MIR daily update

Still working on MIR. The final color blocking is almost done. I will be adding all the little details next week.

I think it is looking quite good

Skylab update

The linework is looking OK. I am colouring the MIR by day and drawing the initial panel lines in the Skylab at night.

MIR colour texturing update

Colouring MIR after all the greyscale work felt like startiing from scratch once again but the new method is really quick and all I needed to do to advance was find the willpower to stop playing minecraft.

Here are some samples of where MIR is now

SKYLAB retexture already paying off

I am glad I decided to rework the Skylab Texture.

I have better reference than when I did the texturing test and it is already showing in the current line work.

I have just made a couple of the panel lines from the main body but the difference between this version and the old one is already visible.

The skylab is mapped diferent to the MIR model and allows for more bespoke work in the texture so it will be closer to the real thing. The level of accuracy will depend on the reference and certain artistic license.

I will probably add some more geometry to include a few details I had no knowledge of before. I still have some space in the texture....not much though.

Retexturing Skylab

After working on the MIR space station I have decided that the old texture style tried on SKYLAB is not up to the new standard.

The old style was quite flat shaded and almost cartoony. The new style is, without going to far, a bit more realistic and detailed.

This is the old texture style

I have decided to start from scratch again in this model so it is back to the Ambient Occlusion map.

Colouring Technique

I have found a nice technique to add colour to the greyscale texture.

The usual multiply layer makes the textures look dirty and dark. The new technique I am using involves adding colour by layering overlay and soft-light layers.

The best thing about this technique is that allows the refinement of colours long after they have been applied. Using layer masks to apply them also makes sure that the colour is consistent across the whole texture. This was quite annoying when you complete a metal panel and have to repeat the process in a new one...."How did I do it?.....this method is perfect for repeating.

Other good point is that the materials can be repeated in different textures by copying the layers and reseting the layer masks....

I am very happy with this new process. This shows the core module being coloured. The red-brown color is the starting base over which the rest has been layered.

I have to give all credit to Stephen Flack as I learnt this technique with his tutorial.

http://www.steflack.blogspot.com/

Greyscale Mir texture complete

Finally the greyscale texture is done. I will increase the contrast in the cloth covers but that is about it.

The next step will be to add the colour and final details.

MIR textures rework

I have been looking for better reference for the MIR space station.

I have found quite a few good pictures so I have decided to rework the textures to make more sense of what it really looks like.

Once I had the reference there is no way I could ignore that the textures I made were so far from reality.

The new textures are still an interpretation but are much closer to the real thing.

This is just a quick taste of what is coming at MIR

MIR texturing

After a lot of other work I have started making the final paneling in the MIR.

Here are some shots of the core section. The details are a free interpretation of the real thing.

Earth Images

I think this is a good time to show some shots of the earth used in the game

They have been rendered using several layers.

The first layer is the diffuse earth colour which has the photographic information and some bump map to add volume and shadows.

The second is the cloud layer. This is made out of two spheres with the same texture but different settings. The bottom of these two layers has a blur factor on the alpha mask to create extra volume under the top sharper layer. These layers cast shadows on the bottom diffuse sphere.

The top is the atmosphere layer. It is made out of a flat bright blue colour made visible using a falloff effect. This effect means that the layer is only visible at shallow angles. The result is the blurry atmosphere at the edges of the earth. 

A few more shots of the MIR panel sketching

Viewport Canvas painting

I was quite daunted by the prospect of texturing the MIR space station. The texture page is quite complex and is quite slow to look for the bits you want to paint and guess the result, specially when making panels.

I have been looking at a tool that allows me to paint straight into the 3d model. Viewport Canvas lets me do just that. I am just blocking out the panels and although the result is quite crude, I can use this as a guide to make the final texture much quicker.

Starting MIR texturing

I have all the models built, UV mapped and ingame and I am currently in the process of texturing them.

I thought it was a good idea to make sure the game works before doing all the fun part which is building the models. That is why I  developed all the gameplay with placeholder models and even once I had the final models built they were still untextured.

I think that not seeing the final model until the end keeps the interest and also allows you to play the final version of the game almost with fresh eyes.

Anyway, having all the models built and UV mapped allows me to move quickly from texturing one model to the next. I finished the astronaut yesterday and I have started the MIR russian station today.

This is by far the more challenging model of all the available in the game. Due to the restrictions in texture size and the ammount of geometry and repeated elements, this is the model that reuses more texture elements.

To identify the bits that repeat I had to add numbers to the texture.

This is the first step. Just some blocked colours and a few lines at the moment... it is going to take a while...

Astronaut completed

The astronaut and MMU (Manned Manouvering Unit) textures are now completed. I might have to adjust the contrast levels based on the rest of objects in the game but all the detail is now in.

Here are some shots of the 3d model.

I will export the texture to the game and take some screenshots later today.

Hubble completed and ingame

The Hubble telescope is finally completed.

I had to reduce the contrast layer and turn down the red reflection overlay but I think the result is better than the screenshots in the previous post.

I exported the textures and finally I had a look at it in the iphone. It is nice to see what it looks like in the target platform instead of just the 3d package.

Hubble almost completed

The hubble telescope texturing is almost finished.

All I have to do now is to add the attachments for the handles and a few other details and I will consider the hubble completed.

And a closer look

 

Ingame Shots

I have been updating a lot of small things that make the game run better and I have exported the new textures into the game. I think it can be a good idea to start showing what the game looks like

Here are a couple of shots

Hubble progress

I have been detailing the hubble textures a bit more.

Using the blocked colours and rough panel lines as a base I have been simulating highlights and shadows. I have also been simulating the reflections using a nice brush from Photoshop.

The orange handles give a lot of character and extra detail to the whole look. They are a mix between real geometry and texture with a simple "drop shadows" effect.

Hubble telescope

The shuttle is finished and I have now started with the Hubble telescoope.

I start with blocked colours and simple lines to define the panels.

American Flag

Finally I have found a method to allow me to reuse mirrored textures to create unique areas.

I had an issue with the flags in the shuttle wings that didn't allow me to put the logos in both sides. I have fixed this by rebaking the diffuse maps with new mapping.

This is the final result.

Space Shuttle completed

Finally the Space Shuttle has been completed. The texturing is done for all parts and ready to be exported into the game.

The interior cloth type surface has taken a while to complete but there it is. Looking quite nice.

The next step is to texture the Hubble Telescope

Second post: Texture process

In this second post I thought it could be interesting, for people not familiar with the game development process, to explain the texturing process I followed in the shuttle in a high level manner.

The first thing needed is the object geometry

The next step is to "bake" the lighting into it using what is commonly known as Ambient Occlusion

Using this AO as a base, the general colours can be blocked out and the details painted on top.

First Post. Space Shuttle texturing

This is the first post of the Astronaut Game blog.

I think it would be a good idea force me to make a daily post so I will start with what I am doing today which is texturing the space shuttle.

These are views of the game model with work in progress textures. I don't have much to say at this point so i will just add a few pictures instead.