on our facebook and twitter pages as further launch promotions will be coming.

Cheers,
Matt.

Tai-Pan Development Set - Starting in July!

2011-06-24T03:56:00.001-07:00

Along with our partner, polyPusher, we are pleased to announce that the Tai-Pan Development Set is kicking off in July and will showcase game creation techniques using Unity and modo501, with additional work being done in Photoshop, Mudbox and Maya. (Tai-Pan starting will officially end any IO Development Diary progress).

Tai-Pan is a naval trading/economy game set in an asian environment c. 1840. But that is solely our setting. Everything you will see within the development could be used to build many game types (especially RTS).

All areas of the game development process will be covered, including modeling, texturing/surfacing, modo -> Unity workflows to build optimised 'game-ready' assets, AI, C# scripting, trading/world economy... and much much more.

Q. So why is this superceding the IO Development Diary??

A. Well, in one word... Assets!
During the IO Development Diary's lifespan many 3rd party assets were bought to help populate the environment (plus the character was bought). This made distributing the actual project files impossible. After being inundated with requests for the project files, so that viewers could keep up, we could see that this system was just not working. A change was needed. Ultimately, you need the project files if you are serious about working through a tutorial set.

Every asset made or seen within the Tai-Pan project will be given to the viewer 100% Royalty Free - no strings attached! Even if you never follow a single tutorial video, you will still be receiving every model, texture, piece of music made and used. You are free to use any asset within any of your game projects you like. The only caveat is that you don't resell them in any way (that includes sticking them on an Asset store too).

Also, unlike the IO Development Diary that had videos being released at random intervals, Tai-Pan will bring consistency to the releases. The first monday of each month will be release day with new parts and a new set of project files. Our friends at polyPusher are also creating content, so everything is not resting solely on my shoulders now - spreading the workload feels nice! It also brings a more diverse set of tutorials/workflows to you the viewer and helps cement your investment.

Q. How much will the Tai-Pan Development Set cost?

A. A one-off annual payment of €40 (50% off for IO Development Diary subscribers for the first year - €20). That one payment includes everything - the monthly video update and ALL the assets 100% royalty free, now and as they are made.

Q. How will I get the files and updates?

A. You will be given access to a central area where you can download the files whenever you need them.

Q. How do I sign up for the Tai-Pan Development Set?

A. July is the official launch and further information will be posted when all the necessary details have been finalised. If you want to be notified when this happens, please feel free to send an email to: support@fearedfuturegames.com with 'Tai-Pan' in the subject line and I will contact you with signup details and further information at launch time.
* IO Development Diary subscribers will be sent an email notifying them how to avail of the 50% discount.

Here is a sneak-peak of how Tai-Pan is currently taking shape. Don't worry, when the development set starts we will backtrack and explain how we got to this stage (We needed something to show you after all).

Best Regards,

Matt.

Maxwell Render

2011-05-04T13:49:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Not an IO development diary post this time but a quick shout out about my credit card becoming a wee bit heavier! (don't tell the wife!)

Anyway, you will all know that I am a modonaut and just love modeling within the best 3D workflow ever... but... I was never 'over-the-moon' about the renderer. That is not to say that it is bad in any way, far from it, but my first love when it comes to rendering is architectural visualizations, for which, modo's renderer is not the best. Internal renders have always been a bit noisy.

A while ago, I was drawn over to the 'dark-side' and spent a while in 3ds Studio Max... this was an up and down affair to say the least, with the bloatsville software taking its toll on my sanity. But.... that said.... i did see an absolute gem of a renderer... V-Ray. For Arch-Viz it totally blew my mind. The shear quality of the final renders was amazing. Even my most basic fumblings with the settings made almost photo realistic results. Since then, I have thought about a new workflow, where I model in modo and render in Max.... that was until I pushed by a friend to look at Maxwell Render. When it comes to production quality renders, Maxwell IS the daddy!

I wont say too much about the details of Maxwell (as I have only just got my hands on the license) but I will just mention a couple of aspects that made me stop and think... How is that possible Matty-boy?

Firstly with Maxwell you can stop a render at any time. I don't mean 'pause it to grab a coffee', I mean stop it, turn off the mac/pc and go on holiday. When you get back from sunning yourself in Goa or skiing in Canada, just start up Maxwell and hit Render... away it goes again from where it last was. Ok, this is not truly ground breaking but it does help especially with system failures and powercuts etc... who wants to render for 24 hours to have to start it over again.

Secondly, you can alter the lighting as it is rendering or even after it has finished rendering... that's right, even after it has finished! ("In all my years as a cabbie, I have never heard of that place!" springs to mind). I have lost count of the times I have set up my lighting rig only to watch a percentage counter tick up over 24hours, to see the final image is a bit dark or blown out. Not with Maxwell... you can change the lighting levels etc at any time.

Anyways... I will try and post some images over the coming weeks to show my learning experience... buy for now and enjoy yourselves with whatever you are doing.

Bye for now,
Matt.

2 new IO Development Diary videos

2011-03-12T11:26:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Just a quick post to notify you of 2 new IO Development Diary videos.

Part 34 - Dynamic Mesh creation within Unity.
This part deals with creating new meshes via code. The video is quite long and deals with the circle mathematics for the specific example as much as the mesh creation. A Unity project is available to download if you only need the code... see the start of the video for details.

Part 35 - Integrating the Dynamic Meshes into the AI.
In this part we will be including the code from part 34 into the AI.

Best Regards,
Matt.

Modo 501 has arrived...

2011-02-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

... on my iMac.

Yet again my development has had me reaching for the plastic bank - this time handing over a small'ish amount to Luxology.

For the last few months I have been 'over to the dark side' modeling in 3DS Max Studio 2011. This wasn't initially a personal choice as university pressed me that way; that said, I did embrace the move wholeheartedly. To say that I haven't truly liked my experience there is an understatement.

