*OFFICIAL* Battle Scene Reconstruction

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-=BATTLE SCENE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT=-
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The aim of this project is to retexture the various Battle Scenes found throughout Final Fantasy VII. By battle scenes, i mean the locations you enter when you are involved in a random encounter. The steps for refinishing these scenes is fairly straight forward now that Aali's custom driver can inject PNGs into the battle scenes.Most battle scenes contain between 4-6 textures TOTAL! This means that anyone with a bit of spare time can contribute to this project, and possibly learn a bit more about texture creation.
-=GETTING STARTED=-
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http://www.mediafire.com/file/ecc0cxpaad9e11w/Zangan.zip
That is a link to Zangan, it allows you to view battle models to verify the right one. Unfortunatly PNG support in FF7 did not exist when it was created, so you cannot preview your modified scenes with it. Some time is saved with it, and if you convert your textures to TEX files and import them into your battle.lgp, you can view them from within Zangan.
-=VERIFYING TEXTURE LOCATION=-​
This is not required, but some scenes are difficult to determine where certain textures appear.

The easiest method I found for identifying where textures appear in is to create 512x512, white textures that have numbers on them. If your chosen battle scene has 5 textures, create white textures each individualy numbered 1-5. Save them with generic names.

Now open FF7 config and make sure that show_missing_textures in enabled. Start FF7 and get into a battle in the scene you have chosen to re-texture. Win the battle, and close FF7. Now open you APP.LOG and scroll down until you find an area that has missing textures that pertain to a battle scene. Write down all of the texture names that appear. (ex STAGE37_T00_00.png)

Take those texture names and rename you white numbered textures to match them, while taking into account the numbers on your textures. Place your newly renamed white, numbered textures into "Final Fantasy VII/mods/*your mod path*/battle/"

Start FF7 again and get into a battle in your chosen scene again. Now the entire scene should be numbered, and you can write down where those numbers appear, and match them up with the original textures. Now you have a map of where certain textures appear, so you can redo them one at a time until your finished. Keep in mind, this is a rough guide so you could run into trouble. Keep at it, and if your really having trouble DO NOT post in the Team Avalanche forums. Post in tech support.
-=AVAILABLE SCENES=-​
Code: [Select]
Code: 
oh=Bizarro Sephiroth oi=Grassland --------Pyrozen/Finishedoj=Mt. Nibel ok=Forest --------Felix/Finishedol=Shoreline -------Felix/finishedom=Desert or Mt. Corel on=Arctic -------Felix/Finishedoo=Swamp --------Felix/finishedop=Sector 1 (Train)? oq=Reactor or=Reactor (Guard Scorpion) os=Reactor 1 Enterance ot=Subway ou=Mythril Caves? ov=ShinRa HQ ow=Subway ox=Hojo's Lab oy=Elevators oz=Roof pa=Highway pb=Don Corneo's pc=Cathedrel pd=Ancient Forest? pe=Midgar Slums pf=Reactor 1 pg=Reactor ph=Sector 7 Pillar Stairs pi=Sector 7 Pillar Control pj=Sector 8 pk=Sewers pl=Cavepm=Cave pn=Corel passage? po=Junon Beach ---------Felix/Finishedpp=ShinRa Freighter pq=Corel pr=Battle Square ---------PyROZen/finishedps=Da Chao pt=Cid's pu=Lifestream Descent. pv=Reactor 5 Enterance pw=Ancient Temple px=ShinRa Mansion py=Junon Aerodrome pz=Cave qa=Under Sector 8 qb=Gongaga Reactor qc=Gelnika qd=Train Graveyard -------Felix/Finishedqe=Ice Cave qf=Sister Ray? qg=Sector 8? qh=Cetra Altar qi=Cave qj=Spire in the Crater qk=Crater (Jungle) ql=Sephiroth's Vortex qm=Midgar Areaqn=Seafloor Tunnels qp=Corel Railways qq=The Crater qr=Corel Railway Bridge qs=Rope Bridge qt=Da Chao qu=Ft Condor qv=Midgar Area qw=Bizzarro Seph R/L qx=Bizzarro Seph L/R qy=Jenova SYNTHESIS qz=Coal Trains ra=Cosmo Canyon rb=Gi Cave rc=Nibelheim Basement rd=Cetra Temple re=Cetra Temple (dragon) rf=Cetra Temple rg=Final Battle rh=Forest ri=Highwind rj=Corel Reactor rl=Wutai Temple rm=Seafloor rn=Reactor? ro=Bloody ShinRa HQ rp=Gongaga Reactor rq=Corel Prison rr=Forest
If you are interested in doing a scene, or have already finished one please post the prefix and name of it and it will be crossed off the list. I have redone the battle arena in golden saucer, but i urge anyone else to give it a go, surely my work is not the best that can be done. I will give this thread a more offical look when i have time, but im running out the door ATM.I will also post an easy tutorial on how to figure out which textures are appearing where within the battle scene if people are interested.

-Team Avalanche Member
lee
 
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Me wonders if it would make more sense releasing packs instead of missions. Like a monster pack, battle background pack, character pack, etc.
 
Packs seems more apropriated since some things are faster than others to do.
I guess battle scenes and models for monsters can be done faster than a whole map modeling, besides some people work faster than other.

