In Game Menu's more fleshed out now...

Hey, just thought I'd post a few screens of what I came up with for the in-game menu. When you select one of the sub-menus, it slides and expands to fill out the center frame. The screenshots should pretty much say it all.








I'm going to create a few more jpegs based on the rest of the menu contingencies, then flowchart it all out. Hopefully I can get it plugged into Flash in the next few days.

4-20 update

Thought I would post this... it's still not done, I need to finish some textures and possibly some scripts, but I needed to get it to the programmers so they can do their magic.

Fort Polio is updated...

So, I haven't written my Art History paper, which is due in three hours. I haven't been to my science class in a week. And I went to bed at 4:00am... only to get up at 6:45...

But I have now applied to the internship.

www.amshayes.com

If you have anything bad to say... please let me just recuperate before saying it. That is unless I've mis-spelled my name or something easy to fix like that.

Now I'm gonna get ready for the BFA review. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

update 2

The last video didn't work... sorry.

This video has some messed up lighting. I'm still working on that, but I've added quite a bit today... The ship texture isn't finished, which I'm sure you can tell.... Be kind about the animation cuz I modeled, textured, rigged, and animated that thing in two hours.

Added a few screenies. Still messing with the lighting.

4-5 Update

Ok... I know I haven't fixed all the lighting issues... BUT I added some triggered events.

Feedback again... just anything you can think of. I think this will still go up on my portfolio is a work in progress... but I want it as polished as possible.

I think sometimes the particle effects are too obscuring... maybe turn the opacity down a bit?

Oh... and I was a bit more aware of the soundtrack this time. ;)

I also need to point out that the frame rate is actually around 90-120 when I'm not recording with fraps.

4-3 Update

Ok... after a few lighting passes... ok... like 10 lighting passes. And a super special thanks to Nate for some perfect particle effects I have gotten to this point.

I still need to do a number of things... but I think it is coming along fairly well... if I get the internship at Disney it will be because of this... and I still have a few days worth of work on it.

So... feedback? Colors? Do you like the colors of the crystals? What about the two different blues? How about the lighting and coloring I've tried to put in? Does the level color flow well? Is there anything distracting or really out of place? Is it bright enough? What is missing? What just doesn't work? Should I just start all over?


Thanks for all the help.

Crystal Tests

Could you guys please give me some feedback on these? I'm trying out different shaders and trying to make things look cool... I'm having some issues with the self illumination shaders... I think it is because they don't actually emit light unless you bake the lightmaps in the pro version. Which I plan to do next week, but until then I'm kinda guessing on how this will work out.

Anyways. I have one set of crystals on self illumination, with no spec map because it seems to kill fps more to use it with a spec map... and then the other shot is using an additive shader. It looks cool but I loose color and substance... but gain light.

Any feedback would be great. Right now I'm trying to figure out if it will look ok to mix them and have some of the larger crystals be self illum and the smaller ones be additive.

I also plan to do this in orange/yellow/green/purple to see how I can increase the color/lighting in the level.

Thanks!

I'm adding a few more of the styles mixed

Update 3-28 #2

Ok, the lightmap bake worked...

I still have a number of things to do on this.... ok who am I kidding... I have to stay up for the next four days straight to work on this.... :'[

Update 3-29

Ok... So I have some video today, and will hopefully have more video when I get home if the lights baked out properly.

I met with the programmers yesterday, and they are excited to get things moving along. I'll be meeting with them every Monday morning. I made some small assets for them to get going on. Just some missiles and I gave them the arena map which is shown in the video.

I'm working really hard on the snow canyon fly-through as I need that up on my portfolio so I can apply to the Disney internship. So, I'm prolly not gonna sleep much this next week as I need to have my application in early next week.

Here is the small multiplayer arena map I'm working on. It isn't all that impressive... and this particular model export had some reversed normals :/

 

3-22 Happy Update

Soooooooooooooooo.... Alan just called me and his back is still having a lot of issues... He'll be going to the doctor for some injections tomorrow, and possibly surgery if the injections don't work. In light of this new information he has canceled the presentation on Thursday. So... I'm off the hook as it were.

Can't you just feel the stress melting away.

