meshcarver

This is interesting for me too, even though events have taken a turn for the worse in the sense I'll have to almost "drop" my current island terrain I'm making for the foreseeable future. :( Basically it comes down to making a living in the meantime, and with that comes no time left for mod making. It's a very difficult situation and very hard to accept. In a fantasy world, I would LOVE to be funded for creating a terrain- can you imagine the joy of that..?! Damn, it'd be better than winning the lottery lol. :) One can dream..! It does seem very strange there isn't even a "Terrain" section in the competition, but saying that I won't enter anyway as I know it'd just force me to rush something I really want to take my time on. So, is there any more information regarding the category of Terrains anyway? It seems details on this are hard to come by?

I'll be downloading this as soon as I get back to Bangkok..! :) Sounds great man!

Genuinely hope you all have a great New Year... Take it easy guys and gals. :)

A lot of buildings have more than one texture sheet, also, they can end up having quite complex shadow/fire LODs which need processing. I think they generally have greater "section" counts than trees- texture/material combinations which all adds up to slow things down.

@ NeuroFunker- that's really nice of you to say mate thanks. I'll definitely be doing more of these style/mood concepts when I get back to Bangkok, but for the next 10 weeks will just be trawling through these forums and also putting down any more ideas I have into my new sketchpad! @ Ceh- I'm pleased I can pay you back by adding your suggestion to the logo mate, the privilege is all mine.

@NeuroFunker- aye mate, I remember that too, I used to play with them a lot trying to get a great Stalker feel and they were pretty effective as I remember..! I'm looking forwards to a rest, but I'll really miss working on this tbh... it's an absolute passion of mine but I'll fill the time with doodles and scribbles for ideas in my sketch pad... ;) @Jordo- Indeed, that's basically what Ceh kindly suggested too with diagrams so I've taken him up on it and updated everywhere the logo is showing. Here's the links again before I go so you can see it with the new Cyrillic: http://www.meshcarver.com/screenshots/NOVA%20ZONA%20LOGO.png http://www.meshcarver.com/screenshots/NOVA%20ZONA%20CONCEPT%2001.png http://www.meshcarver.com/screenshots/NOVA%20ZONA%20CONCEPT%2002.png I really like this version a lot more too- it adds another layer of detail to the logo and it still very much in line with the Periodic Elements Table look. :) Thanks to Ceh for your help... appreciated!

@NeuroFunker- Hey cheers man, aye I really want to push the Stalker look/feel so much with this but to have it on the vast open scale we're used to with ARMA now. All the little things like dynamic weather and horrendous stormy nights etc will really help push that side of it. MUCH futher down the line I plan to learn some scripting (yeah yeah I know... nightmare lol...) so I can modify my own unique weather formations that will be more in line with NOVA ZONAs atmosphere. @Kyle- Indeed matey, I've JUST sent Ceh an updated logo based on his fantastic suggestion so if it's a go from him then (Basically checking my efforts at Cyrillic are correct. I'm not sure if it's relevant how the capital and lower case are intermingled..?) I'll update all my images that have the logo on them and reupload before I go back in two days!

Damn, This community is amazing... I am getting all sorts of input from various sources now, and would like to let people know how much it means to me that they want this done correct and well. :) Again, Ceh has taken the time to send me these: http://arma.ceh.rs/novazona.pdf ...which seem like a fantastic compromise to satisfy all camps from a language/typographical point of view. I really like the FIRST one he came up with, as it leaves the original logo 100% intact, but just adds the correct Cyrillic spelling in brackets underneath which is fine by me..! This seems to also satisfy my own and other peoples input to leave the logo intact if I'm happy with it- there's just more information added to it so it's a winner all round guys... :) When I have the chance next to alter the logo, I'll go with that one as it now ticks all the boxes, so thanks Ceh..! :D There's nothing I consider "nitpicking" about it man- I'm glad to hear from knowledgable sources and will make amends so everyone's happy. Also Kyle aye, I really want the puddles to be an enhancing feature for NOVA ZONA so will try all sorts of methods for their correct implementation... If it's not possible to have actual reflections in realtime, then I'll easily settle for reflection maps, as at least theses would still add depth to the overall look and feel... But yeah, I'd love for you to be able to see your foe just by seeing movement in a reflection of him... :) Alright, thanks again for all the input chaps... it all means a lot to me. Marc