Now, I know there are lots of you out there that are Max stalwarts who will shoot any, even the subtlest, quip down but I must admit to not liking Max. The whole program seems like a bloated app that was born from years of old code which has been added to time and time again. Just starting it up is a labored affair. When it finally finishes churning the harddrive, and assuming any of your 8gb of ram is still remaining, you are faced with hundreds of pull down menus, modifier panels that overflow into additional sub panels (which themselves are unrelated to any prior panel) and a spaghetti interface where every option lives in a least 10 different places. Now I know that Max is probably the most comprehensive modeler out there that can do anything you would ever want, but that has been overshadowed by a user experience that is grating and lethargic at best.

Looking through my videos on the fearedfuturegames Vimeo channel had me re-watching an old modo tutorial... and it got me longing to end this sordid affair I had so crudely fired up with Max. I started pining for my one true love again (modo). I quickly checked my applications and there she was; longing; forgiving; looking as radiant as the last time I laid eyes upon her... my precious modo 401....

With being so blatantly unfaithful for so long meant an apology just wouldn't cut it; wouldn't rectify her discarding. So I gave her the cosmetic surgery she had longed for and upgraded her to modo 501.

Anyway, enough of the mills and boon...

I'll take a wander through the new version of Luxology's modo and post an update/review of the new features in a day or two...

It feels so good to come home to a truly great modeler!!! I told Max things just weren't going anywhere and that we had no future together. We promised not to contact each other again......

'IO' Development Diary update

2011-02-10T12:50:00.001-08:00

Hi all,

Here is the first video in the AI series...

Adding in functionality starts here...

Regards,
Matt.

'IO' Development Diary Update

2011-02-09T09:50:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Started thinking about the NPC AI today and what functionality I want to give them. For this project, the AI will start extremely small i.e. simple pathfinding and be built upon as new behaviours are needed. Over the next few days I will start adding the basic building blocks for NPC audio/visual perception and start moving the waypoint code into this new setup. Initially this may be a bit messy, but once I get the foundation setup for the current waypoint following functionality, things will settle down.

The initial NPC's will only have the most basic of behaviours and characteristics. My initial thoughts are for a structure like:

I will try and document the AI development process as completely as possible, you keep an eye on the Vimeo channel for video updates.
IO Development Diary Vimeo Channel

Cheers,
Matt.

'IO' Development Diary update

2011-02-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Been spending this week creating two video regarding an A* pathfinding implementation.

Check out the Vimeo channel to view these two parts: Vimeo Channel

OR view them below...

This week will begin the AI which will be a considerable amount of work. I'm looking forward to this stage and sharing it with you guys.

Regards,
Matt.

'IO' Development Diary update

2011-01-20T13:56:00.000-08:00

Hi,

Well I took Leadwerks for a spin and I have to say that I wasn't all that impressed. Initial looks seemed favorable but as I dabbled deeper into my 'IO' port, things just weren't as I would have liked. Although it seemed that LE have matured in my 18 month absence, in actual fact, all the reasons I left are still there. Here are my findings:

1. The asset pipeline is still horrendous. In some instances (animated models mainly), I had to export from modo -> 3DS MAX -> UU3Dpro -> Leadwerks. Standard, non-animated models still took UU3DPro to convert the models into .gmf format. With todays game development engines I think this is just not acceptable.

2. Whilst the graphics are 100% realtime - I mean the shadows just work... doesn't matter how many lights etc (this is a great plus for LE) - the overall graphic quality is not a patch on Unity Pro. I made a level using identical assets and included the same post-processing (Bloom and SSAO) and the results weren't even a comparison I'm afraid.

3. The frame-rate is not comparable... a small level in LE had the fps running at 55. it's 200+ in Unity with realtime shadows/Beast Light-map mix.

There are other reasons, but I don't want this post to turn into a LE bashing! I can see it has great strengths, especially for large outdoor areas with realtime shadows on trees/foliage etc, but for indoor arenas it just doesn't come up to strength.

So.......

Were are still in Unity3.0.

I have more time on my hands again, so the IO development has started up again... it will be a similar format as before, although I will be using 3DS Max for modeling tuts too.... just to give you some change.

Regards,
Matt.

'IO' Development Diary update

2011-01-16T09:25:00.001-08:00

Hi all,

I realise it has been a while since I updated this blog with future roadmap. This has been due to other external commitments etc. Things should be easing off for me for a while so I'm back working on things.

1. Returning to Leadwerks engine for a look. This will be good for everyone as it will enlarge the scope of viewers, plus give people who are Unity stalwarts a new view on things. (If I'm honest: I left Leadwerks about 18 months ago for various reason and moved to Unity -> which I loved! (and still do). Out of the blue, I ventured back to LE to see how things had moved on and I was very surprised to see how it has developed.) So i'm going to work on a 'port' of the current C# Unity version, and move the functionality into LE + improve things as I go.

A word of warning: Leadwerks does not have the codebase functionality built in that Unity has, so we are going to have to code our own functions to do the basic things that Unity does 'out of the box'.

A word of warning 2: Although LE does have a nice C# implementation, I have chosen to move this development into C++ for LE. This in itself is going to alienate lots of viewers etc... but I hope people do stick with it (at the end of the day; C++ IS the industry standard for game dev).

2. All current subscription viewers will also receive any C++ LE tuts produced.

Anyway, I hope to have something to show in the very near future.

Best Regards,
Matt.

'IO' Development Diary Changes

2010-07-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Due to the shear amount of time this development diary/tutorial set is taking to produce and the size of the overall project, we are adding a 'one-off' subscription to view all the remaining parts. This subscription is $9.99.

The tutorials will continue to be produced right up until the game is completed and will show every stage of the development process, so there is far more still to come (to be honest, we haven't even scratched the surface yet).

