Art Contest #1: TEMPLES, aww yeah
Post #1
Jack[RCDF
Apr 2 2011, 2:49 am
![[Avatar]](/images/avatars/3.gif) Understanding breeds empathy.
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-=- Art Contest #1 -=- Well, people, as the moderator of the Artwork forum, I figure it's time we had an art contest. And this contest's theme will be temples!  Now, I have two motives for this contest, other than just having a contest: I have some minerals to get rid of, and Temple Siege II needs a temple model. I've got a temple I've made myself:   If you don't want your model used in Temple Siege II, that's fine. Deadline One Month. That means May the 1st, 2011. Prize monies 150 minerals to the winner! Plus any other minerals people are willing to put into the pot *hint* *hint* And, if you allow your model to be used in Temple Siege II, you also get your name in the credits. There's also a possibility of cash if TS2 ends up making any money, from tournaments or other revenue. For the runner up, there will be a 100 mineral prize, and for the person judged third, there'll be 50 minerals. However, if three or less people enter, there will only be the single first prize. If more than three enter, the top three will get prizes. Judging Currently, myself, Devlin, and Roy will be judging. I'll also be entering, but because I want the best temple for TS2, I'll be pretty fair. We will judge the model in three categories: Graphics, Textures, and Optimization. Graphics involves how good it looks as a mesh. A cube simply won't win in this category. Textures are...well, textures. If you don't have any you get nothing for this, if you include specular, normal, emissive, and diffuse (colour) maps that are top quality you'll score highly. Optimization is about how low poly it is. In this category, you start with 10 points. If your model is 2000 triangles or fewer, you score 10 points. For every 1000 triangles more than 2000, you lose 1 point. So for a 5000 triangles model, you score 7 points, and anything over 12000 triangles scores 0 points. The trick with this is balancing low triangles with good looks. Remember, this is for StarCraft II. (On that note, if you can't convert your model to .m3, send us the mesh and the materials and we will convert them for you.) Currently entered: Jack Cardinal Apos Madzombie YOU! This post was edited 7 times, last edit by Jack: Apr 3 2011, 12:50 am.  Red classic. VRAEL = 뱃맨!!! |
Post #2
DevliN
Apr 2 2011, 3:06 am
![[Avatar]](/uploads/avatar/1406.png) SOMETHING STATUS GO
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I'll put minerals into this, as well. Not sure how many, but most likely an extra 500.
 CURRENTLY WORKING ON Shadowlands | Demonic: Urban Apocalypse Invasion: Ares | Recon | OMG TEH ZOMBIES!!! |
Post #3
Cardinal
Apr 2 2011, 3:11 am
![[Avatar]](/uploads/avatar/7665.gif)
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Their was a Dominance War contest a while ago and they scored 'optimization' along these lines:
You start with x Points for Optimization. You should lose 1 point for every 500 triangles you use. But this is scaled to whatever it is you're modelling. So say we give an upper limit of 10,000 triangles for your base mesh. You start with 100 points in optimization, and you'll lose 1 point for every 100 triangles. Anything over 10,001 triangles will be 'excluded' or simply score 0 for optimization. A model with say, 3540 triangles will score: 64.6. I don't know. I personally like to have a more concrete judging method/criteria for artistic/modelling types of things. It's a bit vague if it's just 3 judges saying 'I like that' or 'I don't like that'.  Gone.
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Post #4
Jack[RCDF
Apr 2 2011, 3:19 am
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Understanding breeds empathy.
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Not a bad idea. How about 0-10 points possible, and you start with 10. 2000 polies or less scores 10, for every 1000 polies over 2000, you lose one point. So for 5000 polies, you score 7 points (assuming my maths is correct
) If you have 12000 polies or more, you get 0 points. This seems a reasonable amount for a large stationary model that will only have two instances in a game, and won't be on screen most of the game. Red classic. VRAEL = 뱃맨!!! |
Post #5
Cardinal
Apr 2 2011, 3:24 am
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Yeah, the Dominance War thing was for a low-poly model in a next-gen engine - so optimization while making your model look absolutely bitching was the challenge. Had to be super efficient and pro at texturing. But while I guess this is a SEN contest
- what you said sounds good. Just replace Polies with Tris. Are we animating also? Gone.
