I have been given the task of creating a 3d dumpster model for a 3rd person action adventure game set in the grimy streets of a modern metropolis. The technical specifications required me to work in Centimetres so I went into 3ds Max set the Unit Scale to Metric 'Centimeters'. The model had to be within 650 triangles and the texture was to be 1024x1024.
To proceed with this task I first went outside to find a dumpster to use as my reference. I took some photographs using my smartphone and jotted down some approximate measurements.
Reference Photographs
Modelling the Dumpster
My first step was to create a box with the correct measurements in as the width height and depth.
Used the Bevel tool to hollow out the box.
I used the connect edges to divide the lid into sections to allow me to reshape the top side.
I created the wheels by making a Cyclinder and a Box, I used the Bevel tool to shape the box into a wheel connector. I was able to delete the hidden polygons on the Cylinder that were covered up to save on the polygon count.
After the wheel was created I was able to move the pivot to the top of the wheel and then position it at the same height as the base of the bin by copying the Z co-ordinates over.
Cloned the wheels to make additional wheels.
I created the handles on the sides out of a box and using the Bevel tool.
Then I used the Mirror tool.
Once the handle was positioned correctly, I set the pivot to 0,0,0 and mirrored it to create the opposite handle.
Texturing and Texture Creation
UVW Unwrapping.
I rendered the texture for use in Photoshop later to allow me to create the texture.
Next I wanted to create an Ambient Occlusion map to add shadows to the texture. I searched for how to bake ambient occlusion on Google to remind myself how it was done.
I set the Renderer to use Mental Ray and under the Output I set it to create Ambient Occlusions with 1024x1024 dimensions.
I had to combine the two textures into one using Photoshop, then saved them in the Texture file keeping them on a separate layer and setting it to Multiply.
I copied parts of the reference photos into Photoshop and edited them to fit the textures.
Copying the texture into another document, I was able to create a specular map by desaturating the image and then changing the lightness of different parts.
I created a bump map bitmap image by copying the texture and desaturating it, adjusting the brightness for where the bumps need to occur.
I think the strengths of my Dumpster model are: that the model looks realistic in shape and it's texturing. The dimensions are approximate to the real thing and it is within the polygon limits set by the brief.
The weaknesses for the model: the textures on the wheels aren't perfectly round, I could have made them more realistic by taking more reference photographs of the wheels. The bump map could have been better if I spent a bit more time on it.
Sketching human form in line and circle, rapid drawing
Today's class with Tony was an essential sketching, human form (lines and circles). The class were seated in a circle around the model and we were given a 10 minute time limit to draw in each seat before we had to change to the next seat around the room. We had to overlay each image on the paper with the idea of creating a dynamic scene with figures interacting.
I think that this drawing went well, to begin we were instructed to draw shapes for each body part and that was so that we could get the correct proportions and positions for each limb; allowing us to get the correct posture and scale for things. The image was then coloured in using pastels, I went for a brown on the people to the right so that they would look like tribes people and then to the left I used fiery colours; from yellow to a bit of red, giving it the impression of there being a fire next to the people. Overall I feel that the technique used to draw is effective because it allows me to get things to the correct scale and positioning.
In this blog post I will be comparing a game from the 70s called Combat (Atari, 1977) with another game more recently released within the last five years known as World of Tanks (Wargaming.net, 2010). Combat was a simple game created by Atari; released with the Atari 2600 console. In this game you had 2 players and the aim was to kill the other player to score points. Both players would either be a Tank, Biplane or a Jet and you could shoot your weapon at the other player. The game featured different screen arrangements for the players to move about in and the players had different abilities depending on which screen arrangement; such as the ability to curve bullets by rotating the tank, ricochet bullets off walls and an invisible tank mode where the tanks are invisible except momentarily after they shoot. In the aircraft vehicle you could shoot off of the side of the screen and it would continue on to the other side of the screen allowing you to catch your opponent off guard!
Combat gameplay video
World of Tanks is a free multiplayer online game created by Wargaming.net and self published online through the Internet. This online game was first released in 2010 for PC and focused on player vs player combat in randomly selected teams. The game has premium features that you can pay for which generate revenue for its developers whilst improving the gameplay for the player. In World of Tanks you take control of a tank or an armoured vehicle and the aim is to defeat the opposing team by either eliminating them, capturing or defending bases.
28 minute World of Tanks gameplay video with commentary
Just like in Atari's Combat, World of Tanks features different game modes. In World of Tanks there are 3 random game types: Assault mode; two teams, one plays defensively protecting their base from the other team while they attempt to capture it, Encounter Battle mode; also has two teams but they both have to capture the neutral base located between the two teams, Standard Battle mode; again two opposing teams but each one has to capture the other team base while preventing their own from being captured. Each game mode changes the strategy needed to win the game, however, defeating all opposing players always defaults in winning. In Atari's Combat, the game would finish and restart a new one after the time limit was reached. World of Tanks also has game time limits, ranging from 10-15 minutes, depending on which battle mode is selected. Also it is possible to tie in some scenarios if nobody clearly wins.
At the end of a game every player is presented with a results screen that tells them if they win/lose or draw, how much experience and credits they earned, their ranking and a medal. This is different to Atari's Combat where the scores would begin to flash and it would simply start a new game. This is a more rewarding advancement to the player; to show them their achievements on screen as it gives them a sense of accomplishment.