3-22 Update

Ok... still no fly-through today. BUT it's certainly not because I haven't been working on it. I think I've worked on this for close to 40 hours over the last week... lots of modeling lots of failed textures and props. I just have to have it super cool looking for Thursday... I hope.

Speaking of which... if everybody could get me any concept pieces they've done, or screenshots, or really anything pertaining to this project I could use in a presentation that would be great. I know a lot of it is on this blog which is cool... I'll grab what I can off of here.

Here are some quick shots from maya... please keep in mind it looks a ton better when lit in the engine.

Meeting with Programmers

I met with the programmers this morning and gave them a fairly empty project folder. I included some design documentation, and some links. They said they will have a design document, as far as what they plan on implementing done by Monday.

I have been given a lot to do for work this week, so I won't have a new video of my level today, but I will have a really good one by next Tuesday because I need to be able to show it off by next Thursday at Alan's art show.

Here is the link to the project folder if anybody wants it.
https://bft.usu.edu/fg6ds

3-15 Update

I spent a lot of time over the break modeling and texturing on the level. I don't have time today to export from maya and get it into the engine, so I don't have any media updates. I'll get something Wednesday I hope, if not I'll post the a video on Friday.

I'm expecting that the programmers will want to meet this week sometime. We'll see what happens then.

I'm almost done texturing out the track I had... That will be done this week, and a simple layout for an arena level if that is the way the programmers want to go...

3-1 Update Andrew Hayes

Well, it's been a while and I can't say that I'm super happy about where I'm at with this project, but I'm getting more textures done. I spent some time this last week texturing, and modeling a bit... unfortunately I didn't have too many things turn out.

I think I've done 20 or so textures, some using Nate's stuff as a base to work from... And right now I'm applying them to chunks in maya to see how things will work together.

My wife has told me I need to stop being a perfectionist and just get it done... so I guess that's what I'm trying to do.
 

This week we are supposed to meet with the programmers again, so I have some things to prepare for that, and I WILL have a textured iteration of whatever it is we are making done by the end of next week. I'm just going to use the textures I currently have and finish things up with those, if I need to go back afterwards to change them then I can. I haven't touched the actual fly-through because I'm wanting to hear back on how many programmers we will be working with, because that may dictate exactly what we are able to get done this semester.

Main Menu progress, Options screens coming soon...

Here are a couple shots of what I've been working on when I'm not typing up history and English papers... Main menu's coming along pretty nicely, going to play around a bit more with some of the textures, light effects and the color scheme, but the basic layout is about right, I think. First screen is some of the isolated assets, second screen is the assets implemented into a front-end concept for the project. The idea is to have a looping gameplay reel, either continuous footage or a cut & edited gameplay highlight reel. If not that, I'll think of something else.



Of course, feedback is encouraged. Creating anything without feedback generally results in something less than what it could be. Tear it down, if you'd like, I could use some input. I haven't had as much time to work on it as I would like, but I'm getting as much as possible done, running myself through more tutorials and researching various styles all the while. The shapes and font are in keeping with the theme I set up with the start menu posted previously, but obviously the color scheme is quite a departure. That can be worked with and tweaked as time goes by. We'll see what works best when we've got a little color in the 3D world. :)

See you all tomorrow - or later today, I suppose. I'm having a blast with the project when I can get to it! Looking forward to continuing work. I want my first UI project to be a doozy when it's done. :)

AH Week of 2-13

Well... I'm fairly sure that most of you saw my current fly-through last week. I spent a good deal of time working on that last week to be ready for Thursday. Friday Nate S. and I met with the programmers, of which one said he would for sure work with us. He is a grad student, so he should be able to give us quite a bit of help. I'm not sure how many of the other ones are interested though.

I also presented it to them that we could take this a couple of different ways, to allow them to really work on something they want to. Either way we will be primarily using the environment we have now. We may need to organize this a little bit differently, but I don't feel that changes the work any of us are doing currently. We will know in a few weeks how many programmers will be working with us, and we don't need to be able to give them anything to work with until then.

The next two weeks I'll be focusing on texturing and trying to take a chunk of the environment and texture out everything. So... no more modeling for me this week. I'm also going to try to create a more concise design document to hand the programmers over the next few weeks.

Now I'll go back to spending hours and hours in the dark room developing film...

Nate T - Week something something

Here's some texture work: iterative work with various forms of ice, some started in Maya for normal maps and some created in Painter. A Maya and Unity shot of my favorite texture. I don't know if it's going to work - might be too organic for the octagonal style that's been talked about; but, whatever. . . it was fun to paint. Self-critique: I have a lot of trouble keeping my ice, razor sharp, I keep smoothing it out way too much. I think if we go this route I could lessen the busy-ness of this texture, limiting the amount of chunks. That's all for now.




- Nate T

UI Update...

Not a ton to update today, as most of what I've done over the weekend isn't yet ready to be shown. I've been gathering resources such as typefaces and patterns and using them to do some experimental work on the overall visual theme of the UI.

The start screen I was working on is coming along, I can post a screen of that one.



Main menu screen is being designed to be displayed over a 30-60 second looping gameplay reel, I hope that's possible. If not, it'll be easy enough to alter.

Also, I've spoken with Rhaelene about possibly lightening the palette for the UI to better match the game's, as Andrew has a specific dev studio in mind to which he's hoping to present his portfolio. We can talk more about that today in class, and I'll make sure I'm using a color scheme that fits right in with what Nate and Andrew are working on.

The next few days I'll be focusing on getting a full workup of the in-game HUD finished so that the programmers can give feedback on Friday.

Week of 2-6

I don't have a video or screenshot today... I might by the time class rolls around, but I mostly spent my time adding detail to the different chunks that make up the section of the level I've been working on. I think I'm getting closer to being able to texture everything...

I also did some research into how difficult it would be to do multiplayer, and I think it wouldn't be that bad. Nate T. and I spoke briefly about how we can lessen the scope of the project as we just don't have as many people as we started out with. I think we will discuss it a bit more today during class and come up with a strategy that we can present to the programmers on Friday.

Nate T - Week #3

Not much to write about. I worked on modeling ice chunks that resemble the style found in the Star Wars movie. My 4-5 pieces are more unique and poly heavy than the ones I see in Andrew's video so I'll see where we stand on poly density before I make any more. But, the movie shows that the time for making my own test pieces for texturing is over and really isn't going to help all that much anymore.

None of my textures came out looking all that great this time around; so, no screens. That and my palette has a little bit of a wider variation, so I'll need to rework the textures, sticking to more blues and greens.

Anyways, that's what's happening.

- Nate T

More layout testing.

I've been testing some of the layout on the starting area. I've opened it up a bit, but also made it taller, and started testing some detail objects.

Here is the layout and scripted events I'm looking at right now:

Just noticed a typo in there... oh well.

I've put in a number of basic shapes with hard edges. I'm also testing some smoother objects that still keep the overall shape...

I'm testing some texture ideas that I had after looking at the movie reference last week. I think I can do what they did in the video for the most part, not too hard. but I'll need to get it in game to start looking at how the colors work together, and I'm thinking I've got too much of the ice in there at the moment.

Here is a vid of what I've been doing.

Update Week 1-23... sucked

Well, since my last update I started in on breaking up some of my shape elements and UV mapping them to then paint on a texture. I also worked up a bit of stuff for the story elements which Nate S. will be working on to do storyboard stuff. I feel like most of my efforts this week were a waste...

I also got stuck in meetings, or working a large portion of the week... and am still facing some crappy deadlines at work this week.

Today in class I'm bringing a video for Nate T. and I to look at for texture ideas, and then by the end of the week I will have an updated first portion of the map to fly through...

Screenshots for next week's post!

Nate T - Weekly Update #2

Just throwing up some more tests and reference sketches; softer texture tests. The drift snow was actually supposed to be softer rock, but got out of hand, so it's now a snow test. The striated packed snow ended up how I saw it, but we'll have to wait and see if it has a place. I'll move forward with trying to do real implementation when I have a bit of geometry built the way Andrew is envisioning.

Neither look good in the level, so I'm only posting concept shots.

- Nate T

A great article concerning GUI...

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4286/game_ui_discoveries_what_players_.php

I know this is mostly for myself, but I found this article - and the discussion in its following comments - to be quite insightful, and revelatory for me. It contains some points I'm going to be keeping in mind as I design the UI, for example: regarding the UI as an extension of the user every bit as much as a prosthetic arm is to an amputee.

It mentions that the UI is the plane where the user crosses over into the game world, and stresses that functionality is important above all else!

Anyway, fantastic article!

Goals for semester, tentatively solid.

The WHAT:

Alright, the end goal is easy. Have a fully-functional, aesthetically engaging and user-friendly GUI designed and integrated into ION at the end of the semester.

The HOW:

By 02.01.11, I'll have 3-5 fleshed-out GUI design concepts to work with, each with multiple sketches and preliminary graphics that present each unique concept's aesthetic style and level of functionality. This includes but is not limited to the placement of HUD elements, the presentation of a control scheme, and menu organization.

By 03.01.11, the team will have selected the most appropriate, attractive, and functional design concept, and I will have completed initial iterations of at least half of the menu screens and HUD elements. I'll have consulted with the CS team to determine what, if any, changes must be made to the GUI in order for the CS team to provide the necessary code to implement the GUI into ION.

By 04.01.11, I will have completed initial design of the GUI, and will be hard at work refining the presentation, cleaning up graphics, and testing functionality and usability with the rest of the team.

End of semester, GUI completed as a fully-functional part of ION.

Of course, these goals may need revision, as I've never created a GUI for a game. Nor has anyone else in the class. But I'm sure I can do it, and I'm looking forward to it! I've got plenty of resources to work with.

Below is the basic list of features I'm going to need to implement into the GUI this semester. The list is taken from the ION Game Design doc that Andrew put together, and it's looking like a pretty good indication of the things I'll need to have ready. It's not exhaustive, as there are things I'll likely add, and all of the options we have available to tweak aren't yet determined. But it's a great place to start.

• Main Menu

◦ Start New Game

◦ Options

▪ Basic options built into Unity

◦ Exit

• In Game Menu

◦ Exit to Main Menu

◦ Save

◦ Options

▪ Same options as from main menu

• In Game HUD

◦ Health Bar**

◦ Shields Bar**

◦ Weapon Equipped**

◦ Ammo for current weapon**

◦ Score (Ions collected)**

◦ Time**

◦ Aiming Reticule**

◦ Boost bar**

◦ Damage overlays

• End of Level Score Screen (Needs expanded)

◦ More Robust Score Breakdown

◦ Local Leader Board

• Ship/Weapon Upgrade Screen (Needs expanded)

I've been studying the features and presentation of UIs in videogames for a while, and some of the examples I'm likely to pull some ideas from are Dead Space, Split/Second, World of Goo, Descent, Mario Kart, Borderlands, Mirror's Edge, Half-Life, and quite a few others.

Also, on a side note - I purchased a Wacom Intuos4 last week, and I'm excited to learn how to use it, and use it well!

Nate T - Week #1 Update

Haven't really gotten too much done. I've worked on visualizing textures the way I see it just to have alternate views. This is only one - the rock texture (monochromatic) and a hacked up snow version to use for transition overlays and differentiation/interest. I'm planning on doing more tests - more rocks, ice, snow, and whatever else needs to be concepted. Haven't critiqued Andrew's stuff this time around because I felt until I jump in a get a better idea what we're dealing with, my guesses probably aren't really helping.

Anyways, here's some screenshots. One in Maya showing somewhat what I'm shooting for. The rest are the textures used and their application within Andrew's old canyon (stretched). Mostly seen from far away because they are unpolished and don't hold up well on close inspection.

My updates will come Monday nights since anything I post at that time will be unchanging till class on Tuesdays.



- Nate T

My Goals... are too long.

Goals for the semester:

Based on how well things went last semester... I'm tempted to say I'll have my section of the level blocked out and ready for concepting by May. But I guess I'll shoot a little higher than that... even if I miss in the end.

Nathan T. has expressed a desire to join forces on my section of the level so we can ensure it gets done to a presentable point. I think this is a good idea, and that once many of the assets are created for my section they will translate to his section as well.

So, what I've done is broken work into passes. I'll consider that last semester I was able to get done with the first pass on the geometry. This semester I'll be looking at these aspects of the level: