Base Backgrounds

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 10:48 am

Okay. Changing the wallpaper will just require hiring some workmen.

Will change it and probably lower the lights a bit.

Here're are some things I've been working on. Rlaan bases. Down't look to Rlaanish now. And the buildings are floating, because of a misplaced Rlaan elbow on an antigrav button.

Will work with this more in the future.

@klauss: are there no instructions in the wiki? I don't know python, soo... Can you give me a sample with just one image this weekend, or next week? or whenever you can?

I'll try to look at the .py today when I get home.

Halleck · Post by **Halleck** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 10:59 am

Hey, that's pretty good!

You might consider adding a central starfish-type structure... there used to be a starfish-shaped rlaan ship in old, old versions of VS but AFAIK it got taken out and never really replaced with anything. It could make a comeback here.

Old pics: front, back.

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 11:04 am

heh. Those were actually just posted to show that I've been doing something.

The fins are already exported in .3ds, so I can use them anywhere. Will make something starfishy if I could get enough time to sit down and really model.

As of now, I still ahve problems creating believable ground textures.

Hehe. Will create more accurate bases when I learn more on the Rlaans.

Halleck · Post by **Halleck** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 6:19 pm

You might have more success making realistic ground if you use bump maps and/or more detailed ground geometry.

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Mon May 01, 2006 9:33 am

umm. I'm using bump maps already. Even adding noise, etc.
Dont' worry. I'll really try and get it to be more realistic in the future... even if I have to dump some topsoil form our yard on my screen.

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Wed May 03, 2006 7:16 am

Found the HowTo on Base Backgrounds.

Will try to make sense out of it...

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Sat May 06, 2006 7:03 am

Tried a gas giant generic base.

Soooo......

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j200/ ... epot04.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j200/ ... epot04.jpg

Kangaroo · Post by **Kangaroo** » Sat May 06, 2006 7:09 am

Not bad! You must remember that gas giants have a great ammount of gravity, so probably small pipes and stuff like that will be no good. The structure is supposed to be floating, right?

I think that it would make sense if the shipw would land on a platform that is on an orbit close to the planet as it would be hard to land on a gas giant.

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Sat May 06, 2006 7:20 am

uhuh. it's floating.

you CAN'T land on a gas giant, incidentally. You'd probably swim several thousand kilometers of gas, then liquid, and the hot core will melt you even if you reach it's surface.

And yeah, I know of the gravity of gas giants.

But I like stations with lots of little tuby stuff. soo...

maybe, I can find an excuse...

let's see...

Yeah! It's orbiting, but you can't access it by flying because nobody modeled it yet. hehe. And it has a helluva lot of thrusters. Or somebody invented antigrav.

Or they put the shield technology to other uses (like deflecting gravitation, if that's possible, haha). I'll finish it if I still feel like it, then I'll see how it would fit inside a gas giant.

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Tue May 09, 2006 11:19 am

New Generic Base Background.

Possibly for Biorich. Or just for plain uninhabited planets.

Now could someone show me how to replace the current generic images?
I mean:

1.How do I add the image of the player's ship so that it would look right.

2. How do you add the buttons for the BBS/Repair/News Screen. Plus the Launch button.

3. And where is the generator that ensures that a planet type will get the correct base image? How do you add these?

Day:

Sunset 1:

Sunset 2:

Night:

Full resolutions images: (2731x2048):

http://www.deeplayer.com/Oblivion/01GenericDay.jpg
http://www.deeplayer.com/Oblivion/01GenericSunsetB.jpg
http://www.deeplayer.com/Oblivion/01GenericSunsetA.jpg
http://www.deeplayer.com/Oblivion/01GenericNight.jpg

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Tue May 09, 2006 11:52 am

Very unique looking.
I know this wasn't your intention, but it was my first perception, and got my creative juices stirred up: At first sight it looks like the mountain itself was turned into a large building, city or arcology. Never seen such an idea in fiction and I wonder why. Makes sense to me that some planets wouldn't support a breathing atmosphere, and rather than gigantic and fragile glass bubbles commonly depicted, it would make more sense human habitats would be carved out from the terrain, and would feature normal size windows, lit up from the inside at night...