Victory screen
The idea of earning medals as achievements in World of Tanks is similar to the Trophies that you could earn in Smash Bros Melee (Nintendo, 1999) on the Nintendo 64 console.
Super Smash Bros. Trophies
Instead of changing the vehicles and game behavior at set times like in Combat; World of Tanks allows each player to choose their vehicle before starting a game session and it even allows them to pick which game types they are interested in playing. In the World of Tanks game garage interface you can select different kinds of vehicles ranging from light tanks to heavy tanks, upgrade modules, make repairs and buy new things. The vehicles have many different modules which can be upgraded such as the Gun, the Turret, the Suspension, the Engine and the Radio. The player must also select which type of ammunition they will use allowing them to upgrade their damage potential. These are all new advancements when comparing it to Combat.
The Garage Interface
The Garage interface was previously seen in games such as the MechWarrior series created by Activision, Ltd. In the first version of the game, there was the option to repair, reload and sell mechs but there was no customisation option.
MechWarrior (Activision, 1989)
MechWarrior 2 (Activision, 1997)
In MechWarrior 3 the player was able to customise the battle mechs by changing the components such as weapons, ammunition, equipment and armour.
MechWarrior 3 (Hasbro Interactive, 1999)
Like in Combat; a World of Tanks player is able to aim their attacks to direct where their missiles will go. Players must use the mouse to aim an on screen Reticle before firing; just like in a first person shooter game. In Combat the players can curve their missiles by rotating their tank; the missiles are influenced by the rotational movements made by the player allowing them to shoot around the barriers. The Interface in Combat is very simple when compared to World of Tanks. The latter has a busier interface; it has new additions such as a mini map, selected weapon shells, health bars and team status bars for both player teams. There is a timer in the top right corner to show the player how much time they have got, a scoreboard, a reticle for aiming and even a chat system for writing messages to other players.
World of Tanks User Interface
One of the first video games to have a minimap was Defender (Williams Electronics, 1980), there was also Battlezone (Atari, 1980) which had 3D graphics and a minimap. The use of minimaps has become an important feature in most RTS and FPS type games; they can be used to show enemies, allies and waypoints, etc.
Defender (1980) featured a minimap at the top of the screen
When aiming your weapon the screen changes into a first person view with a crosshair for allowing you to control where missiles are fired.
Heads Up Display
World of Tanks has a statistics screen to allow the player to view their lifetime score with each playable vehicle, any medals they may have earned, total game experience points and their percentage of total victories. The statistics are like a scoring system which can be a bragging right for example if the player has the highest percentage of winning or the most games played. The statistics are an improvement on classic Combat scoring system which resulted in either a win or loss and then it was forgotten.
Statistics screen
The characters in World of Tanks are all machines of war; Tanks and armoured vehicles. In Combat the players do not get to choose what character they play as because they are given a set game mode which changes each time between the Tanks, Biplanes or Jets.
Combat Tanks
The gameplay in Combat is slow paced, the players are able to plan their attacks by positioning their character and depending on the game mode; they are able to either bounce bullets, steer bullets or shoot the side of the screen and hit the player at the other side of the screen. In World of Tanks the player has vehicles with guns and multiple types of shells to use in their weapon; these can be switched while playing. World of Tanks combat is real time and the player does not have to face the enemy head on to shoot at them. Scoring in Combat was all about killing the other player as many times as the player could. In World of Tanks you have to work as a team killing enemy players and capturing or defending the base. Each game will add Experience points and Currency to your account which both allow you to improve your gameplay as you play more and more games; these could also be counted as being a score. The game records the players victories and losses for showing on the Statistics screen; the statistics are counted as being a score to compare with other players on the game leaderboard. The element of Experience points comes from role playing games where the characters would win battles and earn points to eventually increase their level; building up their strength and abilities. One of the earliest games which had Experience points was Dungeons & Dragons. Premium Features are something that is fairly new to the gaming scene; the idea is that a game can be released for free and still make money is becoming more and more popular with developers. Players can pay for certain features or privileges within a game and the developer can add more premium features to existing games to increase revenue without having to make new games. Paid for features can be aesthetic changes or they can often be made to make players stronger to increase the likely hood of people paying. Some games add new levels or allow the player to progress quicker with premium bonus boosts. World of Tanks allows players to buy an in-game Gold currency which then allows the player to buy premium shells and other premium content. The Gold currency can also be used to upgrade the player account in to a Premium Account. The selling point for a Premium Account is that it boosts the amount of credits and experience gained with each battle. Research Points are a form of points that World of Tanks players aim to gather; these points allow the player to unlock new equipment or unlock new Tanks; depending on whether the points are free tank RP or tank RP. The player automatically gains Research Points whenever Experience points are gained. In World of Tanks you have to equip characters known as crew members such as a Commander, Gunner, Loader, Radio operator and a Driver. The crew members have their own stats, abilities and experience points which can be improved through training. The interesting feature about the crew members is that they can be injured; causing an effect on the vehicle being controlled by the player. It is possible to make a player knocked out the game if all of his crew are incapacitated. If a crew member is injured the player must use a First Aid consumable. Consumable items are an extra item which the player can use to repair, increase skills, distinguish fires, or increase movement speed. There are some premium consumables which have greater effects but cost Gold to buy. The most obvious difference between the games are the graphics; one of the first ever 3D games to feature simple 3D vector graphics with Tanks was Battlezone (Atari, 1980). Computers got more and more advanced the graphics improved soon after with DirectX and dedicated GPUs.