All the first 17 parts (10 hours) will remain free to view on the Vimeo channel. I will also be posting small 'taster' versions of the new parts here as they are released to whet your appetites.

I do hope that you will continue to support this development and that this small fee will not put you off following the tutorials and enjoying them.

Believe me when I say that I would have liked to see this remain totally free but due to the shear number of hours I am spending daily on this, that is not really an option. I am hoping you can understand and that $9.99 is not too high a price to pay.

The plan is still to release new parts every few days until the development is completed, so I hope you can 'stay tuned'.

Please head over to:
http://fallingbrickwork.fearedfuturegames.com/
for further information and payment details.

Kind regards in advance,
Matt.

'IO' Development Diary - Parts 13 - 17a Live

2010-07-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just a quick update on the 'IO' Development Diary. Parts 13 through to 17a are now live on the fearedfuturegames Vimeo channel.

Follow the link below to view these new updates.

Modo and Unity Game Development Channel

Regards,
Matt.

'IO' Development Diary - Parts 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 Live

2010-07-16T04:07:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just a quick update on the 'IO' Development Diary. Parts 8 through to 12 are now live on the fearedfuturegames Vimeo channel.

Follow the link below to view these new updates.

Modo and Unity Game Development Channel

Regards,
Matt.

'IO' Development Diary - Parts 6 & 7 Live

2010-06-26T07:34:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just a quick update... Parts 6 & 7 of the 'IO' Development Diary are live.

Modo and Unity Game Development Channel

Regards,
Matt.

'IO' Development Diary - Parts 4 & 5 Live

2010-06-25T01:42:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just a quick shout out to let you know parts 4 & 5 of the 'IO' development diary are no live on the Vimeo channel.

This video diary is really picking up speed now and we're getting to the juicy bits like C# coding, complete modeling/textures an asset from scratch and rigging/animation within modo.

Part 6 is now being uploaded so should be live in a few hours.

Here is a quick render of where we are with 'Zone1'...

Hop over to the Vimeo channel and please subscribe to keep up to date.

Modo and Unity Game Development Channel

Cheers,
Matt.

'IO' Development Diary - Part 3 Live

2010-06-23T01:17:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just to let you know Part 3 of the 'IO' Development Diary/Tutorial Set in now live. Jump over to Vimeo to view.

Modo and Unity Game Development Channel

Please subscribe to the Vimeo channel so you don't miss a video... Part 4 (Snapping in modo and start of 3rd person camera within Unity) will be live later today.

Regards,
Matt.

'IO' Development Diary - Part 2 Live

2010-06-22T01:57:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just to let you know Part 2 of the 'IO' Development Diary/Tutorial Set in now live. Jump over to Vimeo to view.

Modo and Unity Game Development Channel

Please subscribe to the Vimeo channel so you don't miss a video... Part 3 (first look in Unity) will be live later today.

Regards,
Matt.

'IO' Video Development Diary/Tutorial set

2010-06-19T04:29:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Some posts ago I mentioned that new tutorials would be coming. Well today is the day that they start in earnest. They will follow the development of a 3rd person space shooter ('IO' - obviously a working title) from the very start to the very end (of one game section) using modo 401, Unity 2.6.1 and then Unity 3.0 conversion when it is released in the summer.

It will only follow one game section (or area if you'd prefer to call it that) to speed up the process of getting from modeling to programming. If we took an entire game level we'd get too bogged down in modo and never get to Unity.

I'm planning on making these tutorials as loose and easy watching as possible, with very little forward planning. I may just start the screen capture going and leave it running throughout. So, it'll have more of a video diary feel to it. That said, there will be structured tutorials showing specific procedures.

Topics covered:
Modelling and Assets
UV setups
Creating Normal Maps
Texturing
Painting
Level Layout
Lightmapping
Unity Project Creation and Initial Setup
File Structuring
Level Export and Setup Level In Unity
Overview of Unity (materials etc)
Physics
Scripting (C#)
and more... (as I think of it)

So you can see it is going to be a very thorough set of videos. I will be posting an update here when each new video is uploaded, but the videos themselves will be on our Vimeo Channel: Modo and Unity Game Development so get subscribing now.

The first part, 'Introduction and Overview', will be online later today.

Regards,
Matt.

Vimeo Channel - Modo and Unity Game Development

2010-06-19T04:05:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just to let you know that we have created a new Channel within Vimeo to showcase all our modo and unity tutorials in one location. Please swing by and subscribe.

Modo and Unity Game Development

Best Regards,
Matt.

Baking Normal Maps with Modo

2010-06-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update to let you know there is a new modo tutorial on our Vimeo website.

Goes through the stages of baking high poly information into a normal map, along with displacement and Ambient Occlusion data, for use with low poly game models.

Click through to the Vimeo page to view it in HD and full screen.

Vimeo Version - click here

Regards,
Matt.

Chromosome is live on AppStore

2010-04-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Just to let everyone know, 'Chromosome: one cell's quest for color' is live on the Apple AppStore and is doing well.

As a special release offer, 'Chromosome' will be half price for the first month ($0.99), thereafter it will increase to its actual price of $1.99 (still very cheap I think you will agree)... So get it whilst it is reduced and save those pennies.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported our releases, without you guys (and girls) indie game development wouldn't be the exciting industry it is today.

Following on from this, fearedfuturegames is putting new game development on hold for a few months to update and add new content to all our current titles... we are taking all the support emails (both good and bad) that we have received and are updating everything accordingly. That is not to say ALL further dev is on hold as we have a ragdoll project we are working on with another dev team over in the UK.

Thanks again and I hope you enjoy Chromosome!!!

Best Regards and give your iPhone/iPod Touch something new and fresh,
Matthew

Chromosome coming to iPhone soon

2010-04-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Chromosome (formally known as Chroma during development) is coming to an iPhone/iPod Touch near you soon!!

