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how to make my character 3D
William Labbett
Member #4,486
March 2004
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hi,

I've attached a screenshot of my WIP game. The way the game area is drawn as you will see is an attempt to have a bit of 3D-ness using just sprites. I want to change things so that the camera is above the play area and sides of the blocks are drawn properly in perspective. Also the sides of all the edge walls will be visible as oppose to just the wall at the top. I think I can do this without much trouble but then I'll need to draw the little man in perspective too otherwise he just won't look convincing. So what I'm wondering is - how dificult will this be. I've never used models before but I'd like to have a go. I'd like to know what the simplest way of approaching this is ?

Any suggestions ?

Will

http://allegro.cc/files/attachment/591208

gnolam
Member #2,030
March 2002
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BMP is not a web-appropriate format, dammit! >:(

Quote:

I want to change things so that the camera is above the play area and sides of the blocks are drawn properly in perspective. Also the sides of all the edge walls will be visible as oppose to just the wall at the top.

Explain.

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William Labbett
Member #4,486
March 2004
avatar

It's not all that easy to explain but I'll try. At the moment the top of blocks are drawn and a little bit of the side facing 'southward' of each block is drawn if it's visible. If the viewpoint was moved to above the game area in the middle the blocks would need to be drawn differently - say a block was in the top-right corner - some of the righthand side would be visible and some of the southern side too.
Basically the blocks would be drawn properly in perspctive so the whole game area would look properly 3D. This would mean the character would look wrong if just using one sprite so if I changed the game to proper 3D I'd need to the character to be proper 3D too. I don't won't anything super-advanced - just a simple character but I've no idea where to begin.

Audric
Member #907
January 2001

The shadows ar already nice. If you want the game to look prettier, I think the only thing you need to do is make the sides of the blocks a consistent color with their top. It would greatly improve the sense of depth.

Kikaru
Member #7,616
August 2006
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Add shading to the character, have him cast a shadow. Do those, then look at it. Looks pretty nice so far, though. :)

Paul whoknows
Member #5,081
September 2004
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Quote:

how to make my character 3D

Make your character 3D, and use pre-rendered sprites.

____

"The unlimited potential has been replaced by the concrete reality of what I programmed today." - Jordan Mechner.

Kibiz0r
Member #6,203
September 2005
avatar

I'd be willing to model it for you. I'll try rigging and animating it too, but I'm not very experienced with that.

Credentials:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/67641704@N00/381353283/
{"name":"381353283_df5d80f909_o.jpg","src":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/4\/e\/4e6c21a05a164bbdb5a65ed070bb9a33.gif","w":500,"h":375,"tn":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/4\/e\/4e6c21a05a164bbdb5a65ed070bb9a33"}381353283_df5d80f909_o.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/67641704@N00/64991934/
{"name":"64991934_3660401739_o.jpg","src":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/c\/7\/c71de89deab17adf6c92133d67bbf0fb.jpg","w":852,"h":590,"tn":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/c\/7\/c71de89deab17adf6c92133d67bbf0fb"}64991934_3660401739_o.jpg

William Labbett
Member #4,486
March 2004
avatar

Quote:

Audric: The shadows ar already nice. If you want the game to look prettier, I think the only thing you need to do is make the sides of the blocks a consistent color with their top. It would greatly improve the sense of depth.

yup, that's a definite to do at the mo'. My plan was to have a different side for each type of shape but they'll look better if they're a consistent brightness.

Quote:

Kikaru: Add shading to the character, have him cast a shadow. Do those, then look at it. Looks pretty nice so far, though.

Thanks. Nice to get a compliment. Shading on the character - I'll get to work. I haven't really spent a lot of time on the character graphics yet. I've got a lot more I'd like to do.

KibizOr

I'd except your offer with great pleasure. Your work suggests you've grafted at making graphics. Thing is though regarding my project is that at the moment it's not the 3D game I'd like it to be. I don't want to waste anyone's time. It might be better if make the request when I really need a model - ie the rest of the game is finished. Thanks for your offer - it's nice to know there's such generous people about. We'll see how it goes.
I'll get a demo released eventually - it'll be good to get some feedback. I don't want to go all out making it true 3D if it turns out that players find it boring :'(

Thanks to all for the replies.

BTW - sorry about the .bmp - I'll know for next time.

[edit]

Also, sorry I can't reply more promptly. I have to come to a internet cafe plus a lot of allegro.cc members live in USA whereas I'm in England - we're up at different times.

Audric
Member #907
January 2001

You may want to have a look at Egoboo, it uses low-poly models, based on the rather-standard MD2 format. As it's GPL, you can probably borrow one of the models until you make your own.

Here's an animated screenshot of the editor Golem in action:
link

William Labbett
Member #4,486
March 2004
avatar

Thanks

Is there a library associated with the MD2 format ? Does it involve a lot of learning ?

Audric
Member #907
January 2001

Google shows several snippets to load the format.
When it's done you have a bunch of 3D triangles and quads, ready-to-send to OpenGL.

Was already dicussed here, can't help you further.

piccolo
Member #3,163
January 2003
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You can make him 3d by cutting him up in to parts. I working on a system for the same thing. after you cut in to parts such as head, legs, torso, and arms then you draw each part to the right layer at the right x and y so it dose looks like one sprite.

