0.5x Poly Counts?

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RUNLEVELFIVE
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0.5x Poly Counts?

Post by RUNLEVELFIVE »

Is there a master list in the forums for polycount guidelines.
jackS
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Post by jackS »

not really -- the less-than-entirely-useful answer is something along the lines of:

Make a good looking model
Use LODs as necessary/reasonable to produce a range of viable polygon counts
If top LOD has too high a poly count for performance on current generation of cards, we can use the next one down until such a time comes that the performance is no longer an issue, but we'd still like to have the higher-poly art (because step one is "make a good looking model")

Units that there will be few of at the same time can clearly have a higher budget than those there will be many of. Use your discretion -- if you produce something with an excessive polycount, you'll need to make some more LODs.

Texture size and quality are generally proving to be bigger concerns than polygon counts. If you're looking to model large objects, please be aware of the multi-mesh and subunit possibilities for creating aggregate objects, so that you can take advantage of symmetry and repeated subunits to do independent LODing, and have a smaller in-game-area/texture-pixel properties. As some of the capital vessels and many of the stations in VS can be multiple kilometers in one or more dimensions, the in-game-area/texture pixel granularity issue can become quite noticeable.
RUNLEVELFIVE
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model multi-mesh and sub-units and scales

Post by RUNLEVELFIVE »

I would like to texture up soem of the larger craft in VS. Is there a tutorial on making Multi- mesh or sub unit models? is this the same for large stations etc?

BTW. is there a scale guide for craft / stations / bases i noticed they range from moped's to the size of texas!! :D and the large one seam bigger than the mining bases? I think scale is really important. so it might help to have some form of scale chart or .svg that ppl can ref.

Thanks!

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Post by ace123 »

We actually have some scale charts (maybe they are slightly out of date)--look in the documentation folder.
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Re: model multi-mesh and sub-units and scales

Post by pyramid »

Go to your data/documentation dir in 0.5.0 release or svn. There are "VesselSC*" files with scales.
jackS
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Re: model multi-mesh and sub-units and scales

Post by jackS »

RUNLEVELFIVE wrote:I would like to texture up soem of the larger craft in VS. Is there a tutorial on making Multi- mesh or sub unit models? is this the same for large stations etc?
There is no current tutorial for doing large craft/stations. If you document your experiences, I'm sure we can come up with one ;-)

Multi-mesh is the simplest -- crack open the Clydesdale model, and you'll see it's actually composed of 3 meshes, each with their own independent LODs. (gluing together multiple meshes is what the append function in mesher is for). There (unfortunately) aren't any current examples of using subunit techniques for artistic (rather than gameplay) purposes. IIRC there's a .accessory naming convention that can be used for disabled-AI subunits, and would be most appropriate for art-fulfilling subunit based designs. If you're looking for a simple example of "subunit-as-part-of-model" (although the aesthetics aren't profound) take a look at the Dodo and its cargo module (the cargo module is a subunit).



Multi-mesh is pretty intuitive. As for the subunit approach, there are 2 aspects. One is building up a library of repeatedly used objects (cargo containers, pipes, docking apparatus, assorted surface features, observation lounges, etc.) and then applying them as extra detail to a large object, thus allowing for locally crisp features on something itself too large to have a single texture do all of the required detailing. The other is making (destroyable/damageable) pieces of a given particular large object, or primary module (if, for example, you want to go toward a modular station-building approach). When first fiddling with the subunit approach, it may be reasonable to start the learning process for applying subunits with simpler geometries/preliminary art until such a time as it's clear what is and is not a practical usage pattern :-/
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