I have one DoD Source project basically "in the can" and I'm starting two others. For these two new custom maps I'll need some special model support and I'd like to see what the community here can do. I'm basically asking you to test out for "Team FuzzDad" and help me get these two maps out in time for the eventual release of DoD Source. Although I have several official maps there's no promise any of this work will go official. Consider this an opportunity to gain skill and knowledge and perhaps get some satisfaction out of your work. It's how they started the dev team to begin with...mebbie lighting can strike twice as well.

One person per model please (no team efforts). You have two weeks to finish up the basic model for review and I'll allow quality efforts two additional weeks for UVing. These must be level of detail models (lod) as well. Look at the models in CS:S for examples of good use of polygons. For instance; A cylinder's polycount should be its # of sides x 2. Let's see what we can come up with here...

Some base models to choose from (but we can chat about it):

Dead Horse
Dead Cow
German Field Kitchen (http://www.tamiyausa.com/images/product/080/35247/header_1.jpg)
German and American field radio gear
French Telephone poles
1/16th scale glider for skybox
French road signs
German and American Tents (mediums and personal)

I'm looking for models that add to a maps ambience...the dev team is making some really sweet detail models like windows and other things that they'll be plenty of...it's the flotsom and jetsom of combat that I want to see. I've asked PIU to occasionally chime in here with sdk stuff or "standards" the dev team is looking for so mebbie he'll post up. The deal is I'd love to see some effort towards getting the custom community geared up for the eventual DoD Source release.

I'll be keeping track and making public who's doing what, and when it's due. We'll establish deadlines and if a deadline is missed, the job will be passed on to someone else. Also, people who are new to modeling should be signing up to make signs, or carts, not the organics like the horse and cow...of course given that there's a cow in glider you know that model will get special attention from me.

PS...I'll move this to the request folder in a bit...wanted to see it here first

I'm collecting some useful performance info on models. I'll post it here when I get it sorted.

that sounds like a very good idea :)
allways wanted to make a model someone would actualy use in a map :)
that dead cow sounds interesting ..
should it have it's stomach blown open ? or a leg .. or what ?
and the two first weeks does they include lod's ??
will the dev team do the skins ?? or will i have to do them my self ?

ps edit:
also .. what type of cow ?? ... in wich country does the map take place ??
it's not that cool if i make a model of a danish cow and the map takes place in france :S
and what about the poly count .. what's the max .. as much as a player model ?

mixed...if you've already done anything let me see it and we'll take it from there. PIU will post some of those standards you seek as we go along. 2500 polies or less sounds right for a horse or a cow. It's a Normandy-area map.

BTW...for all of you reading this thread and have some modeling talent...here's your chance to do something...your chance to show off what you can do and perhaps get some intelligent feedback. Although I'm a custom mapper (not a dev team member) both PIU and I understand the value of a strong mod community and we both want that to succeed. I'm also going to lead up a effort over on the mapping forums to do the same and try and get Waldo and IR's and others input as well.

I dont know how he feels about it being used but I know Jed made a high poly Horsa glider with modeled interior awhile back. Dont know it could be used in your map or not, just throwing the idea out there.

Joe

havn't started yet but im going to use this as ref

mixed...instead of the cow...start with showing me something you've already done...then let's try a simple design first...like a road sign or a fence set or a set of crates. Nothing too difficult at first.

i know you wanted me to show something
easy-to-do stuff .. but i want to show you what i can ..
it ain't perfect at all ...
it has less polys than the cs:s playermodel ..
it's a stormtrooper for .. well i will compile it for dod:s .. maybe not because i don't know how the playermodels are in dod:s .. if it's like in the old dod
where there were different sub groups ..
then i would have to make more models ..
or if it's just like in cs:s with just one model..

well here it is .. took me about a week to model
im 60% done with the UV ..
i skin like :crown::crown::crown::crown: so i might never release it ..

pic1 (http://home20.inet.tele.dk/clan-bv/screen.JPG)
pic2 (http://home20.inet.tele.dk/clan-bv/screen2.JPG)
pic3 (http://home20.inet.tele.dk/clan-bv/screen3.JPG)

if you think the scale looks wrong .. eg the torso looks smaler than it should ..
it's because of milkshapes 3d view .. it's a bit distorting .. refering to the first pic

ps. i did everything except for the hands .. that's valves

but i would do the things you mentioned if you need them .. and i guess you do .. otherwise you wouldn't have asked .. hehe .. :)

