The Desert

[d1ver]

Hello MapCore! How are you doing here guys?

I'm sorry if some of you have seen this already someplace else, 'cause I've been going around trying to share this with people, but there's one great thing that came out of this:

I got to find MapCore and man do I like it here.) It's cosy, relevant and bad ass as hell around here. So I thought this could be my humble introduction to all you awesome people. I'm a really likeable guy, btw, especially when I jiggle my belly fat!

So here's the last project I've been working on:

NOW YOU MAKE SURE TO HD OR I'LL FOLLOW YOU HOME AND POOP ON YOUR PORCH

Please make sure to watch the video until the very end, because that's where all the project is! All the following images are merely a bunch of working materials. Thank you very much:)

Unfortunately youtube blocks the video in some countries so here it is on Vimeo:

I won't be posting much screenshots for now because this work is not about static images at all and I really want everyone to check the video out.

Now you've probably guessed by the end titles of the video that this environment has some kind of shader trickery in it.) And you're totally right!

I figured I'd dump all the diffuse maps and do an environment without them for a change.(And a whole lot of other shader magic)

I thought I saw an opportunity to improve the way we make our games technically, production-wise and hopefully not make them worse visually.

I've written a comprehensive paper on "procedural" materials and if you have any ideas on the subject I'm always up for chatting.) Now for those of you who ain't gonna read it I thought I'd post a couple images from it here to give you the gist of it:

Now some sculpts, or Normal Map renders to be precise:

yay goats!

Yeah my stuff rarely comes without reading material:P

And the crappiest part that I'm actually most proud of:) Now I know I suck at concept art, but anyway:

Once again I don't post much stills because that's not what this project was about and hopefully all this production materials will convince you to check out the video(in HD with sound On).

Now if you're interested in all of the shader trickery and technical details that are aplenty in this environment, or concepting and ideation of a project of such scale feel free to check out my making of videos.

It's a bit on the long side, but hopefully you'll get compensated with interesting info for your time.

Technical:

Conceptual:

Thank you very much for your time MapCore. I like you all around here. I hope you can finally allow me top post without being moderated now

P.s. There's one thing I wanted to share with you guys...

...THE MATERIALS!

Click the image to grab them!

There are all kinds of "procedural" materials for you to check out as well as a couple of example textures and meshes. Also there's a .PSD that makes for very smooth gradient map production as it allows you to preview your gradient mapping, normal, specular, damage and diffuse pattern influence right in photoshop! It's like you're painting your gradient map directly in UDK and can immediately see the end result! I've made a little video that will hopefully make things more visual for you:

I hope this will help you guys to do your stuff faster, prettier and more efficient! Though it does take a little getting used to, I can't wait so see what great stuff you awesome people will come up with.

Have fun and thank you very much for your time!

[-HP-]

Welcome to the core dude, we got naked chicks, Hurg, Dogs and some sporadic badass art and levels! Whatever you do, check out EOT on your own risk!

Anyway, I loved this little experiment of yours, even made sure I've shared it at work, what a enormous and awesome production!

It''s always interesting to check out different new ways and approaches to make art, Tor's UDK level comes to mind for instance. Good work dude, the outcome of the scene is amazing, congratulations and hope to see you around here more often.

Oh and you might wanna know that "The Desert" video doesn't play here in Germany, you probably used a copyrighted music.

[Bunglo]

Welcome, d1ver!

Saw this when you posted it up on polycount. Both your making of videos have been really helpful for me but especially the conceptual one. Finding something that's worth looking at is, for me, the most difficult part. Not to mention pulling off the composition correctly and all that awesome foundational stuff (which I suck at.) This entire breakdown has been an incredible reference I'm constantly going over while I work.

[d1ver]

Helderp, thank you very much, buddy! (I'm sorry I couldn't resist:))

It's funny you should mention EOT, 'cause that was what drew me in actually I tried to post there first but apparently mods didn't know if I was just some crazy-ass guy posting in weird threads for no particular reason ha-ha which reminds that I have to go to Mr.Jesus appreciation thread and post some George Carlin there once again.)

