===[TASK]=== Ptolemaic Structures

[Shadosk]

Here is a first try for the library, I used a lot of props from Enrique models.

Polycount around 7100 tris.

Any suggestion?

Edited October 6, 2013 by Shadosk

[Lion.Kanzen]

Wow, I love it. The library is in Greek art or Egyptian?

[Mythos_Ruler]

The Library of Alexandria would have had Greek architecture.

Your Egyptian building is awesome though. Could throw it into the editor as an easter egg building for the Ptolemies.

[Lion.Kanzen]

But we can save for eye candy?

[Mythos_Ruler]

Yeah.

[Ludo38]

Shadosk, beautiful model...

Beau travail l'ami, tu confirmes tout de suite ton talent !

I guess the polygon count would drop by making the most detailed columns (the "Palmiform" ones) a little bit simpler and remove all the model's down side faces, in case you haven't done it yet.

[Shadosk]

Thanks for your feedbacks,

if the library is common with Macedonians, maybe we could use the same model with some adapted props (like statues and trees by example),

the current look of the Macedonian library is pretty similar to the central buiding of Alexandria library.

for now before restarting this model I propose to work on the blacksmith structure (in a similar style than houses and farms), if nobody currently work on it.

[Lion.Kanzen]

do it different, you are good show us that. the last model was great.

Edited October 7, 2013 by Lion.Kanzen

[Enrique]

Hey Shadosk,

That's an awesome design! I like it

I'd say to add it as is to the game as a decorative building, and maybe we can make use of it in the future. You can zip the file and post it here and I'll add it to the game or, if you prefer, wait until I finish some changes I'm making to the texture to add some column variations. (adding two new capitels and a painted column variation for the temple).

Please, be my guest to start working on the blacksmith. My guidelines will be that it must be a functional-looking structure (almost no decoration, like the houses), and following the "L" shape that the blacksmiths currenlty have. We use blender empties (We call them prop-points) to add things like fire, smoke... etc

Good work so far! keep it up!

[Heinrich]

Wow, looks sexy

[Enrique]

Temple and farmstead based on Lordgood's concept commited. Buildings now have normal and specular maps.

[LordGood]

Sweet! Looks awesome Enrique! Those temple textures look extremely busy though, and I'm not sure I buy having the top side bricks be a lighter color than those on the side. ( I would assume the tops of structures would be bleached from the sun more so than the sides)

this could just be me being nitpicky though

probably is

Still looks awesome

[Enrique]

Thanks.

Egyptian ceremonial buildings were extremely decorated. Example

The brownish texture color was choosen to break the overall yellow tone. The buildings are supposed to be recently constructed, we should avoid depicting the buildings looking erosioned/bleached as they might look nowadays.

[LordGood]

What are these tall structures?!

pew pew... pew pew

pfff who needs props anyways?

Ptolemy skinny arrow shooty building!

I totally see what you mean now Enrique, that yellow can be tough to break down

should have put that border thing around the corners, maybe.

I dunno, I'm tired

been modelling all day xP

Time flies in blender eh?

Ptol_tower.zip

[Enrique]

Great!, that design is good. I'll add it as well as the temple when I get home ^^

[serveurix]

Those buildings are superb ! Ptolemies are going to be the most beautiful civ of the game.

The fact that the temple is all open kinda bugs me, where are the priests supposed to come from ?

[WhiteTreePaladin]

I agree, the open temple isn't what I expected either. Might want to reconsider? I also think I like these buildings better than the other civs' buildings. Maybe it's all the nice colors.

[Mythos_Ruler]

Those buildings are superb ! Ptolemies are going to be the most beautiful civ of the game. The fact that the temple is all open kinda bugs me, where are the priests supposed to come from ?

I agree, the open temple isn't what I expected either. Might want to reconsider? I also think I like these buildings better than the other civs' buildings. Maybe it's all the nice colors.

Considering priests just pop up out of nowhere from every other temple, I don't think it's an issue here.

[Enrique]

Two new added! I just fixed some UV stretching here and there. I really like the tower design. Good work!

[LordGood]

lol that UV stretching gets me every time i make complex Ngons xP

Thanks!

I have another video! wee!

[Yves]

Awesome models guys and I enjoy watching the sketching and modelling process!

I think the video would benefit from a little higher resolution.

I have to agree with WhiteTreePaladin about the temple. For me it looks more like a shrine (or something smaller) than a temple.

Did you model it based on a reference image?

[Enrique]

Awesome models guys and I enjoy watching the sketching and modelling process!

I think the video would benefit from a little higher resolution.

I have to agree with WhiteTreePaladin about the temple. For me it looks more like a shrine (or something smaller) than a temple.

Did you model it based on a reference image?

It has sightly bigger footprint than the persian temple.

Here are some references:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Philae,_Trajan's_Kiosk,_Aswan,_Egypt,_Oct_2004.jpg

http://cdn2.vtourist.com/4/5090784-Trajans_Kiosk_Philae.jpg

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4025/4677163356_d84422f60f_o.jpg

Cool vid Lordgood!

Some tips for UV mapping:

- Always use Ctrl+A - Apply Scale before unwrapping.

- For squared objects (almost every building) is better to choose the "conformal" method to unwrap instead of "angle based" (on the tool shelf on the left of the viewport at the bottom after unwrapping)

- Try to scale the UV islands in the X and Y at the same time. The less scaled in only one axis (stretched), the better.

- Use the mirror modifier whenever possible (specially on symmetric structures). It's a huge time saver (less time modelling, less time unwrapping)

- I try to avoid Ngons as much as possible, they tend to distort the textures, but this is more a personal preference

[LordGood]

Thanks Enrique! That should help me out a lot
I'm not sure I can (or should) change video capture resolution or compression rate. These long videos take up a lot of room as is. I just don't have adequate storage for a high quality capture at such a length.

Enrique, I played the ptolemies on SVN and I think one of the issues with the temple that is present in many others is the lack of a nice thick foundation. That might just help it make more sense structurally without having to revamp it, it does look a little odd to see an open, heavy structure like this without something raising it out of the sand when the other temples (Rome, Cart, Pers, Maur) do

But that's just a suggestion, that could have made no sense whatsoever

Taking a closer look at those columns, the way you mapped them is just top notch

Also! I was wondering if we should have an edited Hellenistic/Roman texture set to use with the Ptolemies. The color scheme of the Egyptian buildings doesn't seem to like the Peloponnese textures. Maybe warmer colors and filters and all that stuff i don't understand yet

[Lion.Kanzen]

I agree with you, is weird have both types and that textures. Only need colorized in yellow right?

[LordGood]

I would hope so, just so that it looks like local stone was used for both buildings. I feel like this is a contributing factor as to why there are so few hellenized ptolemaic buildings modeled thus far

I feel like the library and military settlement will particularly be a breeze if that's implemented. Marble library stands out a little much amongst these yellow buildings