Re: Official Image Collection
 

I know...it's just that I found some of the images a little out of my style so I just used my favorite ones and did some editing. I'm only really suggesting it because I made the secttypes to go along with the edited images...and some people might like that because they're not so confident in making their own and since it's about a quarter of the size of the normal ImageMod planetpack...

I'm a little busy with other stuff, but I guess if someone wants it they can just e-mail me and I can send it to them in a couple parts.

Re: Official Image Collection
 

So, is anyone interested in doing the images I requested or shall I struggle with the graphic design programs myself?

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Ever play MOO2? I am currently in the process of converting all it's components to SE4 format, but procrastination keeps setting in. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif I'll get them done someday. I think that there are some different colored bombs and missiles in it.

Re: Official Image Collection
 

"So, is anyone interested in doing the images I requested or shall I struggle with the graphic design programs myself?"

I'll make a stab at it but I've got to get my shipset done first http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Official Image Collection
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you have permission to distribute those images, and the edits are non-trivial, you could add them to the imagemod as well.

Similar but different components work well for different levels of stuff. EG: ion engine vs CT engine, plasma bolt vs hyper plasma.

Re: Official Image Collection
 

SJ:
I sent you an email to writeme.com. That's the right place, right?

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Thanks, Pheonix-D. I don't think I have a chance in hell of making the scattering armor I described. About all I can do is use filters on existing images or do a little bit of painstaking manual bit-editing. I can't master the mathematical thinking necessary to create original 3D images.

Sometimes you can achieve some pretty nice things with just filters though. I wanted a 'silvery' colored basic armor that really looks like titanium instead of the gold armor that MM supplies by default, and I managed to created it, but I can't attach it here. I used a hue-altering filter and got a really nice 'soft' shine like titanium has. It's not 'bright' shiny like steel, you know.

Re: Official Image Collection
 

I'd be happy to give the components a shot - as I'll be messing around with the art programs to finish off a few B5 Comps anyway.

The only problem is that I left my PSP CD at home and will not be able to get it for almost a month. I'm looking to see if any of my coworkers up here have a copy I can borrow. Until then, I'm not going to be doing much rendering or art http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Re: Official Image Collection
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That is the right address, but I only check it an average of once a month unless somebody prods me.

I have a message from you in my list, but I can't seem to open it... its in my list of Messages, but it dosen't really exist!
I can't move or delete it either!

You could try uploading it to imagemodserver directly...

Re: Official Image Collection
 

"I can't master the mathematical thinking necessary to create original 3D images"

Mathmatical thinking? Not if you're using DOGA or Bryce you don't http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Phoenix-D

Re: Official Image Collection
 

I hope to make some new facility and component pics to go with the TNG Mod...but it will be a little while before I get there.

Re: Official Image Collection
 

[quote]I have a message from you in my list, but I can't seem to open it... its in my list of Messages, but it dosen't really exist!
I can't move or delete it either![quote]
That is truly bizarre.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I did that first, but the server was down. I'll try it again now.

Edit: Ok, I uploaded it to the Imagemod folder on the server.

[ June 06, 2002, 00:42: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Got 'em.

Regarding your note.txt, could you possibly fill in the gaps between 840 and 888?

Re: Official Image Collection
 

I could, but that would require me to have to sort them out more, which will delay me from getting around to finishing this even more. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Just when you create them, start with the lower numbers.

I could also renumber them afterwards if that's easier...

Re: Official Image Collection
 

OK.. gotten to the point where I can try these. Now questions!

"First of all, I have yet to see an armor image that looks like I think scattering armor should look. Can someone make an armor image of many small segments, like 29 or 30 in the default images, but with six-faceted 'points' instead of flat? And all shiny chrome surfaced, of course, no varied colors. This would make much more sense for scattering armor than any of the default images. Although 869 in the new images is pretty good I'd prefer one with many smaller facets as I described."

I don't follow. Are you talking a three-dimensional 'hexagon' for the segments here?

"I really like 383 but wonder why it had to be scarred and stained? Could someone make this as shiny new armor?"

Easily.. though the texturing will be different.

"Also, something just like 383 in shape but made of the same translucent crystal as the crystalline armor in default image 191 would be really nice."

I can try..

"As for weapons, how about some missiles with different color-coded tips to signify different sorts of warheads? And how about some different types of warheads. There's got to be more than one way to make a bomb than image 185 in the standard set."

Easy enough once I get the basic image done, I'll post. Once that's done it is just a matter of changing materials.

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Re: scattering armor

Yes, call it a six-sided pyramid if you wish. The height shouldn't be very much, but it's got to look like all those shiny facets are gonna reflect anything that hits them off in lots of crazy directions.

As far as the missiles and bombs, different styles are welcome. Everything doesn't have to look like the CSM with a different color scheme, or the original warhead with a different color scheme.