This might be of some use to whoever does the feild kitchen

http://www.toyspark.co.kr/product/images/35247-2.jpg

Originally posted by mXed.dk
but i would do the things you mentioned if you need them .. and i guess you do .. otherwise you wouldn't have asked .. hehe .. :)

Actually...and don't take this wrong...I need to see how well all the modelers do and unless you are someone I know (like Jed) it's best to just give you a simple task and see how it goes. Stick to simple and we'll go from there.

sure ..
i'll make a crate

Does the cow and horse have to be dead? I was just thinking about the ragdoll possibilities associated with animals.

As for that field kitchen, i'll see what i can whip up in an hour or 2. I'll post a pic later.

damn i just can't find no ref on a german ww2 crate ..
anyway the us crates i found were just a plain box, no modeling in it ..

Very early WIP boxes and cylinders :). Unoptimized the polycount is tad over 2000.
http://img283.echo.cx/img283/236/11xg.jpg
umm yeah

Was looking for reference pictures and came across these German radios --

Backpack Radios -- Feld Fu and Kleinfunksprecher d:
Link (http://www.armyradio.com/arsc/customer/pages.php?pageurl=/publish/Articles/William_Howard_German/German_Back_Pack%20Radios.htm)

German Radios
Link (http://www.laud.no/la6nca/radio/german/)

Kleinfunksprecher d
Link (http://www.laud.no/la6nca/radio/german/german1/klfuspd.htm)

Not necessarily perfect for modeling, but just thought I'd throw em out there for anyone who needs some place to start.

Ok .. made a sign ..
edits can be made ..

Originally posted by mXed.dk
Ok .. made a sign ..
edits can be made ..

mXed...PM me the file. I'll take a look at it.

Originally posted by mXed.dk
Ok .. made a sign ..
edits can be made ..

Wow man, that looks pretty nice.

could you use it fuzzdad ??
or is it plain crap ..

Sounds like a good idea, i am interested. If you want to see some of my other stuff, the link is in my signiture.

For the field radios, are you looking for something like this, with a headphones:

http://www.bm-japan.com/BC-1306-2.JPG

or something more like this, with a big walkie talkie phone

http://www.armyradio.com/arsc/product_image.php?imageid=136

Back from my holiday now :)

Good post from Fuzzdad, glad to see so many interested in contributing. As Fuzz said, just have a go - don't feel your not good enough - just try! The more experience modellers among us can always give you pointers and tips.

I actually have a backlog of map models kicking around, ironically including farmyard animals, that I made for Source but never got around to skinning. I even made a ragdoll "Bessie" for Glider :D

Anyway, MX, that sign looks quite good, although you should smooth it to give a better impression of a finished look and also, if possible post your polycount and maybe a wireframe overlay view to give some idea of how its constructed.

yea but i just think the milkshape shader does a bad job ..
anyway .. the polycount is 1148

in wireframe

not to stress or anything ..
i guess you have better things to do but
have you looked at the model ?

Ok I am new to modeling, but couldn't you delete those angled edges in the sign? That way you have 1 line for 2 parrallel verts? It might clean up that shading alot, as well as help with your tris :) .

Again, I am new so correct me if I am wrong.

yes it would ..
and it would lower the polycount ..
but i just think it looks better that way .. not the shading i mean .. but that's just ms3d ..
it'll look much better ingame .. with the hl2 shader ..

edit: i just read your post again .. i think i misunderstod it ..

you mean like this right?

i thought you meant like his :)
just a box ...

No I mean to just delete the diagonal lines so you have 4 horizontal lines in each face.

emm ... don't flame me if i misunderstod you again ..
but a model is build from alot of triangles ..
not squares .
what your are asking me to do is like this right? (look at pic)

Your first image was correct mx, that would be the most efficient way of saving polys.