Just to let you know that it has been submitted to Apple for review and will be live in the next few weeks. Chromosome will initially have a release discount for the first month, selling at $0.99, after which it will be sold for the full price of $1.99... so get it whilst it is cheap!

Promotional information is currently being worked on and will be posted in the next few days. We are very excited about this release as it involved a greatly increased development time and lots of tender loving care.

Give your iPhone/iPod something new and original... I guarantee there is nothing installed on it currently like this.

Check back soon for the promotional video in a few days.

Regards,
Matthew.

Gate Runner Review on Iphone Footprint

2010-02-12T06:21:00.000-08:00

The rules are basic and simple in Gate Runner – steer our craft through obstacles in the form of gates without any mishaps, and our mission is successful. The rules in action are not that easy. The levels, or runs as they are called here, get tougher as we get through more and more gates.

The game play screen has two controls on either side of it. The one on the right is to navigate the craft on its journey, and the other is to slow down the speed of the gates. The latter brings down the speed at which the gates come at us to 50% of the original speed. But it is a limited escape, and so we need to use it with caution and only when we need it.

Gate Runner has three difficulty levels that we can choose from according to our expertise – Easy, Normal and Hard. Each one of them has 15 different levels to run through. The game has slick 3D graphics that make the game play smooth and exciting. The background score also adds to the fast paced feel of the game.

The game is not as easy as it looks or sounds, but is challenging and makes for good adrenaline rush gaming. You should definitely be picking Gate Runner up for its fantastic 3D game play.

4 out of 5.

Regards,
Matt.
www.fearedfuturegames.com

Gate Runner Review on Brickroll

2010-02-12T02:11:00.000-08:00

From indie developer Matthew Clifton comes Gate Runner, a multi-leveled, multi-ringed retro space game, powered by the Unity 3D engine...

In the world of gaming, space is rife with free-floating hollow rings, and it is utterly imperative that you go through them. Such is the case in Gate Runner. Dashing through various levels of space from a first-person perspective, you swoop through ring after ring in pursuit of the finish line. Some rings speed you up; others shift your direction; others simply allow you to keep on flying.

Gate Runner is an indie game, and like many on the iPhone, it shows subtle — but noticeable — signs of it. For instance, a gratuitous five-to-ten second delay interrupts the flow between levels. Pacing at the start of each level begins molasses-slow, before speed-increasing rings get you moving. The 3D graphics consist mostly of simple geometric forms, though nicely textured.

the game has excellent music. The track to Level 1 reminds me of Kraftwerk, one of my favorite bands. I’d shell out an extra buck for the song if they sold it on iTunes.

Considering the limitations of working on a small budget and as a single developer, Matthew has wrought an impressive, enjoyable game, with enough depth and features to merit multiple plays through.

7 out of 10.

Regards,
Matt.
www.fearedfuturegames.com

Refactoring Chroma - Post Prototype Stage

2010-02-12T02:05:00.001-08:00

Well I’m out of the prototyping stage of Chroma and into full development.

Prototyping went really well on this project and it brought up some major changes to the overall game mechanics as some things I thought would work just didn’t! I have also been doing some look and appearance tests and I have opted to change the visuals too – and I mean change them totally. For a standalone version my original minds image would have been very nice but for the meagre iPhone GPU it just wasn’t viable… Drawcalls through the roof etc. Even though the overall games look has changed, the play experience will remain the same. The look changes though may have to result in a name change, so Chroma is now a development name only.

A lot of the early code is robust enough to remain in the actual dev version although I have spent about 2 days refactoring and tidying everything up. I haven’t been overly concerned about code optimisation but have tweaked a bit where it was blindingly obvious bad coding. I took a lot of time coding the AI for the prototype so that is almost finalised.

Now that full development is underway, I’m hoping to get to a playable version within a week or two.

Cheers,
Matt.

Chroma - for iPhone/iPod Touch & iPad

2010-02-05T12:50:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

For any of you who have taken a spin past our website (www.fearedfuturegames.com) will have seen mention of an up and coming game for 2010 called "Chroma".

Chroma started out as a 'weird' but wonderful concept in my head that never got much further forward than that. This was mainly due to side projects that we were involved in and a bunch of tutorials we released which greatly ate into our development time.

That said, Chroma is now on track for a spring 2010 release. To coincide with the game release a CD soundtrack will also be released of the original ambient music composed especially for the game. If we can get our hands on the new Apple iPad early enough this will also be a launch platform.

I realise the above is a bit vague and i'm not giving anything away to what the game mechanics are... but it's going to be a great release, and by far our most ambitious project to date.

Stay tuned for further info coming soon...

Regards,
Matt.

Gate Runner released today

2010-02-01T12:52:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Just a very quick update to say our 'Gate Runner' for iPhone™ or iPod touch® OS 2.2.1+ was officially released today.

Check out our website for more information:
www.fearedfuturegames.com

Or head to the Apple AppStore:
Gate Runner on AppStore

Kind Regards,
Matt.

Gate Runner for iPhone™ and iPod touch®

2010-01-28T14:36:00.000-08:00

Hi all, Just a quick update to let you know... Gate Runner will hopefully be released for iPhone™ and iPod touch® within the next week. Here are a couple of screenshots
Navigate your craft through a series of gates to complete each 'run'.

Sounds Simple?

With each new run the speed increases making it more frantic than the last. Fast paced gameplay encased in jaw-dropping 3D graphics.

Features:

- True pick up and play gameplay. Just fire it up and play a single 'run' or try and navigate them all.
- 15 levels over 3 difficulty settings bringing you a complete 45 level challenge.
- Amazing realtime 3D graphics.
- Pumping music tracks composed specifically for Gate Runner.
- Simple intuitive player controls.

Kind Regards,
Matt.

