Art test for NS2

Sigvatr · April 2008

<div class="IPBDescription">Textures</div>EDIT: More, better textures down post.

I decided to have a try at my own art test to prove my worth as a texture artist to the NS2 team. My goal was to make a tiling floor texture that would be suitable for use in the game (although even if I pass, I don't want to use it because I know I can do better). I also have made a normal map.

I am adamant about getting this position because I've been a fan of natural selection for a long time now, so I'd like to get your guys crits+comments so I can work on improvement until the NS2 team has no choice but to give me a position <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

So please, be brutally honest.

Thanks <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

<img src="http://www.zombiesmash.com/ns1.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

<img src="http://www.zombiesmash.com/ns2.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

<img src="http://www.zombiesmash.com/ns3.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Crispy · April 2008

For some reason it's saying more Quake II than NS for me, but to be honest it's harsh to criticise textures like that because lighting can totally change how it looks in-game.

Do you have any Hammer experience? It would be nice to see how this texture reacts to red/blue/green/yellow light in Source.

Sigvatr · April 2008

I'd like some program that I can use to quickly test the texture with a normal map and light source on, but I can't seem to find any. The only way I can test any sort of lighting right now is with photoshop's NVIDIA tool.

Sigvatr · April 2008

Some better results when messing around with normal map settings:

<img src="http://www.zombiesmash.com/ns4.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

<img src="http://www.zombiesmash.com/ns5.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Forral · April 2008

Get it saved as a vtf with a vmt and lets see it tiled in the Source engine.

I like <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

Avvatar · April 2008

My biggest complaint is that it's really sort of cheating for tiling. Putting a distinct border around it like that insures that it will tile correctly, sure, but it also makes it very visible where it tiles. It would be better if you could get it tiling without the border, so the edges would be less visible, and it would give the mappers more options about what to do with it and where to use it.

Crispy · April 2008

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Avvatar @ Apr 24 2008, 03:18 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1676733"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'>My biggest complaint is that it's really sort of cheating for tiling. Putting a distinct border around it like that insures that it will tile correctly, sure, but it also makes it very visible where it tiles. It would be better if you could get it tiling without the border, so the edges would be less visible, and it would give the mappers more options about what to do with it and where to use it.</div>I wouldn't necessarily agree. What I would say is that you need to do multiple versions of the texture. The one with a clearcut border can be used where a tesselated pattern is desirable, the other can be used for filler or where you don't want the pattern to make it look too busy and distracting.

I'd say in NS it's best not to use tight square patterns on the floors because the Skulk view is very low and without good anti-aliasing it will just end up looking messy. But that's just a personal opinion.

Buzzou · April 2008

i dont know anything about texturing, but i know what i like, and i like this. not a bad effort at all.

my only concern is that it doesnt look like it would make a good floor texture, when spammed across an entire room. it looks like it would be more suited to being an occasional random air vent on a wall/ceiling, or maybe as a trapdoor that opens up in the floor.... but hey, thats just my inexperienced opinion. i'd need to see a screenshot of a room spammed with this stuff on the floor to really appreciate it.

***on a side note here, now that i mentioned it, how cool would it be to have trapdoors (maybe the best word for it is cellar door) in a FPS?!?***

the only thing that struck me as odd, was that you say you've been a long time fan of NS, yet this is your first post?!? to be a part of the NS team you will have to prove your worth with many different textures, using various styles, all of excellent quality. i wish you the best of luck.

start pumping out heaps of good quality textures, convince us (and obviously the developers) you're worth you're weight in gold!

TychoCelchuuu · April 2008

CrazyBump will let you try your texture out with a normal map very easily.

kontrolfreek · April 2008

if you need someone to test your textures in game (like Dod) using hammer, let me know. I will be working on some maps for NS2 so i would love to help you with that.

Sigvatr · April 2008

Add me to msn, its msn@sigvatr.com

Sigvatr · April 2008

With specular and displacement maps:

<img src="http://www.zombiesmash.com/ns6.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

<img src="http://www.zombiesmash.com/ns7.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Sigvatr · April 2008

I have created a new texture where I tried to make realistic looking metal using all techniques possible.

I'm a bit iffy about the metal in the NS world. Is it galvanized, dark, light, shiney, or what? Its hard to tell because the Half Life engine didn't support any of the neat texture tricks that the source engine does.

What do you guys think?

<img src="http://www.zombiesmash.com/ns8.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

<img src="http://www.zombiesmash.com/ns9.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

locallyunscene · April 2008

That is one grungy crate. It looks like the kind of create you'd find outside on the spacedock of some g~dforsaken barren planet. Good work! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />

Sigvatr · April 2008

I don't know if "grungie" is in the style of NS2. Shouldn't all the metal be clean and stuff?

La Chupacabra · April 2008

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sigvatr @ Apr 25 2008, 03:25 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1676826"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'>Shouldn't all the metal be clean and stuff?</div>
Frontiersmen kill aliens like all space marines do, they are no cleaning company <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

exoity · April 2008

I wrote a program that shows parallax mapping and normal mapping in real time using a per-pixel directional light. If anyone is interested in seeing how there textures may look in real game time, send me an email and I send you a copy of it.

GaussWaffle · April 2008

GREAT box, would love to take cover with it and looks very believable

OK skin texture, definetly a roof panel at best for me (the light manipulations were nice though, source does that well)

Sigvatr · April 2008

Does the Source engine (or specifically the NS2 engine) support displacement mapping?

kontrolfreek · April 2008

Parallax mapping is currently disabled in the Source Engine shaders.

here is a link to an article describing the issue with displacement textures. i have downloaded the other shaders and had no luck getting them to look good either, so i think bump textures is going to be the key, we just have to find the right values and get the textures looking good.

<a href="http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Parallax_mapping" target="_blank">http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Parallax_mapping</a>

Art test for NS2

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