Topics

1

Modification Help / [TOOL] Blender .blb Export Script [v1.1]

« on: May 25, 2013, 05:16:19 PM »

Blender .blb Exporter
Written in Python 2.6

v1.1 for Blender 2.49b

Script that exports your scene in Blender as a (mostly) complete .blb file. Positions, UV coords, colours and normals are all fully supported. Just plop the script into your Blender 2.49b scripts folder.

Get the most recent version here!
Read the documentation!

Features:

• Allows you to define custom collision(s), bounds, vertex colours, uv coords and textures
• Bricks are exported per-object, so you can export multiple bricks at once
• Generates workable (albeit poorly optimized) placement grid and coverage, also sorts quads
• Bounding box and face count limitations (its a feature!)
• "TOP" texture UVs automatically aligned to the grid, and are set up so that they rotate properly in-game

To do:

• Optimize placement grid generation
• Optimize coverage generation
• Optimize quad sorting
• Write GUI and allow room for more options

You should optimize the brick manually before you release anything made using this exporter!
It handles actual mesh data fine, but stuff like coverage needs some manual work. The good news is, as long as you're not making huge bricks, this is a piece of cake.

As the first release, you should expect bugs. Please inform me if you come across any ASAP.

2

Modification Help / Odd model lighting

« on: May 13, 2013, 02:53:51 PM »

Hi all. I appear to be having a problem with my model in game. Nothing I've tried so far has worked in alleviating the issue. Doubled sided faces are disabled. I have recalculated normals many times, and then checked them myself. I have applied "Scale and Rotation to Obdata" many times as well. There's nothing strange in the material settings for the exporter.




This only occurs when shaders are enabled. It might look like an issue with the model's normals but it acts much like a shadow being cast on the model. Other players are able to see this as well. Any help is appreciated!

Oh, in case it wasn't too obvious, the problem is the bright patches on the model.

3

Modification Help / Billboard meshes in Blockland

« on: June 14, 2012, 01:54:09 PM »

Can you do this? Have a part of your model act as a billboard (always faces the player)? I've looked around and the only documentation I've found has referred to Torque 3D. I've tried prefixing my mesh names with "BB::" and "BB_" with no success. I can't access the documentation for Blender's .dts exporter as all links seem to end up dead, and the only kind of support the exporter seems have anyway is for autobillboards, which I don't think is quite what I want, reading up on it.

I'm not sure how .dts exporting works in Milkshape but I think that the DTS Exporter Plus has support for it. If anyone can quickly test to see if that works and then get back to me that'd be great! Thanks.

4

Gallery / Bender Bending Rodríguez

« on: August 06, 2011, 06:19:26 PM »

In Glorious 3D!







Obligatory shiny metal ass:


Rate, if you so wish.

5

Creativity / Animation Megathread

« on: May 22, 2011, 07:12:18 PM »

Introduction
Hi. The purpose of this thread is to share amongst each other any animated works that we may have produced - from traditional or stop-motion, to 3D or computer-aided animation.

Crash Course
I'm no expert on the subject of animation, but over the times I have been able to pick up some very useful guides that could help one become a better animator.

   Principles
Whatever your medium, be it paper and graphite or clay, the following principles are absolutely essential towards a better understanding behind the act of good animation itself - almost every successful animator acknowledges and abides by these principles:
http://www.evl.uic.edu/ralph/508S99/anticipa.html
http://www.animationtoolworks.com/library/article9.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_basic_principles_of_animation

   Guides
Other additional resources to further your knowledge (most of these are based on 2D animation - being a particular fan of this type of animation they are of course the main types guides I am familiar with, but the basics are the same):
http://www.angryanimator.com/word/
http://www.karmatoons.com/drawing/drawing.htm

   Books
Books! Books are fantastic and very valuable learning resources. Sure, they cost a little more than your free internet guide, but they're well worth the money (again, mostly 2D-based):
  -The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation - I own this book myself; I am not yet done with reading it, but I can tell you that it contains a very in-depth peek into the inner workings of traditional Disney animation. There's quite a lot of Disney history in there too; very interesting to read.
  -Cartoon Animation - I do not own this one but I have heard of many recommendations towards it; I do hope to get my hands on it soon, though.


That's it! Please, if any of you have any useful guides or resources towards animation and which are not listed above, feel free to share them and I'll gladly add them to the OP.


Been too long since I did one of these, and seeing as I don't do much of them either that's not a good thing. This is actually my most complex piece of animation thus far:

6

Creativity / Tophius' Art Depository

« on: March 29, 2011, 06:48:07 PM »

Hey all. It's been a while since my last (comparatively stufftier) art thread so I decided it was time to begin again from a clean slate. I hope I can keep this one alive for longer, perhaps with weekly updates - something to motivate me.

Currently, these are all done digitally.