Cavern Explorer v1.1 update released

2010-01-06T11:49:00.001-08:00

Just a quick post to let you all know Cavern Explorer has been updated to v1.1. Apple’s AppStore now reflects this update for new downloads whilst existing owners should automatically receive the update when accessing the AppStore.

A new end of level playback feature has been introduced which replays you flight path along with some minor bug fixes.

v1.2 is currently in the pipeline which will bring new content and an alternate control method for people who don’t favour the iphone/iPod accelerometer. v1.2 will also be a free update as will all future upgrades.

Buy Cavern Explorer here:

Cavern Explorer from Fearedfuturegames.com

Kind Regards,
Matt.

Unreal 3 UDK has landed - first tutorial online now

2009-11-14T05:31:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Unreal 3 UDK has landed on every indie/teams table and, WOW, is all I can say. Shear engine power, combined with probably the best toolset ever and a lighting engine (lightmass) to rival any modelling/rendering package makes UDK the number one tool for creating FPS games for PC.

I have been playing with it now for 3 days and I seem to have a smile on my face every few minutes.

Some features:
lightmass - global lighting creation.
Matinee - animation creator.
Kismet - drag and drop script editor.
Fracture - create breakable models from static meshes.

The list is virtually endless.

It's not all good news though, the documentation isn't great but due to UDK being practically the same as unreal3 which the nodding community have been using for years, the net is absolutely dripping with tutorials.

I'm currently working on porting my Horror game over to UDK and am documenting the entire process. Check out the first part on the tutorials page of www.fearedfuturegames.com

Regards,
Matt.

parts 1 – 7 now uploaded to fearedfuturegames.com

2009-11-11T02:12:00.001-08:00

Hi all,

Just a quick post to let you know that parts 1 – 7 of the ‘Modo to Unity Assets Creation tutorials’ are now online.

I am also uploading them onto our Vimeo website for people who just want to stream them as opposed to store them locally.

http://vimeo.com/user2585528

I will be gradually moving all our videos from the youtube site to vimeo to get around the 10 minute length rule. It is a slow process, but i’ll keep you informed on progress.

Regards,
Matt.

New Tutorial Section

2009-11-04T06:03:00.001-08:00

Hi all,

Just a quick post to inform you all of the new tutorial section on our website. The initial tutorial will take a small corridor section of our Horror game and show, how it is modelled within modo, and then brought over and scripted within Unity.

Here is a quick teaser:

Follow the link below to visit the tutorial section and see more. http://www.fearedfuturegames.com/tutorials/tutorials.htm

Cheers, Matt.

Horror - Playable demo

2009-10-20T06:10:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Here is a playable demo of the first section of Horror. Enjoy.

Regards,
Matt.

Lightmaps for Horror

2009-10-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post a few quick shots of the lightmaps for Horror. The processing required for these is fairly intensive and the outcomes don't come without considerable waiting times.

This map alone took about 4 hours each to render and they are only 512x512.

Cheers,
Matt.

Cavern Explorer Video

2009-10-17T04:49:00.000-07:00

Just a quick video of Cavern Explorer for iPhone and iPod touch.

Purchase here: www.fearedfuturegames.com for $1.99

Cheers,
Matt.

Horror - Global Illumination test in Unity

2009-10-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Spent today looking at lightmapping and doing some Global Illumination tests in Modo for the Unity game engine. My aim for doing these tests is to try and push the visual quality of my horror project, and therefore Unity, to the very highest level. I am using my Horror project for this as I almost have a complete level modeled and surfaced - this makes for a better testing experience that a rotating primitive or similar.

I started with my current Horror setup as a starting point and firstly added Global Illumination. This gave the scene a far better look and feel, although it did take hell of a lot of tweaking to get things the way I liked. I then moved onto the lighting model and warmed up the lighting colours slightly and add some additional area lights to help fill out certain sections and give the level a more balanced appearance.

Lastly I created a new storeroom area and changed most of the rendering settings to get a far better quality of output. The outcome of all these steps has made the final lightmaps look 100 times better than they did (and i think they already looked good), I'll let you decide if all the trouble was worth it.

So, as it currently stands, I pretty much have raytraced quality images in a realtime engine. Here is a quick still for you to see the fruits of my day.

Regards,
Matt.

Cavern Explorer Released!!

2009-10-14T11:09:00.001-07:00

Cavern Explorer for iPhone and iPod touch has been officially released today.

Navigate your craft through caverns searching for three missing fuel crates.

Your craft only has a limited amount of on-board fuel and time, so careful planning is the order of the day here.

Stay Focused and avoid those cavern walls at all cost. Cavern Explorer is a homage to the 80's gaming era when playability ruled the day.

Download it on iTunes here

Regards,
Matthew.

New website to coincide with Cavern Explorer release.

2009-10-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Quite a bit has been happening behind the scenes over the last few weeks. Since submitting Cavern Explorer to Apple for review, I have been working on 2 different projects, trying to gather as many casual game review websites as possible (ready for release), plus a new website to showcase everything. The website template design has provisionally been agreed upon and some basic content has been uploaded. Lots of work still needs to be done on this including a gallery section, newsfeed straight to your desktop/mobile device if requested and some server side database stuff. All that said and done, I am fairly happy with the initial basic upload. Bookmark the site here:

fearedfuturegames.com

Regards,
Matthew.

ProjectX (iPhone) has been completed, I hope

2009-09-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the recent lack of updates...

This has been primarily due to me trying to get ProjectX finished and submitted to the Apple AppStore. I must tell you, it has really been an 'all hands to the pump' time... that said, as a sole indie developer, the only hands on that pump were mine.

ProjectX, which I can now disclose as actually being called 'Cavern Explorer' has been finalised at version 1.0 and has been submitted today.

CE (as it will now affectionately be know) is a homage to the 80's gaming era where playability ruled over graphics. It is loosely based on Lunar Lander, and many other lander-type games, with the emphasis on collection as opposed to 'landing'. It is aimed at the casual end of the gaming market as a game you can pickup and play as and when.

