===[TASK]=== Destruction and foundation meshes

[Nescio]

The destruction and foundation visual actors often do not match the sizes of their corresponding structures. E.g. the Persian, Ptolemaic, and Punic wonders all use a 8x8 although respectively 12x12, 9x12, and 6x12 would better match their footprints, obstruction, and visual actor sizes.

It would be nice if someone could create visual actors for more different sizes. Here is a list of nice to have and existing sizes:

art/actors/structures/destruct_stone_* [currently 8]

1x1, 1x2, 1x3, 1x4, 1x5, 1x6,
2x1, 2x2, 2x3, 2x4, 2x5, 2x6,
3x1, 3x2, 3x3, 3x4, 3x4, 3x6,
4x1, 4x2, 4x3, 4x4, 4x5, 4x6,
5x1, 5x2, 5x3, 5x4, 5x5, 5x6,
6x1, 6x2, 6x3, 6x4, 6x5, 6x6,

8x4, 8x6, 8x8, 8x10,

4x12, 5x12, 6x12, 7x12, 8x12, 9x12, 10x12, 11x12, 12x12.

art/actors/structures/fndn_* [currently 12]

1x1, 1x2, 1x3, 1x4, 1x5, 1x6,
2x1, 2x2, 2x3, 2x4, 2x5, 2x6,
3x1, 3x2, 3x3, 3x4, 3x4, 3x6,
4x1, 4x2, 4x3, 4x4, 4x5, 4x6,
5x1, 5x2, 5x3, 5x4, 5x5, 5x6,
6x1, 6x2, 6x3, 6x4, 6x5, 6x6,

8x4, 8x6, 8x8, 8x10,

4x12, 5x12, 6x12, 7x12, 8x12, 9x12, 10x12, 11x12, 12x12.

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

Thanks for bringing this up. That's 98 destructs and foundations, a big task, but minus 20, for 78 total new meshes/actors. Again, a tall order, but I think once someone has done a few, they'll get an efficient workflow going and bang out the last three quarters rather quickly. Don't forget the game needs more scaffolds too, but those can be rather modular and easy to put together once the individual props are built.

Just need a new artist to come along, as the current ones are rather busy: @LordGood is on buildings [workshops, stables, ranges], @stanislas69 is working on getting the new horses integrated into the actors and reviewing other artists' work and looking to improve props, like helmets and weapons, while @Alexandermb is working on animations. I am just a hanger 'round making new unit portraits for cavalry based on Alexander's new horse and I have meager Blender skillz. This foundations/destruct modeling task would be a good one for a bounty, since it's so large but tedious. @Itms

Edited December 28, 2017 by wowgetoffyourcellphone

[av93]

Well, if the art team is busy, it's a good thing: somebody it's working! Don't remember so productivity in much time

[Stan`]

On topic. Making foundations is rather easy.

Commands you need to know in blender:

- Creating a simple triangle

- Creating empties 

- Object renaming

- Object rotation y a precise angle

- Object rotation

- Object displacement

- Object parenting.

Things you need to know in 0 A.D. 

- Creating actors 

- Using props

The ground work was done when Enrique eventually committed my drop prop foundations.

Boxes barrels delimitators brick brick piles planks tools all are available as props in the game.

One needs to create a scene with at least a triangle and four empties rotated respectively by 0 90 180 270 degrees and called prop_delimitator_0X where x is the the number of the mesh.

Then parent them to the triangle that has to be below ground. (to make an actor one needs at least one triangle)

Then if the mesh needs more props just create as many empties and name according to the mesh that should replace them.

Then create the actor. Take example on the other foundations and on the farm fields.

For the texture use a small one but whichever you want cause it won't be seen anyway.

Note : the min height and Max height allow props to adapt to the terrain.

History note : Historically the game had it's props separated from the main building structs. If it's done correctly every struct could reuse the same props allowing for optimisations. Only drawback is Ambient occlusion. Big advantage graphical updates are way easier. Change one mesh update the whole game. 

Decals for foundations are easy to make. Take a plane and scale it to the size you want then export it. Don't forget to apply the scale (Ctrl + a )

Off topic Yeah it seems the artistic department allowed for more outside contributions and still keeping things moving from the inside. (There is still a lot of unused stuff on the forums)

I hope you'll all like the new alpha. And that it won't be too hard on your Pcs.

On topic

Destructions are harder to make though we could have different sizes for that black thing that pops up when building are destroyed and then add props on top of it when they are done.

One thing that could be done by anybody is for each of those foundation actors creating a simple grid for instance 2x6 and then placing the props points marked as cross on them.

If you have a programmer friend that has nothing to do I guess a little program could be written that places empties at the given positions and then generate a dae file. (too bad I don't have time)

 

[Nescio]

@Stan`, over a year ago you redid the foundation actors ( https://trac.wildfiregames.com/changeset/22239/ ), so now many more are available (thanks again!):

1x1, 1x2, 1x3
2x1, 2x2, 2x3, 2x4, 2x5, 2x6, 2x7, 2x8, 9x9
3x1, 3x2, 3x3, 3x4, 3x5, 3x6, 3x7, 3x8, 9x9
     4x2, 4x3, 4x4, 4x5, 4x6, 4x7, 4x8, 9x9
     5x2, 5x3, 5x4, 5x5, 5x6, 5x7, 5x8, 9x9
     6x2, 6x3, 6x4, 6x5, 6x6, 6x7, 6x8, 9x9
     7x2, 7x3, 7x4, 7x5, 7x6, 7x7, 7x8, 9x9
     8x2, 8x3, 8x4, 8x5, 8x6, 8x7, 8x8, 9x9
     9x2, 9x3, 9x4, 9x5, 9x6, 9x7, 9x8, 9x9

A 10x12 was added later, for the Mausōleion ( https://trac.wildfiregames.com/changeset/23577/ ); other wonders don't have matching foundations, though that's not really important, I suppose, since they're not built that often.

However, palisades, low stone walls, and fences are much narrower than city walls, therefore it would be great if you could add the following sizes:

1x4, 1x5, 1x6, 1x7, 1x8, 1x9
4x1, 5x1, 6x1, 7x1, 8x1, 9x1

which would be quite useful for mods, especially if and when longer palisades are added ( https://wildfiregames.com/forum/topic/28064-request-longer-palisades/ ).