I need a graphic help...

[Marty_ole]

Hi there!
I'm trying to do a game with AM, and I need help...
I have to do a big cave, where I can move and do some frame...
I searched a 3d creator that could help me, but I didn't find it...
Can you help me?
I don't speak english very well, but I hope you will understand...
I write it in italian too, so if someone speak italian in forum can unterstand better...

Salve!
Sto cercando di fare un gioco con AM, e mi serve aiuto...
Devo fare una grande grotta, dove potermi muovere e realizzare alcuni frame...
Ho cercato un 3d creator che potesse aiutarmi, ma non l'ho trovato...
Potete aiutarmi?
Non parlo molto bene l'inglese, ma spero che mi capirete...
Lo scrivo anche in italiano, cos? se qualcuno nel forum parla italiano pu? capire meglio...

[Mystery]

Hi,

I'm not a 3D specialist at all, but I don't think that there is special software for creating caves.
How about using a 3D software that is able to generate terrains, and use the modified terrain as wall of your cave?

Just an idea from me, but maybe somebody else has a much better idea

[Marty_ole]

No, I don't want a software only for caves, but a 3D creatore that can make also caves...
In any case, I also thought at Terragen, but I not already tried...
However, I am sorry for my bad english

[Harvester]

You mean you need a software or a person to create the caves you mentioned?

[Mystery]

Don't worry about your English, it's fine

Well, I've just made a very fast example in 3 minutes of what I meant in my above post. I created a floor (used "mud" texture on it") and generated 2 terrains which I have put together like 2 walls (and used "stone" texture on it).
Any 3D software that is able to generate at least 2 terrains would work fine for this idea. In this case I've used MilkShape 3D, and for rendering another 3D software.

[Harvester]

Not bad, Mystery, I particularry haven't thought about this solution, I always tried to do it by modifying cubes But this is what I call elegant solution

[Mystery]

Thank you Harvester! I'm glad that you like my lazy method

[Marty_ole]

Thank you so much!
But than I have to move in this cave...
I don't know how to explain my idea, so I'm going to draw it...
The cave is view by over it...





Then I would like to put 12 little doors and a bigger, but I think I can make it easly...

[Marty_ole]

Another thing I forgot...
If it's less irregular than you can, it would be better...

[Mystery]

Let me think of something, but for that I need some time.
I'm going to post tomorrow

[Marty_ole]

Don't worry... thx!

[Mystery]

Okay, if you want to have a more regular surface, you could even just create a torus or a cylinder that is big enough to place your camera in it. Then just choose a good texture that creates the effect of an irregular wall surface.
(What I don't know is how you want to add doors to a circle shape, it's rather difficult in my experiece).

Anyhow, I attach 3 pictures:
- A quickly thrown together model and the camera position in the middle.
- The rendered image with 2 different wall textures.

I'm not sure if this along the lines that you need, I hope so.

[Harvester]

Just have dome about the same cave after Mystery and added the 12 little and one big door. Here's it rendered in Vue.
(sorry for the texture mistake on the wall... )

[Marty_ole]

WOW!!! It is fast exactly that! But... Now I should unterstand how to do it...

[Harvester]

If you need further help or explanation just tell us.

[Mystery]

Looks great Harvester!

@Marty_ole
Are you having problems with making the cave or the doors?

[Marty_ole]

There is a misunderstanding i think...
I'm not a graphic at all, and I was looking for a programm to do the cave...
Wich program did you use?
Just tell me this, then, if I have problems, I ask...

[Harvester]

I used Lightwave for modelling and Vue for rendering.

[Mystery]

I've used Milkshape 3D for modeling and Cyber Motion 3D for rendering. But both are not free, although Milkshape is cheap.

But as I said above, you can use any 3D software to realize it. It's just that some software is better for modeling, and other is sometimes better for rendering. It's always a personal choice with what software you get along, and of course also a question of price.
For example, Anim8or is a free software that can do a lot, but personally I have difficulties to work with it.
But I'm not familiar with many 3D software, just those that I use and those that I've tried earlier, so I can't tell you much more.

You can also take a look at this thread that contains links to different 3D software: http://www.adventuremaker.com/phpBB2/vi ... php?t=1264

[Marty_ole]

Ok, thx...
I download this program and I try...
But I think I will have problems...

[Mystery]

In case that you have difficulties, I'm sure that Harvester or me can give you a basic model in a format that you can import to your software to get your started, so that you can work with it, and make the necessary changes and apply textures of your choice. Just tell us what file formats you are able to use (although I prefer .3ds)

[Harvester]

... and I prefer lwo but I guess both of us can help if (almost) any format is needed.

[tribalxdude]

I am always maxing out polygons. If I was to do a cave I would do at least 3 chambers per model.

First I would use tubes with 8 or 9 height segments then select those segments and move and rotate them so they made bends in the tunnel. Then I would subdivide them and add a noise modifier to the mesh. I would do the same except for the ?move and rotate? to several spheres. I would squash the spheres and use a soft selection on the vertexes on the bottom of each sphere to give it a rugged landscape look with hills and valleys, and erosion areas for pools of water. Cinema4D is great for this but 3Ds max has a brush if it is an editable poly.

I would subdivide again so I have a lot of polygons.

Some programs allow you to cut and connect meshes others you have to use some kind of Boolean operator to union the tubes and spheres but this would be my next step.

After all that I would use Meatballs from some application or just use a tube to do stalactites and stalagmites.

At this point my system would be topped out so before I texture I would do some mesh optimizing. Polygon Crusher is what I like to use most of the time but I have found that 3dsMax?s optimizer works fairly well for this.

Next I would make a plane for sand in the pools of water then a plane for the transparent water and set its IOR to 1.33 and use a noise for bump. A little displacement map here and there and your set for a long rendering.

Have a cup of coffee watch a movie or 2 and your ready for the next shot.
Cut holes in the mesh for doors. Boolean works good if you have a lot of polygons that are somewhat co-plainer otherwise when all else fails do it by hand.

Most programs even the free ones have some or all of the features I mentioned above.

[tribalxdude]

Here is a simple example of what I wrote above. 3 cylindars, 1 sphere.
With a little more work it could be a lot better. Throw some lose stones around the pool and add some cave elements. A Little AO would go a long way here. Plus you can turn around and see the other tunnel. It has elevation like in a real cave system.

This will work for a panoramic image.

Example is show with High Light values.

This model is 51,000 polygons and could be reduced to about 25,000 (Loss of detail)

Included is a 3ds of the cave

I set the camera feild of view to 100 degrees in these renders.

With GI,3 lights (1 soft shadows,2 raytraced hard) took 3 minutes to render 640 X 480






This shows how simple the cave is

[/img]

[Mystery]

Looks really awesome!
Thanks!

[Harvester]

... and now I have to feel again that I'm really a beginner in 3d modelling Very nice work!

[tribalxdude]

You do very nice work and you have helped a lot of people here and that is the mark of a true professional. I on the other hand I blew my top and have to redeem myself.

I have never tried LWO before and I know I would really suck at it. I tried Strata CX the other day at a friend?s house and all I could do was make a box. I would like to use Strata because it has the ability like Final Render for max to make geometry an actual light source not just a luminance texture.

[Harvester]

The problem is that I can't do much more than a box in ANY 3d modelers But I won't lead this topic away from its original purpose so I ended hating myself at this point
I haven't heard about Strata CX yet. Propably I will give it a try if it has such potentials.