CE got to the stage where I thought things were completed, only to find a scenario untested which threw an exception. I do feel that this first release version is complete but i guess i'll not know until Apple's review team have had their mits on it for 2-3 weeks.

As soon as i hear anything back from Apple, i'll let you know... so stay tuned...

CE has been a great learning experience for me and iPhone development as a whole.... i am actively working on ProjectX2 as we speak! (*plus a website to encompass my releases).

I will post some more info on ProjectX2 soon.

Cheers for now...
Matt.

ProjectX2

2009-09-13T02:13:00.000-07:00

After my last post regarding ProjectX development coming to an end, I was sitting here thinking about game ideas for my next project. Should I go back to Arab for a bit?... and then it hit me like a train... my first ever original game design idea. Don't get me wrong, I know when you see the result you'll say, "That's not 100% original, it's taking a similar idea as X and mixed it with Y and a bit of Z". But that's what is exciting about it for me, it's not a clone of an old game or a rehash of the FPS genre or similar. Yes, there will be aspects of the design that may ring the odd bell, but i don't think I've seen these 'things' done this 'way' before. Without a second to spare i opened up the text-editor and documented as much as i could remember. I'm normally terrible at this. I wake up in the middle of the night with an idea and in the morning it's gone, along with all the other comatose thoughts. Not this time... I have it all written down. Arab will have to remain on the 'back-burner' for a while longer whilst I rustle up a prototype and see if the design will actually work as a game.

I have images of what it is going to look like in my mind, so i'll have to get the pencil and paper out now and try and sketch and flesh them out a bit.

Stay tuned,
Matt.

ProjectX (iPhone) nearing completion

2009-09-13T01:24:00.000-07:00

With just over 2 weeks development, ProjectX for the iPhone is nearing completion.

Remaining Tasks:
1. Add sound effects to in-game and music to title.
2. Create a 'Settings' page for users to customize their app and write to external config file.
3. Additional levels. Approx. 5 more required.
4. Testing, testing, testing, testing.

Regarding the testing, I was originally planning to distribute the app around friends who had iPhones/iPod Touches, but to be honest, the hassle of setting up there handsets with Apple is a nightmare. So i think I'll be taking my device down the pub etc and handing it to as many people as i can find.

Coding for the iPhone has been great and a few lessons have been learned... the main one for me is... get as much done on the PC in Unity 2.5 before porting it over to the Mac. Development on the PC was far quicker due to Visual Studio and the big monitor. Also, Unity 2.5 seems a bit more streamlined and not as quirky as Unity 2.1 (which iPhone is based on). Moving the app to the Mac was not a problem; to be honest, i did nothing, just open the app in Unity iPhone!

The second lesson is... leaving in the control system developed for the editor (ie moving the character with the cursor keys) when moving over to iPhone. For this project I deleted that code when moving it across which left my game truly broken until i had gotten my head around the iPhone control system and touch screen etc - A boolean flag, to pick either editor or iPhone, at the top of the code would have saved the day.

I am sorry there are still no photos of ProjectX, but I am keeping it under wraps until launch. It should be in the AppStore within the next 3-4 weeks, so not long to wait now.

Take it easy,
Matt.

iPhone and Mac... my first venture

2009-08-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

The Apple MacBook came and it is everything I thought it would be and probably a whole lot more. The build quality is second to none; of which I have never found equaled in PC's/PC Laptops. Don't get me wrong, there are probably PC's out there with excellent build quality, I've just never come across them... I'm not starting a PC/Apple flame war here!

The Mac hasn't, and probably never will, take over my total development from the PC. The workhorse PC has a whole gigahertz of additional processing power and more ram, so working in Modo and rendering, benefits from these additions. Also, the 13.3 inch MacBook screen, although truly exceptional, just isn't large enough for 3D work. That said, the MacBook is a very competent system which handles everything I seem to throw at it.

I have also enrolled with the Apple iPhone Developer Program... so, I am now an official Apple developer for the iPhone. I have made a small prototype in 2 days, outlining an iPhone casual game, 'Project X'. I'll post some images when the project get a bit nearer completion, I don't want to say too much at this early stage. So stay tuned for this...

Cheers,
Matthew.

I love eating apples…

2009-08-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post today as I don’t have anything visually worth showing with regards to updates to Arab and Horror. I am still working on the Pathfinding, which is slow going, but progress is definitely being made. I have also been spending some time in Modo 401 getting some additional models ready for Arab.

Here is a glimpse of one of the forthcoming buildings. I’m still re-UV’ing and texture mapping it hence the lack of diffuse colour, but i think you get the idea.

Also, as a news item…

I’ve bought an Apple Macbook. Now, i’ve never owned an Apple of any description before but am eager to try a bit of game/app development for the Apple iPhone/iPod Touch. The Macbook in question isn’t an all singing all dancing machine, but a bottom of the range (but latest version) model. That said it probably has about a million times the power of an iPhone, so development will hopefully be nice and fluid.

I’ll keep you informed on the iPhone development, so stay tuned.

Cheers,

Matthew.

Arab: Binoculars Data Feed Test

2009-08-16T13:44:00.001-07:00

Just a quick update of Arab today. Working on a Data Area within the Binoculars view to show NPC's etc and their stats. This video also shows the Night Goggles and DOF effect in action.

This effect is created using a secondary camera which rotates around the highlighted Model. This camera’s data then get written to a Render Texture that gets applied to the GUI (Binoculars).

Cheers,
Matthew.