Re: Official Image Collection
 

OK.. here's a non-textured basic material Version of one of the facets. Good/bad?

http://members.cox.net/phoenix-d/scatter1.bmp

Phoenix-D

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Problem with facilities.bmp

The image mod contains pictures for facilites 81-85, which are pictures for PvK's Proportions, and are also used in Derek's Mod (mine), but the facilites.bmp doesn't have pictures for those little squares. Any fix?

Derek

Re: Official Image Collection
 

I'll fix it up tonight. In the meantime, could you (or somebody) upload those missing images to ftp://imagemodserver.mine.nu ?

Re: Official Image Collection
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That looks quite a bit more complicated than I had envisioned. The facets should meet in the middle and just make a simple 'hexagonal pyramid' point. Still, the shape is interesting and might be usable for something else.

[ June 11, 2002, 16:52: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: Official Image Collection
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, the images are allready in the modpack; that is, the individual, seperate pictures are part of the image_mod. The main file, facilities.bmp, however, does not have them. Also, they are not my images; IIRC, they come from PvK's Proportions mod.

Derek

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Is there an easy way to make them mirror like? The surfaces would reflect space; stars and the like... maybe the reflecting surfaces would be purply-dark blue in hue?

Just some thoughts. (and I do like the picture by the way http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif )

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Mirror like just takes a different material.

"The facets should meet in the middle and just make a simple 'hexagonal pyramid' point. Still, the shape is interesting and might be usable for something else."

I'm trying http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif It's not as easy as it might be in another program though.. I have cubes, spheres, cones, pyramids (4 sides) and toruses to work with. That's it. (Bryce was not intented as a modeler)

I'll see what I can do..

Phoenix-D

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Now that I'm home and can look at the files, I realize that:

1) From day #1, the imagemod images start at number 101. Everything below that has been reserved in case MM expanded the default images. <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">2) I have only 2 images from proportions, not 5. #177 and #178, which are cityscapes. <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">It may be that the other three you refer to are shared with another mod and were submitted separately, or were simply not submitted.

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Heh... see what I mean about 'mathematical reasoning'? It's easy enough to say what it should be, but getting a program to create it requires being able to make some low-level mathematical formula to tell the program what shape to draw.

Re: Official Image Collection
 

"but getting a program to create it requires being able to make some low-level mathematical formula to tell the program what shape to draw."

Well.. not exactly. In this case it just takes patience and creative positioning http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Phoenix-D

Re: Official Image Collection
 

So, are you making any progress in finding the right way to position those wedges? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Since the first one is the hardest, you could try some of the other images I suggested. It shouldn't be too hard to make the 'bulkhead' out of transparent crystal if this 3D modelling program is any good.

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Well, I got the non-tarnished armor good and done, I just can't get the friggin lighting right..

as for the other

http://members.cox.net/phoenix-d/hexagon2.bmp

That's one facet, non-textured. Better?

the lighting problem:

http://members.cox.net/phoenix-d/armor1.bmp

http://members.cox.net/phoenix-d/armor2.bmp another attempt with different textures and slightly different lighting.

a try at scattering:
http://members.cox.net/phoenix-d/scatter3.bmp

I may have to drop down on the number of facets for the scattering armor.. maybe one hex group instead of many. Right now it's zoomed out far enough you can barely tell what they are, and the lighting is problematic.

[ June 18, 2002, 05:12: Message edited by: Phoenix-D ]

Re: Official Image Collection
 

You're right, they are oddly dark. Isn't there a nice shiny 'chrome' setting in that program? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif The scattering armor especially should have a mirror-like surface.

The two armors look pretty good except for the darkness problem. The scattering armor looks better but is still not what I had imagined. The little hexagonal 'pyramids' should fit together with no spaces between the facets. No 'flat' armor surface should be there at all, only angled 'shiny chrome' surfaces.

Can you make one of those 'armor' shapes transparent like the crystaline armor is?

[ June 19, 2002, 04:36: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: Official Image Collection
 

I hate it when I hit back to check something and loose a post.

Anyway:
"You're right, they are oddly dark. Isn't there a nice shiny 'chrome' setting in that program? The scattering armor especially should have a mirror-like surface."

Lighting problem, that IS shiny metal. Working on it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

"The two armors look pretty good except for the darkness problem."
Good..which would you prefer? Given that this is a Version of another image, we don't need THREE of the things http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

"The scattering armor looks better but is still not what I had imagined. The little hexagonal 'pyramids' should fit together with no spaces between the facets. No 'flat' armor surface should be there at all, only angled 'shiny chrome' surfaces."

Can do. I think I'll reduce the # of facets too, that lets me get the armor looking a little less thick.

"Can you make one of those 'armor' shapes transparent like the crystaline armor is?"

Yup.. pick one. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Lighting may be an issue but I'll see what I can do.

Re: Official Image Collection
 

I think the one that is less 'smooth' looks more realistic. Interesting effect, whatever it is. It gives the impression of a real steel surface with a little bit of corrosion on it or something.

For the crystalline armor effect either one would be the same if you altered it appropriately. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif So, take your pick. Or, alternatively, something resembling a cross-section of a steel girder. I'm looking for images to represent 'internal reinforcement' you see. That armor with the indentation looks like a good representation of a bulkhead, but it's not necessarily the only image that would work.

