European Ground Objects

[+Geezer 3,569]

Been working with Baffmeister on a series of ground objects for Battle of the Bulge (SF2) and a 1938 Vosges (FE2) "what if."

 

There is a fair amount of commonality to the 3D models, but they often need revised skins.

Edited January 10, 2017 by Geezer

[bazillius 1,256]

Very cool! I can't wait. Looks nice i think, from heights.

[+Geezer 3,569]

Thanks.  All my stuff is intended to be viewed from very low level, that's why I put more than usual detail into the models and skins.

 

For the 1938 "what if" I hope to include a lot of light flak guns, similar to my WW1 flak pack.

Edited January 10, 2017 by Geezer

[+Soulfreak 6,509]

Great! any chance, that you do your industrial objects and your 1930s ground and terrain objects for SF2 too please?

[+Geezer 3,569]

Great! any chance, that you do your industrial objects and your 1930s ground and terrain objects for SF2 too please?

 

The WW2 winter stuff is intended for SF2, while the 1930s summer stuff is intended for FE2.  Baffmeister and I have only just begun to experiment so I don't yet know if there is any difference in the production process.  I'm guessing there is no difference so the models should be usable in both sims, but I don't know for certain - yet.  

 

There's a lot of file-related grunt work in addition to making 3D models and then skinning them.  Once the 1930s FE2 objects are complete, I'd be happy to send them to an SF2 guy so he could make releasable SF2 objects.

[+acesfakia 1,198]

...special...this ....jeep.....!!!!!!!!!!!!   Is the game with Lod.    files.....like SF2..??

[+Geezer 3,569]

...special...this ....jeep.....!!!!!!!!!!!!   Is the game with Lod.    files.....like SF2..??

 

These are still WIPs.  The vehicle you marked is an unfinished Dodge WC51 weapons carrier, and will be a LOD for use in SF2.

There will also be a small range of horse drawn wagons for SF2 and FE2.

 

 

[Wrench 9,801]

all the industrial stuff works in SF2 with no issues -- I've used them MANY times and several already completed and uploaded terrains. The file formate (LOD) is the same across all the 3rd wire games, with the exception of stock "2" series lods being in unicode. Earlier ansi lods for 1stGen game work just fine in both.

 

nice to see the weapons carrier!!!

[+Geezer 3,569]

It will take several months of intense effort to produce Baff's models, but they should roll over into SF and FE nicely.  Shots below of first test articles in SF2, plus shot of rough un-skinned models yet to be done.  Will also make more urban blocks for towns, but probably won't make big city stuff.

 

 

 

 

[+gterl 1,204]

Question: Would it be possible to 'group' (as one LOD) these blocks?

Reason: In terms of placement (targets.ini) it would be much easier to have, let's say, an urban block with size like 500m x 500m (or bigger/smaller). Otherwise it would be placing bit by bit....now to be onest it would be nice to have both variations :-)

[+Geezer 3,569]

Question: Would it be possible to 'group' (as one LOD) these blocks?

Reason: In terms of placement (targets.ini) it would be much easier to have, let's say, an urban block with size like 500m x 500m (or bigger/smaller). Otherwise it would be placing bit by bit....now to be onest it would be nice to have both variations :-)

 

Sure, its possible to make urban blocks that large.  It would also be possible to design the layout of the block to look more authentic.  Better still, a street grid matching the building layout could be painted onto dedicated tile art so everything matches. 

 

Would there be any problems placing a model that large on a game map?  For example, suppose the geographic location is not entirely flat?

 

Shot below shows what is finished or nearly finished.  Baffmeister and I overcame some initial confusion when we discovered that SF objects are full size, while FE objects are 63% of full size.  Shown are just habitation objects, not military or industrial objects.

Edited January 13, 2017 by Geezer

[+Geezer 3,569]

I found a shot that could be used as a starting point for the kind of LARGE urban block that gterl is proposing.  Everything would have to be simplified, but it would be possible to approximate the square and surrounding buildings in one model.  Can you guys post more shots?  Understand they would have to be low level shots that are similar to the one shown below. 

 

 

[+Geezer 3,569]

Threw together a test big city facade that could be merged with other similar models to make an urban block like shown above.  Theoretically, the blocks - given enough time - can be made very large and complex.  The big question is can the antique TW game engine handle this much detail.  Back when TK was answering questions on the TW website, he once said that - short of ridiculous extremes - poly counts were not a big problem.  Instead, it was the graphics load that slowed down the frame rates.

 

 

[+gterl 1,204]

terrain would have to be flat

[+baffmeister 1,205]

terrain would have to be flat

 

Yes, the town site would have to be leveled like an airfield. I'm using some of Wingwiners damaged/destroyed building lods as stand alone objects and have noticed some ground flicker showing through the larger destroyed lod if the terrain isn't flat. I've been using Mues' target editor to adjust the positions of building objects and when zoomed in it's possible to do very fine adjustments so I think having smaller urban blocks and placing them close together would work quite well. More potential variety as well. Mues' target editor is a real time saver!

[+Stephen1918 1,474]

If you extend the model a little below ground level, it fits better into an uneven terrain. I did that for the mountain bunkers in Vogesen2.

[+Geezer 3,569]

Been working closely with Baffmeister on new or improved ground objects suitable for both SF and FE.  Shot below of some rural buildings, plus a test article for an urban block.

 

 

[+Geezer 3,569]

If you extend the model a little below ground level, it fits better into an uneven terrain. I did that for the mountain bunkers in Vogesen2.

 

Good idea.  I've started doing that to my new models, though I'm not gonna revise the old ones.  Too much work!

[+Geezer 3,569]

Got some more 1938 buildings done.  Most of them are only 256x256 artwork, so - hopefully - they won't have a negative impact on frame rates.  Buildings with snow covered roofs will be sent to Baffmeister for his SF Bulge map.

 

 

[+Geezer 3,569]

Progress shot of rural and village objects.  I want to make a few more of each, and will then send them to Baffmeister.

 

 

[+Geezer 3,569]

Shot below of most of the new objects.  Primarily, they are rural, village, and town objects, with one big city fragment for evaluation.  Only the French figures and vehicles - for 1938 - are shown here. 

[+Geezer 3,569]

I sent the above shot to a buddy, who liked the train station.  Its something I've had laying around for several years, and is sort of a generic station based on a French design used in the colonies and rural areas of France.  Bottom two shots are from Tunisia 1943, during the battles around Kasserine Pass.

Edited January 21, 2017 by Geezer

[+quack74 329]

Man I'll tell you Geezer, every time you post some new work I want to delete my targets.INI and start over. This stuff is great. As soon as I finish my Verdun terrain I want to do it all over again!

[+Geezer 3,569]

Man I'll tell you Geezer, every time you post some new work I want to delete my targets.INI and start over. This stuff is great. As soon as I finish my Verdun terrain I want to do it all over again!

 

Thanks for the vote of appreciation.  I realize you are really busy, but when you finish your present Verdun terrain, would you be interested in adapting gterl's new Vosges map to 1938?  It would be "the same...only different" to his present map.

 

EDIT: shot of some of the aircraft that would be employed in the 1938 "what if."

Edited January 21, 2017 by Geezer

[+Geezer 3,569]

Close up of some of the new buildings, figures, and vehicles.