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Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 23 Jan 2013, 11:06
by jymis
After a little contribution on this track with logographs, I've decided to improve it in depth.

Then see what it is.

There was too much orange on monkeys and that stung the eyes ; now look better :
Image

Before, my first logographs were present in three places, which this bend. Ok, we're in Egypt, it was understood. But I prefer this second logographs that reminds that we're in a race more than a museum or an universal exposition ;) :
Image

Some people may have already figured out that I like to wander off the track… a lot. So I could not help but hide this :
Image

I'm happy to see my logographs ; still not everywhere. So I replaced top's texture by obelisk's one :
Image

Before i thought that palms, too much realistic, do not belong to us quite. Now they're more cartoon-like :
Image

Textures balanced :
Image
Image
(background texture - sand and sky - balanced too)

For ambiance also added a ship (animated ; unfortunately in ghost material) :
Image

And, ultimate detail :D :
Image

There was a problem with faces for sand near to the sphinx and it created a kind of sand shelter. I think that was a mistake so i've fixed it.

What do you think of sandtrack now ?


Also, in early versions of sandtrack, there weren't three pyramids, but mastabas.
Look like this :
http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2 ... astaba.png
http://perlbal.hi-pi.com/blog-images/17 ... astaba.jpg
In my sense, it was a great idea but they're diseppeared.

Would you agree to try to replace the pyramid behind my new hieroglyphs by a mastaba ?


For those who want my work files (svg, xcf and sketch) don't hesitate to ask.

Ah, and I haven't managed to take a good photo for the menu. Someone ?

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 23 Jan 2013, 11:32
by Ludsky
It's very good, i like new texture, i think is best ;)
more enjoyable

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 23 Jan 2013, 12:26
by jymis
Oh I forgot !
Except for the new hieroglyphs which are under the same license as my first logographs, all new textures are my work and released under GNU GPL.
Change of saturation of already existing textures were advised by Lili Lith.

And in the tracks you can find papyrus (plant) but i don't like them actually.

Thanks Ludsky ! I'm happy.

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 23 Jan 2013, 14:21
by antoine
Very good work. The new palms are really interesting.

The next level you should work on is xr591. I don't know exactly what that level needs. Maybe a billboard along the side of the road promoting some alien product in a crazy language. http://cs.brown.edu/courses/cs024/exerc ... dCarAd.jpg plus http://phong.com/imagery/fora/alpha-b01.gif. Instead of a car it would be like a raygun, robot, or ufo.

Or there could be glowing lights? Maybe the track could be a more distinct color than the rest of the planet. Just personal opinions.

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 23 Jan 2013, 15:11
by jymis
antoine {l Wrote}:Maybe a billboard along the side of the road promoting some alien product in a crazy language.

Haha, I already love this idea !

Phong seems to be a free graphic artist but i don't know.
Is that cryptic typography is under a free license ? I cannot find it in the website…
Otherwise, I'll create another.


Thank you for palmtree.

Nobody wants to give its opinion for the mastaba ? ;)

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 23 Jan 2013, 17:16
by samuncle
I like the hieroglyph with the kart, the boat's texture needs more variation and I don't like the cartoon version of the palm tree texture. The original is much better.

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 23 Jan 2013, 17:38
by Totoplus62
Good improvements !

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 23 Jan 2013, 21:56
by jymis
samuncle {l Wrote}:I like the hieroglyph with the kart, the boat's texture needs more variation and I don't like the cartoon version of the palm tree texture. The original is much better.


Thanks for the hieroglyph.
I'll improve boat's texture.

For the palm I can make another if you dislike it - although some people have said appreciate it.
But I 'm clearly not in agreement with your point of view : original texture isn't better at all. it's realistic. It doesn't match the graphic guideline who wants cartoon type.

edit :
And I seem to see that there is always one person who has downloaded my file attachment. So only one person tested it in game.
Without that maybe we cannot understand what required this kind of track.
Either we turn STK to cartoon. Either we stay on textures dull and dismal.
Either we keep an abstract mixture of both…

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 23 Jan 2013, 22:53
by asciimonster
jymis {l Wrote}:Before, my first logographs were present in three places, which this bend. Ok, we're in Egypt, it was understood. But I prefer this second logographs that reminds that we're in a race more than a museum or an universal exposition ;) :
Image
Nice work.

Please be careful with arrows. The track may be run in reverse, in witch case the arrows are the wrong way around.

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 23 Jan 2013, 23:38
by jymis
Yay, unfortunately I thought about it only after =x
The problem is that I don't remember having met reversed race in story mode, so it doesn't comes to my mind to try it in arcade solo.

Ideally, someone would code it, otherwise we'll all get to tweak our tracks or delete bend's instruction "for good".
Otherwise, immediately, someone to advise me ?


Ah and I'll end up believing that I have to show you what it looks like in game because nobody dares to answer me for the mastaba. x3

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 24 Jan 2013, 00:27
by Auria
Hi,

here are my general thoughts.