Once I have a decent crystalline image, I'm gonna be hard-pressed to imagine what organic internal reinforcement should look like. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

I hope you can get the 'mirrored surface' effect for the scattering armor.

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Baron: Regarding the organic armor you want, I think that Pheonix's armor3 looks pretty good. Very hexagonal/honey comb like, and the fact that it is an irregular pattern with some 'missing' combs makes it look very organic... as if it was grown, and so has some imperfections. If it were re-coloured (colored for our neighbours.. er neighbors... down south) to some greens and browns it would be quite convincing (IMHO).

Good work Pheonix.

Edit: looking at it again, it is actually a perfectly repeating image (five fold symetry and all that) but the lighting gave my eye the impression that things were not perfectly symetrical. The "nubbin" where the repeating facets intersect is of a slightly different size, which convinced my eye that there were additional irregularities. I still maintain that it looks organic, especially on first glance http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

[ June 19, 2002, 17:19: Message edited by: jimbob ]

Re: Official Image Collection
 

So, any progress?

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Haven't had the inclination to work on it lately, sorry.

Phoenix-D

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Non tarnished armor, but lighting different:

http://members.cox.net/phoenix-d/armor2a.bmp

A crystalline Version of the other armor:
http://members.cox.net/phoenix-d/crys1.bmp

Phoenix-D

[ July 01, 2002, 04:27: Message edited by: Phoenix-D ]

Re: Official Image Collection
 

The crystalline one is very nice. I'll keep that one for sure. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

The metal armor is certainly brighter but maybe just a bit too bright. The leading edge looks too shiny or even 'over-exposed'. Can you get a more even light? I'll mess with it in my filters and see if I can get the tone that I want...

[ July 01, 2002, 04:41: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: Official Image Collection
 

http://members.cox.net/phoenix-d/armor2a.bmp

try that..

Re: Official Image Collection
 

For whoever thought my attempt at scattering armor looked organic:

http://members.cox.net/phoenix-d/org1.bmp (LARGE FILE!)

http://members.cox.net/phoenix-d/org2.bmp (not happy with this reduction..128x128)

Phoenix-D

Re: Official Image Collection
 

I don't see any difference. But no problem. I'll fuss with it a bit in my filters tomorrow and see what I can do with it. It's just seems little bit 'over-bright' in the foreground.

How did you do the crystalline one? Is it easy to duplicate? There are lots of things that would look good made out of translucent material like that.

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Erm... that 'organic armor' is one weird image. Doesn't make me think of armor but some sort of landscape, it's so complex. I'd say try to duplicate some of the textures from the Vorlon ships in Babylon 5 for a good 'organic armor' look. Those were quite impressive and dangerous looking ships.

Re: Official Image Collection
 

That would be because I goofed and it IS the same image..ooopsie. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

http://members.cox.net/phoenix-d/armor2b.bmp

Phoenix-D

Re: Official Image Collection
 

The crystalline one was made by taking the first (non-'tarnished') armor model I posted before. Then I changed the diffusion color and fiddled with the transparency and reflection til it worked out.

A lot of what you're seeing ISN'T actually there, it's reflections. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif The model is identical, it's just the material that's different.

Not sure how easily I could duplicate it; depends on the image I guess.

Phoenix-D

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Well, it does look more evenly lit but now has a rather oddly mottled surface. Hmm. I wish I understood the processes behind these surfaces.

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Bright Idea!

You know, I wonder why the Imagemod doesn't incorporate other parts of the game as well, such as sound effects...

Re: Official Image Collection
 

And my contribution for today... a bunch of lousy images that I did over the past however long...

http://www.geocities.com/edwardkolis/imagemod070602.zip

Re: Official Image Collection
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, sound effects modding isn't terribly popular, and the ones that are made, rarely conflict with each other, since you have arbitrary filenames available to use.

BTW, geocities is giving a "page not available". They don't like remote linking at all.
Don't worry about fixing it for me though. I've downloaded the file already.

Re: Official Image Collection
 

Baron: I've tried and I can't get a scattering armor to work right. Anything else?

Phoenix-D

Re: Official Image Collection
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, the one I have is reasonable. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Other than the scattering armor, I'm still searching for something to represent 'organic bulkheads' -- internal reinforcement with organic armor material. It has to be different from the standard organic armor image, but enough like it to be recognizable. So, I guess you lift the texture and try to think of a shape that looks right. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Also, I decided we need another 'primitive' weapon to start the early game with, so I've added 'Laser Cannon' to my techs. But I can't find a decent image that I think looks like a plain old 'Laser' even in the image mod. Everything looks too slick. It has to be sort of 'retro' compared to the later wapons, rather like the DUC image. Got any ideas? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[ July 07, 2002, 06:11: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: Official Image Collection
 

http://members.cox.net/phoenix-d/gun.bmp

Like that? I'm not entirely happy with the texture, but I finnally figured a way to get semi-even lighting. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif