Help wanted

Captain Phillips

I need someone who knows how to make good ship graphics for override, from the first shape to the sprites, mask, and shipyard.

(I would do my graphics myself, but I stink at 3D drawing. )

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Pougan

You might want to be more specific as to the scope of the task at hand.

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Cunjo

Quote

Originally posted by Captain Phillips:
**I need someone who knows how to make good ship graphics for override, from the first shape to the sprites, mask, and shipyard.

(I would do my graphics myself, but I stink at 3D drawing. )

**

if you need only a few ships, email me, and i will have prime do them for you. (he and i are currently working together on some plugins, he does the graphics, and i import them into the game) he is really quite good, and would probably be more than happy to make a ship or two for you.

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A warrior can shape himself to suit anything in the universe.
A master can shape the universe to suit himself.

Captain Phillips

Quote

Originally posted by Cunjo:
**if you need only a few ships, email me, and i will have prime do them for you. (he and i are currently working together on some plugins, he does the graphics, and i import them into the game) he is really quite good, and would probably be more than happy to make a ship or two for you.

**

so far there are sixteen new ship resorces. but a number of them either share a graphic or have very similar graphics. In the end I probobly only need like six or seven totaly new models.

I have already designed the ships I want and I could easily make patterns of them since most of them arent too complicated.
Is that Ok?

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Azdara

Hmmm... it's strange that people haven't told you how hard it is to get someone to do graphics for you. It's the main reason that plugs fail to get off the ground in the first place, and a big reason they never get done: You have to be completely dedicated, and so does your graphic person, for months and months usually. This is less the case with only 16 ships, but you get the point.

Otherwise, good luck, but it's very rare that someone will say "I can do graphics for you? Wow! Thanks!" This is because there are very few of us, and many, many people who want graphics done for plugs. You have to be REALLY convincing and have a good idea to get someone to work for you. Remember, it's their time that they are using to make an idea or more of your's work. You have to convince them that you won't fail, that your plug will be good and have good content other than graphically, and finally you have to get them to love the idea, concept and driving plotline/background of your plug's universe or story.

Otherwise, no one will jump at the chance to work for free, for you. That's the most important thing to remember when trying to get someone to help, that initially they are doing you a favour. But this alone is not enough motivation, you have to make them take the project on board, to love it and live it, to make it not only your project, but theirs as well.

But, good luck to you, I hope it goes well!

~A~

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"How can I make it go faster?" -Me-

Dr. Trowel

Moreso for EVO than for EVN, there are lots of pre-made ship designs out on the web, just begging for someone to come along and put them to use before their designers have to take down their aging web sites. Some are pretty good.... If you can be satisfied with graphics not designed for you, take a look at these two link pages:

(url="http://"http://modenstudios.com/evodev/")Resource Freighter 3(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.evula.com/shipyard/")EVula's Lair Shipyard(/url)

That won't get you everything that's out there, but it will lead you to quite a lot of it.

Captain Phillips

Quote

Originally posted by Dr. Trowel:
**Moreso for EVO than for EVN, there are lots of pre-made ship designs out on the web, just begging for someone to come along and put them to use before their designers have to take down their aging web sites. Some are pretty good.... If you can be satisfied with graphics not designed for you, take a look at these two link pages:

Resource Freighter 3
EVula's Lair Shipyard

That won't get you everything that's out there, but it will lead you to quite a lot of it.

**

I designed my own ships for a reason. I thought that the tonnages In EVO were overkill so I made the tonnages In my plug more reasonable. a standard amount of cargo space Is around three tons. since weapons can be hung on the outside of ships there is always more weapons space. all weapons exept the large ones weigh one ton, and to compensate for the small cargo spaces all the missions have small tonnages too. many ships have different variations. the frigate is the most commen ship in my plug and it has many variations. a Federation (replaces UE) version. a normal version, a light version, a missile only version, and a liner version. each one is slightly different. the normal version and fed version look the same. the light one has no turret or turret space, the liner version has portholes, edsedra edsedra. so I can't really use sombody elses graphics.

what I really wish is that I could have multiple peaple to help me. It could take forever to do the missions alone.