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Post #7
Apos
Apr 2 2011, 3:55 am
![[Avatar]](/uploads/avatar/5006.png) Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
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Any thing I should know in order to make a good model for starcraft 2? Camera placement? Size (In blender unit)? Space on disk? Do I have to give specific names to my animations? If I use armatures, will it work in starcraft 2 (Probably not the best idea to use for a pyramid...)
Also, will you judge the model in the starcraft 2 engine, or from a screen shot that we supply? How to Ask Questions the Smart Way --- This is my website
  "A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Ever wondered how to pronounce my usernames? Wonder no more! |
Post #8
Cardinal
Apr 2 2011, 4:09 am
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I don't know about Blender. But you'll need to export it in a format that will allow someone with 3DS Max to import it, and then export it once more as a .m3 model file for use in Starcraft 2.
Most probably an .obj export should work fine - since this will contain all the mesh details accurately as well as any UV coordinates. Don't know what else blender puts into an .obj. Your model should be 'editable mesh' type (again, not sure what blender uses). As for scale or size, it's hard to know for sure. If you can get a Starcraft 2 model into blender (again not sure), you can compare the rough scale. But for the most part the scale is editable through the data editor. And, if we need to, when it comes to exporting it as a .m3 - we can adjust the scale in 3DS Max so that it is better. Also absolutely any polygons/triangles that are not visible - don't need to be exported in the final object. Keep that in mind if you're going for optimization. Don't need camera placement or anything, just the raw mesh, unwrapped and textured in .obj format I think. In 3DS Max it is good practice to 'Reset xForm' and align the pivot of the mesh to the center-bottom, since the pivot is used by the engine to determine rotation etc (like doodads for example). I don't know what the blender equivalent of 'Reset xForm' is, but it's basically an advanced modifier with you run on your object to 'simplify' the geometry. It doesn't change the mesh in any way, and is quite hard to explain, come to think about it. Maybe someone with blender can help you out more. How is the newest version anyways? I hear the controls are unintuitive and the sheer lack of documentation coupled with this backwards interface makes learning it difficult. This is what I hear though. I havn't had time and have been meaning to try Blender out for a while now. Gone.
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Post #9
Apos
Apr 2 2011, 4:33 am
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Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
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Thanks for the fast reply, from a blender point of view, I was able to understand all your explanations.
Not sure how good this add-on is, but it's made for blender. Regarding your question about how good blender is, I guess I like it a lot (I've never used anything else though.) I've also never really used the 2.4x version so I didn't really need to get adjusted to the newer version. Seeing comments from other blender users, there seems to be a couple people complaining about how they always have to scroll through menus, but that's not an issue for me. I like it better when it's easier to see things (And there is a hotkey for pretty much every thing anyway so I usually just use that anyway.). I'm not sure where you heard about the lack of documentation, but I believe there is already quite a lot considering blender 2.5x is still in it's beta phase. A lot is showed on this site. How to Ask Questions the Smart Way --- This is my website
"A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Ever wondered how to pronounce my usernames? Wonder no more! |
Post #10
Jack[RCDF
Apr 2 2011, 9:09 am
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Understanding breeds empathy.
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We'll be judging it based on how it looks in SCII. Make sure you convert to tris instead of quads at the end, or work with tris from the beginning.
As for xForm, from what I could see on youtube it looks like blender's standard scaling tool? Hard to tell. Anyway, if it's what I think it is it's easy enough to reset. Blender's latest version is pretty good, although it's hard for me to adjust to its new interface. However, apparently the new UI is closer to the industry standards (max and maya), and it's fairly intuitive. There isn't a whole lot of official documentation of the new version, because they're releasing new betas quite rapidly and not many people seem to be editing the wiki much. However, there's plenty of unofficial documentation. EDIT I am a genius. Worked out a durbrained simple way to get models into scII without max. More info later when I prove it. This post was edited 1 time, last edit by Jack: Apr 2 2011, 10:51 am. Red classic. VRAEL = 뱃맨!!! |
Post #11
Apos
Apr 2 2011, 2:44 pm
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Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
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I was just wondering, does it have to be a specific type of temple?
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Post #13
MadZombie!
