Request: Modeling

[Mythos_Ruler]

Hey guys. I was wondering if anyone would like to try their hand at modeling some trees for me. What I need is about 4 or 5 variations of the Acacia tree. It is the typical tree found on the African Savanna.

http://www.allaboutwildlife.com/wp-content...phantAcacia.jpg

Keep it less than 300 vertices per tree. Textures can be up to 128x128 for the leaves and maybe 64x128 for the wood (or 256x256 if you want to include both in the same texture and maybe have some variation in the texture). I am willing to collaborate on this by making textures if you want.

So, any takers? This tree will go in the next Alpha release.

[Pureon]

Shouldn't be too difficult for someone to edit some of the existing tree models into Acacia trees. You would need the original Max models for them though, I think. Unfortunately I don't have Max so cannot do that myself. Pity Blender isn't more compatible with 0AD, especially since it's opensource and quite popular now.

I look forward to seeing Acacias in your next map Mythos_Ruler

[Mythos_Ruler]

The collada files should be importable into Blender. Have you tried? I might just install Blender to try it out myself. Most of the collada files seem to import just fine into Max.

[WhiteTreePaladin]

Just so you know, Blender is going through some dramatic changes right now. The new version (2.5 dev version on way to 2.6 final) is very different from the 2.4 series, but it's not stable yet.

[jesus]

i modeled this

https://sites.google.com/site/pr152810/Home/acacia.3ds

it have not textures and have 210 verts and 250 faces.

Do it help?

[Mythos_Ruler]

Not bad, but see if you can do multiple "layers" of leaves so that the different layers can cast shadows on each other. I especially like the trunk and branches, very nice.

[Shield Bearer]

hahah! awesome dude! i didn't want to do it, coz i kind hate modeling trees but u pulled it of great! keep it up!

[Pureon]

Awesome start! Well done Jesus!

The collada files should be importable into Blender. Have you tried? I might just install Blender to try it out myself. Most of the collada files seem to import just fine into Max.

I'll try it tonight, if I find the collada files that is. I'm quite comfortable with Blender's 2.4 series, but have limited experience with 2.5+ because the Python API was refactored.

[Mythos_Ruler]

\binaries\data\mods\public\art\meshes\*folder*

[Mythos_Ruler]

The optimal thing to do is to create 3 or 4 trunk shapes and 3 or 4 canopy shapes that are interchangeable. We can then randomize these in the actors. That's what we do with the oaks and (a better example) carobs.

[Pureon]

So you can bring the canopy and trunk together in the actor editor, that's very cool. If you haven't tried already yourself, the dae files open in Blender 2.49, not sure in latest stable version. Mesh and UV are fine.

Should the canopy for the Acacia work the same way as the other trees? The alpha channel in the texture creates the leaves, while the mesh itself is made up of large polygons.

[Mythos_Ruler]

Yes, that would be ideal in order to match the look of the other trees. The pine trees are ugly though, so they aren't a good example. hehe

You can look at the wire frames of everything in the Atlas Editor either through the Hacks->Wireframe option or through the Actor Viewer option at the bottom of the objects list.

[Pureon]

Unfortunately the Atlas editor stopped working for me about a month ago - maybe the next update will fix it.

Thanks for the useful info, as always!

[plumo]

Not to be negative, but I dont get it. Serengeti, giraffes, ...

Isnt this game supposed to portray lanscapes around the mediterranean?

Not that the map is not good on the contrary

Edited September 22, 2010 by plumo

[Shield Bearer]

Not really. The game isn't only abt the Greeks, Romans, Celts and Iberians. Persians and Carthaginians are also in it. So it'll have the entire Roman empire if i'm not mistaken... from North Africa to Modern day Iraq and the Mediterranean.

[SMST]

Northern Africa is not much of a savannah, especially not in the ancient Period.

But the setting allows for awesome Zulu or Ethiopian mod factions. So I am very happy to have this.

Btw is there any possibility to get some additional biomes (or factions, for that matter) in future alpha releases?

Edited September 22, 2010 by SMST

[plumo]

Im almost certain no Roman set foot in the Serengeti, ever .

But the biome can be used for middle eastern dryland, if we get rid of the tourist attraction wildlife.

[WhiteTreePaladin]

Btw is there any possibility to get some additional biomes (or factions, for that matter) in future alpha releases?

Things are always possible...

[Mythos_Ruler]

The biome is not "serengeti" the biome is "savanna" which is a terrain type that exists and existed in multiple areas of the world, not just in East Africa. For instance, the area near Carthage buffeted by the Atlas Mountains would have been similar to a Savanna biome. Savannas in the old world are in retreat due to desertification, so were much widely spread in ancient times. The Upper Nile, for instance, would have had a Savanna biome as would have various Middle Eastern areas.

[SMST]

Forgive me if I am wrong, but from various stuff I read throughout my phase of interest for ancient civilisations, I've always thought that Northern Africa was much more like the European Mediterranean in respect of climate and specifically much more wooded, before the desertification you mentioned took place and shifted it into the desert/semi-desert of our days.

[Mythos_Ruler]

Does it really matter? Wouldn't you like more assets to play with?

Edited September 22, 2010 by Mythos_Ruler

[SMST]

Don't get me wrong. I said it before, I am very delighted that you include such a great variety of biomes.

[Pureon]

@jesus, are you able to work on the Acacia's canopy?

[buggy123]

im gonna give this a go

[Mythos_Ruler]

Check out how other games do it. They use layers of planes to give some self-shadowing effect.