Hi, Cheers for the feedback..! Damn, that's a shame because it sort or reads "HOBA THREE O HA" to us English speakers..! This is difficult, I really like the reversed N look too..! :( I should add, I just remembered when I was using google translate and experimenting with fonts etc, I did see that "Hoba 3oha" crop up but it's just not workable really as a nice sounding island name as its read out... :(

Hi guys and wow, THANK YOU for the great input and suggestions here..! :D @ RedPheonix- jeez man, no pressure lol... ;) @Katipo66- Aye mate, I'm of the same thinking, although as far me as me doing them myself, that'd be a LONG way off, and I'd have to get someone else to rig them etc as I'm clueless on the front although I've seen it done hundreds of times before. It's like magic to my little brain lol..! If new custom characters were introduced, then I'd LOVE it if they still retained the "Gas-masked round eyed hooded look" we all know and love from STALKER... a classic. @tyl3r99- thanks dude. The map doesn't actually exist yet, it's in my head and on about 250 sheets of A4 paper lol... But, I'm planning on having it Cherno sized, which is I think about 255 kilometres squared. There's no way it'll be Altis sized unless you want to play it when you're 70 years old lol. ;) @Jordo- Goddamn man..!!! 0_o There's so much great info and suggestions there man, thank you. I can't comment specifically on everything you mentioned, but just know I have now read it all about three times and agree with 99% of what you have said. The main thing being to start afresh as it were... To just go down the old Stalker route would align it more with what's gone before (Nothing wrong with that at all btw, it's the total inspiration for this after all...) but I really want this to be utterly new and to stand on its own two feet as a unique area with its own atmosphere and feeling. Again, thanks for your input and it's ALL noted. @Kyle_K_ski- My brother from another mother..!!! ;) How's it going man..?! I'm just about to PM you with more feedback on those secret files we talked about..! ;) I'm glad you like the latest stuff mate. Well, here's what is definitely going to be my last update before I go back home to chill for 9 weeks- another atmosphere/touchy feely piece to get across the mood for one of NOVA ZONAs many Industrial areas scattered across the island. Again, it is to show things like weather/forms/lighting/atmospherics and overall tone, and is not intended to be taken as a literal shot. Although, saying that, just doing these two pictures has given me a lot of ideas and is also helping keep me on the right track design wise- as it's so easy to go off on a tangent otherwise, so I might do some more of these further down the line. Little details like the reflective dirty water puddles on the ground will be included (If ARMA 3 terrains allow it?) as they add so much to a scene. I know in films they will literally spray water puddles onto road surfaces etc before filming a shot, as it adds so much depth and contrast (Interest) to a shot before filming, so why not use that method here if the engine allows? ;) Extensive piles of rubbish and debris, huge tall over bearing structures breaking up the skyline, electric pylon wiring and mist patches will all add up to create an atmosphere of dread and foreboding in the right weather conditions so I'll try my best to get those all in and working too. Anyway, here's the shot- I hope you like it: NOVA ZONA CONCEPT 02 Worth mentioning is that I got a considerate PM from Ceh who pointed out that my logo for NOVA ZONA is in effect incorrect..! I think because the "N"s are reversed it seems like Cyrillic, and so is an incorrect spelling unknown totally to me. He is suggesting numerous fixes/advice etc which is completely welcome but if anyone here is also in the know, PLEASE let me know how I could get around this issue, and if it's an issue that is too much of a mistake as to be unacceptable basically. Like saying North America is only 2 miles from Britain or something... but if it's still sort of acceptable, then I'm prepared to swallow it and go ahead with it how it is as I really like the look and feel of the logo- it's exactly what I was trying to achieve. To my tiny English brain it looks and feels Russian..! ;) The font has a reversed "N" by default so I took it as correct but it seems to give out the wrong message. :( Either way, it's great to get this feedback and tell me where I'm going wrong (I have literally 1% understanding of Russian/Ukrainian/Cyrillic!) so I can begin to makes amends... Alrighty chaps, thanks again for the feedback and support- it's fantastic to know people are out there checking in on this every now and then. Best, Marc

