HundertzehnGustav
Watchman... up there, thinking.
... on certain of my most favorite Washtubs, Alpha channels are used to display the netting where hammocks are stored in combat.
alpha channels are also used in the transparency/dirt of windows, instead of using a transparent and blueish color.
On others, a ridiculous amount of polygones are used to create figurines and details that , visually, make very little impact.
The Bellona (yeee yee... still my favorite) has over the last year recieved an upgrade in details and "Art". At the cost of a lot of Polygones.
Now... for the details of the ship, the ornaments around the back, a creator might want to use modeling polygones in place. Because just simply painting on the details is not enough to him, and can never really convey a 3D feeling.
especially small details, streaks, flowers, nameplates on the back of a ship... and the names inside these nameplates... They couls be handled aith alphachannels.
How to?
Take the Hull, the finished, undetailed Hull, that has:
-recieved all the figurines and big 3D details.
-not yet recieved its ornaments, the smaller stuff.
The areas that are bound to be covered in details and engravings, put a layer of polygones on these areas. for example the backplate of a SOTL... soleil royal or somesuch.
Cover these areas in another layer of polygones. Like wrapping the areas up. Or applying a thick paste.
The polygones should be not ON the Hull. but a certain distance. a few centimeters. or two inches maybe.
The Hull gets the classic treatment for texturing. the backplate of the ship will get... red or blue or what have you, paint and a wooden texture.
here is the new bit...
The extra layer of polygones will be unwrapped/mapped/... on a different texture. Detail.tga.tx or soemthing.
That texture will get no paint.
except in the spots where the details, the small flowers, lines, crowns or such must be placed.
Painted with shadows, and with an alpha channel defined in Foodoshop, that texture will , in the game give the illusion of having a lot of detail in a certain area, at the cost of very very little polygones.
whats more:
the detail.tga.tx can be adjusted for the same hull to offer 3 different "3D" detailings, thus giving a different 3D feel.
taking the example of a nameplate, under the windows of a frigate:
The entire nameplate itself is in pseudo 3D.
Just the frame of the nameplate is visible.
The name itself can be adjusted... with paint, rather than polygones.
Less modeling. more paint.
...which i assume is less of a hassle.
Thinking of big vessels, like the Prinz Friedrich zu pferde, and a LOT of the first, second and third Rates, can be enhanced like this.
-condition:
good painting and alpha chanel application in Photoshop
hires textures for big areas (1024 or 2048 even)
alpha channels are also used in the transparency/dirt of windows, instead of using a transparent and blueish color.
On others, a ridiculous amount of polygones are used to create figurines and details that , visually, make very little impact.
The Bellona (yeee yee... still my favorite) has over the last year recieved an upgrade in details and "Art". At the cost of a lot of Polygones.
Now... for the details of the ship, the ornaments around the back, a creator might want to use modeling polygones in place. Because just simply painting on the details is not enough to him, and can never really convey a 3D feeling.
especially small details, streaks, flowers, nameplates on the back of a ship... and the names inside these nameplates... They couls be handled aith alphachannels.
How to?
Take the Hull, the finished, undetailed Hull, that has:
-recieved all the figurines and big 3D details.
-not yet recieved its ornaments, the smaller stuff.
The areas that are bound to be covered in details and engravings, put a layer of polygones on these areas. for example the backplate of a SOTL... soleil royal or somesuch.
Cover these areas in another layer of polygones. Like wrapping the areas up. Or applying a thick paste.
The polygones should be not ON the Hull. but a certain distance. a few centimeters. or two inches maybe.
The Hull gets the classic treatment for texturing. the backplate of the ship will get... red or blue or what have you, paint and a wooden texture.
here is the new bit...
The extra layer of polygones will be unwrapped/mapped/... on a different texture. Detail.tga.tx or soemthing.
That texture will get no paint.
except in the spots where the details, the small flowers, lines, crowns or such must be placed.
Painted with shadows, and with an alpha channel defined in Foodoshop, that texture will , in the game give the illusion of having a lot of detail in a certain area, at the cost of very very little polygones.
whats more:
the detail.tga.tx can be adjusted for the same hull to offer 3 different "3D" detailings, thus giving a different 3D feel.
taking the example of a nameplate, under the windows of a frigate:
The entire nameplate itself is in pseudo 3D.
Just the frame of the nameplate is visible.
The name itself can be adjusted... with paint, rather than polygones.
Less modeling. more paint.
...which i assume is less of a hassle.
Thinking of big vessels, like the Prinz Friedrich zu pferde, and a LOT of the first, second and third Rates, can be enhanced like this.
-condition:
good painting and alpha chanel application in Photoshop
hires textures for big areas (1024 or 2048 even)