Spark Detailing Exercise #1: Snowed-In

FlaterectomyFlaterectomy Netherlandistan Join Date: 2005-02-03 Member: 39643Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
edited October 2015 in Mapping
iKkwQHa.jpg

PURPOSE AND RULES
This is a creative, visual exercise that is meant to help you get better at lighting and detailing your levels. There is no need to make your entry abide by unwritten NS2 mapping rules such as limited lines-of-sight, avoiding tactically OP hiding spots, etc.

When submitting your level in this thread, please post enough screenshots from various angles to show off your work, include links to the .level file (or the Steam Workshop page if you published it there), and links to any source material you used. You are free to use concept art, photographs, sketches, or any other sources for inspiration as long as you include them in your submission post. Please try to include your thoughts and motivation for what you were trying to accomplish; point out what you were happy and unhappy with, etc.

Use this thread to post questions, discuss the theme, and eventually post your submission. Once submissions are posted, please try to discuss and post constructive criticism on each entry. If your submission isn't completely done by the end of the specified period, don't sweat it. Just post it, and we will try to provide feedback on what's there.

The rules may change in later exercises.

The theme of this first exercise is:

SNOWED-IN
"A small room on the outskirts of a derelict facility, at least partially exposed to the frozen wastes outside."
Restrictions: floor surface no bigger than 256x256 units (inches). Exterior map, outside of the room, can be as big as you like.
Earliest due date: saturday the 24th.
Latest due date: monday the 26th of october.
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Comments

  • GameOverGameOver Germany Join Date: 2003-10-15 Member: 21700Members, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow
    Units? Inches, Meters?
  • FlaterectomyFlaterectomy Netherlandistan Join Date: 2005-02-03 Member: 39643Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    GameOver wrote: »
    Units? Inches, Meters?

    Inches, edited OP to suit. Thanks!
  • SamusDroidSamusDroid Colorado Join Date: 2013-05-13 Member: 185219Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Gold, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    edited October 2015
    I'll give a little help to anyone who isn't familiar with all the cinematics or assets, you can find a snow cinematic here
    "Natural Selection 2/ns2/seasonal/holiday2012/cinematics/enviroment/weather/snow_gentle.cinematic"
    As well as other general snow stuff here
    "Natural Selection 2/ns2/seasonal/holiday2012"

    Also, I will hopefully be entering in this
  • Saffron_bakerSaffron_baker Sweden Join Date: 2015-06-09 Member: 205352Members
    nice very nice
    but when i open spark editor it's all working good and nice but if i wanna put down a model/entity i can't see the model and when i click on one of the unloaded pictures it lags like crazy a minute or two.
    has anyone else experenced this?
    if you have please help me!
  • FlaterectomyFlaterectomy Netherlandistan Join Date: 2005-02-03 Member: 39643Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    I clarified the room size restriction a bit, adding "Exterior map, outside of the room, can be as big as you like."
  • BeigeAlertBeigeAlert Texas Join Date: 2013-08-08 Member: 186657Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Pistachionauts
    lussebull wrote: »
    nice very nice
    but when i open spark editor it's all working good and nice but if i wanna put down a model/entity i can't see the model and when i click on one of the unloaded pictures it lags like crazy a minute or two.
    has anyone else experenced this?
    if you have please help me!

    I'm not quite sure what you mean. You mean props aren't showing up at all?

    What do you mean "unloaded pictures"?? :/
  • Saffron_bakerSaffron_baker Sweden Join Date: 2015-06-09 Member: 205352Members
    edited October 2015
  • FlaterectomyFlaterectomy Netherlandistan Join Date: 2005-02-03 Member: 39643Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    I believe it should start loading the thumbnails after a while, and the first time you do this it can take a long time as it's generating the thumbnails.
  • Saffron_bakerSaffron_baker Sweden Join Date: 2015-06-09 Member: 205352Members
    I believe it should start loading the thumbnails after a while, and the first time you do this it can take a long time as it's generating the thumbnails.

    ok so i just leave it on for a sertan amount of time?
  • FlaterectomyFlaterectomy Netherlandistan Join Date: 2005-02-03 Member: 39643Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    edited October 2015
    Unless there's something else going on, they should start appearing. I don't think it should take super long, though. If it takes more than say a few minutes, something else might be happening.

    EDIT: My own entry is coming along well. I've been recording it, so I will have a new video by the end of it.
  • SamusDroidSamusDroid Colorado Join Date: 2013-05-13 Member: 185219Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Gold, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    I've wanted to cache those thumbnails and ship it with the game but it seems that will never get done unfortunately
  • Saffron_bakerSaffron_baker Sweden Join Date: 2015-06-09 Member: 205352Members
    Im working on it and it's Goin great but it's hard to get right textures and so on couse the wierd glitch or what ever it is.
  • BeigeAlertBeigeAlert Texas Join Date: 2013-08-08 Member: 186657Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Pistachionauts
    lussebull wrote: »
    Im working on it and it's Goin great but it's hard to get right textures and so on couse the wierd glitch or what ever it is.

