AD's Test Lab: Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
+4
daveyeisley
Elhanan
titus
The Amethyst Dragon
8 posters
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AD's Test Lab: Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
So, I had to make a hak update anyway for epic magic research placeables(yes, again), and I thought, "Why not take the little bit of time to add in Tiberous_Morghun's (spelling?) "More TNO Placeables" package?"
I pulled all of the very well-done retextured models from that. Then I decided to take one of the altars from that and make 20 deity-specific ones (with a nice holy symbol painted on stone on the top). Then I figured I'd take those same graphics and layer them over wood to make some signs for near temples (so not all holy symbols are on the ground). After those signs turned out looking so good, I had to take a look at the hanging merchant signs (that appear near the doors of many shops, projecting out from walls and posts).
I looked too closely. The images/textures for those things is just aweful. Low-resolution, pixelated images, many made by enlarging inventory icons (or cutting and shrinking portraits), then hit with a bevel&emboss, then stretched a little across the signs (to turn square images into rectangles). I had to do something about them...
So I combined Photoshop with Google Images searching, lots of pixel pushing, and too much time. I ended up with 32 brand new signs (roughly based on the old ones), with texture images that were designed as rectangles (then resized to squares) so that they won't look distorted in-game. Once I did that, I used my model-making program (gmax), used one of the old models as a template (so the new one would be the same size and position, so I won't have to reposition any signs in the toolset), and remade the models. I even thinned out the wood a bit and added small chains for the signs to hang from (those redone flails just keep contributing). They got the same file names as the originals, so my new ones will just override the ones in the CEP.
It happens sometimes that something relatively minor like these signs will just bug me so much that I have to fix them. The CEP is full of great stuff, but some of it is so old that it shows...terribly. And I, for one, actually look at those things in-game during the rare times I play.
Ok, enough rambling (about things some folks might not even be interested) from me. Time to show some signs!
And comparing the new and old textures. The old ones consist of two images, each 512x512 pixels (128x128 for each sign). The new ones start as 1024x1024, then were broken down to 256x256 for each sign.
The new signs (these and the temple signs, plus the altars and all the other new placeables) are in today's hak update (available now on the Vault, and currently being uploaded to WorldGate).
I pulled all of the very well-done retextured models from that. Then I decided to take one of the altars from that and make 20 deity-specific ones (with a nice holy symbol painted on stone on the top). Then I figured I'd take those same graphics and layer them over wood to make some signs for near temples (so not all holy symbols are on the ground). After those signs turned out looking so good, I had to take a look at the hanging merchant signs (that appear near the doors of many shops, projecting out from walls and posts).
I looked too closely. The images/textures for those things is just aweful. Low-resolution, pixelated images, many made by enlarging inventory icons (or cutting and shrinking portraits), then hit with a bevel&emboss, then stretched a little across the signs (to turn square images into rectangles). I had to do something about them...
So I combined Photoshop with Google Images searching, lots of pixel pushing, and too much time. I ended up with 32 brand new signs (roughly based on the old ones), with texture images that were designed as rectangles (then resized to squares) so that they won't look distorted in-game. Once I did that, I used my model-making program (gmax), used one of the old models as a template (so the new one would be the same size and position, so I won't have to reposition any signs in the toolset), and remade the models. I even thinned out the wood a bit and added small chains for the signs to hang from (those redone flails just keep contributing). They got the same file names as the originals, so my new ones will just override the ones in the CEP.
It happens sometimes that something relatively minor like these signs will just bug me so much that I have to fix them. The CEP is full of great stuff, but some of it is so old that it shows...terribly. And I, for one, actually look at those things in-game during the rare times I play.
Ok, enough rambling (about things some folks might not even be interested) from me. Time to show some signs!
And comparing the new and old textures. The old ones consist of two images, each 512x512 pixels (128x128 for each sign). The new ones start as 1024x1024, then were broken down to 256x256 for each sign.
The new signs (these and the temple signs, plus the altars and all the other new placeables) are in today's hak update (available now on the Vault, and currently being uploaded to WorldGate).
Re: AD's Test Lab: Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
w00t! more amethyst goodness! yum!
titus- Seasoned Explorer
- Number of posts : 176
Location : here... i'm in here! let me out! *bang,bang,bang* let me out!
Main Character : pin, cleric of mystara
Other Character : kiir'iss, displaced drow bard of myth'sarel
NWN Username : titus
Time Zone : GMT-8:00
Registration date : 2011-11-11
Re: AD's Test Lab: Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
The first two are especially wondermous; very distinct and well made! Congrats!
