A quick 'hey', and my Nibelheim images

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Not at all. We'd take the High-rez version, and make maps & a low-rez version out of it for use in the game. This will probably be the technique we'll use for the new battle areas, when we start doing that.

Sephiroth 3D

"Macintoshs are to Computers as Spam is to Food." - Greg Higgins

Sephiroth 3D.com
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Ah hell, that smells like there will have to be some nice additions in Ultima to create new battle locations ... hm ... but I'll leave that rendering-fps-problem to you :D

 - Alhexx

 - edit -
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I see what's happening to my avatar:
My host's changing hard drives at the moment, so my avatar's unavailable like my site... but this *should* be fixed soon...
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Course, there are cards that can hit more than 3 million triangles/second, I think... and um, the remake won't be done for a while, we know, so by then, there'll be even fancier cards out :P
 
Hey, I don't suppose you can use some of that 3D modeling skill to give the character models themselves (at least the battle models) a high-res update? :wink:
 
ahh... but then you'll have the debate: Go for the classic look, or update it. Personally, I HATE the idea that they're updating the graphics for the PSX FF1 re-release.

Sephiroth 3D

"Macintoshs are to Computers as Spam is to Food." - Greg Higgins

Sephiroth 3D.com
[email protected]
 
I wasn't talking about texturing them, though.  IIRC, someone here said that the hi-res models of Sephiroth and Cloud didn't use textures (excluding the face textures, of course), yet they were amazing compared to the standard models that also didn't use any textures.....

Waitaminute.......I just got an idea.  You know how most FPS games like RTCW have options that allows the user to control the model complexity?  Why not implement something like that in the config?

Want the classic look?  Choose "Low Detail models".  Feel like you're missing out graphically?  Choose "High Detail models".  Simple as that, for avoiding the Conundrum. :D
 
I kinda like updated graphics (for things like FF1) as long as it doesn't look stupid and doesn't interfere with gameplay at all (the gameplay needs to be exactly the same as the original).  Like, SMB1-3 in Super Mario All-Stars is a good example.
 
I do want to do a high-res Cloud at some point (hi-res as in, like the one on the FF7 box, perhaps with real eyes, but not like Squall-style FF8 realism). I'm just so damn busy at the moment, and I want to finish Nibelheim first. I haven't worked on it in an age. :(
 
Two Words to solve the intensiveness problem...
Programmable Shaders
Sure, you'd need to make it a bit low-res, but no problem as I see it :D
Now, to find someone who knows how to do that...
 
Uh, two more words are required for that:

"Proprietary hardware"

Not everyone here has the top of the line vid cards (I mean, look at me, I'm still using a Voodoo3!  Proud of it too, for what its worth :P).
 
*misses his voodoo 3*

*got tricked into buying radeon 7000*

radeon 7000=radeon VE

radeon VE=1/4 power of original radeon
 
Geese, I've got an old Geforce2 Pro and it can do all that stuff fine (gets faster and faster with each new driver release...)...
If I were you I'd spend the 30-40 bucks to get one  :D
 
Except that if you were to buy a new gfx card anyway, you might as well get one that at least has hardware support for the new stuff like vertex/pixel shaders; 'cause if the graphical requirements of Doom3 are going to become the norm, then that GF2 you bought as a "quick fix" is gonna seem like something you cheated yourself on.

Oh, and speaking of hardware support, I got a little more information about that new driver set being developed by 3DHQ.  Appearantly, that T-Buffer is gonna come in handy in giving what looks like hardware support for Anisotrophic Filtering.  Currently, the V4/V5 can't do AF, but its possible to use the Jitter points that are normally used for FSAA to be used as the samples needed for AF.

So, what you get with this is an added feature that is supported 80% in hardware, since it's not total hardware support, but more of using other hardware features to emulate it.

Oh, and with that method, they theorize that you can do both FSAA and 32tap AF with little or no performance hit (meaning the performance hit the AF will cause w/o the FSAA is the same as when both are on, essentially meaning one of those features is being done for "free").

But, enought with that.  Let's get back on topic, people! :D
 
Let's get back on topic, people! :D
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Okay ;)

Here's the latest; got as much done as I could be bothered doing at the time on the main models  :D I've had so little time recently to do anything on it, so it's no major update I'm afraid... sure everyone knows what I mean  :weep:

This one's a slightly older version so there's a bit of the mansion missing on the left, and some missing light models on the right. I also just realised I accidentally moved the floor up before rendering, but it's not that noticable on this shot...

I'm not too pleased with shadow quality but I think I know why that happened. Original size 1280x960, cropped a bit, rendertime far too high as I pushed the settings too high, but I didn't notice as I left it for the day when I went to London  :)

nibarial2.jpg
 
You wouldn't happen to have a Cosmo Canyon, would you? XD :D

Oh, and another optimization:
I forgot what it's called (and I hate myself for it), but what about that technique that draws only visible surfaces? This image has the whole thing done, while in a game you could use that. That should cut the polys down nicely.
 
You wouldn't happen to have a Cosmo Canyon, would you? XD :D
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All in good time  :D

Oh, and another optimization:
I forgot what it's called (and I hate myself for it), but what about that technique that draws only visible surfaces? This image has the whole thing done, while in a game you could use that. That should cut the polys down nicely.
Click to expand...

Try reading some of the discussion above - I think that's what you're talking about. :)
 
I LOVE your lighting setup. It looks like you are using radiosity.

The floor being raised is noticable, but not that noticeable. Only when you know what to look for, does it stand out. The door handle on the Inn, for instance, gives an indication on how high the floor is. Another indication is the fences at the entrance.

I repeat my request for a copy of your models. I could do some texture work for you... (I also want to use it for my webcomic, found here...)

Again... Great work!
 
Synergy Blades: Hey, that pic is great! For me, it looks like a real photo of a plastic model ... that means that your work is very realistic!

 - Alhexx
 
I LOVE your lighting setup. It looks like you are using radiosity.
Click to expand...

It uses global illumination (which incorporates radiosity). Without it it becomes very dark, but obviously using it light bounces in the scene and illuminates the village nicely. I've used three light bounces; I'm using a light blue skylight (which I'll be changing to make slightly greyer, it's a bit too blue at the moment) and one area light which is a light yellow-orange colour. I thought perhaps the whole thing was just a little bit too bright; I might turn down both lights. It looks okay in the arial shot but at the entrance, using the reference pics, it does look just a little bit too bright.

The floor being raised is noticable, but not that noticeable. Only when you know what to look for, does it stand out. The door handle on the Inn, for instance, gives an indication on how high the floor is. Another indication is the fences at the entrance.
Click to expand...

I'm rendering out the entrance shot, with some depth-of-field. It should be ready by the time I get back from the party I'm about to go to (I'm halfway out the door as I write this  :lol: ) I know already I've moved it too far down as the fence @ the entrance now hovers off the ground  -_-  but it's halfway through and it's taken it's time already so I won't cancel it.

I repeat my request for a copy of your models. I could do some texture work for you... (I also want to use it for my webcomic, found here...)
Click to expand...

I've read your comic in the past, tis great stuff. When the final version of Nibelheim I'll send you the models/scene (but only for your use. ;))

Hey, that pic is great! For me, it looks like a real photo of a plastic model ... that means that your work is very realistic!
Click to expand...

Thanks :) It becomes hard to get rid of the 'model' look - I know exactly what you mean and others have said the same. This entrance shot that's halfway through rendering is looking a little like that too but I think it's more noticable on arial shots. I think with the mountains in place to give it perspective, and decent shading/texturing, the model look should be gone and it should look more realistic.

Will post the new image later. :)
 
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