Many good improvements there! The pot debris is very cool. A few points could be worked on :

1) the sand texture. While it's better than the previous one, it looks like paper. We already have excellent-looking sand textures ( sand2.jpg ), couldn't that be reused?
2) the palm tree; STK aims for a cartoonish feeling, but we are not aiming for a cell-shading like look. I think the palm trees in 0.8 are appropriate. Remember the style guidelines say :
"The textures may be realistic, it is the mood and theme we want to be light. Avoid candy-colored, plastic-colored or plain-color textures "
3) The boat seems a bit too flat to me, like a plain color. I suggest texturing it some

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 24 Jan 2013, 18:09
by jymis
Problem with sand2.jpg is the link with the road's texture. I'm ok to test it but don't I don't think it will be easy. So i can't promise anything.

Yay, for boat's texture I'm not proud. But I'm working on it.
"I suggest texturing it some" ?
I'll improve pattern, but I'll certainly not apply a wood texture on the hull. 'cause this type of boat was a plain color before receiving various patterns.

Since I haven't received an answer for the mastaba, I'm going to try and show you the result.


Is it possible to change Thunderbird's texture ? Because someone told me that Sunbird in place would be nice for this track and I agree with him.
What's your opinion ?

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 24 Jan 2013, 22:53
by kosmi
jymis {l Wrote}:Is it possible to change Thunderbird's texture ? Because someone told me that Sunbird in place would be nice for this track and I agree with him.
What's your opinion ?


Could be interesting: Sunbird for Suntrack, Iceowl for Mansion, Firebird for Fortmagma, Bluefish for Subsea, etc. :cool:

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 24 Jan 2013, 23:58
by Arthur
Well feel free to model them all...

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 25 Jan 2013, 12:36
by jymis
Arthur {l Wrote}:Well feel free to model them all...


For my part I was just wondering for the texture of the bird.
Even if kosmi's idea seems interesting it isn't in my current objectives.

So, is it possible for bird's texture in a particular track ?

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 25 Jan 2013, 17:27
by Arthur
Not at the moment, no.

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 26 Jan 2013, 10:37
by jymis
New sand.

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 26 Jan 2013, 11:19
by S@f
Very good work!

I have downloaded it and installed it because of the great screenshots, but I encountered some graphics bugs... the boat are floating in the sky, and the palm trees have no trunk.
I think it's because of my computer (I had this kind of bug with the overworld, I had to disable the pixel shader, then it works perfectly), but with the old sand track I have no problem.
I try to disable the FBO or the pixel shader, but the bug is still here...
Image 11.png
The bugs...


If anyone has an idea...
I run STK on a PowerMac G5 10.5.8 Leopard, with an ATI Radeon 9650.

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 26 Jan 2013, 11:32
by samuncle
I don't see a big difference with this sand :|. I like the boat but its texture looks still to flat. It's just a plain color (like the palm tree leaf). It doesn't fit with the track. Add more variation, with a nice wood texture like this one.
Image
In some place the UV is stretched.

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 26 Jan 2013, 11:54
by jymis
S@f, I'm sorry I'm not competent enough in this domain to help you.
But I think someone will quickly go through here for you ;)


Err, are you serious for the sand ?
Image
Someone said that looks like paper.
First texture I replaced didn't change fact that we have a sand too flat.
And imitation sand grooves were bad. It was also horrible to try to balance colors of this old texture.


Err, thank you for wood's example (I'll use it or will inspire from), but I said that I just updated the sand ; I'm still working on the boat.


After boat I'll work the palms.
However, I'm not encouraged to return the old leafpalm.
Designers students I know have told clearly me much prefer the new version. You are free to return old version, but we can say that these people won't play to STK. And I'm not only talking about this track…

Someone else told me that it might be interesting to have two types of palmtrees: older updated (for example for leaf color) and the new (maybe updated too).
What do you think ?

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 26 Jan 2013, 12:05
by kosmi
@S@f

Looks like issues with non power of two textures, seems like jymis don't respect this old cards needs :D . So try to scale they to be power of two, and see if that helps;).

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 26 Jan 2013, 12:14
by samuncle
Err, are you serious for the sand ?

Sorry It's on my computer. I merged bad files.
Err, thank you for wood's example (I'll use it or will inspire from), but I said that I just updated the sand ; I'm still working on the boat.

Ok cool :).
However, I'm not encouraged to return the old leafpalm.

Well I see two problem with your leaf. The first one is the color. It definitely looks too flat. IMHO Add more variation and It would be much better. The second problem it isn't a palm tree leaf. Some inspiration if you want to work on it.
Image
Image
seems like jymis don't respect this old cards needs :D . So try to scale they to be power of two, and see if that helps;).

+ 1 Jymis please uses only POT (Power Of Two) textures.

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 26 Jan 2013, 12:52
by jymis
Ah yes I'm an idiot !
Sorry S@f !

For boat texture I'm still working on it so I haven't update it yet and please don't look too closely ^^'. But I don't understand why boat doesn't float on the water, but in the air :s

That works now ?


For the leaf I know it's an abstract form, but have we really to simulate reality ?
You'll say that I'm repeating myself but players are dreamers ; they aren't here to find a universe too similar to their own.

Thanks for pictures, I'll see what I can get from, after the boat. =)

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 26 Jan 2013, 17:04
by Ludsky
I prefer the first texture of you for the sand and the boat :s

Perhaps add sarcophagus and mummy ^^

Good Luck ;)

Re: Work on Sandtrack again

PostPosted: 27 Jan 2013, 03:49
by charlie