Planet Postmoderna Blog

I have to say that it took me a horrible 2.5 hours to get this one right. I was hoping to reproduce the process I used with the Fort Ash Domes with the Comm Tower. I actually created the collision volumes and rebaked the textures with no trouble. It was after that and trying to figure out the proper axis alignment for the model so in Multiverse, the model would point up. It took me several tries to finally figure out that I could have just looked at the axis arrangement of the Dome model. Duh!

Blender has a totally different configuration than 3dsMax (used as the tool of choice in most of the Multiverse documentation), etc. I had to make sure that the model was positioned with the Y axis up and the X to the right. This way up was really up in Multiverse.

After that it was a matter of tweaking the textures in Photoshop, producing the Normal map in XNormal from the height-map image I created, and then using the Multiverse Conversion tool to transform the model into what Multiverse uses. After that? I had to move the files onto my server and rebuild the assets file manifest. This creates the patch file that tells you World Browser what is updated and what to download. I am sure I have left out some steps I am forgetting but it still took me two and a half hours.

I am sure professionals in the industry would laugh at the length of time for my one-object workflow but hey, I’m learning! I figure by the time I have all the main Base Camp objects moved into Multiverse, I’ll be a real “professional amateur.” All kidding aside though, I am learning a lot. I am rather proud of what I have learned so far and without any formal 3D Modeling Training. Of course all also got a lot of input and help over the last year from team members.

Comm Tower in the Distance

As you can see the Comm Tower is positioned behind the Domes. It is one of the many structures that the Heavy Lifters were able to bring to the surface before the space-tear collapsed in on one of them and destroyed it and any chance of bringing anymore intact structures to the planet.

The Comm Tower Up Close

You can see the effect of the texturing of the metal which is really a semi-glossed formed material, pocked with nicks and dents. The visual effects created from the textures not only helps portray the material it is constructed of but it also reminds us of the torture the tower endured from being put up.

Well, with the help of someone on the Multiverse forums, I have been trying for the last 3 hours to tackle the challenge of getting the collision volumes for our Dome Model to work. There is a special process for creating them and exporting them to be converted into the format that Multiverse uses to make a physics file.

I have been trying to reproduce the process with the help of a friend on the forums but it just won’t come out right. It is driving me nuts.

When using 3dsMax, it seems pretty straight forward but I am exporting these models that were generated in Blender. The process is totally different. I seem to be missing something.

I want to get this to work though because future team members on this project may not have access to tools like Maya or 3dsMax and the price is always right with Blender (free). It is a great application too in spite of that.

I will try again tomorrow or the next day.

As I had shared earlier, the subject of the quarter is “learning curve.” But…I tell you it is good to have friends and associates that know what they are doing.

Some recent friends from another Multiverse project have been helping me get our project server up and running so we can begin the painstaking process of converting over and importing our models from Vastpark into our Multiverse environment. That in itself is a job. I will be glad when that is done.

Unlike the DirectX format that I had grown pretty accustomed to during the building of our Vastpark demo, Multiverse uses a different — and in some ways a more involved — process (via Collada) to export, convert and import the models built in both Blender and 3dsMax for use in its Ogre Graphic Engine. One thing I was pretty spoiled with in the Vastpark application was that enabling Physics on a model \ was a simple matter of selecting a check-box. In Multiverse, you have to create your Physics Model in addition to your base model. Maybe to some that may be an easy matter but for someone like me, a nut on a personal and artistic adventure, not so. Still, I know, it is just part of the learning curve of an Indie project.

I look forward with excitement to what I am still to learn and how I will feel when I have finally learned it but sometimes I wonder, “What have I got myself into?” All this to become a Entropia Universe Partner Planet. I know that whether Planet Postmoderna hits its initial target as a Partner Planet or continues on as a living, breathing and constantly evolving virtual world project in Multiverse, it will continue on. Who knows? Maybe I’ll hit a “global” for the “Hall of Fame of Indie Virtual World Projects.”

Here are are some screens of the 3D models within the initial Mail Hall from the Visitor’s Center in Vastpark.  Matic Mirnik and Ray Allen did most of the initial work on the models.  The shots displayed below are examples of the image maps of the models.

At the first stage, Ray took the layout and concept art and constructed the base models using Blender.  Most of the models were a little higher-poly than we needed.  Matic took the models and scaled them down to get the overall scene poly count total to 4000.

Main Hall Models

After that he unwrapped the models and did some additional radiosity work on some of the models (eg. display screens, etc) then took these shots.

View of center room

This is a view of the center of the room.  In the foreground are some couches and tables.  In the center is a column where a statue will be fitted.  We are entertaining the idea of making the statue a holographic image.   The center column is also surrounded bu several interactive screens.

One of the corner columns and bar area

Here is a shot of one of the corner columns and the main bar areas.  Most of the walls will have interactive pictures on them where we will be able to showcase works by real world artists.

View of one of the exits

Foyer Bay Window area

One of the overhead screens

I am really excited about this part of the project. Although Base Camp still has a lot more to tweak and work on it to be done, the Center will allow us to showcase the project within the Vastpark Virtual World Platform and make presentations to hopefully generate interest in the project.

It is my hope that we should be so lucky as to find investors before finishing the demo but if we don’t we will have taken the steps to at least be in a better position for it.

The Planet Postmoderna Visitor’s Center will be on a future Earth in a currently undisclosed metropolitan area. It is located on a hill overlooking the city. New Worlds Corporate owns the building and run many of it’s activities at that location.

Planet Postmoderna University is located there. It is used to teach students and interested hobbiests about 3d Art and Animations and the tools used by the industry. Classes are held there, leveraging the virtual environment of the Visitor’s Center. It is at this location experts interested in teaching concepts using Blender, 3dsMax, ZBrush, Maya, and other programs can better support the industry.