C# code formatting for the blogger, not going well

2009-08-14T15:02:00.001-07:00

I am trying to find a widget that lets me code and paste copy straight from Visual Studio without having to change all the keyword colours directly from the Blogger. This code is complete nonsense, so my apologies…

Test Code:

hmmm, this may be the best of the C# formatting?!?!

void Start () {
    // Loop through Explosion Array and set initial values
    for (int i = 0; i < explosionArray.Count; i++)
    {
        GameObject workingEXPLOSION = (GameObject)explosionArray[i];
        ExplosionData workingEXPLOSIONDATA = workingEXPLOSION.GetComponent("ExplosionData") as ExplosionData;

        workingEXPLOSIONDATA.ExplosionAlive = false;

        Component[] renderers = workingEXPLOSION.GetComponentsInChildren(typeof(Renderer));
        foreach (Renderer renderer in renderers)
        {
            renderer.enabled = false;
        }
    }
}



Cheers,


Matthew.

Unity Ray Casting C# code

2009-08-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

I have had a couple of people ask about this over the last few days so…

Just a very quick post showing the code I used for picking the flashlight in the Horror project. This is quite simple and just requires a physics ray to be shot out from the centre of the players viewport. For non-programmers reading this, you can think of the ray as an invisible beam that gets projected from where you are looking (like a laser). When this ray collides with the level assets and meshes it returns true. With this return many other properties can be accessed, i.e. What the ray has collided with? What distance the ray has travelled to collide with something? (I use this distance property in Arab to create the binoculars DOF effect).

Here is the basic C# ray casting code:

public class CameraRayCasting : MonoBehaviour {

    public RaycastHit hit;
    public static Collider collider1 = new Collider();
    private Ray ray;
    private Vector3 vec;
    private LayerMask layerMask;

    // Use this for initialization
    void Start () {
   
    }
  
    // Update is called once per frame
    void Update () {
      
        // Find the centre of the Screen
        vec.x = (float)Screen.width / 2;
        vec.y = (float)Screen.height / 2;
        vec.z = 0;
      
        // Create the actual Ray based on the screen vector above
        ray = camera.ScreenPointToRay(vec);

        // Only look in Layer 8 (Level Assets)
        // you can remove this line if you want the ray to hit everything or change the 8
        // to whatever layer you need. This is a good feature as if you know all the objects
        // you need to possibly hit are in one layer, why check for everything else.
        layerMask = 1 << 8;

        // This returns true if an object is hit by the ray
        if (Physics.Raycast(ray, out hit, 3.0f, layerMask)) //remove layerMask if you remove it in line above
        {
            //stores the object hit
            collider1 = hit.collider;

            // Debug information - this can be deleted.
            // Draws a line to show the actual ray.
            // Outputs the name of the object hit
            Debug.DrawLine(transform.position, hit.point, Color.red);
            Debug.Log(collider1.name); // this will tell you what you are hitting
        }
    }
}

Cheers,
Matthew.

Arab: Pathfinding and Waypoints – and it is not a pretty sight!

2009-08-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

The next stage, I feel, is to get some more of the nuts and bolts done to the actual game mechanics and leave the eye candy behind for a while. Don’t worry, I still have lots of ideas up my sleeve to make this project extra special – so stay tuned for those.

So I'm in the land of waypoints and pathfinding…

(AngryAnt) has produced some fantastic pathfinding routines that, can at least, speed up this procedure for me… that is, if I can get the bits shoe-horned into Arab correctly. I’ve spent most of the day fiddling with this and that and am about 10% of the way there for basic waypoint pathfinding. Basically, I’ve managed to create a new Waypoint Mesh with the required connected Nodes for the NPC’s to follow. Eventually I will probably need full Navmesh pathfinding, but I thought i would start small with this and build from there. I am now getting my head stuck into the C# scripting to actually create a ‘Seeker’ that will try and find a route through this virtual maze.

It is very heavy going, but hopefully I will make further progress soon. I am hoping (I seem to be thinking this a lot today) to have a nice green cube (that is an enemy to me and you) walking around my level in the next few days.

Here is a quick screenshot of the waypoints and node connections.

Have fun…

Matthew.

Arab Binoculars v1

2009-08-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have been working on my Binoculars code in Arab today and think I have got to some sort of conclusion (well, for the time being anyway).

I have written a number of nice routines to give the effect something extra. The Depth of Field effect has been modified to take the actual distance the player is centred on. This is done by shooting a ray from the camera to the scene. When this ray crosses an object i'm grabbing the distance data which is then fed into the DOF effect, plus a smoothing variable, to make the eyes slowly adjust to different distances.

I have also couples the above with a GUI graphic that actually tells the viewer what the distance of an object is. I will eventually use this distance variable, combined with weapons variables, to aid or hinder shooting.

A green colour tint has also been added to the post processing to give the binoculars a night vision effect.

You can play the video below or click on it to go to my YouTube page to view the video larger and in better quality.

Cheers,
Matthew.

Arab Project Overview

2009-08-11T01:56:00.000-07:00

'Arab' has been ported over from Leadwerks to Unity with some additions.

Well, I say it has been ported, that is not actually true, there isn't a single line of the original code. I have completely rewritten the game in C#. The only original pieces of the puzzle are the actual models. These too have be remade into a more gameplay friendly level.

As a lot of the game features will be similar between Arab and Horror, these two projects will run at the same time and as i finish a feature I will add it into the other project as needed.

Anyway, here are a few photos of Arab in it's current state.

Flashlight Video

2009-07-31T13:41:00.000-07:00

Here is the Unity Flashlight Video

Back on this project

2009-07-31T13:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry for my absence, but I'm now back on this project.

I decided to shelve this whilst I immersed myself in Unity scripting. I knew Unity scripting was a new concept to me and i didn't want my lack of knowledge to turn me off this project. It does happen at times when dealing with a large project like this, combined with a new engine. When you start out with a new engine you only code what you need too to get you through the current problem. With the game world being so large, with most of my time being spent in Modo, I wasn't really touching Unity at all - apart from importing the .fbx models.