As for your last image, you tend to get that sort of look if your modelling with polys rather than triangles (in say XSI or Max) however at the end of the day they are triangles anyway - the modelling program just hides the edges in the wireframe. You dont actually save any polys, you just visually hide them in the editor.

Also, make sure you assign a different smoothing group to the sign edges and front/back faces.

i'll just fix that and post a new image ..

OMFG FUZZDAD YEWSE TEH REQUEST FORUM YOU N00B!1!111!!1!! :)

Some of these models are looking pretty good. That Sign looks good Mxed :)

it's done .. it's been unwraped too Download (http://home20.inet.tele.dk/clan-bv/road_sign.zip)

Here you go MX.

I fixed a couple of smoothing group errors and welded all the vertices, makes it look a lot better in the shading.

Now you've unwrapped it and got the model, why not have a go at compiling it into a proper map model for source?

Ive got some nice high-res german radio textures waiting for a model.

Im backed up atm with a few projects and dont have time for modeling the actual models.

If someone makes some german radio models, PM me and we'll get em' skinned likety split.

ALSO - I have plenty of other high-res textures available and skinning simple models that I just havent got around to modeling yet. Like window shutters and other small items.

Also Mxed -- couldnt you save some polies by making those detailed curves transparent textures on the lamp? Or is poly count not a worry for this particular model

Originally posted by Watchtower

Also Mxed -- couldnt you save some polies by making those detailed curves transparent textures on the lamp? Or is poly count not a worry for this particular model

might do that on the lod's

I think for the total poly count, its fine for LOD 0 and its nice to have some modelled detail rather than just transparent textures.

I would however consider using a 2 sided plane with a transparent chain texture on where the signs hanging. rather than those blocks.

Heck you could even make it a ragdoll so the sign swings :)

Originally posted by FuzzDad
1/16th scale glider for skybox

Si tarp

http://img210.echo.cx/img210/3372/cg4a4bs.jpg

Very ncie jed, watchtower your inbox is full.

So this was the msg i was going to send to you:

Hey, i am interested in making the models but i am not sure what sort of radio they are.

Do you think you could send some refs of the radios, or the textures, then i will get started :)

sorry about the inbox - clear

http://voodoo.dssghq.net/radio_sample.jpg

Fully Hl2/Source ready textures.

Originally posted by Trp. Jed
I think for the total poly count, its fine for LOD 0 and its nice to have some modelled detail rather than just transparent textures.

I would however consider using a 2 sided plane with a transparent chain texture on where the signs hanging. rather than those blocks.

Heck you could even make it a ragdoll so the sign swings :)

yea that would be cool ..

Originally posted by Trp. Jed
Si tarp

http://img210.echo.cx/img210/3372/cg4a4bs.jpg

holy S***
need i say more?

that looks fantastic m8

Very nice work jed. With source you could almost make that glide couldn't you? Give it some propulsion, but not enough to make it fly.

hmm going to have fun with that in garrys mod, if he makes it work with Dod:s!

One of the things we can do as a group is look at what models come in the first release of DoD source and back-fill in things they might miss...the radios, the animals, etc. This gives the junior model maker a audience for their work that might one day morph into a real job, it gives custom mappers more to choose from, and it builds part of this group back together. As I've said, I doubt you can capture lightning in a bottle twice but working together for a set of models that all custom mappers can use is a nice goal.

I think roadsigns would be very useful, the ones in the .gcf are very limited, only a handful of places.

What would be great would to have a load of towns done, say 20+ one model just with different skins/submodels with different names and distances on it.

Here you go watchtower


http://members.iinet.net.au/~mr3dguy/dod/radio1.jpg



**Edit** Model has been PMed to watchtower.


1. Its not to scale
2. Its not skinned, I just neatened the uvws up a bit for you

Excellent....

PM me and a .smd file format would be better for me, I dont have Max installed atm. Im sure theres a .smd export plug-in somewhere out there.

Btw, If you or anyone wants to get started on a road sign, I can have it skinned very quickly. The better the UV map, the faster I can get it done.

btw ginger OR any source tester - can you post a good SS of the current dod road sign model.

Thanks

Got signs?

Thanks for that image Gingerlord.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~mr3dguy/dod/models/signs1.jpg

Signs for the masses!