Hi Katipo66, bloody hell, that was quick lol..! ;) Aye, that's a HUGE radio array on the distant mountain- it's loosely based on the DUGA "Woodpecker" Array in the old USSR: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Woodpecker I wanted this one to be a lot bigger, almost monolithic, but tried to knock out a few more panels but it broke up the silhouette too much in this particular case. When it's in game, it'll be a lot more ruined, don't worry... ;) Also yes, I've got lots of ref already for old USSR rocket launch sites, so will be doing an approximation of that too somewhere inland... @ RedPhoenix- Cheers dude, I hope I don't disappoint with the final map.

Hi again, I finally got that concept piece done- well, it's more of a mood/atmosphere piece really, as I wanted to get down in an image the kind of feeling I'm going for with NOVA ZONA. I tried to capture it as the sun was starting to set, as that's more of an evocative time for a location like this- and it's also a bit more symbolic for the island in general as its time in the sun has long since past and now everything is in a state of decay and is slowly being claimed back by nature. Hopefully you can tell by this image the kind of landscaping I'll be using. It will be varied and also extreme in some places in regards to the changes Anomalies have wrought upon their surroundings... As this is in the ARMA 3 Engine, it will also be larger and more spaced out- when you go into a swamp area, you won't be able to see the other side- you will have to do a lot of walking to get back out again. I'll scatter little single structures around to break it up in general, but the overall feeling will be very remote, bleak and ravaged. I will be having clusters of towns and villages and the occasional Industrial or Experimental areas obviously but just wanted to get across that there will also be a lot of wilderness if you want to get away from it all and set up a camp fire. ;) The statue is a reference to NOVA ZONAs hugely experimental past. Man is holding aloft an atom, but is now himself ruined and crumbling- destroyed by the very thing he holds above all else. You can see more evidence of this in the middle background- the ravaged radio telescope and huge array on the mountains edge... Anyway, here's a link to the full res one, I hope you like it: NOVA ZONA CONCEPT 01 Also, I took a little longer as I wanted to get down a logo for NOVA ZONA too. I wanted it to be a little bit different and strange, and have some relevant information in it too somehow. I didn't want it to be another clone of the Stalker logo, fantastic as that is, as I wanted this to stand out by itself as something separate and new. After trying out a few ideas, I went down the route of trying to incorporate the "science/experimental" side of the islands history (As that's the sole reason it's in the state it is now..!), and came up with basing it on the Periodic Table Of The Elements. I've changed up the smaller element names and the figures for the atomic mass. The names are: "unexpected" "uncontained" "anomalous" "hostile" which are obvious references to the creation and state of the Zone itself. Also, the first three atomic mass figures each add up to 13. The last one, "101" is yet another reference, this time to George Orwells fantastic book, 1984 and the Room 101 where your worst nightmares are made real. Speaking of 101, I plan on having the main Experimental area (Underground, if possible in ARMA 3) named "Laboratory 101" just so you know..! Anyway, here's a larger version of the NOVA ZONA logo guys: NOVA ZONA LOGO I have only 9 days left before I'm without my PC for 2 months, so will maybe do another concept/mood piece. If I do manage it (time is short!) then it will be more in line with what you're used to from the Stalker games. It will be down on ground level in the midst of Industrial buildings, piping and overhead wires etc, and will also be darker with storm clouds and lightening etc...you know the kind of thing. ;) As always, any suggestions or advice is most welcome, as the feedback is a great motivator..! Take it easy, Marc

@Katipo66 - Hey thanks man, it's good to hear that as I really want each structure/object to stand out on its own and to be readable as an asset from a "Zone" based map. Then, when they're all put together into a terrain with even more leanings towards the Zone aesthetic, they'll hopefully sit well there.