So i converted an old project, Maelstrom, to Unity. This has been a fantastic experience and 100% coding (all the artwork and models were already made). I took a few weeks to learn all the coding changes (as well as getting a good grounding in C#) but it has been weeks well spent.

So, I'm back in Horror mode and have started writing some of the game logic. I have a flashlight model in the scene now and the code to pick it up and enable it (turn off/on).

I'll try and record a small video of it working and post soon.

Matt.

Section 2 of level 1 underway

2009-05-08T11:43:00.001-07:00

As the title suggests, section 2 of level 1 is underway. Having a few issues getting the lighting levels correct within Modo - still learning about indirect rays and irradiance and how they affect the overall scene brightness. That said, the results are looking nice... i'll try and post some pics tomorrow.

Cheers,
Matthew.

Level Section Complete

2009-04-28T05:57:00.001-07:00

The test section of the level is complete with all the static assets and lighting in place. Baking the lightmaps did take some time but i think you'll agree that the final result is worth the effort. I'm going to start on the second section now so hopefully in a few days the level will have grown somewhat. See below for an ingame still image & playable web version (WASD keys apply as normal).

Ingame shot
WebPlayer
http://www.worldtrip.co.uk/storage/HORRORTEST-WEB.html

Cheers,
Matthew

In the land of the lightmap

2009-04-26T14:39:00.000-07:00

Baking lightmaps, baking more lightmaps and baking still more lightmaps.

That is what i have been doing yesterday, today and probably tomorrow. The actual process is really straight forward within Modo but getting the initial lighting correct, along with the Global Illumination, has been a bit trial and error. This is not due to a failing with Modo, but my lack of understanding when it comes to lighting and rendering. That said, i am pleased with the first run of tests. You can judge for yourself below. If certain objects seem unaffected by the lighting that is because i still have approximately half of the lightmaps to bake.

Unity Shot

Ingame Shot

Cheers,
Matthew.

Entrance - WIP

2009-04-23T07:53:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Well i've been hard at it in Modo since purchasing it and what a great time i am having i can tell you! I knew it was going to be a magnificent 3D package but nowhere near as good as it actually is.

So i've been working on the entry section of level 1 and things are starting to falling into place. I modelled quite a bit of the architecture and am now at the stage where i'm adding finer details and static assets.

Here are a couple of test renders to whet your appetites...

Cheers,
Matthew

Modo -> Unity

2009-04-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

I have started working on an entrance level for this new project. This will probably not make it to the final product, it is more of a learning experience for getting assets from Modo into Unity in a 'it works everytime' format. I thought this was going to be quite tricky as Unity does not yet support Modo natively, like it does 3DS Max and Maya, but it seems the FBX export is very good and the complete model mesh structure came across without any hitches... really nice.

Cheers,
Matthew.

Modo 302

2009-04-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

Well I have finally made the decision on a modeller for my new production pipeline. I have previously been using AC3D for all my modelling and texturing, and whilst it is a fantastic little modeller, I have decided to make the jump to a more advanced pro package. I have trialed most of the major packages and have asked various friends/collegues about their experiences with these and one thing seems to run true with most people... "Go with the package you feel the most comfortable with". A lot of people have raved about 3ds Max, but one look at the UI (user interface) put me straight off! This happened to me on a few occasions whilst trialing. Then I came upon a tutorial for lightmapping and texture baking where the tutor was using Modo and it looked just what i was after (I think the decision was helped by the fact that the tutorial was showing an area of modelling that I would exactly need. So i rushed over to the Luxology website and had my fingers crossed that Modo was not Mac only! and it wasn't!! Happy Days. I've been trialing Modo for about 3 weeks and it is everything i was hoping for in a modeller - feature rich yet with an intuitive UI has helps instead of hinders.

So now i have my new production pipeline:
1. Modo 302 for all modelling/texturing
2. Unity 2.5 (Windows) for actually game development.

Cheers,
Matthew.

A new dawn

2009-04-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

Well, it's a new project with a totally new development pipeline! WOW, i'm so excited!

Why the switch from my current workflow I hear you asking...

One reason and one reason only, production!

Until now I have bounced around a number of different 3D engines for my projects, namely, Dark GDK, Irrlicht and Leadwerks 2. Don't get me wrong, all these (especially Leadwerks) are very competent engines that can produce some truly spectacular eye candy but due to them being firstly graphics engines, albeit with some game engine additions, all the coding was writing in C++. This is fine for a small tech-demo or game, but for an actual project, I don't think it's a feasible option. Over the years I've come very close at times to actually producing a final project, but never quite got there. Coding all the game engine logic, as well as the graphics/sound/textures/models is just too much for a small team or individual. So i've decided to move to a more robust development platform....

Unity 2.5

Unity is truly a marvelous development environment where prototyping takes a matter of days, not weeks or in some cases months! And it has now spread its wings onto PC as well as Mac so everyone is a winner. I'm very excited about this new chapter in my development and will keep you informed as to it's progress.

Cheers,
Matthew.

thePolyPusher

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Beginners Surfacing and Lighting Tutorial

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'The Bathroom' - modo501 architectural visualization tutorial set

Win 1 of 5 free subscriptions to the Tai-Pan Development Set

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2 new IO Development Diary videos

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'IO' Development Diary update

'IO' Development Diary Update

'IO' Development Diary update

'IO' Development Diary update

'IO' Development Diary update

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'IO' Development Diary - Parts 13 - 17a Live

'IO' Development Diary - Parts 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 Live

'IO' Development Diary - Parts 6 & 7 Live

'IO' Development Diary - Parts 4 & 5 Live

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parts 1 – 7 now uploaded to fearedfuturegames.com

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New website to coincide with Cavern Explorer release.

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ProjectX2

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I love eating apples…

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Arab Binoculars v1

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Section 2 of level 1 underway

Level Section Complete

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Modo 302

A new dawn

ProjectX (iPhone) has been completed, I hope