Hello, I'm writing this thread to talk about modular environments and HOW THE FUCK DO I FUGURE THIS SHIT OUT.In short, modular environments aren't really that hard if you focus on building everything on a grid. Pic related (from sergey tyapkin), has a grid size of 0.5m, which is small enough to allow some granurality and size variations. I mean, this particular example is 'easy': all pieces are mostly planar or box-shaped, which makes everything fit easily
>>703033lol shut the fuck up
The reason I'm making this thread is also part because of DOOM, as I am just baffled by some of the environments in the game.Take a look at this other example. Even though it is much more complex than the previous pic, it still looks easy to breakdown: the pillars, walls... Except for that 45º angled 'upper part' with the stairs in the middle-lefthand side of the pic, everything could fit in a standard/boxy grid
Now take a look at this beauty: how the actual fuck was it even done? I can barely see any seams in the models and everything looks like it was made in just one single fucking piece. I can barely see Not only it has two fucking different 'heights', it also has many non linear 45º aligned pieces, that make everything even harder to breakdown. And on the places where the 45º to straight align parts meet, there is not even a seam, but a smooth transition.So, /3/, please enlighten me, how the fuck are these kind of environments even meant to be made, what kind of grid/blocking system do I have to use, I just can't even comprehend how the arenas in this game were done
>>703035>>7030361. Make map editor2. Code in support for the pieces3. Allow angles 4. Allow stretching/scaling5. Cheat and read up on ptex, and steal as many principles as possible 6. Make a exporter to quickly setup what the edges/connectors are7. Work out the bugsAnd this is the most important part:Find a way to merge triangles and make new normals when exporting the map, so you can merge polygons and get proper normal lightning. Essentially 3D modelling entire maps is the stupidest thing, because you need to merge the normals and polygons at some point.
>>703038>Ptexlolwut
>>703038My questions really weren't about texturing, as I am aware there are many techniques (megatextures for doom, which is ptex-like I suppose, trimsets, the star citizen workflow... Etc.)My questions where in fact about the geometry side of modularity.How would you author such a complex system, with that many angles, multiple height levels, corners, and stuff, such that every piece fits perfectly together? By staying on a grid with square-like models is easy to get simple corridors like in the first OP pic, but how would something as complex as >>703036 be made? That is what I can't wrap my head around
>>703035Didn't the game come with a feature called snap map to make your own maps.
>>703044My guess: Highly Procedural process using Houdini.
quick rundown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bY3mmBunpo
>>703044I'm not sure why you are assiming they stuck to such a hard grid system rather than just using their prefabs and pieces as they see fit, then creating new unique ones for the middle and high ceiling spots.With the grid, the more important thing is that the connections to the side rooms are the ones that stay in grid, if you can stick to that, you can have a lot of freedom to what you do inside.
>>703044best way to learn would be to replicate what's there. You ain't going to find a tutorial on how to do it. Spend a day roughing out all the shapes you see in one level and start to see where things can be reused.I suspect the majority of the level is put together from kit pieces and then bespoke bits are made to fill in the gaps like the molding/trim pieces.Because if you discount those and look at everything else it becomes a lot more doable.
>>703116That is exactly what i am struggling with, they are so good at hiding seams and stuff that i can't easily break down the pieces of the kit.Unlike other games, I haven't seen any breakdowns posted in any of the doom artist's artstation accounts.Though, you are right, If I never try to model a simple kit on my own and make everything fit, then I will never learn.
Not everything is modular dude. Get a model ripper or get the mesh straight out of the intel frame analyzer if doom allows it. The floors and some of the walls for example are tailored for each level in general. You don’t actually believe the whole thing was done with modular assets, right?
>>703044The real answer is that there is NOT modularity. Essentially you have a hack setup so you can snap objects together, and have some way to create surfaces that can be assigned textures and layouts later.And then you just add it together its fucking LEGO. It doesn't even have to be a grid.The key problem is that you basically create a metadata of level obects snapped together, and to do that you need enough coding skills to make something so elegant. Or just use a octree grid instead of a normal grid.
>>703126>i can't easily break down the pieces of the kit.if you can't get a model viewer. open level in game >screen shot (lots)>image editor> color code each bit of geo by SHAPE.Get right up close.note part reuse, same geometry different textures.Do some reverse engineering. See how much is truly unique. (it'll be less than you think.)
>>703038>PtexAwww shit, here we go again.Id Soft uses megatextures you double nigger. Get the Ptex-branded dildo out of your ass.
>>703171Ya but Carmac just ripped off a bunch of shit from the scene and gave it a new name.
Hey, OP here, tomorrow after work I'll fiddle with the intel frame analyzer to see if I can take a look at the geo. Also I will play a bit with snapmap in case the arenas use similar pieces to the ones I'm interested inI will keep you informed.
>>703178No kidding, but this we're not talking about John "This one's on me" Carmack.
