Escher's Relativity is doable

[Calena]

denDwaler - Thanks! I will definitely do that. Right now, a conservative estimate of maps I have to re-bake is about 150. We'll need both AO and shadow maps re-baked for the entire age. I'll set up Blender 2.66a in the big computer and develop an efficient pipeline methodology beforehand.

I like Sirius' idea of incorporating different seasons, too. I'll put the different season trees in first, they'll be a good aid to landmark which season each layer is in. I'm still finding it confusing trying to work upside down, sideways, and backwards all at once, but it's getting better .

Karkadann, anything that you can model and send to me will be a big help. It's that much less that I have to do.

Time for some screenshots. In these shots, I've done a quick AO mapping on the new objects so that they at least show some basic definition. To me at least, it makes the need to re-bake all the maps obvious. Nothing is set in stone at this point, so if you guys think adjustments need to be made just let me know.

Table & Chairs

Bonzai Tree

Opening Scene

Back to work UV mapping the skysphere .

[janaba]

Ahhh, the darkness is gone, wonderful, and I like the table and chairs, nicely adjusted to the color of the walls, and the Bonzai tree and the opening scene make everything even more beautiful ... Great job, thanks for sharing, Calena ...

[Karkadann]

Here's the doors and the hinges, they're still in the scale and position of the original Max version
http://www.mediafire.com/?3kb8iyjfjn2mc1d
the door on the Y plane is a bit different from the drawing, I left out the frame and the floor and top plate to simplify it. But it can be easily corrected if you wish.
Let me know what you thing or if they need any more work

Everything looks great so far I can't wait to see the next update

[Calena]

First, I downloaded and installed Blender 2.66a. Once again, thank you denDwaler! Not only does it bake at warp speed, it has built in antialiasing. There's just nothing like software that actually does the job . Max7 doesn't bake AO at all and even Blender2.49 is a poor cousin to this new software.

I'm almost finished UV mapping the skysphere; I just have the very top and bottom to finish. It's incredible how much I'm learning while working on this age. Heck, if no one ever sees it, it was already worth it just for the education. But I hope someone sees it - it's starting to look more immersive already .

Now, on to the doors. The doors are really nice, especially the hinges. I've included a couple of close-up shots of the hinges because unfortunately no one is likely to notice them in the game . They're one of those details that add quality without being obvious. I think the doors all have to be open Karkadann. I initially installed the rectangular door closed, but discovered upon entering the age that it was on top of a transporter. Some adjustments are necessary because Escher's drawing was in 2D, not 3D. (How this age was built is still entirely beyond me - it's an engineering masterpiece) I do have one request. Would it be too difficult to model some handles for the doors? I'm feeling spoiled having these custom made models to download.

On to screenshots:

Door By Transporter

Plain Door

Door with Window (I already fixed the bad spot in the sky sphere)

Close Up of Hinge

I found the box!

[Karkadann]

I guess I've been working on this thing for so long I just kinda take it for granted, cuz its just a one of my favorite hobbies, I never looked at it like an engineering masterpiece, thank you if only my spelling and grammar where that good
any how about the doors referring back to the drawing those three doors are are the ones in the drawing , the door you put by the transporter is for the door way that leads into the house

Show Spoiler

as far as the doors all being open I can't see that being an issue, I thought some more squeaky doors might be nice but not necessary
as for the handles, did you have any ideas on style something old fashioned to match the time of the drawing perhaps, the reason why I left them out is because their where none in the drawing

[Sirius]

Well, since you're currently adding new things to Relativity, it's about time I post the modification to add the music ! I forgot to do it lately. Was a bit busy killing dragons, to tell the truth.

Anyway, I won't reupload the whole sources, just what you need.

Here it is.

[Karkadann]

is it possible to make a static environmental map in Blender for glass as easy as it is in Max, cuz I might be able to make some cool crystal door knobs but the environmental maps might havta be done in blender
With the Scull, the retort, and the flask in the Stonehenge cavern it has no texture just environmental maps and turned out surprisingly well

[Rhee]

I was thinking that it would be cool to make one of the outdoor areas into a cube (or pyramid, or dodecahedron, or isosphere, or whatever) and give it "gravity" on all sides, so that you might walk off the edge and just keep walking and end up upside down on the bottom... As though it were a mini-planet (think King Kai from DragonBallZ). I would work on modelling (and maybe texturing as i learn more.. I've mastered the UV unwrapping thing but i can't seem to get the textures to "stick" yet lol), but I don't know if it would actually work on the physics side... If someone could tell me that it WOULD be possible, i would start on it.

Also, I would be willing to model some trees or things... Actually, I have some palm-trees that I've made, but I wasn't sure if palm trees would quite fit the esthetic... I'll make something up anyways and you can use it if you like!

[Calena]

any how about the doors referring back to the drawing those three doors are are the ones in the drawing , the door you put by the transporter is for the door way that leads into the house

Show Spoiler

as far as the doors all being open I can't see that being an issue, I thought some more squeaky doors might be nice but not necessary
as for the handles, did you have any ideas on style something old fashioned to match the time of the drawing perhaps, the reason why I left them out is because their where none in the drawing

The screen shot helped . Okay, I'll move the door and I think we've got space there to make it a clickable with a "squeaky door" sound emit.

is it possible to make a static environmental map in Blender for glass as easy as it is in Max, cuz I might be able to make some cool crystal door knobs but the environmental maps might havta be done in blender
With the Scull, the retort, and the flask in the Stonehenge cavern it has no texture just environmental maps and turned out surprisingly well

I definitely like this idea. I've made env maps in both Blender and Max7. But . . . would you believe I've never made a clear glass env map. What exactly does the underlying image need to be? All I can think of is some deep blue shade with maybe 85% transparency. If you already have one, that would help .

Sirius - I'm going to download your file now. I should get a chance to look at it tomorrow. Although all I really need is the wave file, it would be very helpful if I know where the emitter empty is placed and what settings you used in the Alscript. If those are already in the file, please ignore this hint and thanks!

I've got all but FOUR polys on the sky sphere perfectly UV mapped and I now know a whole lot more about unwrapping than I did last week . The problem with this is that we're doing something that's typically avoided. We have zero places to hide stretching. If I can't get the last four to blend in perfectly, the age may get a sun and a moon. And for tonight's screen shot:

Pine Tree

I hope that's the right archway. I moved it back from the door to get it on the grass. I have an idea about replacing the grass here with a snow mesh that incorporates the "ripple" technique so that it looks like people are walking through snow.

Rhee - Any help is appreciated. We could use some big flowers like you see in the Escher print for the vase and we still need fern plants for in the yard. Do you think you can model those? The flowers are simple cylinders for stems which can be extruded at the top and scaled to map the flower petals to. I can do the UV unwrapping if you can make some models. Thanks for the offer!

[Calena]

Sirius - Okay, I've looked at the file. Don't worry about the .wav files, I've already converted the .ogg files back to .wav so we should be good to go. Thanks again!