As long as every release from TA has the same guidelines, i'm all for it.
Don't like the mod releases in the "mod" section, where the simple user has to know hex to install the mods.. I guess it aint that hard for the modder to make an install that replaces the correct file and changes the right values. For example, i believe Millenia is on TA, and he has done Cloud swords, however i haven't seen and installer or a rar with an "how to" and "where to" to use the «pack».
 
Millenia's swords were done before TA was around (well some of them)

Plus you should look harder for something before you complain it doesnt exist :P

https://www.ff7catalog.com/posts/82693/

edit: Or even easier, read his first post of that thread.
 
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initially we wanted to release content in packs, but with the bombing mission we wanted to create a full-on demo, to show what a completed portion of TA would be like. i'm not against a pack system, as ultimately, its content being created, at our standards, and incorporated into our full install. I'd still suggest packs be done via missions - dont try n do every battle scene, try n work with those that are close together, it'll allow for good practice of similar types of content. (upper midgar is very similar frmo scene to scene, etc).
 
The only problem i see with this is we are holding people back from having some great content while the most difficult stuff is being done.
 
Packs may be a good idea. Though i think packs after the bombing mission project is over. You guys are already so close. It'd be a great easer :D
 
As much as the sections model is a good idea if people are motivated to do one specific task and it's working towards the same ends and at a fast pace, why not?
 
If I can shed some light from my experiences with ff7voice, coordinating a large group of people to meet set deadlines is a difficult feat.  Doing it by scene could slow down the release of some finished content by years for that fact.  However, seeing a finished end result also is very motivating.  Although texture artists can be replaced mid-way where voice actors cannot.

I would suggest to finish the bombing mission to have an idea of the finished product but releasing work in packs.

Redoing the background might take years.  Why delay the rest of TA waiting for that part to be finished ?
 
i agree with everyone the pack release structure, and i have been slowly moving in this direction. I know SL feels the same way, since he expressed it to me on some PMs a few days ago, and i really feel it will help us move forward much more quickly with larger leaps in content in smaller time frames.

My main reason for thinking this was not the bombing mission per say, but rather the backgrounds. The background reconstruction is by far the most difficult hurdle to over come. It requires huge amounts of time and talent, much more so than any other part of the game(minus the opengl driver coding and app development). A lot of stuff in the bombing mission is completed but is being held back by the backgrounds. I agree that a full-on-demo is a good idea, but it only seeks to enhance a small portion of the game and it takes a long time to put together. Model packs, world map packs, battle packs, and GUI packs can be produced much more quickly, and updates and fixes can be implemented much faster as well. Of course some packs can be consolidated into single installers.
Anyway, i wholly embrace a "pack" release structure versus an episodic structure.

now what battle scenes do you guys want to re-texture? ;-)

lee

*edit*
An example of how these separate installer would be much better is to simply look at the past. The last full release TA patch came out.... last year. Since then all of the TA members have produced a large amount of content in various areas, but it is very difficult to compile it all into one place. The WMRP has been worked on extensively, but waiting for a release(not throwing any one under the bus). A separate installer allows me to make new releases once i feel the new content warrants it, rather than waiting for other areas to move forward. The opposite holds true as well, if the WMRP is not moving forward, they are still free to release their content.
 
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I agree exactly with what pyrozen said
I think that once the bombing mission is finished, then the goal of putting out a 'demo' is done.
After that, releasing content packs would be faster and more satisfying.

As for these battle scenes, I think as long as the textures are kept around it should be fine, so they can eventually be used on the corresponding field scenes, or remodelled battle scenes, to keep things consistent.
 
Here are some screens of reworked snow battlescene=)

ff72010111709433448.png

ff72010111709434605.png


Now how can I contribute?
 
Millenia's swords were done before TA was around (well some of them)

Plus you should look harder for something before you complain it doesnt exist :P

https://www.ff7catalog.com/posts/82693/

edit: Or even easier, read his first post of that thread.
Click to expand...
My bad, but i think you got my point when you look to me mod/project forums.  :P

@felix

Is that "Titan" on the first screen?  :o
 
very nice felix, keep up the awesome work,  the snow field is good, but the skybox image looks a little too photographic. change the colors on it a bit, and play around to make it a bit more painterly perhaps. As to what else you can do, keep up on yer texture work, and do what you enjoy.
 
the skybox image looks a little too photographic. change the colors on it a bit, and play around to make it a bit more painterly perhaps
Click to expand...
Ok, I'll adjust it=)

Screens of the swamp scene:

 
nice sky on the swamp, feels good and distant, the ground is a bit noisy. what resolution are you using for the ground? Either smooth it out or try and make bigger details, opposed to miniature things.

great stuff! you work fast.
 
Here is without the noise layer:
ff72.jpg

ff72010111722381101.jpg



The resolution is 2048x2048.
 
Now how can I contribute?
Click to expand...
Just zip the relevant textures up in separate ZIP files so i can distinguish them for the time being, and name them with the prefix of that scene. PM them over to me, or you can post them up so people can use them immediately. Also, what are the prefixes of the scenes you have finished so far?

Both of the new scenes look great!

lee
 
"on" "oo" are done. "os" is 80%, but there are the problems with it.
 
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