Sketches / Studies
Mild, yet censored nudity. Some done with direct, primary references, some without.


Nude Figure


Portrait


Foot



Stuff that aren't sketches
Some may still look pretty sketchy and ugly, I need to spend more time on refinement.  


Murderous Dame (hooray for sketchy, hand-drawn outlines!)


Portal 2 Coop Robot


HL2 Strider




Animation


Jumpy Walk Cycle

7

Creativity / Depressed Robot

« on: March 14, 2011, 03:10:09 PM »

Been working on this for most of the day.

8

Creativity / Earthworm Jim

« on: February 20, 2011, 05:01:24 PM »

Another superhero! Bit of an unorthodox one at that, but a superhero all the same. Been working with light and shade some more. I'm happy with how it turned out - not so much with the ray gun though.

Criticism is encouraged.

9

Creativity / Tophius' Figures

« on: January 02, 2011, 07:25:10 PM »

Going to begin some work on utilizing light and shade to produce some realistic results, but I'd like some opinions on the anatomy beforehand, particularly in reference to the second image.


This was just a very rough approach towards realistic rendering. I gave up midway as there are some issues that I would prefer to consider next time rather than fix up.


This is my current "project". After I am comfortable with the anatomy of this piece I plan to fully render this as smoothly as possible. I would like to achieve a final product close to a renaissance-era painting but considering the digital methods I am using as well as my limited experience I guess it's just me being ambitious, haha.

I would enjoy it if you shared your constructive criticism on both the anatomy of the second image as well as perhaps some on the first, lighting-wise.

10

Gallery / Statue Of David/Greek Island

« on: December 27, 2010, 06:27:19 PM »

Well, I've finally pushed myself to finish off the thing. This had been under construction in a freebuild of mine a while ago, and now I am finally ready to display it here.

Obviously based off Michelangelo's famous Statue of David. I even went ahead and built a sloppy cubescape  island with Greek themes. Yeah, the Statue of David is a Renaissance piece and depicts a Biblical character rather than a Greek one, but nevermind that.

The pictures:











Ack, terrible picture quality!

Okay, It's not an exact replica, but that's what I get when I use just one primary reference picture.

Feel free to rate. Keep in mind that the central point of attention here is the statue, not the island.

11

Creativity / Tophius' Superheroes

« on: December 12, 2010, 05:40:11 AM »

Trying out some Marvel/DC. Will probably refine with pen tool later.

Give him a name, if you want.

12

Creativity / Thor, God of Thunder

« on: December 05, 2010, 03:34:52 PM »

I will be posting individual topics of larger, more time consuming pieces instead of short, one minute ones in my art thread as it has become a bit of a request thread. I will still do some requests via PM.

Here's something I drew up this evening. Working with shading and perspective:

Perhaps I can develop this more with some criticism from experienced artists.

13

Creativity / Art Thread à la Tophius

« on: October 02, 2010, 01:50:42 PM »

Yes, another art thread! Some of these have been posted here and there throughout the forums, but I hope to receive some more criticism in this thread.

Requested by Tom:




Request by TheKhoz:






Request by D.A.C.K:


Requested by Commander sushi:


Request by Barnabas:


Request by CopBlock:


Requested by Muzzles:


Request by Unwritten Calender:


K.I.T.T. requested by Uncle Bengs:


Requested by Proog:






For D.A.C.K:




Request by Tom Gunn/TeslaCoil


Another request by Unwritten Calender:


Fantabulous Mr.LoL:


Request by Unwritten Calender:


For Muzzles:


Animation requested by CopBlock:




Request by TwenteFreak:


The mighty Superfrog as requested by Evan5626!


Tom's robot (http://forum.blockland.us/index.php?topic=132664.0) in my own style.


Another request by Muzzles56:


Request from Muzzles56:




CopBlock's seahorse dragon fursona thing:


"Supremoman":




Stereotypes inbound:


ARC's "fursona":


Kitten with yarn:


An extremely accurate portrait of reaper:


Some biker character that took me too long:


A fine, upstanding gentleman of society:


My half-assed attempt at animation:

(That jump at the beginning is the fault of Photobucket's uploader)

Silly Doctor Who comic:


I Hope you enjoy them!

14

Creativity / Unfruitful Parenting (Comic)

« on: September 05, 2010, 03:41:03 PM »

I'd like some opinions on the style.

15

Gallery / [WIP] Tophius' Cathedral

« on: November 06, 2009, 08:37:14 AM »

Here's something I've been working on these past few days. It's unlikely it will ever be finished as I usually abandon my projects. 













Unfinished interior.


So as you can see I still need to patch up the exterior and finish off the interior.

Credits:
General & Linkguy - Helping out here and there.
McTwist - Cleaning up my spamtastic roof.

Feel free to rate and tell me what I should fix up.