Spark Detailing Exercise #3: Day & Night

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 February 2016 in Mapping
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SDE#3: DAY & NIGHT
"Build a corridor with some kind of exposure to the outside, be it windows, skylights or some other means. Create two scenes with this corridor, identical in geometry and props: one lit up during day time, one with night time lighting."


Restrictions: The corridor floor surface can be no smaller than 128x512 units (inches) and no bigger than 256x1024 units. Creating an exterior is optional, but not necessary. Open exits to other interior areas are allowed, as long as the corridor meets the size restrictions mentioned before.

Earliest due date: Saturday January 30th (two weeks from now)
Latest due date: Monday February 1st Monday February 8th

Tagging the people who participated before to draw the attention of those who've been involved already. :)@Asraniel @[=Alex=] @Zavaro @malx @Insane I hope this list will grown before the next edition of the SDE!

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.
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Comments

  • 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
    Also, if you're interested but inexperienced, feel free to friend me on Steam, send me private messages on Discord or get in touch here on the forums. I am your resource to use if you need help.
  • MasterGMasterG gmfbst Join Date: 2003-08-24 Member: 20169Members, Squad Five Blue
    Nice! I may jump on this if I get the time and get bored of Mineral during the next weeks!
  • killer monkeykiller monkey Join Date: 2010-02-26 Member: 70743Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    This kinda makes me wanna return to Spark because I love doing night scenes, they can be so pretty.
  • Saffron_bakerSaffron_baker Sweden Join Date: 2015-06-09 Member: 205352Members
    This time it's much bigger chance that i will finish!
  • 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 hope you guys will all join in! I made sure to restrict the theme to something that could be done in a couple of hours this time. :)
  • Saffron_bakerSaffron_baker Sweden Join Date: 2015-06-09 Member: 205352Members
    @Flaterectomy
    Now is the time when you post insperational posts.
  • 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
    Can do! Concept art of sci-fi corridors/environments to inspire.
    8d11a1fdf9f0068e8c9640ee3fca89d9.jpg
    (By Vincent Lim)
    882_realsize.jpg
    (By Victor Jonnson)
    boat_corridor_A_Final_a_rsfrwb.jpg
    (By Eric 'Gryphart' Gagnon for the 'Deus Ex: HR' DLC 'The Missing Link')
    scifi_corridor_by_phade01-d51ogk1.jpg
    (By Phade01)
    img29.jpg
    (By Nathan Schroeder)
  • deathshrouddeathshroud Join Date: 2010-04-10 Member: 71291Members
    amazing concept art
  • 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
    A little over a week remains! I hope people are either working on their submissions or planning something. I started on a very rough idea last night, and just sketched it into a more complete picture in my notebook on the way home from work. I will likely start over now that I have a better idea of what I want to go for. Like SDE#1 (and unlike SDE#2), I will record the process, and will also use a little utility that shows which keys I press on my keyboard.

    Anyhew, that's my status update. Anyone else have anything to report? :)
  • The_Welsh_WizardThe_Welsh_Wizard Join Date: 2013-09-10 Member: 188101Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    That Deus Ex HR game really knows how to make awesome scifi environment lol. Great concept art.

    I'll maybe create something in a few weeks too.
  • 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'll maybe create something in a few weeks too.

    Remember though, SDE#3 runs until February 1st. I don't yet know when/what the next installment will be. It also depends on the success of this round.

  • The_Welsh_WizardThe_Welsh_Wizard Join Date: 2013-09-10 Member: 188101Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    Yes but it is time consuming and unfortunately I haven't got much of it at the moment. :/
  • Saffron_bakerSaffron_baker Sweden Join Date: 2015-06-09 Member: 205352Members
    working on it right now
  • InsaneInsane Anomaly Join Date: 2002-05-13 Member: 605Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, NS2 Map Tester, Subnautica Developer, Pistachionauts, Future Perfect Developer
    I'll definitely submit something for this but the way things are going for me this week, it will almost certainly be late. Oh well!
  • Saffron_bakerSaffron_baker Sweden Join Date: 2015-06-09 Member: 205352Members
    Insane wrote: »
    I'll definitely submit something for this but the way things are going for me this week, it will almost certainly be late. Oh well!
    Same here
  • YojimboYojimbo England Join Date: 2009-03-19 Member: 66806Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited January 2016
    @Flaterectomy In the future :smiley:

    We all know you want to bring back ns_bast!!

    Please please please can you do an "ALIENS" inspired theme bro, they are so industrial and gritty looking :smiley:

    The hadleys hope set they used would make an amazing competition :smiley:
    aliens-colonial-marines-screenshot-16.jpg
    aliens-colonial-marines-screenshot-17.jpg
    aliens-colonial-marines-screenshot-20.jpg
    aliens-colonial-marines-screenshot-21.jpg

    OH MY GHERD!
  • 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 suppose it's a pretty soft deadline, with nothing on the line. I'll provide my feedback to late entries as well, of course.
  • deathshrouddeathshroud Join Date: 2010-04-10 Member: 71291Members
    thats is great welsh wizard
  • 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 February 2016
    All right, looks like my own entry will be late too, so to be fair to everyone I will just push the final due date to next monday, february 8th. Happy finishing-things-up, folks!
  • Saffron_bakerSaffron_baker Sweden Join Date: 2015-06-09 Member: 205352Members
    im sorry i tried like 5 times it didn't work well scraped it everytime
  • LokiLoki Join Date: 2012-07-07 Member: 153973Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, Squad Five Gold, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    some awesome work there @Flaterectomy wish there was a moon outside at night though casting a subtle blue glow in the night shot but thats just me :D
  • 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
    @AltF4 First off, welcome (back) to mapping! I'm glad my exercise helped you test the waters of Spark. My feedback:

    I like the level of detail you put into your scene, and the composition of especially the first screenshot. The vertical theme on the left wall with the horizontal slice of light falling across it is a cool feature. A good mix of geometry and props that results in neither standing out as such. The little cluster of objects in the middle of the corridor breaks up the repetition of the surrounding architecture. The light dangling from the wire is also a neat way to introduce an interesting light source for the night scene. Ceilings can often become a boring flat space, but you've kept yours interesting.

    The first thing that stands out to me, mostly because it breaks with the level of detail of the rest of the corridor, is the right wall. You spoke about the simplicity of the concrete constructions of your reference material, so I understand what you were trying to do there, but the minimalism of the geometry gives it more of an unfinished look. The diamond plate floor texture on that wall also appears out of place. I am personally not a fan of the extruding block between the windows, but that's probably between me and Le Corbusier, not you. ;) Some simple trim-work on the windows (they appear to lack a frame altogether) might have helped.

    The night-time screenshots have the unfortunate effect of the coloured light hitting those yellow pipes. I ran into pretty much the same issue with my own entry. I had used a LOT of bright yellow textures early on, which looked awful when I threw blue lighting on it, and opted to replace them with neutral textures instead. In your case, the teal and yellow colour pattern distracts from the quality of the geometry and props it's shining on. Additionally, while I like the warmth of the red lighting, I see no source for these lights, which serves to confuse. I can't tell exactly how the light is projected from the light prop dangling from the wire. That spotlight could use some atmospherics on it. Ideally, it would point at that cluster of props, to highlight it within the scene.

    Finally, to address your desire for steam: that kind of stuff is done with cinematics. Place a cinematic entity, select it, and brows to /cinematics/environment/ in order to find a bunch of useful steam cinematics. Keep in mind the Repeat Style value of a cinematic, some need to be set to Loop, others to Endless.

    I hope my feedback has been helpful, you've got a lot of potential so I hope to see more of your work!
  • CalegoCalego Join Date: 2013-01-24 Member: 181848Members, NS2 Map Tester
    Meh. It's something. Lighting was more difficult that I expected (opening up some NS2 map, I can see why).
    k5vLfkA.jpg
    CeEkw6A.jpg
    JRUBKID.jpg
    WaA3EsM.jpg
  • deathshrouddeathshroud Join Date: 2010-04-10 Member: 71291Members
    next challenge recreate a room from the ns1 map bast.
  • Soul_RiderSoul_Rider Mod Bean Join Date: 2004-06-19 Member: 29388Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
    I got sidetracked by mods, but I did at least make a start..

    Comments on my hand drawn geometry appreciated :P
    daynight1_zpszrcdho4z.png

    daynight2_zps3uavtpcl.png
  • Soul_RiderSoul_Rider Mod Bean Join Date: 2004-06-19 Member: 29388Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
    edited February 2016
    @Flaterectomy - Comments on your shots posted so far. They are beautiful, but the night shot looks very unnatural.

    As a security guard who spent many night hours wandering around buildings at night, I feel particularly qualified to talk about nighttime window reflections :smile:

    A window does not become that much of a mirror, especially not one as clear as the one in the day shot. The reflection in this image would be much darker, in the dark areas, and occasionally a bit lighter in the light areas. The contrast would be much lower the darker you went, so many dark colors become indistinguishable, and also partly because the reflected light almost becomes a new light source, further darkening the darks.

    The current lighting looks like the window changed to a perfect mirror.

    I hope that makes sense. I spent a long time looking at windows at night appreciating the reflection, not so much time spent trying to describe the visual qualities of the reflection....
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