Elhanan- Epic Level
- Number of posts : 1781
Location : At the keyboard typing with two fingers....
Main Character : Aargyle McJagger
Other Character : Barnabas Bottlebottom
Other Character. : Aarn, Aerik McJagger
Other Character.. : Azar; Briar Ironwood
NWN Username : Elhanan the Ancient One
Time Zone : Central USA
. :
Registration date : 2009-06-23
Re: AD's Test Lab: Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
Thank you for fixing those
daveyeisley- Ludicrous Level
- . :
Number of posts : 6934
Age : 47
Location : Watching Aenea from my Inner Sanctum on the surface of Sharlo, Aenea's Silver Moon
Main Character : Dave's List of PCs
NWN Username : Dave Yeisley
DM Name : Dungeon Master Mythgar
Time Zone : GMT - 5:00
. :
Registration date : 2008-06-03
Re: AD's Test Lab: Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
Those are just amazing, love, love, love em!
RayvenNightkind- Epic Level
- Number of posts : 1119
Age : 48
Location : Park View (Eldridge), Iowa
Main Character : Sir Rayvensclaw Nightkind Leader of the Clan of Night
Paladin/Champion of Dalix/Wizard
NWN Username : Rayven Nightkind
Time Zone : GMT - 6:00
Registration date : 2008-09-04
Re: AD's Test Lab: Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
Once again, the Dragon works his magic!
Eric of Atrophy- Ludicrous Level
- . :
Number of posts : 4112
Age : 51
Location : Kea'au, HI, USA
Main Character : The Vault of Atrophy
NWN Username : atrophied_eric
DM Name : Dungeon Mistress Anaurra Lide
Time Zone : GMT - 10:00 EST (We have our own time zone!)
Registration date : 2008-06-06
Re: AD's Test Lab: Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
I threw them up on the Vault for general use, too, since they're based on/update some existing models that many people use.
Re: AD's Test Lab: Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
I'll have to see them ingame (will shortly), but I can tell ya already, I sense a "10" approaching ...
Eric of Atrophy- Ludicrous Level
- . :
Number of posts : 4112
Age : 51
Location : Kea'au, HI, USA
Main Character : The Vault of Atrophy
NWN Username : atrophied_eric
DM Name : Dungeon Mistress Anaurra Lide
Time Zone : GMT - 10:00 EST (We have our own time zone!)
Registration date : 2008-06-06
Re: AD's Test Lab: Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
Very very nice! These seem to have much better contrasty visibility and definitely more artful quality.
It's really the details like this that makes this world so lovely.
Thank you for your magnificent obsession, !
It's really the details like this that makes this world so lovely.
Thank you for your magnificent obsession, !
Ramana Jala- Epic Level
- Number of posts : 1050
Age : 64
Location : Earth, Sol system, in the Mutter's Spiral galaxy
Main Character : Ramana Domefarar -
Publicly a Ranger, privately an Opportunist.
Lay Follower of Jewel,
Sensate and practitioner of the Way of Pleasure.
Other Character : Ranara Duauth -
A being created by shadow and water, a wizard.
Is actually another persona of Ramana.
Other Character. : Dae, the panther,
companion to both Ramana and Ranara,
and the best real eye-witness to the
strange circumstance of those alternating personae.
Other Character.. : The Personae of Ramana Jala
NWN Username : Ramana Jala
Time Zone : US Eastern Time
Registration date : 2011-08-29
Re: AD's Test Lab: Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
I've got to say they look amazing... but it is niggling me.... please do re-skin of the red dragon one.... to say.. stone-green.... there is at least one inn in Aenea where I think a stone-green sleeping dragon sign should be hanging.....
And whilst doing that, you may as well make an amethyst one too, because truly, what would it be like to NOT have an amethyst dragon ..... ..... ...
And whilst doing that, you may as well make an amethyst one too, because truly, what would it be like to NOT have an amethyst dragon ..... ..... ...
RustyDios- High Epic Level
- Number of posts : 2271
Age : 39
Location : England // Getting lost in Aenea
Main Character : Jay Braysin, The Wandering Shadow, Protector of Nektaria, Talon's Eternal Foe
Other Character : Shouri Braysin, The Shimmerstar's Moonlight Sorceress
Other Character. : Grace Fularras, Walking Library , Cleric of Mystara
Other Character.. : See my sig ... And here too ...
NWN Username : RustyDios
Time Zone : GMT (England, DST)
. :
Registration date : 2008-07-28
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