Artist (Models/Textures/Propoganda)

[Serran]

E-mail: vgnevar@gmail.com
Mod Experience: DoW: Depths of Heresy (http://dawnofwar.filefront.com/news/Depth_of_Heresy_Agonies_of_War_public_beta;36632) Various Battlefront Mods (http://starwarsbattlefront.filefront.com/file/CW_Weapon_Expansion_Mod;47091) Point Defense Systems (http://www.pds.hwaccess.net/news.php) Random Battlefield 2 Mods
Skills: 3d Modeling, Photoshop, Traditional Concept, Texturing
Why: Because I love CoH and would love to see a Modern Mod finished
Work: Other than posted in my mod experience section... have to dig something up. Am on laptop not primary computer.
Further Info: I am working on a sterile machine, meaning all my old work and stuff is not with me. Reason being, I am a member of the United States Army, currently stationed in South Korea... my goodies are long way back home :( On a plus though, I have access to almost everything you are planning on fielding on the US side, in the raw! Can not only help with modeling, can help with details of US team.

Also I have models of infantry weapons for Russia and the United States I had planned on putting into a mod for myself before I found you guys. Some of the Rusky stuff can translate over to China. I have no idea what polycounts CoH uses, otherwise I would have already been working on my baby the UH-60L.




~Serran

[Darkbladecr]

It is great that you are able to 3d model and texture models, these are both position that are valuable to us. Can you possible UV map as well? And what program do you use for your 3D work?

It is fine that you do not have your work with you at the moment, we can give you something easy do to for our mod as a trial and work from there. We already have a modeled and textured Blackhawk :P Not sure if you have seen our homepage and work: http://moderncombat.blacksandstudio.com/

It is great that you are in the US army, as this will give us a member who knows the accurate way as to how various units work. For the moment we will not be doing russians.... but with the release of the mod, who knows :p

Anyway I think I can set you up with creating a TOW defence system, should be pretty easy on the modeling side of things, I'll post some reference pictures soon. Is this ok with the other devs?

Update:
Reference pictures:
http://img222.imageshack.us/g/300pxtow07.jpg/
Download link:
http://www.filefactory.com/file/a2g3afb/n/TOW-pictures.zip

We are interested in the Tripod version, not the vehicle attachment.

[Serran]

Question: Is this TOW to be used as a squad portable version? Either way, I will just make it so it can be separated without weird polys in-case you want it to be broken down. I personally have been trained on and fired the AT4, and most soldiers get familiarized on that weapon. Is this simply to fill the 'AT Gun' position? These TOWs are used in defensive positions, and are not really the sort of thing assault teams would drag around.


ALSO, and more importantly, do you guys know the poly count parameters for CoH? In Tris is better, but I can use either way.


OH AND, I have introduction into UV Mapping, and understand it, just have not found a good program for it that doesn't overly disect the model's map. I use Gmax, and 3DS Max 8. Gmax because I used to mod for BF2 and it had tools... it is basically the same as 3DS Max 8, but free.

[Darkbladecr]

the TOW will act as a AT gun. The sandbag and other additions will be done through model mixing.

As for the tri counts:
600 for weapons
6000 for vehicles including the wreak and crush models
7000 up for infantry
buildings varry...

For your purposes, try to make the weapon 600 tris and if more is needed show the progress up to the 600 tri point and I can make some pointers.

And AT4 will be used in the mod :) we may need a remodel of that weapon...

[Serran]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/NeVaR/tow-atm.jpg?t=1264877476


700 Tris.

Obviously a lot of details I can get rid of. For instance, I included the hollowed out section of the TOW for reloads, I remember the AT Gun has a reload animation that could also work for the TOW, so I included the reload projectile and the gap in the barrel where it is inserted. Instead the TOW tube could be reduced to a simple cylinder to save couple dozen tris if not more. Also, multiple stages of the support structure can be trimmed down.

Tell me what details to cut, and which you want to keep.

[Darkbladecr]

looks great! MonkeySoldier is our reference and artist critic, so I will let him point out the errors. It looks like in your renders you have a lot of smoothing errors. Can you upload and PM me the model so I can give it a nice clay render for Monkey?

I think it is fair enough to say you have the skills to join the team. I'll post you a PM with the NDA agreement

[MonkeySoldier]

So far I couldn't find anything that isn't supposed to be there, or that's missing. (keeping in mind with the limits of the engine) Some fine work you did there.

[OnkelSam]

great work on the TOW. Darkblade gave you all the information already, so you're good to join =)

application accepted!

[Serran]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/NeVaR/m16a4.jpg?t=1264942842

I know there is an M16A2 on the forum already, just figured I would offer the M16A4 up for use as well. Around 450 tris.

[Darkbladecr]

looking good. need a couple more edges to eliminate the shadow issue, and main barrel can be upped to a pentagon :) good stuff

[Serran]

Well I also have issues with my rendering. I have just 3DS basic, and it definatly is not the best. I forget how i used to get the nice renders... need to research back into that.

OH, question... I saw a 'tut' somewhere about how to make a kar98 into the sniper version using the mod tools. Apparently it added the scope model without any modding work. For this to work is the model cut and given hierarchy or are each piece indavidual models?

I ask because the m203 is an attached weapon, instead of modeling an M16 and an M16/M203, if the game lets us switch and swap 'hierarchy' labeled parts, then a lot of 'upgrades' for weapons can be used across the board. Like the M203, and ACOG scopes.

[Darkbladecr]

What you are referring to is Model mixing. And it is only good for models which we can't touch such as the original relic models. As it will take the whole model and then you alpha out the part you don't want. But the model will still be there, so it eats up the speed of the engine. This is why some mods may lag when played...

this is the tutorial you are asking about:
http://forums.relicnews.com/showthread.php?t=217537

And here is the rendering tutorial:
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/1197/renderingtutorialqa3.jpg

You have dev access now, please post your contact details in the contact info thread here:
http://blacksandstudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2733

As for 3D max, there is no such thing as a basic version. What versions number do you have?
for example: 3D max 8 or 3D max 2009

[Darkbladecr]

What you are referring to is Model mixing. And it is only good for models which we can't touch such as the original relic models. As it will take the whole model and then you alpha out the part you don't want. But the model will still be there, so it eats up the speed of the engine. This is why some mods may lag when played...

this is the tutorial you are asking about:
http://forums.relicnews.com/showthread.php?t=217537

And here is the rendering tutorial:
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/1197/renderingtutorialqa3.jpg

You have dev access now, please post your contact details in the contact info thread here:
http://blacksandstudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2733

As for 3D max, there is no such thing as a basic version. What versions number do you have?
for example: 3D max 8 or 3D max 2009

[Serran]

I use 3DS Max 8. What I means by basic, was my render settings... just one light source, crappy smoothing... etc.

[Darkbladecr]

ok thats perfect we need max 8 for exporting