Hi guys, thanks for the comments..! Aye, I'd love for someone to step up and do some up higher res Stalker Units and maybe some enemies, but we'll see... Indeed, I also tried to increase the saturation a bit more than it is on those metal roofing panels, but the repetition was too much... actually, that was before I knocked some out, so I might revisit it and see how it goes..! :D I saw your PM, cheers Kyle, and I'll get busy posting you a reply now mate!

Alrighty, here's what is probably going to be the last WIP update before I go back to Blighty for 8 weeks and chill... It's a burnt house structure, of which there will be MANY variations. This one is mostly intact still, but bear in mind others will be just corner parts, supporting beams or even just the foundations left over etc... Variations again. I wanted it to retain the look of a structure, and only "gut" it out to a certain extent- many others will be almost completely gutted and will offer no shelter or cover. ...No refuge from Blowouts... Anyway, here's an exterior and an interior shot looking up: http://www.flickr.com/photos/86890612@N02/10848669904/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/86890612@N02/10848672344/in/photostream/ I hope you like it. Now, I'm going to probably do a concept piece to try to show the feeling/atmosphere I'm wanting to achieve with NOVA ZONA. Basically I've got 2 weeks before I've got no PC access for 2 months, so will just take my time with it, as there's no point starting another WIP at this stage... Anyway, I look forwards to hearing any comments guys..!

Excellent stuff here. And, heed this mans "warning" lol..! ;)

Looking REALLY promising mate, really good stuff. I'll be keeping an eye on this one..! :D

Hey up lads, @ NeuroFunker- Aye, I really don't know why Flickr is doing that but it's annoying... At least I have the blog though! @ VanZant - Cheers dude. I plan on making a really varied topography yes but within the confines of realism as I don't want this to tip over into pure fantasy all the way. I think it'll create an interesting juxtaposition where a realistic terrain has small areas of concentrated Anomolies to really push a feeling of dread and unease- that something very bad occurred across the island. Also yes, I bake AO maps for all structures. (...also, fyi I have only JUST sat down in front of my PC again since being sickety poo poos and my eyes are killing me already... food poisoning is bad.)

Hi all, Thanks for the good wishes guys, I'm a lot better today, but right now my better half is cooking bacon and I can feel my stomach turning a bit..! Normally I live for bacon... :) @Atsche, lol yeah man, it was either some ropey food or the yoghurts I had in the fridge that were a month old? Anyway aye, I made my mind up a while ago to have it as an island, as it offers practical solutions like I believe I've heard islands, as opposed to land locked masses offer better performance. Also, with the nature of what NOVA ZONA is, an island setting could really harness the feeling of isolation and utter abandonment if done correctly I reckon. I love the rugged desolate windswept feel of the fantastic Namalsk, and it owes a lot to some of the atmospheric sound effects so I plan to go into detail on that side of things too. @NeuroFunker, hi dude, no mate, nothing at all. They are literally just screen grabs, with zero alteration. But it's funny you mentioned it as I also asked about this months ago if you can find it here. I made mention that in Flickr, when I upload the pngs, it seems to really sharpen the images a LOT and produces the effect which I think you're referring to? As far as I can tell, if you click on my blog link instead to view them and compare, then the blog ones are softer looking, closer to the original grab. I just think Flickr isn't doing s good job of showing them..? No worries though, they really don't look so harsh in reality mate. @MistyRonin, thanks very much man, appreciated..! @Emoglobinsky, hey, cheers for the suggestion, but I could easily see myself being utterly distracted by that for months lol..! It looks fantastic btw, and if it's a viable way to create an island for ARMA3 then I may even use it... @NerdMod, hey man, glad to hear you're better..! Aye, as for the set up I currently using- basically for each structure I'm using Multi Material RV Mats, as they're more or less designed specifically for house/building/structures so you can have up to 4 texture sheets on them and it comes out at only 1 Section count. Typically, most of my structures use 3-4 texture sheets @ 1024*2048. I've asked Busklurker about this way to go with these figures and he's pretty much given me the nod that it should be ok. As far as Geolods go, please go to the ARMA3 editing/modelling forum, and look for my post about Geo/Physx lods as I got some good news about it from a Dev, Redstone, recently and I explain it there in depth mate. I on iPad so can't link it here without risking losing all this reply! ;) Anyway, thanks again chaps and I hope to update soon! Marc

