Models by MaNGusT (AR)

[Emdek]

That shouldn't be so hard to do, looks simpler than for example rotating wheels or engines.

[Jorzi]

The problem would be getting the numbers into images and getting them to the right texture coordinates (although apparently the waypoint markers already have dynamic text, am I right?)

[Emdek]

Jorzi, yep, but each body would need to have some enough big and quite flat planes to put them such way so they would be readable.
Some flags to mark rectangles where it can be painted plus special font (or pixmap based subset) would be needed.
Also, maybe way to set custom marking (to mark special - special for player - purpose units), or dependent on experience would be nice (like tags).

[aubergine]

@Jorzi: Waypoint markers with dynamic text? I've not seen those - do you have any screenies?

[Emdek]

aubergine, I think that he means that round and rectangle yellowish factory delivery points.

[Spik3d]

There have been many games which implement the ability of a user to upload a custom image and use it in-game, such as arm patches in Raven Shield or sprays in the Source games.

In the case of the arm patch, it's put on the same spot of the player model every time. It's a separate texture and it doesn't support transparency (also an old game). In the case of sprays, they have the ability to be transparent. It wouldn't be impossible to implement a system like that, but it would be very time consuming. Probably so much so that it's not worth the small pay-off of a cool feature. A cool feature which wouldn't be visible unless you're zoomed right up next to the tank.

If you think of it, why wouldn't an engine be able to make a decal overlay and put it on a spot? It's just code compiled into a program. Your web browser can display transparent images over another image. Photo editors can put a transparent image over an another image. And there are also other 3D engines which support features like that.

But again, this would require a lot of work, especially to keep Warzone compatible for several different operating systems what with the different compilers.

[Emdek]

But again, this would require a lot of work, especially to keep Warzone compatible for several different operating systems what with the different compilers.

Not really, the main issue is that easiest and best ways to introduce such compelling graphical effects require increasing of required OpenGL versions (or availability of it's extensions set).
Although some of them could be probably done as available only when certain capabilities are not supported by given GPU (or more precisely, it's driver). AFAIK this is how work (or were supposed to) some of current rendering features.

[MaNGusT]

I want to repeat.

P.S. btw, I got some problems when baked AO textures. Since bodies are used both for tanks and for vtols, AO shadows from propulsion will be different, idk how to solve this problem. Making different diffuse textures will take a lot of space, on the other hand I could delete propulsion shadows from texture at all and save only self-shadows of a body model then it will not look that "real" but will fit all propulsion types especially if SSAO will be implemented.

any ideas?

I always use simple shapes at a slight distance from the body to generate "generic" ao that fits all propulsions.

it works well for wheeled, tracked and half-tracked propulsions but it doesn't work any good for hover and vtols.

[Jorzi]

I think it works fairly ok for me. I generally have a ground plane a bit below, as well as a chunk of geometry on each side at a slight distance, but not too high up. The result is a fairly smooth transition from dark to light at the sides. The key is to avoid making it too dark, otherwise one will notice if it doesn't line up with the actual propulsion. Also, if you want to do some local changes, there is always gimp/photoshop.

[MaNGusT]

Lol

veteran viper

[Jorzi]

Looks good, but I can see that the normalmap is inverted in some places. The handles are the most obvious, but I think the front rivets are also inverted.
Also, I'd paint the rivets so that they break up the wear pattern a bit

[Corporal Punishment]

I don't think the normals are actually inverted. What we experience here is a optical illusion that us archaeologists face very often on photographs of relief. With very hard lighting (that produces strong contrast as with the veteran viper) intaglios (as the locks and rivets) appear raised and positive relief appears incised. While the two-dimensional image displays the light and shadow correctly, the human brain, assuming a three-dimensional object, misinterprets it. You'd have to ask a neurologist how that comes to be, I just know it does.

[Jorzi]

I know what you are talking about, but after having battled quite a bit with normalmaps myself, my eyes are no longer that easily fooled Just look at the inconsistent specular highlights (specularity is by the way a powerful tool for finding normal problems)

[MaNGusT]

Okay, here are the shots with fixed normals map. Bolts are a bit screwed because I create them manually and they have high(almost full) depth value and so they rotate to the view camera if it is too close.

plastic viper

back of the viper

[Jorzi]

Looks good, but as you said, the bolts are still a bit weird (some look ok, others look inverted)