Update on one model:


And a new model, still in the works: (Other older images in dir)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v178/Dimpfinator/TPG-Frigate.jpg

My relatively unfinished version of the new Friggie. 1700 polys, and less after I clean it up a bit.

Johnhawl: I really like that new model! Very badass! I'd love to fly it around in game. Think you could do textures, bump/normal, and illumination maps? I always had a lot more fun modelling when I was into that, but it's the other stuff that really takes the time, which is the primary reason we haven't used any player-made models yet.

...and the reason I haven't made all that many textures, is that my own textures are clearly non-contiguous with those of VO's.

An example:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v178/Dimpfinator/HawkeyeComposite.jpg
Versus:
http://www.vo-wiki.com/wiki/images/archive/a/a1/20050226210644%21%28s%29centaur.jpg

If we were to get some base textures to work with that had the same palette as VO, things would be oh-so-much more simple than fiddling with metal textures to make it look like your own.

John, that's quite a nice model, but do you have a low-poly version? That certainly looks like it would shoot our collective framerates straight down the tubes.

I'm still figuring out the works of blender but I'm working on making the textures, bump/normal and illumination maps as soon as the model is complete. Unfortunately the low poly version looks ugly IMO I can link a version if you want.


Ve:6440 Fa:2487
http://www.holtgraphicarts.com/archive_john/pictures/voimages/Itani%20Ships/Itani_HAC_.jpg for different angles. (older picture)

it still looks ok, but the high poly one does look way way way way better

That's subdivision for you.

real ships have curves

Until VO can render SubSurfs (looks like at least 2nd degree) in real-time, I'd say stick to the low-poly version...

Its actually desirable to have a really high-poly model for "baking" normal-maps. Models with normal maps made this way generally look way better than otherwise; its how most recent game models are made. There are some pretty decent programs for producing a low poly version, though better results can generally be obtained by making a low-poly version from scratch that closely matches the high-poly one.

Harry: I'll talk to John about giving the community some samples to work with.

could some one get me a list of 3d sites that would be great because i have tried wings and had no luck :/

start with www.google.com

a list of 3d sites would be impossible to make. There are too many.

For starters (but I can't promise that these site deal with wings):

Highend3d.com
3d-total.com
cgchannel.com

Reno 911
I am using Blender from http://blender3d.org/cms/Home.2.0.html, free program and has lots of nice functions to work with.

http://www.doga.co.jp/english/index.html

DOGA is a Windows program that allows people to pick from a bunch of pre-made objects and stick 'em together in various shapes. At least, that's what I hear you can do. I think it would be ideal for all the newbs who want to design ships, but lack the time and experience to make something complex in a 'real' modeler.

niiice john hawl

Question for the devs: Would you folks be willing to use real-life models of asteroids ingame? I've been toying around with modeling an asteroid to build a base out of, but have found it's sooo much easier to just use something NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab has put up on their site, etc etc. I've found a number of fairly low poly models on their site, such as this one:

http://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/~ostro/bacchus.obj
with the following search: http://search.jpl.nasa.gov:8080/cgi-bin/htsearch?config=&restrict=&exclude=.raw%
7Cnsconfig&method=and&format=long&sort=score&words=Bacchus
(get rid of the space)
Assuming that you'd be OK with an 'asteroid base' of some sort, let's continue:

However, there may be some legality issues:

based on their image policy on their copyright page:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/policy/index.cfm

"Unless otherwise noted, images and video on JPL public web sites (public sites ending with a jpl.nasa.gov address) may be used for any purpose without prior permission, subject to the special cases noted below. Publishers who wish to have authorization may print this page and retain it for their records; JPL does not issue image permissions on an image by image basis."

Would it be legal to use/modify something like that for VO? Would this fall under 'image'? Or would something on this page ( http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/copyrights.cfm ) be more accurate?

Isn't NASA part of the US Government, in that it is funded by tax revenue? All publications made by the US Government have no copyright protection, and are immediately placed in the public domain. I know for a fact that the videos of the Apollo 11 Moon landing are in the public domain because of that. Of course, the asteroid models may have been "authored" by some third party, who is eligible for copyright protection, and NASA is only distributing the copyrighted material.

FYI everyone, I made a brief overview of how our ship-creation process works, with examples. You can find it here:

http://design.vendetta-online.com/wiki/index.php?title=Creating_Ships

Awesome. Unfortunately, I just got *really* sick yesterday, over the course of feeling fine one hour, and an hour later feeling like ****. I've spent the last 18 hours in bed, so hopefully I'll get better soon... :-/

I'll get to work on stuff again once I get better.