    Also, to texture, you should use the texture tool, not the texture replace tool. Texture replace is for making large changes to existing textures, not setting textures and aligning them.
  • Saffron_bakerSaffron_baker Sweden Join Date: 2015-06-09 Member: 205352Members
    BeigeAlert wrote: »
    lussebull wrote: »
    Im working on it and it's Goin great but it's hard to get right textures and so on couse the wierd glitch or what ever it is.

    Also, to texture, you should use the texture tool, not the texture replace tool. Texture replace is for making large changes to existing textures, not setting textures and aligning them.
    Ok i will do thank you!

  • Saffron_bakerSaffron_baker Sweden Join Date: 2015-06-09 Member: 205352Members
    could the problem be that i don't use the delux verision of ns2?
  • FlaterectomyFlaterectomy Netherlandistan Join Date: 2005-02-03 Member: 39643Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    No, that should make no difference at all.
  • SamusDroidSamusDroid Colorado Join Date: 2013-05-13 Member: 185219Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Gold, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    @lussebull download this https://www.dropbox.com/s/aqlzke7hu3y3ond/cache.zip?dl=0 and put it in %AppData%/Natural Selection 2/Editor and replace the cache folder with this.
  • FlaterectomyFlaterectomy Netherlandistan Join Date: 2005-02-03 Member: 39643Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
  • BeigeAlertBeigeAlert Texas Join Date: 2013-08-08 Member: 186657Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Pistachionauts
    Just make sure your inspiration is limited to 256x256. :p
  • FlaterectomyFlaterectomy Netherlandistan Join Date: 2005-02-03 Member: 39643Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    The floor surface of your room, yes. :P
  • Saffron_bakerSaffron_baker Sweden Join Date: 2015-06-09 Member: 205352Members
    SamusDroid wrote: »
    @lussebull download this https://www.dropbox.com/s/aqlzke7hu3y3ond/cache.zip?dl=0 and put it in %AppData%/Natural Selection 2/Editor and replace the cache folder with this.
    Unfortenly it didn't work...
  • BeigeAlertBeigeAlert Texas Join Date: 2013-08-08 Member: 186657Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Pistachionauts
    lussebull wrote: »
    SamusDroid wrote: »
    @lussebull download this https://www.dropbox.com/s/aqlzke7hu3y3ond/cache.zip?dl=0 and put it in %AppData%/Natural Selection 2/Editor and replace the cache folder with this.
    Unfortenly it didn't work...

    Do you see any messages in the output? (Window -> Output if you don't see it).
  • SamusDroidSamusDroid Colorado Join Date: 2013-05-13 Member: 185219Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Gold, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    Did you restart the editor after doing that
  • Saffron_bakerSaffron_baker Sweden Join Date: 2015-06-09 Member: 205352Members
    edited October 2015
    Yes i restarted the editor.
    And no beige alert.
  • FlaterectomyFlaterectomy Netherlandistan Join Date: 2005-02-03 Member: 39643Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    There's one week left to the earliest due date when people can start posting their results. I'd love to hear how you guys have been doing so far. How far along are you? Did maybe have to restart it a few times? Are you struggling with anything? No need for screenshots, that's what the earliest due date is for, but let us know how you're doing.
  • Saffron_bakerSaffron_baker Sweden Join Date: 2015-06-09 Member: 205352Members
    There's one week left to the earliest due date when people can start posting their results. I'd love to hear how you guys have been doing so far. How far along are you? Did maybe have to restart it a few times? Are you struggling with anything? No need for screenshots, that's what the earliest due date is for, but let us know how you're doing.
    I gues you allready know about my problem.
    Otherwise it's going okey.
    I've got no textures up as of yet.
    And need some more
    Props out just unsure wich.
    Im going with delerict/biodome textures and props if possible.
  • AsranielAsraniel Join Date: 2002-06-03 Member: 724Members, Playtest Lead, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Retired Community Developer
    It has been soooo long i mapped last time! Trying out spark the first time for real for this thread.

    I like it. I also know i would never be able to make a complete map, but i really like it :)

    Having real trouble doing the finishing works now, including lights. Really the most complicated part. But i guess that was the point of this thread ;)
  • BeigeAlertBeigeAlert Texas Join Date: 2013-08-08 Member: 186657Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Pistachionauts
    lussebull wrote: »
    Yes i restarted the editor.
    And no beige alert.

    Sounds like the editor isn't being allowed to read/write from the texture thumnail cache location for some reason... :(

    Have you tried running the editor in administrator mode?
  • [=Alex=][=Alex=] Join Date: 2008-12-25 Member: 65866Members, Squad Five Blue
    256x256 is very small room :neutral:


    Well, I am working on my very small room.
    After all it is an exercise of detail right? :blush:
  • FlaterectomyFlaterectomy Netherlandistan Join Date: 2005-02-03 Member: 39643Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    It's all about the detail! :D Glad to see you're joining in, Alex!
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