And yeah apparently 30 second of Silent Hill soundtrack now warrants prohibition of your video in the land of beer and sausages, so I just had to put Vimeo Embed up there aswell. I hope you've seen it though, 'cause otherwise how could you share this with your colleagues. Speaking of which, endless thanks for sharing this at work!!! I mean, wow, It's an honor, man!

I'll make sure to stick around for all the awesome art (*ehem* naked chicks and pictures of dogs peeing on each other *ahem*)

Hey there, Bunglo, huge thanks for the kind words! It's a pleasure to find someone who can appreciate the supremacy of conception over technology and I am more then happy to have been able to help you out! Just keep being conscious about all those fundamentals and in time you'll soak them up from everything you look at. I have a whole lecture about that actually but it's in flipping russian.(can't wait to start doing those in english). But really short, what's helpful is judging all the images you see by this particular properties:

Just make sure to break down every image you see into this properties this way you'll be able to absorb good composition and lighting even from otherwise bad images.

Best of luck!

[Thrik]

Wow, what an impressive project! The video is some seriously sweet stuff, the only other time I've seen such incredible desert environments is in Uncharted 3 and even there I think you've out-done them in some ways. What fantastic work and way of presenting it, love it when maps are presented as more than a bunch of screenshots and a download link (not that that's a bad thing, but it can have far less impact).

Welcome to MapCore man, hope you stay around and enjoy our moderately quirky community.

[Bunglo]

I have a whole lecture about that actually but it's in flipping russian.

Yeah, I was a sad panda when there was no subtitles for those vids but that image is a nice summary of what to keep in mind.

Thanks duders

[d1ver]

Wow, that's quite a comparison, thank you very much, Thrik! I tried to stay as far away from Uncharted as I could since anything about exploration of the ancient would already bear too much resemblance and there obviously is some, but to receive that kind of a compliment is incredibly flattering. I just hope I'd be good enough to serve those guys coffee someday

And I totally agree about presentation. I don't think I'd ever want to go back to static images for presentation. I personally find it very interesting and useful to care about the rhythm, the progression of spaces, composition and moods - static images don't show that as your final audience would see it. Also the ability to compose music on top of your video is as priceless as it is underrated.

Thank you very much once again!

Not at all Bunglo! In fact I'm sorry I even mentioned those, 'cause they are of no use to non russian speaking folks and I didn't want to make you a sad panda. Here's a happy panda for you I'll do all this stuff in English as soon as I get to some English speaking place, I promise.

[Skacky]

Woah man that's very impressive. I especially liked the part with the narrow way between the cliffs, very, very well done.

[d1ver]

Hey, Skacky, merci beacoup, man! Much appreciated

Yeah those are gorgeous in real life. Feel free to google "slot canyons" and be amazed every time.

[d1ver]

Hey Bunglo,

I remembered about your post the other day. A few weeks ago I`ve finally done talk in english, so feel free to check it out:

I`m very sorry the sound got messed up, but hey, at least it`s better then russian

Edited February 12, 2013 by d1ver

[FMPONE]

Welcome to MapCore, we're all about the HURG

your stuff looks very well done

[2d-chris]

hello sir, mighty impressive work there, welcome to the hurgcore

[Bunglo]

Oh hell yes, Andrew! Watching it now

[-HP-]

Hey Bunglo,

I remembered about your post the other day. A few weeks ago I`ve finally done talk in english, so feel free to check it out:

I`m very sorry the sound got messed up, but hey, at least it`s better then russian

Cool stuff man! Thanks for the share!

[d1ver]

Hey there, guys, thank you very much for all your kind words.

Thanks, FMPONE, yeah Hurg is pretty prominent in these parts of the interwebs

Thank you, 2d-chris, I hurgpreciate it!

Bunglo, I hope you find it useful, man.

Wassup Helderp! My pleasure, man. Mapcore is actually the only place I posted it online and I'm planning to keep it this way, maybe, for quite a while.

Should I maybe consider a separate thread for it?

Cheers guys