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Sam_the_Smart

A couple thoughts:

Quote

Originally posted by Captain Phillips:
I designed my own ships for a reason.

When you say you designed your own ships, do you mean you have a 3D model that needs texturing, or do you just have concept art?

Quote

Originally posted by Captain Phillips:
what I really wish is that I could have multiple peaple to help me. It could take forever to do the missions alone.

That's just not happening. The only fool-proof way to get the graphics you want is to make them yourself. I highly recommend using Strata (3.0.2 for Mac, 3.5 for Windows). If you simply refuse to make your own and can't find anyone to do them for you, (url="http://"http://www.pacifier.com/~kkey/shipyard/index.html")Onyx's EV Shipyard(/url) is another useful source. If this is for nova, though, you can't use engine flares, unless you can make your own.

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"You can't catch Jesus, he's the gingerbread man."

Captain Phillips

Quote

Originally posted by Sam_the_Smart:
**When you say you designed your own ships, do you mean you have a 3D model that needs texturing, or do you just have concept art?
**

I tried to do the multipurpose fighter and It came out pretty well. but I don't know how to texture It and It Is one of the simplest ships I've got.
other than that all I've got Is concept art.

Oh, and I already use strata vision 4,0,0.

(This message has been edited by Captain Phillips (edited 02-05-2004).)

orcaloverbri9

Yeah, the thing that really holds me back is the texturig, too. With enough patience and boredom, I can make a decent ship. But all that effort is wasted when you can't texture it...

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Azratax2

Quote

Originally posted by Dr. Trowel:
**
Resource Freighter 3

**

Modenstudios.com? How about modemstudios.com? It looks like thats what they're running the server off of.... Though the site has some 3/4ths view sprites (happiness and joy: usable in EVN) I cant get a download to work
-Az

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It is here. EVNEW Public Beta (url="http://"http://www.aznt.com/EVN/EVNEW")www.aznt.com/EVN/EVNEW(/url)
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Cunjo

Quote

Originally posted by Captain Phillips:
**so far there are sixteen new ship resorces. but a number of them either share a graphic or have very similar graphics. In the end I probobly only need like six or seven totaly new models.

I have already designed the ships I want and I could easily make patterns of them since most of them arent too complicated.
Is that Ok?

**

contact prime about it, it is his call.

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A warrior can shape himself to suit anything in the universe.
A master can shape the universe to suit himself.

Azdara

Quote

Originally posted by Captain Phillips:
**I tried to do the multipurpose fighter and It came out pretty well. but I don't know how to texture It and It Is one of the simplest ships I've got.
other than that all I've got Is concept art.

Oh, and I already use strata vision 4,0,0.

(This message has been edited by Captain Phillips (edited 02-05-2004).)**

Well then quit asking other people to do your models and instead ask us for texturing help! That's what we're here for, and we're only too glad to help. There is no better way to express your ideas than to model them yourself. Texturing in strata can be very tedious, but the result is often worth it. Plus, who cares if they aren't the best graphics out there? At least they'll make your plug original and different, and that's what matters.

By the way, in your previous post you said "edsedra, esdedra..." I hesitate to point this out, but the correct spelling is et cetera, or etc. It's latin for "and so forth" I beilieve. Or something like that.

~A~

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"How can I make it go faster?" -Me-

Captain Phillips

Quote

Originally posted by Azdara:
**Well then quit asking other people to do your models and instead ask us for texturing help!:) That's what we're here for, and we're only too glad to help. There is no better way to express your ideas than to model them yourself. Texturing in strata can be very tedious, but the result is often worth it. Plus, who cares if they aren't the best graphics out there? At least they'll make your plug original and different, and that's what matters.