EDit: http://www.allegro.cc/files/depot/964/char_spite_editor2.zip

If you move the men to the top of the screen you will see the part disappear because only parts on the screen are drawn.

wow
-------------------------------
i am who you are not am i

Kikaru
Member #7,616
August 2006
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Piccolo, I don't think you quite got it. He was asking a slightly different question, I believe. ;)

Kibiz0r
Member #6,203
September 2005
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Quote:

... Your work suggests you've grafted at making graphics. ...

I'm what? ???

Anyway, you wouldn't have to go true 3d, I was thinking I would just render the frames and you could take care of it in code.

Also, I'm not really that great. I have a modelling and animation class, and I'd really just say I'm average. I'm just looking for more experience.

Audric
Member #907
January 2001

Kibiz0r : probably means "gifted at your craft" :)

William Labbett
Member #4,486
March 2004
avatar

Quote:

Quote:
... Your work suggests you've grafted at making graphics. ...
I'm what? ???

I wasn't accusing you of being anything. It wasn't a you're, it was a you've as in you have. In english when someone's worked hard we say he's done some hard graft.
Don't know why exactly. So when I said you have grafted I meant you have done some hard graft - worked hard on your graphics.

[edit]

Quote:

Also, I'm not really that great. I have a modelling and animation class, and I'd really just say I'm average. I'm just looking for more experience.


I appreciate your offer but I don't want to waste your time. I've got to decide whether I really want to make the changes to my game first. Thanks all the same.

Wilson Saunders
Member #5,872
May 2005
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Are you trying to do something like this?

{"name":"591232","src":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/5\/1\/5139733335f7428c05d195ced6a314fd.jpg","w":499,"h":481,"tn":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/5\/1\/5139733335f7428c05d195ced6a314fd"}591232

________________________________________________
Play my games at http://monkeydev.com

Thomas Fjellstrom
Member #476
June 2000
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Quote:

In english when someone's worked hard we say he's done some hard graft.

Which english? And why have I never heard it before ever, from canadians, americans or british folk?

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"If you can't think of a better solution, don't try to make a better solution." -- weapon_S
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X-G
Member #856
December 2000
avatar

graft
     n 1: (surgery) tissue or organ transplanted from a donor to a
          recipient; in some cases the patient can be both donor
          and recipient [syn: transplant]
     2: the practice of offering something (usually money) in order
        to gain an illicit advantage [syn: bribery]
     3: the act of grafting something onto something else [syn: grafting]
     v 1: cause to grow together parts from different plants; "graft
          the cherry tree branch onto the plum tree" [syn: engraft,
           ingraft]
     2: in surgery [syn: transplant]

Nope, never heard the expression either, and neither has any dictionary I can find. You're just making it up.

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William Labbett
Member #4,486
March 2004
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I can perhaps understand why someone for whom english isn't a second language might think so. But otherwise that's a bit crazy.
But tell me why would I do that ?

Graft - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaIn American slang of the mid-1800s, graft was used to mean work. By the late 1800s, ... Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graft" ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graft - 15k - Cached - Similar pages
[ More results from en.wikipedia.org ]

Maybe you need to get out more.

Quote:

Wilson Saunders: Are you trying to do something like this?

Thanks Wilson :)
That's exactly wht I'm trying to do.

X-G
Member #856
December 2000
avatar

So it's 19th century slang? Why are you using it 200 years after it went out of style? And most of all, why are you surprised when no one understands what you mean? :P

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Since 2008-Jun-18, democracy in Sweden is dead. | 悪霊退散!悪霊退散!怨霊、物の怪、困った時は ドーマン!セーマン!ドーマン!セーマン! 直ぐに呼びましょう陰陽師レッツゴー!

William Labbett
Member #4,486
March 2004
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Quote:

Why are you using it 200 years after it went out of style?

Loads of people still use it today.

Quote:

And most of all, why are you surprised when no one understands what you mean?

--

Because I didn't realise how ignorant some of you are.

Now I know why Jesus was crucified.

X-G
Member #856
December 2000
avatar

I'd say the fact that up to now, you're the only one who's heard of it indicates that no, lots of people do in fact not use it today, and you are the one using obscure lingo. :P

Edit: And I don't just mean in this thread. I mean ever. I have never in my life ever heard anyone use the word "graft" like that.

--
Since 2008-Jun-18, democracy in Sweden is dead. | 悪霊退散!悪霊退散!怨霊、物の怪、困った時は ドーマン!セーマン!ドーマン!セーマン! 直ぐに呼びましょう陰陽師レッツゴー!

Thomas Fjellstrom
Member #476
June 2000
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Quote:

Because I didn't realise how ignorant some of you are.

Um, So most of Canada, The States, and Britian is ignorant? It's just not used by ANYONE I've ever heard talking. ever.

--
Thomas Fjellstrom - [website] - [email] - [Allegro Wiki] - [Allegro TODO]
"If you can't think of a better solution, don't try to make a better solution." -- weapon_S
"The less evidence we have for what we believe is certain, the more violently we defend beliefs against those who don't agree" -- https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/592870205409353730

William Labbett
Member #4,486
March 2004
avatar

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-har1.htm

Quote:

Um, So most of Canada, The States, and Britian is ignorant? It's just not used by ANYONE I've ever heard talking. ever.


How often to do you come to britain ?

Quote:

So hard graft was heavy digging, in later years any kind of hard manual labour, and so figuratively any gruelling task.
This sense survives in Britain and Australia, but is not so well known in America.

There, it survives in Britain and Australia.

I don't tell X - G how to speak Swedish. Why ? Because I know nothing about it.
If I was trying to learn it I wouldn't question what Swede's say. I'd listen.

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