So with some stuff in mind from my last post, ive started work on my next scene. This one is going to be a russian captured tiger 1 setting up a defensive position at a farm. Positioning and scene building has started but im still messing around with the positioning of the crew, although im pretty set on the tiger's position.
http://www.wduwant.com/index_uploads/uploads/616b75925426.jpg
With the basic arrangement of the tiger and the land, i started coming up with some ideas for posing the crew. Of course the commander is going to be spotting from the cupola but im messing around with a few ideas for what the crew are doing. I added a sandbag wall and a lewis gun to the scene. Still a long way to go but im open to any ideas anyone has for posing or adding other elements to the scene.
http://www.wduwant.com/index_uploads/uploads/ffa9a04bc550.jpg
You should probably add a Red Star on the side of the Tiger instead of the flag, Change the Lewis Gun with the DP-27. Tank crew should be checking the tank if everything nominal (checking on the engine, sides of the tiger etc)
Scene is coming nicely. Heres a overhead view of all layout of the entirety of it so far.
http://www.wduwant.com/index_uploads/uploads/6f34dd22e5f8.jpg
Im giving some thought to the crew instead of coming up with poses on the quick. Got a second soldier in there trying to read the Tiger's operation manual (def not a us army survival guide) I also like the flag hung on the barrel idea but idk if it fits this scene so i moved it to a nearby building
http://www.wduwant.com/index_uploads/uploads/aa3e8fbf1.jpg
Gotta love Photogrammetry terrain, still needs some blending though
http://www.wduwant.com/index_uploads/uploads/02056f827d52.jpg
Whatever your direction may be, your putting a good deal of thought into having it make sense, which is fantastic
Btw, logically. The Tiger should have Red Star markings to help distinguish itself from enemy ones. You wouldn't want a T-34-100 shooting at you because the markings aren't there.
hmm true didnt think of that one. I used to be able to edit textures in GMOD but ive forgotten how since then.
I have you covered my friend.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=769143713
Use a wiremod plane prop or use PAC to scale a different prop to whatever you want and apply the material. Relatively easy custom decals.
Lil update, not everything is permanent but im toying around with a couple ideas. I added some marking to the tiger to make it more apparent its captured. I dont know how i feel about the friendly IS-122 crew in the background or the tiger crew member waving at them. After i added the IS-122 it didnt feel right that the commander of the tiger was using his binos in that direction so i rotated him to face towards the angle im set on.
http://www.wduwant.com/index_uploads/uploads/f07b3a567c7d.jpg
I forgot to mention is moved the position of the tiger because i wanted to include the photogrametry terrain in the photo but i had to pretty much be looking at the back of the tank to do that. I did a little moving and positioned it better
That house is fucking with your tank's lines, especially with its cannon
https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/710/57a32da1-ab15-4dd5-ac02-c3876b5dd9e6/image.png
You should readjust its position/angles so it complements the tank rather than take away from it
Also this wall will screw with you by the time you start rendering, its supposed to be a broken wall but it looks like a half assed low polygon mess with round edges, it has no character
https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/710/60a9bc6c-9282-4bee-893e-9a63cc9aaba6/image.png
You can fix it by positioning similarly materialized bricks of your own on it or replace it entirely
Also I'd add way more bricks below it, have it tie together with the ground
https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/710/0aece76d-a1a6-4d97-9e6b-afb83367c12a/image.png
You should add more foliage/vegetation where walls meet the ground and less where the ground 'leads' to the tank, which is your primary subject
That way you psychologically carve out a path for your picture's viewer to mentally travel upon instead of having your subject obstructed and therefore distant
While you're at it, I'd consider merging the grass with the ground by applying grassy textures wherever you've got grass, this blend is a bit too 'artificial':
https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/710/4d6bbadb-df07-4dbc-a187-bb870e9cc26d/image.png
Wow thank you a lot for your input. I see what you mean with the positioning of the tank and the grass and such. When you say apply a grass texture do you mean a "paint" texture or a "material" texture?
http://www.wduwant.com/index_uploads/uploads/eb8d4b1067b1.jpg
Heres another little update. Starting to pay attention to the flow of the picture now that you mention it. Still gotta move stuff around
Pretty much, I found that just like you can add normal ground props clipping into each other (like you already have) you can just as easily clip grassy grounds into each other. I tried this a while back, looked something like this:
https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/710/1246f31d-eb5f-47fd-bd89-16381be2f115/image.png
This ^ is essentially two IDENTICAL models clipped into each other with SLIGHTLY different angles, one materialized to be grassy, and one with normal dirt
Later on when placing grass effects and whatnot, simply add it only to where there's a grass texture:
https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/710/bee89990-f5c3-4564-a86e-831e0144a90b/image.png
You should consider setting up your scene already with a basic lamp setup: light and shadows will greatly influence how the scene plays out, and you can see how it plays with your different elements while you're working on the scene instead of after you've completed it
To add to what Viox has said, CK came up with an indentical way to use his rock propsbut for snow
i.e you make one a pure white and just slightly make it go over the other ground prop
I see what you mean now. Where did you get the HQ grass textures from?
http://www.wduwant.com/index_uploads/uploads/f7d1d8eb9a03.jpg
Decided to re-do the whole foreground terrain because it was too muddy looking and i didnt like it when i used grass terrain like Vioxstar suggested, so i chose a slightly more flat terrain to re-texture into grass.
http://www.wduwant.com/index_uploads/uploads/5d37e94.jpg
Heres where im at now. Ive started to combine terrains around the sandbags and tank but not so much towards the bottom of the frame. I dont like these grass textures at all, theyre way too low quality, so im looking for HQ ones. Set up some lamps since i dont really need fullbright anymore. Havent played with them too much yet
https://www.dropbox.com/s/kmg42vwi4w4utfe/vaddons%20updated.rar?dl=0
Download this and extract the material creator (or any other addon you want) into your addons folder
It's a tool you'll later find in your Q menu. Dont use the default material tool anymore, use the material creator instead.
The material creator lets you create/edit materials INGAME and apply them to props. It's very powerful but also easy to use. I'm going to give you the basic controls and down below more complicated stuff - you should start by understanding the basic controls and only then try the other stuff:
Basic Controls:
Q menu has a bunch of controls - the first controls are basic stuff like clear settings, submaterial ID, etc. Below them are lots of fields starting with the $ icon. These fields are material parameters which define the material you have equipped
Choose your submaterial ID at the top (in almost all cases leave this at 1)
Right click on a prop/effect to copy its material (copies the material parameters)
Left click on a prop/effect to apply your material (creates a material from material parameters)
Advanced Controls:
In numerical inputs, type 'a~b' where a, b are some numbers (a<b) to randomize a value between a and b on every material application
In numerical inputs, type '+=x' to add x to the existing material on every material application
In numerical inputs, type '*=x' to multiply x on the existing material on every material application
In numerical inputs, type '/=x' to divide the existing material by x on every material application
Additionally the material creators comes with the Mtex Library which is a set of console commands used to apply a material on lots of props at once without having to manually materialize each one. The true power of the Mtex library comes with the usage of the numerical operations listed above. The Mtex controls are:
-- Misc Stuff --
mtex_apply_settings_all <#> : Applies the current tool settings to all entities, as if you left clicked them. If given a [0,1] number value 'x', applies Mtex on only x/1 targeted entities, at random. For example, x=0.5 will only run MTex on 50% of the targeted entities, where x=1 will run MTex on 100% of the targeted entities.
mtex_apply_settings_by_model <#>: Applies the current tool settings to all entities of the same model you're currently aiming at. If given a [0,1] number value 'x', applies Mtex on only x/1 targeted entities, at random.
mtex_revert_all <#>: Reverts all entities back to normal materials. If given a [0,1] number value 'x', applies Mtex on only x/1 targeted entities, at random.
mtex_revert_by_model <#>: Reverts all entities of the same model you're currently aiming at back to normal materials. If given a [0,1] number value 'x', applies Mtex on only x/1 targeted entities, at random.
-- Isolation Stuff --
mtex_isolate_all : Performs regular isolation on all entities.
mtex_isolate_by_model : Performs regular isolation on all entities of the same model you're currently aiming at.
-- Note: alphatest isolation allows isolation of non-opaque entities such as grass or tree leaves. Applying normal isolation without alphatest will result in opaque isolation, and is best kept for solid entities like walls or boxes. The reason there isn't just an alphatest isolation is because some of those solid entities don't handle alphatest isolation well, resulting in material artifacts.
mtex_isolate_by_model_alphatest : Performs alphatest isolation on all entities of the same model you're currently aiming at.
mtex_isolate_all_alphatest : Performs alphatest isolation on all entities.
-- Color Stuff --
mtex_randomize_all_colors : Gives every entity its own color. The applied color will not save through different game sessions.
mtex_unicolor_by_model <# # #> : Sets the the same color (picked at random) to all entities of the same model you're currently aiming at. If given three [0,255] number values, uses that as the color to set.
mtex_unicolor_all <# # #> : Sets the the same color (picked at random) to all entities. If given three [0,255] number values, uses that as the color to set.
mtex_revert_colors_all : Reverts color of all entities back to 255255255.
mtex_revert_colors_by_model : Reverts color of all entities of the same model you're currently looking at back to 255 255 255.
-- Other Experimental Stuff --
mtex_unglow_all : Removes self illumination from textures, (such as screens or traffic lights) from all entities.
mtex_unglow_by_model : Removes self illumination from textures, (such as screens or traffic lights) from all entities of the same model you're currently aiming at.
---- So how do you get HQ grass textures? Simply find a grass texture (through the Q menu for instance, there's a workshop addon called the material browser on the workshop - the default HL2 nature material pallet is great for this). Copy the material name into the $basetexture field. Use a $bumpmap texture from some other ground model that actually has bumpmaps. Then apply the new material on your target prop. If it's too 'low quality', simply go to the $basetexture transformation matrix, set all its values to 0, in exception to 1A and 2B - increase those values to scale the material scale. For example, 1A: = 4, 2B = 4 would give you a material scale of 4 times its normal 'resolution'.
Heres what ive done to the scene over the past few days. Been working on it a little less lately. Ive still not messed with the lighting too much but now im using soft lamps
http://www.wduwant.com/index_uploads/uploads/eaecc552736b.jpg
Looking good, I would give the grass slightly more variation
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