Damn, I've been really sick the past few days (and still am really...) with food poisoning, so sorry that new WIP hasn't come out yet. It's half done but I should have it posted in about 5 days time hopefully- it's a burnt out house structure, of which you'll see many in NOVA ZONA. After finishing that, I'm toying with the idea of doing a simple concept drawing to get across the mood and atmosphere I'm going for with the final island (and it will be an "island" btw, not a landlocked mass), as it'll break up my constantly churning out models and will offer a nice respite and also it'll hopefully let you get more of an idea about the maps asthetic. Alright fellow Stalkers, catch you later..! :dead:

Hi guys, I'm planning on creating a long and tall wall "barrier" for my map that will extend around a perimeter about 20 kms. It's basically going to be like a 5 meter thick, 25 meter high wall, made up of sections I'll model, each being about 10 meters wide. (This is for a sort of hastily constructed "containment" attempt built around the Zone after it went to shit.) I plan to make about 5 different standard wall sections, 2 for each "end" and a few variations like "T" junctions etc... Before I start to actually model this, I just wanted to ask the experienced here about the best way to go about modelling this collection of parts. Please bear in mind that the player/units will be able to walk along the length of the top where I've marked and there will be ladders and stairwells at various points along the wall. Could this be a problem? I'm thinking in terms of unit walking from one "Roadway LOD" to another etc... Would it be to make each part like the diagram linked, were you can see the "end parts" have a solid edge to them, the "in-between standard" parts do not have polys either side as these wouldn't be visible anyway, and for variations I can model things like doorways/ladders etc through and into each part: http://www.meshcarver.com/screenshots/WALL_PARTS.png I really hope this diagram explains what I mean better than I can explain it lol..! ;0 Also, if this is a good way to go about it, then I'm concerned about accurately snapping each piece together when I place them into my island. I believe the way around this is "memory points" yes? If so, then are memory points an easy addition once it's all modelled? I mean, there's NOTHING I have to bear in mind whilst modelling it other than making sure they fit together like a jigsaw in my 3D app? I know also to make 50 meter long sections to save on "section" count, rather than building it 10 meter piece by 10 meter piece- is this good? Alright, a lot there guys, sorry, but I'd LOVE to hear some solid advice about this please! Cheers, Marc

Hi Bushlurker, thanks for taking the time out to post here mate. Aye, I can see that being very useful in certain situation and I might make a few fences myself specifically to take advantage of it, but in this case it's not going to cut the mustard..! I posted a link to a screenshot of the wall sections I'm planning on making, and if you can also imagine all those little details getting skewed too- it just won't look good... Either way, I think I'll just try to build the wall on more or less even terrain and then I can tweak it after like bringing some terrain verts up and down to make it look like it's sitting more comfortably in the ground for immersion. Cheers again guys.

Hi guys, Aye, I've read it before, but it won't really suffice for me because there will be lots of little details like stairs, ladders, decals, piping etc that would also skew on the horizontal and so would look deformed... I do plan on having about 2:5 meters built of "coming out the ground" kind of look yes, so it should work out ok. Thanks for your input again lads..! :D

Thanks guys, but in this particular case, I will be building an angled section to go up inclines etc. Otherwise, if one section is higher than the one next to it, the walkway will be at different heights.

@RedPhoenix- thanks man, I'll certainly try my best to keep churning these out. There's so much to do lol- I have a list I'm slowly ticking off for structures etc, but as soon as I do some more research on the interweb I see some other amazing structure that sets my mind off and the list starts growing again..!!! :] I'm starting a burnt house structure today- so they can fit in more in "Ashland" (Thanks all go to Kyle for that one...) and around Anomaly areas that are relevant to heat.