How many polys to use and corresponding texture map sizes?

MasterG

<div class="IPBDescription">For environment props</div>Hey.

I've recently started texturing and modeling and am planning to create all assets for my map myself. So before I start I need to know some basics about how to balance my polycount and texturemaps to use for my prop models. So what are the counts on the various env art currently in the game? Have they been smoothed(meshsmooth/turbosmooth in 3ds max)? Do they use LODs?

I know this depends on the size of the model and its importance/how much time you'll spend looking at it etc. So for a generic wall pillar(48x48x192 units) with quite a bit of angles/surfaces as an example, how many polys/tris would be reasonable to spend with todays technology in the game? I've made one pillar halfway(without top model, and without detail on some of the middle pieces) and ended up with a bit over 2000 tris after chamfering and meshsmooth. Is this too much or can I go higher? Or should I keep it below 1000? I really have no idea, so word from officials about polycounts on props, or a way to figure out for myself would be greatly appreciated. Any info regarding this will help!

Thanks in advance for answers!

Tig

while i don't have numbers for you, i can tell you that the engine is very powerful and the props that UWE has created are very high poly. i've been told that the engine has no problem handling millions and millions of polys.

if this map you're making is an ns2 map, and you aspire to have it played by ns2 players, my advice to you is to stick with the packaged ns2 props and anything custom, simply make in the editor out of faces. this is beneficial as there was nothing more frustrating than having to either A: go to a website to download somebody's textures and models cuz they wanted a dinosaur in the middle of the level or B: having to wait before connecting to the game to download the resources. In either case, I would ALWAYS say "f your map" and go to a different server, I hated waiting.

just my 2 cents.

Kouji_San

High poly models can always be exported as game ready lower poly models though, Modern engines should indeed be able to render millions of polygons. 1000 polygon seems so goldSRC :P

marks

<!--quoteo(post=1813045:date=Dec 3 2010, 10:05 PM:name=Kouji_San)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kouji_San @ Dec 3 2010, 10:05 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1813045"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Modern engines should indeed be able to render millions of polygons<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Millions of polys per second. At framerates of 60-100 that is considerably less than "millions". Poly budgets for modern games are rarely higher than a million tris (pure geometry) being rendered at the same time (and that is the top end of the spectrum).

2 Million tris per sec equals about 30k tris per frame at 60fps. Just to give you a rough idea of how little "millions" really means in this context.

CoolCookieCooks

It's always nicer to have it as low as possible, as long as it doesn't sacrifice the overall quality of the model :). Maybe in my old man ways I am used to creating stuff for NS1, where all detail would get chucked into a colour map... ~_~

MasterG

<!--quoteo(post=1813045:date=Dec 3 2010, 11:05 PM:name=Kouji_San)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Kouji_San @ Dec 3 2010, 11:05 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1813045"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->High poly models can always be exported as game ready lower poly models though, Modern engines should indeed be able to render millions of polygons. 1000 polygon seems so goldSRC :P<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

How to do that? And yeah I guess, was just spitting out some random number. :p

Also think I've got a pretty good idea how to balance it. I guess it's gonna involve trial and error, but that's no problem. Is there any similar difference between low poly and high poly models? I mean when comparing different models. Or is it just the usual it depends? I guess the later but good info is what I need.

SN.Wolf

<!--quoteo(post=1813039:date=Dec 3 2010, 01:50 PM:name=Tig)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tig @ Dec 3 2010, 01:50 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1813039"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I hated waiting.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Oh so many have spoken those words and have in fact ditched the ns1 servers for this reason, the only thing that saved some of the NS1 servers was redirect but if your planning on a mod then go for it but like tig said, noon will want to have 50Mb of props just to play 1 level. type in r_stats 1 when in game and see how many models are really visible. kinda adds up fast.

I remember a long time ago someone did this same thing for BF42 DcF, it had giant construction equipment on el_alimein.....56Mb....yikes. needless to say although awesome is never succeeded because of the size.

If you do do it i would love to see it but it would most likely never make the cut for my server if it's anything over 6Mb total. Epic custom maps are awesome but the average wait threshold is about 1 minute for the average human. (check your watch next time your at a red light that seems to take forever to change)

I'm not trying to discourage you as it is a great idea but it may be beneficial to try to get on a team that is building a mod to use the props/level in that mod so the assets are in the mod downloads already.

MasterG

The largest factor of motivation for me is all the experience to gain and a chance to really, and I actually mean really, stick out in the mass. I can't get the look I want with the standard assets and it pissed me off to the point of abandoning my project, and starting a new one which would require me to work ALOT because of the props, textures and whatnot I'm gonna need. I will probably use some of the standard thing if they fit with my vision but otherwise I probably won't. Also this is not a matter of people playing the map or not. If you like what you see in the screens, when that time comes, and want to play the map then yes, there will be waiting and there will be mass downloads. For sure.

Now. Has anyone got tips on good articles/tutorials/forum thread about doing highpoly detail on lowpoly models? Any help is great and I appreciate the replies already written :)