Apr 2 2011, 10:37 pm
![[Avatar]](/uploads/avatar/193.gif) mfw
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That blew my mind. I thought the big problem with blender was the lack of menus and buttons and stuff? People hated how somethings were hotkey ONLY. Good for speed and pros, hard for noobs starting out. everyday that passes that I don't use blender I forgot my hot keys ;_;
Anyways challenge accepted. 2000 triangles seems a bit low for an important model that a map will only probably have two of. Don't zerglings use like 600 quads? That's like 1400 triangles amirite? Other units use even more then 2k tris I'm pretty sure. Right? Just saying. anyways I might not end up making anything for this because I'm having computer/internet problems so don't put me down as an official contender yet. Also if we submit something is submission locked from them on? Or can we make newer versions up until the last day of the competition? edit: also can we get what kind of terrain will be surrounding the temple? It would be weird to make a temple out of sand... er ... sandstone? and have the terrain be installation in space or something. This post was edited 1 time, last edit by MadZombie: Apr 2 2011, 10:49 pm.  |
Post #14
Roy
Apr 2 2011, 11:25 pm
![[Avatar]](/uploads/avatar/558.png) Everything green is safe to eat.
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Since this has an objective to create a temple model for TS2, I would say that you can submit as many revisions as you want, and only the last revision will be judged. You probably can also have multiple submissions, but only the highest scoring one will be recorded for the competition (i.e. you cannot take first and second place).
But I'm not Jack Learn how to make EUDs: [EUD] A Mapmaker's Guide for Creating EPDs
Don't like learning? [EUD] EUD Generator Other stuff: [EUD] Text to Value Converter Bound Maker SC1 Maps: Dash: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X Jog: Original Warp Other: Super Mario SC Fireball Guard Your Civilian Strength Contest Interceptor Arena |
Post #15
poison_us
Apr 2 2011, 11:37 pm
![[Avatar]](/uploads/avatar/4200.png) no re
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Would like to judge, but I'm a perfectionist, so I doubt anyone would get more than a 5 on an absolutist scale. I can switch to relativistic grading, though
 EDIT2: Like this. EDIT: I call bullshit. This post was edited 1 time, last edit by poison_us: Apr 2 2011, 11:43 pm.  Still waiting on that next turn, Azrael. |
Post #16
Jack[RCDF
Apr 2 2011, 11:48 pm
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Understanding breeds empathy.
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20000 is like a bare minimum, if you can get it that low and make it look good you'll score really highly. Multiple revisions are fine, but only the final one will be judged. Multiple entries are also fine, but as Roy said, you can'twin 1st and 2nd; only your highest scoring model can get you a prize and placing.
Poison, I wouldn't mind you being a judge if roy and devlin are happy with it, but I really need someone who has a bit of skill with modeling so people don't win based on looks alone. Actually, I'll ask mesk to judge if he doesn't want to enter still. Terrain around the temple will be grass, maybe some dirt and bricks. Red classic. VRAEL = 뱃맨!!! |
Post #17
Cardinal
Apr 3 2011, 12:21 am
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inb4 "Mesk doesn't do judging"
 For Temple Siege... are these temples destructible? Like, do they explode? Or are they just doodad/scenery/focus point of the map Edit: Also, I think it's safe to count myself and Apos in on this. Possibly Mad Zombeh too. Gone.
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Post #19
Jack[RCDF
Apr 3 2011, 12:33 am
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Understanding breeds empathy.
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One of the two ways to win is to destroy your opponent's temple. However, you don't need to add an explosion for it; we'll just use one if SCII's explosions or one I find on the internet.
EDIT I'm going to say no to teams. You're welcome to talk to other people and ask for help, but your entry must be yours alone. This post was edited 1 time, last edit by Jack: Apr 3 2011, 12:48 am. Red classic. VRAEL = 뱃맨!!! |
Post #20
MadZombie!
Apr 3 2011, 7:30 pm
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mfw
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Fuck the police. I'm too lazy to model something and then texture it. I'd do one or the other. I'm too lazy. If someone wants I can attempt to UV texture their model and if you win you give me some mins ;_;
Attachments:
I think I'm just going to submit a model for myself with no texture. I'm just not in the mood. Maybe if I submit other revisions It will have textures. edit: This is my "in case I don't submit anything at all due to laziness" back up submission. This post was edited 1 time, last edit by MadZombie: Apr 3 2011, 8:08 pm. |
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