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2D All the way! / Artistry Question

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Northern Fist
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Posted: 12th Feb 2004 02:37
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Well, my 2D engine for my first real game is comming along nicely. However, I forsee a couple roadblocks in the art department. Namely, I'm a terrible 2D graphic artist, but I easily adapt and can pump out some good 3D models. Is there any solutions for me (basically, how can I apply good 3D modelling skills to a 2D game).

Remdering stuff is probably going to be your first answer. However, what is the most effecient way to render, and without using a program as complicated as POV-Ray (it's like swatting a fly with a twin-barreled-shotgun, IMO).

In addition, there are some people who complain of 2D shooters with a "rendered look" to them. Apparently, they are not even satisfied with VERY-high-poly models that were rendered. They demand the "pixil artist" look to the ships and stuff. What would you say to critics like that.

"The keyboard is mightier than the sword."
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At the Gates
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Posted: 12th Feb 2004 03:32
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Well... you could render your characters in 3d, resize them in
some 2d program. Then erase the anti-aliasing stuff (smooth corners
around the character)... after that, use a 1px brush to paint it
over with the colors you want. Ugh... got it?

Think like this: You have this cool character in a magazine and you
want to draw an exactly the same. Put a white paper over the
original picture and start drawing...

God is Dead
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Northern Fist
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Posted: 12th Feb 2004 05:29 Edited at: 12th Feb 2004 05:29
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Thanks. I'll see what I can do - given that all I have is paint .

What about rendering programs? Is there an alternative to Pov-RAY (see second paragraph)?

"The keyboard is mightier than the sword."
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Pincho Paxton
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Posted: 12th Feb 2004 10:19
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Anim8or.com has a free Modeller with renderer. It's easy to use, and is OK for 2D work.

Pincho.

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Code Stealer
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Posted: 12th Feb 2004 12:54
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One question I would ask is what is the basic colour scheme of your game? Take dungeon keeper, as a good exaple of 3D models rendered into sprites. The main back ground colour is greeny drown. One thing to do is load up your 3D model, pose it up for the frame you want, then set the backgeound colour of the window that your looking at your model in to the main background colour for your game. Then just use the print screen key and paste into a paint program, then cut out your sprite. You dont have to wait for a render, and its pretty quick. You still get the anti aliasing problem, but now the anti aliasing will match your game background!

As for any art work, go with what you like. If YOU like rendered 3D models as sprites then use them! Loads of great games have done it(Dungeon keeper looks amazing imho!)Its more important to satisfy yourself than listen to others. Presumably your game is for fun and not massive financial gain, so have fun with it! Stick to a limited colour pallete, like greens or browns and use complimentary colour to brighten it up. Dont try to throw every colour possible on screen, and try to avoid using too much grey.

Peronally, I never use black either, have your darkest colour as a green or blue or brown.

GIve me more power!
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Northern Fist
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Posted: 13th Feb 2004 04:51 Edited at: 13th Feb 2004 04:52
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Thanks Code Stealer. Yeah, my concepts for this game are a somehwhat gothic sci-fi shooter. Maybe a cross-look of Terminator and R-Type (Lots of blue, gray, and sometimes brown).

Look at level-one screenshots of "Last Resort" to get one of my inspirations for good color selection (cool shooter by the way).

"The keyboard is mightier than the sword."
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LordoFire
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Posted: 15th Feb 2004 01:46
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Like pincho said, Anim8or is also a good way to make your animations. You can also create 3d animations on it(even though you dont want 3d animations)But if you did make 3d animations you would want to turn them into x files using the darkbasic converter.

When it comes to programing, I'm on fire!
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Pincho Paxton
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Posted: 15th Feb 2004 13:41
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Last time I checked Anim8or couldn't save 3D animations that could be used in DB. It can only save 2D animations.

Pincho.

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TKF15H
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Posted: 15th Feb 2004 21:58
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you can render in Anim8or, just remember to set antialiasing off in
the render. That way you won't need to edit the image first.
And don't use Jpg compression.

Why do programmers always mix up Christmas and Halloween?
Because DEC 25 = OCT 31
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Northern Fist
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Posted: 16th Feb 2004 00:08
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Okay, I'll see what anim8or can do for me.

"The keyboard is mightier than the sword."
...2D map editor with parallax layering in the works (60%completed)...
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