Your links didn't work. Here they are:

http://www.deeplayer.com/Oblivion/01Gen ... ricDay.jpg
http://www.deeplayer.com/Oblivion/01Gen ... unsetB.jpg
http://www.deeplayer.com/Oblivion/01Gen ... unsetA.jpg
http://www.deeplayer.com/Oblivion/01Gen ... cNight.jpg

Sorry I can't help with the other questions.

Post by **dandandaman** » Tue May 09, 2006 2:20 pm

Oblivion wrote: Now could someone show me how to replace the current generic images?
I mean:

1.How do I add the image of the player's ship so that it would look right.

2. How do you add the buttons for the BBS/Repair/News Screen. Plus the Launch button.

3. And where is the generator that ensures that a planet type will get the correct base image? How do you add these?

Can't answer any of those off the top of my head, but ping me again closer to the weekend and I'll give it a shot at finding out

Dan

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Thu May 11, 2006 11:20 am

Thanks chuck. I'm still getting to know the world of "INTERNET" sharing. lol. I've got new base backgrounds suitable for possibly a Merchant cargo drop-off/loading point. I'll show them later when I've uploaded them all. And I'd also like to offer the generic base replacements for download. How do I do that? They're zipped/rarred already. But I'm not sure how anyone can download them

BTW: The cliff base you mention ARE accidental

. Hehe. But, you're right, they do look like underground bases at night. And, they could be, if someone can add a link up there ( a concourse on a cliff face. cool

) They are actually the result of my mixing metal textures along with the organic ones when making the perlin marble map for the terrain.

Anyway, here's the screenshots of the generic bases ingame. I've tested them on my own and they work.

But the ship orientation, the freakin' BBS holo, and the lighting still looks off. Anyone know how to change that? Feel free to tinker with the files.

Sunset:

Night:

Day:

@dan:
I've managed to change the .spr from previous discussions. However, I still have no idea how to make these bases specific for a certain planet type (this here's a rocky? planet). I know it has to do with the makeplanet functions in the .py's in the bases folder. but can't find explanations for it.

And I'd like to know how to make animated bases (like the carribean base?), so future bases will look prettier.

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Thu May 11, 2006 12:07 pm

Here is the link to the files needed to have these images in your game:

EDIT: Damn! Doesn't work! Sorry guys.

I'll try to post this in a new thread.

EDIT again: Sorry, Can't seem to upload attachments in artworks forum. I've uploaded them in the future dev thread:
link:
http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/forum ... php?t=6851And. Rename the file from .doc to .zip
Had to do that since BBcode has a limit of 1 mb for zipped files. And It was 1.3mb.

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Thu May 11, 2006 12:46 pm

And a new base background I've finished. Had problems choosing which is which though.

So I'll post all of 'em here, and hopefully I'll learn enough to start adding these to the game.

This base is supposed to be a merchant generic commercial spaceport.

Sunset Renders:

Daytime renders:

Nighttime Renders:

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Sat May 13, 2006 9:44 am

No comments. I expected as much. Those last renders were horrible!

Anyway, here's some renders that I'm really proud of. In fact after I finished it, I went ahead and kissed myself in the mirror.

(Which was okay, if you close your eyes.

)

Please showere me with praises.

The only problem witha dding these ingame, is that with generic bases, the ships are perching on the edge of the landing pad.

But, anyhow, I don't care.

Basta! I'm happy I made these. It's another merchant base (possibly highborn? Castles and clouds...

)

Day:

Night:

Sunset:

GAlex · Post by **GAlex** » Sat May 13, 2006 3:05 pm

bash# echo "BEUTIFULL, but... "
"BEUTIFULL, but... "
bash# cat >./test.c
#include "std_knowledge.h"
#include "all_i_know.h"

#define so that object on the upper-right quarter of the images just above the hills is a moon;

main() {
if (so) {
why it's transparent? (I doubt that stars should be visible through a
solid body, and I also doubt that stars could be orbitting the planet
halfway the moon!)
} else if (!so) {
it is a giant light collector, scope of it's enormous duron 500
polycarbonate convex lens is to focus sun's light to produce
clean energy

} else whathelse;
}

bash#cc -Wuse_common_sense -lohh -lehem -O3 -o comment test.c
[warning]std_knowledge.h: redundacies of variables is deprecated
[warning]all_i_know.h: file is empty
...
...
[SEGMENTATION FAULT]: Dumping core
bash#ls -l ./
.
..
test.c 1
test.o 1
core ##################

bash# shutdown -h now
...
...
...
sending all process term signal
sending all process kill signal
halting system

(dark monitor, void head)

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Sat May 13, 2006 3:37 pm

Wow! That's excellent! Combining futuristic construction with our cultural experience of slanting roofs, space-based modular concepts, and medieval castle layouts... Very powerful combo. Congrats!

GAlex · Post by **GAlex** » Sat May 13, 2006 3:43 pm

yes, since my last post could be read as an overcriticism, I must agree with chuck 101% and say: bello and BRAVO!

these bases should be added to VS as agricultural worlds landing site, in addition to those already existant, imo.

good work, as you've showed us so far.

Post by **jackS** » Sat May 13, 2006 6:50 pm

while the moon could use a touchup re: stars in the nighttime pic, they are indeed gorgeous.

Links to larger versions:

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~jackass/ho ... sh_day.jpg

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~jackass/ho ... _night.jpg

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~jackass/ho ... sunset.jpg

Kangaroo · Post by **Kangaroo** » Sat May 13, 2006 7:48 pm

(possibly) mistake that I've found is marked. Don't mind the smaller circle, I'm not sure if there's anyting at all there.

Post by **dandandaman** » Sun May 14, 2006 3:09 am

Looks great

Only two things that could use a little improvement are the moon in the starry one, as mentioned above, and the sunset sky background, which has lighting that doesn't really fit in with the sun being in that position.

Other than that, excellent

Dan

Oblivion · Post by **Oblivion** » Sun May 14, 2006 11:03 am

@everyone - yep including chuck (peace

) - salamat.

@kangaroo - Does it really look bad? They were meant to overhang a bit. (And thanks again chuck. The mountainside castles were inspired by your comments on the previous generic render and partly from strangelet's seaside agricultural base.) If it does, I'd be willing to change it, as I'm correcting the moon behind the stars thing anyway (
#include <GALex.h>
#include <iostream.h>
int main(){cout<<"my mistake"<<"

"<<"As I mentioned earlier my monitor has gamma and contrast problems, still nagging Mom to buy a new one.";
if(urgedtochangeit==TRUE){
return changesky, stabilizecastlebottoms;}}
else{makeanother;}
}

@dan - I ran out of skies. So I rendered a moon (mixing textures from our good old luna and mars of all things) and interposed different skies over it.

Problems:
Day render -how come, no one noticed this?

The sun is from the foreground, yet the moon is still a crescent.

Night render - ministars of course. Posing hazards for lunar landings. And should I tone down the glow?

Sunset -Bad sky (changed hue from an original azure sky). Ministars again. What about the lighting? The sun in the picture is the true source of light. (notice long shadows).

So, I need help with more skies, backgrounds, textures, and as mentioned -ship models in .3ds, etc, that are free to use. Skies in particular -as it is quite difficult to create clouds using an image editor.

. Sorry, I don't usually have the time to surf the net for those things.

And any help code-wise is still most welcome? explanations would be nice, the previous discussions on this is insufficient. Then I'd stop bugging you all for this and that. I'd be able to test the bases myself then post em here.

Kangaroo · Post by **Kangaroo** » Sun May 14, 2006 2:37 pm

Oblivion wrote:
@kangaroo - Does it really look bad? They were meant to overhang a bit.

Ok, my fault. I didn't know this was your intention.

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Mon May 15, 2006 1:47 am

Come to think of it, overhangs like that could use columns underneath.
Same for the big cylindrical building. Even if they were thin columns,
they'd make the buildings look more believable, I think.
Probably the more columns, the bigger they'd look. Reason being, we're
used to seeing compression support structure spacings at absolute scales
within a range, I'd say, from 5 to 50 meters (5 meter column spacing for
buildings, 50 meters spacing in the case of the compression columns of
hanging bridges). Vast expanses of unsupported overhang are completely
outside our field of experience, and therefore provide no size reference, or
perhaps a conflicting size reference. But of course, long and thin columns
wouldn't be very believable; they'd need horizontal beams or planes along
their height, diagonal struts, which may be a lot of work. On the other hand,
only one column would need to be modelled; the rest could be copied...
But again, if the buildings are using anti-gravity, they don't need support.
But again, they'd better never need to do maintenance on the anti-grav
generator...
And again, even if somehow the huge overhangs can be explained, it
doesn't help one's intuition, which may simply assume smaller scale than
the windows might suggest.
Just my opinion, of course.