Credit me if you use em. Otherwise they are free to use.

-UVWed
-Not to scale




Signs in SMD format (http://members.iinet.net.au/~mr3dguy/dod/models/MobbaSign.smd)

Signs in 3ds format (http://members.iinet.net.au/~mr3dguy/dod/models/MobbaSign.3DS)

well, I figured out the font they used, unfourtuneately I wont be able to properly duplicate the original signs without seeing the actual texture files.

Guess Ill have to wait :(

They don't need to look like the already created signs. Do they?
I thought the idea was to make them with a bit of varity.


Fuzzdad: Is it worth creating bumpmaps for the models. Would they be used? What kind of texture size would be used for a prop?

While I don't want to put anyone off, I think the one thing that will get your models used is if their complete - i.e. models, uv mapped, skinned and compiled (with necessary LOD and collision hulls).

A lot of mappers aren't modellers and don't know how/don't want to bother having to compile all this stuff themselves so if its not "ready to roll" I think you'll find your models won't get picked up that much.

Originally posted by Trp. Jed

A lot of mappers aren't modellers and don't know how/don't want to bother having to compile all this stuff themselves so if its not "ready to roll" I think you'll find your models won't get picked up that much.

yup. I am a mapper that has NO IDEA when it comes to models. unless its ready for me to put into the map, it won't go in. if I could model, I'd just make my own. =P some of the stuff you guys are coming up with is great stuff and I'd love to use it, but nobody plays half finished maps either.

mxed, I love your streetsign, especially if you add the ragdoll idea to it, but it has to be finished to be useful.

on a side note: jed, do you have any source models that you are releasing to the general public yet?

Originally posted by josh_u[RR]
on a side note: jed, do you have any source models that you are releasing to the general public yet?

Im working on it. I've got horrible distracted by other projects at the moment. Ironically, skinning the models is the most time consuming part rather than the actual modelling process.

Thanks Jed, I understand that.
Watchtower posted earlier asking if someone could model signs so he could map them, I posted them on this thread so others could use them if they wanted.

I have since reread fuzzdad's orignal post and realised his suggestion to work on individual models is a good idea.

I am a 3d artist and normally I would sell a licence for models like this (ready for game) for about U.S.$20.

In saying that I would be very happy to give back something to Dod.

My $30 for half-life 5 years ago just doesn't seem to be enough for the countless hours I've spent in dod.


I might have a go at those tents (I am assuming they are to interactive with and not 16th scale skybox models) after I have learned how to make models source ready. **Edit** Nice reference on your site, Jed, Working my way through it now.**unedit**

Originally posted by Trp. Jed
Im working on it. I've got horrible distracted by other projects at the moment.

thanks jed, I appreciate it, and understand the distractions too =P

just a pic up from what Fuzz said ..
we'll have to wait till source is out ..
then we know what models are "missing" ..
and then we can start modeling ..

Originally posted by mXed.dk
just a pic up from what Fuzz said ..
we'll have to wait till source is out ..
then we know what models are "missing" ..
and then we can start modeling ..

Yeah I'm the same mx. I'd already started a Jagdpanzer and Sherman before the beta came out and then saw the sexy looking Tiger in Flash. I'd hate to spend hours making a model that will already exist when its released finally.

So at the moment I'm trying to think of fairly unique models to make - im probably going to focus on British/Commonwealth vehicles as I doubt their will be many of them.

Originally posted by Trp. Jed
I'd hate to spend hours making a model that will already exist when its released finally.

true true

Originally posted by Trp. Jed
So at the moment I'm trying to think of fairly unique models to make

Theres alot of tanks that haven't/won't be made for dod source release, for instance theres the sturm series of tanks, I haven't even seen one made as a custom model.
Things like this I'm pretty sure we won't see at all so maybe someone could make them for instance.

Link to some reference pics on the sturm tanks

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/brum.htm

Anyway its just an idea, seeing these would be fairly unique aswell :)

PS, anyone ever made a panther tank model at all? never seen one of those either :(

Originally posted by Sly Assassin


PS, anyone ever made a panther tank model at all? never seen one of those either :(


ive seen one but that was quite some time ago. im not shure if it was even released, sorry :confused: