How are the big unit png files created?

El_Condoro · Post by **El_Condoro** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 12:46 pm

I have seen instructions on how to make the icons but not how to make the big unit images. All the ones I have seen are 256 x 256 pixel PNGs and they are all uniformly colored and all more-or-less isometric. I can make a 256 x 256 image but can't figure out the uniform colouring and more importantly how to get an isometric view. Can anyone help, please? I am using GIMP.

VPaulus · Post by **VPaulus** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 1:09 pm

El Condoro for isometric view, you need to have a 3D modeller program. And you need to have the model created in 3D over there.
GIMP is for working with images in a 2D logic through bitmaps.

bebro · Post by **bebro** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 1:16 pm

Yeah, with 2d software like PSP, GIMP, Photoshop etc it will be difficult, since you have to create basically a new graphic depicting the unit in the iso-style perspective. In a 3d modeller you just create the 3d model of the unit you want, then you can render it in every perspective and screen resolution/pic size you want by either turning the model around or modifying the virtual camera and other program-specific settings.

Without this it could be easier to follow the road some mods have taken which use historical photos for the bigunit gfx.

VPaulus · Post by **VPaulus** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 1:23 pm

bebro wrote:Without this it could be easier to follow the road some mods have taken which use historical photos for the bigunit gfx.

Exactly. And some people seem to like it even more.
Personally prefer the 3D rendered.

El_Condoro · Post by **El_Condoro** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 1:31 pm

Thanks, guys. Just did a quick Google for 3D modeler software - quite a bit out there. Any suggestions?

bebro · Post by **bebro** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 1:46 pm

El_Condoro wrote:Thanks, guys. Just did a quick Google for 3D modeler software - quite a bit out there. Any suggestions?

Blender is free, but many say it has a quite steep learning curve, in part also due to the - mildly expressed - unusual GUI. However, I remember from Civ times that some people posting at CivFanatics never worked with 3d and then started unit creation with Blender, and got very good results after a while. But it will probably not be easy at the start.

Commercial products are 3dStudio/MAX, Cinema4D, Lightwave and a couple others. Poser is specifically for character anim (so would help fore xample for infantry creation) but these can get quite expensive. Some are offered in cheap "student's versions" - if you are a student or know some to get it for you. Sometimes you can buy one of their previous program versions (which are mostly still very useful) cheaper as well.

Overall it helps when you look for free 3d models to use on the web, saves lotsa work. And then of course you can also buy commercial models...

Kerloc · Post by **Kerloc** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 2:19 pm

Im using blender most of the time. But sometimes i use autodesk 3ds max too.

Mark50 · Post by **Mark50** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 4:12 pm

VPaulus wrote: Personally prefer the 3D rendered.

Me too.

Commercial products are 3dStudio/MAX, Cinema4D, Lightwave and a couple others. Poser is specifically for character anim (so would help fore xample for infantry creation) but these can get quite expensive. Some are offered in cheap "student's versions" - if you are a student or know some to get it for you. Sometimes you can buy one of their previous program versions (which are mostly still very useful) cheaper as well.

What about Gmax? To my knowledge it`s based on 3dsmax and is free.

bebro · Post by **bebro** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 4:26 pm

Mark50 wrote: What about Gmax? To my knowledge it`s based on 3dsmax and is free.

Yeah, good idea, though I never used it. But it's certainly worth trying.

Kerloc · Post by **Kerloc** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:02 pm

Another program is called milkshape 3d. It is pretty easy to use

El_Condoro · Post by **El_Condoro** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 10:33 pm

Thanks - looks like I have a new project.

Cheers

Mark50 · Post by **Mark50** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:16 pm

bebro wrote: Blender is free, but many say it has a quite steep learning curve, in part also due to the - mildly expressed - unusual GUI.

Was blender what you`ve used when you started modelling or did you have prior experience with other software? Also, could you show a texture of one of you completed PzC units please? I`d like to see the level of details needed for the units to look as good as they do in game. Since the 3d is not present in game, but just renders of it I suppose you`re pretty free to create in terms of texture size and amount of model polygons.

bebro · Post by **bebro** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 9:21 pm

I didn't use Blender at the start. Always had Cinema 4D then, bought an early version which was relatively cheap, registered for upgrades. I only looked into Blender later, so being used to another GUI probably resulted in some bias.

As for the texture, I mainly model out details, so for PzC I don't use UV mapped textures to "simulate" more detail (like 3d games usually do to save keep polygoncount low since they have to render all in real-time). Textures I use for logos/symbols, paint/camo patterns, traces of dirt etc (often several per model).

But this will be covered in the tut I'm making.

Mark50 · Post by **Mark50** » Sat Jan 07, 2012 12:44 am

bebro wrote:I didn't use Blender at the start. Always had Cinema 4D then, bought an early version which was relatively cheap, registered for upgrades. I only looked into Blender later, so being used to another GUI probably resulted in some bias.

And how long did it take you to become as good as you are today?

As for the texture, I mainly model out details, so for PzC I don't use UV mapped textures to "simulate" more detail (like 3d games usually do to save keep polygoncount low since they have to render all in real-time). Textures I use for logos/symbols, paint/camo patterns, traces of dirt etc (often several per model).

That`s exactly why I`ve asked. I`ve seen textures for other games before and some are quite complex, but here things are different since the texture isn`t used directly and I imagine many of the details consist just in the 3d and rendered lights. Hence why I was curious how skilled a texturer one needs to be for something like this if he gets to be a decent modeller.

Kerloc · Post by **Kerloc** » Sat Jan 07, 2012 12:14 pm

As you can see the texture of my models is pretty simple. I render them and after that i open the pics in photoshop. All the little details (rust, buckles ...) are done with Photoshop.

bebro · Post by **bebro** » Sat Jan 07, 2012 1:44 pm

Yep, that's how I work mostly to.

Mark50 · Post by **Mark50** » Sat Jan 07, 2012 2:15 pm

Kerloc wrote: As you can see the texture of my models is pretty simple. I render them and after that i open the pics in photoshop. All the little details (rust, buckles ...) are done with Photoshop.

So basically you add the details directly to the render and not the texture itself. Thank you for the explanation!