[Andrew75]

Hey guys, I don't know if we have a topic like this, but
I wanted to make this little topic so that us fan gamers can discuss or ask questions on how we create assets for our fan games.
From textures to models to music.

Feel free to ask any kind of how to questions, I'm sure that there is someone with the right skill sets that will respond.
If you have any tutorials or tips regarding fangames, please share them, as they may be valuable to other community members.
Keep in mind that it does not matter what game engine , or program you are working in.

(I'll be adding some sonic related modeling tutorials in the future)

This post has been edited by Andrew75: 26 August 2012 - 07:57 AM

[TheInvisibleSun]

Though many probably won't use the program, I can help with SketchUp if anyone wants to use the program for anything. If I had video capture software, I would make video tutorials, but for now I guess I could try to make image tutorials if anyone's interested.

[Kharen]

There's a free program that I use called "BB Flashback Express". It's free and works pretty well as a recording program. I'd appreciate video tutorials on how to use SketchUp, if you'd be willing to try the recorder and give it a shot.

I don't know much of anything directly about making a game right now, but I can always provide links to stuff I find, such as art tutorials. It could help people with graphics and textures.

[Andrew75]

Kharen, on 26 August 2012 - 11:05 PM, said:

I don't know much of anything directly about making a game right now, but I can always provide links to stuff I find, such as art tutorials. It could help people with graphics and textures.

If u can't make games, thats OK,
Lets say, If you can use photoshop, or mix and or make music, and have any tricks up your sleeve, than that could be used as a tutorial.

Mainly hoping for Forum user made tutorials, don't want to crowd the thread with links to external ones.
By all means post the links if they are good.

This post has been edited by Andrew75: 27 August 2012 - 08:42 AM

[Azu]

Andrew75, on 27 August 2012 - 11:18 AM, said:

I was going to do a loop tutorial but now that Jason will be , I wont have to hahah.
although I'm not sure if his will be dealing with the loop base model and UV mapping setup. Besides just the helix.
http://forums.sonicr...showtopic=29654

You should do your version too. =P

This post has been edited by Azu: 27 August 2012 - 12:41 PM

[TheInvisibleSun]

Kharen, on 26 August 2012 - 11:05 PM, said:

There's a free program that I use called "BB Flashback Express". It's free and works pretty well as a recording program. I'd appreciate video tutorials on how to use SketchUp, if you'd be willing to try the recorder and give it a shot.

Thanks for the link. For now I'll try to make some basic tutorials (for things like Loops, curved surfaces and the like). College is starting up again, so I probably won't be able to do these often. Nevertheless, let me know of any other specific things you might want to do/create in the program, and I'll try to include it (I'm new to video recorded tutorials, but I'll give it a shot).

[Azu]

Just gonna post some Max Scripts I think might help with some 3D Level Designs.

Name: Function Sculptor
Versions: Max 2012+

Quote

Function Sculptor is a scripted plugin that deforms meshes, polys or splines according to an arbitrary, user-input function. This allows easy creation of an endless variety of smooth, precisely curved surfaces. It also enables the mathematically precise curving of splines for extrusions, path-deforms and lofts.

Name: Geometry Projection
Versions: Max 2012+(?)

Quote

"Geometry projection" projects one or several objects or it's vertex selection on another along global or local x,y or z axis.

Name: SuperExtruder
Versions: Max 2009-2011

Quote

This tool will extrude the selected face on a editpoly object with a spline that you can easily controls.

By the look of the video, this could work great for Sonic levels.

Name: Sweep Profile
Versions: Max 2009 SP2+

Quote

script for a quick and convenient applying of profiles to shape with a modifier Sweep.

Name: GhostTown Lite
Versions: Max 2011 and 2012(?)

Quote

A city generator and tool for creating urban environments.

*Great for city/rooftop type levels.

Name: Stone Placement Tools
Versions: Max 2011(?)

Quote

This script collects some utilities for the creation of stone walls, stone pavements and an irregular stone pattern to simulate both walls and floors.

Name: Rock Generator
Versions: Max 2011 and 2012(?)

Quote

A city generator and tool for creating urban environments..

*Not sure about these two. They seem to work in 2011, but might before 2008-2009. I've tired them in 2012 an I gotten a few errors, but it did work.

Name: Spline Toolbox
Versions: Max 2010+

Quote

Adds addition spline tools.

Name: Deformed Edges
Versions: Max 2010+

Quote

With this tool user can deform selected edges of Editable Poly objects.
This will give your model a more natural look with raw edges.
For example: wooden or concrete pillars or walls, pieces of clay or ice, rude metal etc.

Would be awesome for rocky environments.

Name: Arrangement
Versions: Max 2009+

Quote

his scripted utility allows you:

• dispose selected object along a path,
• create simple lofts (with constant cross-section, without any deformation),
• distribute selected object to a group of other objects

Name: SplineRig
Versions: Max 2009+ (?)

Quote

A spline based rig. An alternative approach to using PathDeform with more control over twist and scale.

This looks like what I've been waiting for.

Name: Pulldownit
Versions: Max 2008-2011

Quote

Pull Down it! is a brand new dynamics solver which allows for the creation of fractures as well as massive rigid bodies simulation. By using its technology digital artist are able to simulate fast and easily scenes made up of thousands of objects and collapse buildings, bridges or any kind of brittle material.

===================================
Also, this might not help with level design, but it might help with vidoes or aniamted logos.

Name: SplineRig
Versions: Max 2009+ (?)

Quote

Bring your project to life with SplineSync. A true multi-dimensional spline generator which sends sound waves through your objects and generates a audio-synced curves like you have never seen before. Use it for music videos, motion graphics, commercials, abstract art, visual fx and more.

This post has been edited by Azu: 01 September 2012 - 08:58 PM

[Candescence]

Personally, GhostTown looks like the most promising plugin. I mean, holy crap, look what you can do with it.


Also, for open source 3D assets, you guys should check out this guy's stuff. There's some excellent suitable models in there, and a ton of fantastic-looking textures.

[Azu]

Oh yes. Looks like I might get the remake one my favorite levels in Sonic Advance. Here's a hint. The Stone Placement tool and the rock generator will come in handy.

[Raz]

-- deleted since I got a response in SonicGDK thread —

This post has been edited by Raz: 31 August 2012 - 12:31 PM

[Vinchenz]

Well I'm not making a fan game but you guys don't mind if I ask since this is probably a common thing in all 2D games?

I haven't worked with collision at all for the past 3 years of programming (I'm more of a graphics guy) so I'm having tons of trouble wrapping my head around this.

Basically, ground/wall collision. My game has no slopes so that's not a problem. But basically, I have a player object that can switch between running on the ceiling and floor. There's a box object that he can come across which he can run past. However, if the player interacts with this box, I want it so that the player gets pushed by the box.

Because of the game mechanics, the player can hit the box from below or from above. In this case I could just cancel the player's velocity but the player can also hit the box from the front. In that case, I can't cancel the velocity because the player would need to be pushed by the box while falling.

I honestly can't figure this out. I think it would be exactly like colliding with walls and ground, just with a moving object. Think anyone could help me with this? I'm coding in C# using XNA but I think the basics of collision are pretty much the same no matter what you're programming in.

[winterhell]

I have 2 sets of values for each character, one for foreground walls and one for solid object walls. That way I know in each direction (left or right) how far is the next wall. We know that Sonic is about 11 pixels wide to one side, so if the distance value is bigger than 11 I don't bother with it. If its less, then Sonic gets pushed back the difference (11-value).
You only take the values for object walls that are nearest to the character.
The thing will probably work with even only one set of values for left/right wall, but I prefer it with 2 sets. Also I used to do the character translation not after you go through all of the objects, but at each instance of "close wall". You have to decide which method is best for you.

[360]

This might sound like a strange question and request but there's a project that I'm thinking of working on (quite seriously thinking of working on) that requires "neon colours". You know when you have something like a lamp post or a fire in an MMF game whereby the shape and colour shines and glows like a neon light. I wanted to ask how someone might go about finding those or generating those in MMF? I think there's some screens of Sonic Classic 2 that shows the effect in action (I hope Hez doesn't mind me hotlinking his screens).



Something like the shield in this image. It's not a perfect example but how do you create an object that glows like that? A custom animation? The project I want to work on basically needs this. I would only need one object or an explanation on how to generate one and then I could move forward. Anyone?

[The Taxman]

360, on 26 September 2012 - 01:46 AM, said:

This might sound like a strange question and request but there's a project that I'm thinking of working on (quite seriously thinking of working on) that requires "neon colours". You know when you have something like a lamp post or a fire in an MMF game whereby the shape and colour shines and glows like a neon light. I wanted to ask how someone might go about finding those or generating those in MMF? I think there's some screens of Sonic Classic 2 that shows the effect in action (I hope Hez doesn't mind me hotlinking his screens).



Something like the shield in this image. It's not a perfect example but how do you create an object that glows like that? A custom animation? The project I want to work on basically needs this. I would only need one object or an explanation on how to generate one and then I could move forward. Anyone?

It's a combination of two images: the shield (which is fully opaque) and the glow, which is drawn using additive blending. To make an image for additive blending, you simply draw what you want on a black background (since black is RGB(0,0,0) it doesn't get added).

[Hez]

360, on 26 September 2012 - 01:46 AM, said:

This might sound like a strange question and request but there's a project that I'm thinking of working on (quite seriously thinking of working on) that requires "neon colours". You know when you have something like a lamp post or a fire in an MMF game whereby the shape and colour shines and glows like a neon light. I wanted to ask how someone might go about finding those or generating those in MMF? I think there's some screens of Sonic Classic 2 that shows the effect in action (I hope Hez doesn't mind me hotlinking his screens).



Something like the shield in this image. It's not a perfect example but how do you create an object that glows like that? A custom animation? The project I want to work on basically needs this. I would only need one object or an explanation on how to generate one and then I could move forward. Anyone?

You basically want this?


I use this image above, and then set the effect in the objects properties to ADD, which is shown below in both regular and HWA MMF.


I have a request. ONLINE MULTIPLAYER. I don't get it one bit, and if someone could PM me about it or just post here with explicit instructions that would be great. Trust me, SC2 with online multiplayer will be worth your while.