By the way, in your previous post you said "edsedra, esdedra..." I hesitate to point this out, but the correct spelling is et cetera, or etc. It's latin for "and so forth" I beilieve. Or something like that.

~A~

**

I suppose I didn't make It clear that I have only done the multipurpose fighter.
and I think I did mention that I didnt' do that great of a job.

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Lindley

Learning a 3D modeling program is a real pain....I know, I'm trying.

Well, trying to try, more like it.

Anyone have recommendations for decently capable freeware 3D programs, that are at least somewhat intuitive? Like, Terragen-level intuitive?

I've been trying out Blender, but I can't make it do even the simplest things at the moment.....

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Azratax2

Quote

Originally posted by Lindley:
**Learning a 3D modeling program is a real pain....I know, I'm trying.

Well, trying to try, more like it.

Anyone have recommendations for decently capable freeware 3D programs, that are at least somewhat intuitive? Like, Terragen-level intuitive?

I've been trying out Blender, but I can't make it do even the simplest things at the moment.....

**

Never used terragen.
However, I have actually managed to model something in Wings3d and it looks like I want it to look, which is pretty impressive considering my lack of 3d skill. Unfortunately, I dont know how to texture and render it (since wings is only modeling. I really like the wings interface (with the exception of the fact that it assumes a 3 button mouse, and my laptop only has 2, though i think i could change this).
Anyone got any advice on texturing a model I have made in Wings? (running windows)
-Az

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It is here. EVNEW Public Beta (url="http://"http://www.aznt.com/EVN/EVNEW")www.aznt.com/EVN/EVNEW(/url)
Stuffit is a piece of .sit.

(This message has been edited by Azratax2 (edited 02-05-2004).)

Azdara

Lindley, I'll adress your problem after I reply to this...

Quote

Originally posted by Captain Phillips:

I suppose I didn't make It clear that I have only done the multipurpose fighter.
and I think I did mention that I didnt' do that great of a job.

(/B)

Yeah, but that doesn't matter, it was crap, the next one will be crap too, and the next, and the next. But the thing is, the second one is less crap, the third less than the second, et cetera. Eventually you start making things (probably like on your fourth ship) where you go 'Hey! That's pretty cool you know," and you look at it, and it's aesthetic, and it's neat and you realise that it was worth the effort to get this far. Then a year later, you look back and laugh because what you thought was cool was nothing compared to the stuff you're doing now.

BUT: even if your plug has slightly crappy graphics, who cares? Why spend days modelling ships that are perfect in every detail when you can do one thats good enough in an hour or two? People don't expect plugs to have great graphics, and while many upcoming plugs will have great graphics, it's a bonus, not a nessescary. I remember playing plugs with atrocious graphics, and still saving up to buy a ship that looked cooler than the rest. Once you're into the plotline it doesn't really matter. Just do it man! It's worth it, and then you can say "I did this all myself" or even better, help out other people with their projects.

At least give it a try! And if you run into trouble, we're here to help.

Quote

Originally posted by Lindley:
**Learning a 3D modeling program is a real pain....I know, I'm trying.

Well, trying to try, more like it.

Anyone have recommendations for decently capable freeware 3D programs, that are at least somewhat intuitive? Like, Terragen-level intuitive?

I've been trying out Blender, but I can't make it do even the simplest things at the moment.....

**

Well there will never be anything as intuitive as Terragen for modelling stuff. Terragen can use mathmatics and such to make terrains automatically and so on, but there is no way to get an idea out of your head into the computer without you yourself learning how to communicate with the computer so it knows what to do, and how to make the shapes that you see in your mind. It's irreversable, but once you do figure this out you'll find yourself looking at everyday objects and figuring out how you'd model them. You basically need to learn a... language if you will, because you are working in a 3D world, making shapes that have complex depth, lenght, height and any variations in between.

A "Do settings, click, wait" program like terragen will never cross over to the modelling side of things untill a computer can read whats in your mind and translate it into an image. You can either wait around for that, or learn how to tell the computer what you want it to do.

Many people here know how to speak that language (I'm being way to flowery here), and can help you out when you get stuck, but basically you have to practice like hell to get anywhere, and that's a simple fact. I did it, and it took a few years to get good at it, but it was worth it.

Anyhow... my fingers are tired.

Good luck to both of you, and my final advice is: Either bail out of modelling now, or be prepared to see it through untill you're competent enough.

I hope you pick the second option personally.

~A~

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"How can I make it go faster?" -Me-

Zacha Pedro

Quote

Originally posted by Lindley:
**Learning a 3D modeling program is a real pain....I know, I'm trying.

Well, trying to try, more like it.**

Do not try to try. Try, or try not. There is no trying to try.

Sadly, I do not do, but I felt like corrupting Yoda's advice.

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Dr. Trowel

Quote

Originally posted by Captain Phillips:
Oh, and I already use strata vision 4,0,0.

Quote

Originally posted by Lindley:
Anyone have recommendations for decently capable freeware 3D programs, that are at least somewhat intuitive? Like, Terragen-level intuitive?

As I mentioned recently,, Strata 3D 3.0.2 (or 3.5 for PC) is free, and is actually newer than Strata Vision 4. Strange but true! At least the Mac version is usually available at Jules/ewan's site, though it is down at the moment. I find it pretty intuitive, and it's from the same company as Strata Vision. If you want to find free-for-the-price-of-a-magazine full versions of other 3D apps, haunt the racks at a good bookstore or newsstand.

Quote

Originally posted by Azratax2:
Modenstudios.com? How about modemstudios.com? It looks like thats what they're running the server off of.... Though the site has some 3/4ths view sprites (happiness and joy: usable in EVN) I cant get a download to work

I've got no idea why Meowx's site is "mode n studios," not "mode m studios," but it is. I just tried 2 downloads from there (incl. the OneRing ship set), and they worked fine. I referenced his "Resource Freighter 3" site earlier because it links to other shipyard sites as well as to his own.

Quote

Originally posted by Sam_the_Smart:
The only fool-proof way to get the graphics you want is to make them yourself. I highly recommend using Strata (3.0.2 for Mac, 3.5 for Windows). If you simply refuse to make your own and can't find anyone to do them for you, Onyx's EV Shipyard is another useful source. If this is for nova, though, you can't use engine flares, unless you can make your own.

As well as producing some very cool EV/EVO ship designs, Onyx also wrote a great tutorial on adding EVN engine flares to 'em. See (url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/webboard/Forum9/HTML/004851.html")this topic.(/url)

Some of Onyx's designs are even more impressive when you realize that they (well, OK -- I only checked one ship) are 256-color graphics. That is all EVO can handle, but Nova can use 1000s of colors. One of the great things about the now-defunct Dreamwave Studios site was that the ships were mostly (or all) downloadable in full color -- really wasteful for EVO, but great for an EVN conversion. Hopefully EVula will put those ships up on his site before too many more moons pass....

Borb II

Quote

Originally posted by Lindley:
**Learning a 3D modeling program is a real pain....I know, I'm trying.

Well, trying to try, more like it.

Anyone have recommendations for decently capable freeware 3D programs, that are at least somewhat intuitive? Like, Terragen-level intuitive?

I've been trying out Blender, but I can't make it do even the simplest things at the moment.....

**

Strata can be gotten here. (url="http://"http://el3.northernswamp.com/downloads/strata/Strata3d.sit")http://el3.northerns...ta/Strata3d.sit(/url)
I am working on a tutorial at the DeveloperBB (here (url="http://"http://www.interact35.2ya.com/")http://www.interact35.2ya.com/(/url) ) that will explain some of the basics of strata. (now if it could just sit my lazy butt down and finish the thing

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A life, ohhhh, that a new plug-in right?
"Borb II of V.S.S Hellfire."