Hello this is the open thread for making Hlaalu exteriors. First of all the modeling will modularized to help optimize development. I will post regular exterior images and screenshots of designs to this thread. Hopefully that will keep everything nice and neat.
Fri, 03/07/2014 - 17:19
#1
[MIA] Hlaalu Building Exteriors
Edited by: grumpycat on 06/17/2014 - 19:43
Sounds good, I can't wait to see some screenshots.
Xaishan was working on these, but he has not responded in some time. Have you started? i still have some of the files, and id love to discuss how best to achieve the variance of the buildings we need :)
Xaishan last logged on 1 month 1 week ago. We call that in the development business "gone".
shame
Sure post some up to the thread.
I am open to talking about the exterior design. The more help the better.
Okay here is a concept piece that I have.
Thats a bit too abstract for me to get a handle on how you propose it to look
Ignore the unmorrowindish windows :)
Keep that football in though :D
lol
Do we know what material the houses are made out of?
Pretty sure they're clay. Or, ah... what's the word? Adobe.
Hmm, sandstone mb? colored basalt?
DragomirHlaalu houses are made of mud brick covered with clay overlay
I would Imagine some form of brick (mud or stone) with an Adobe overlay see attached photo for reason i think this. adobe is used in many cultures in the middle east or other desert dwelling peoples in classic architecture
Here are a few outlines of the door. I would like to put an overhang on the doors because the Balmora area is pretty rainy.
So I made this a while ago, to see if I could make anything interesting enough to try remeshing everything. I never got it to export correctly, so I stopped here. Not sure if it's of any use, but might as well have some good come of it.
To be clear these are the small steps from the exteriors
Is there anyway that you could remodel it to combine it with an overhang?
Do you mean like #1 or #2, the second one's overhang can be created separately, as it doesn't seem connected to the actually stairs. Then we can have variation and whatnot. I can make the first one rather easily though, I'll get started with that.
ok gang I'm creating a file in 3dsmax that will enable you to create an assortment of hlallu buildings, it'll be individual steps, randomly broken, door entrances, stuff like that.
Extra stuff like these front entrance steps we can add, and then we gotta think about the textures u need.
Hopefully it should be ready in 2 days though i'm real busy
I meant number 1
Here is a Hlaalu window concept
Mazam remember the ingame model for something like that cant be more than 100-150 triangles. we *could* use baked textures for at least the normals, but we need one grand unifying diffuse material
I have a lower res version available. Is there a document about the how many tris can be used on certain models. I keep seeing really hires models, ie zbrushed models for game objects, maybe even buildings.
Actually for future projects based around Morrowind models could you keep your hi-res models please? Retopology can be altered potentially when newer engines can handle more polys.
Here's the stairs with a canopy. The only issue is that it's 500 faces, which is probably a bit too much I think.
http://p3d.in/EGJP1
Mazam, about windows:) Can u try to use windows from first concept?:)
Also, one more art:
digm that topology is very nice :)
I sculpted some door models, both rich and poor hlallu area for variance, we can use in conjunction with what u are doing
that looks really good, nice work :)
i like the detail on the handles. Though maybe less stone and more adobe looking structures. The door looks a little reminiscent of Skyrim.
Also what program are you using?
Here is another version of the Hlaalu window
https://p3d.in/wWSKf
Rav that door is bitchin'. Makes my ald'ruhn door look like crap. Oh well. Challenge accepted :)
using zbrush for the door but i already modelled it in 3dsmax and UVd so its a simple matter of baking parts and texturing. dont worry about the excess rocks, its an alpha effect that goes over the smooth clay, but the trick allows it to look like its underneath broken clay
ok here are our 2 hlallu doors.
For the windows we could bake, but id rather have other smaller items to bake along side it, like window variations, in one big 2048.
Then after that we only have to use 4-5 different texture layers for all hlaalu, and its just a positioning and UVing job :)
ok sorry for pushing back date but on wednesday i will have a hlallu template file for u, complete with various textures and guidelines.
From this you should be able to model/edit other pieces, and get a good start on the various buildings.
I was in the middle of a post about how you should probably use an adobe/limestone texture rather than grey stone, but then I remembered two things:
Thanks for the lore. I really dislike the original Hlaalu's buildings amorphous yellowish wall texture. So stone it is. Make it out of stone! Morrowinish style!. More so limestone, yet limestone is errodes away with rain and I am still convienced that Balmora and other Hlaalu, owened areas are rainy places. So maybe a type of sediment stone mix? Also the top of the tower is not made of windows.
Vvardenfell is a volcanic island. Any stone present would be volcanic, or imported.
in that case then the stone would be porous.
here are the files for the hlaalu templates.
import the FBX at scale 1.0 and use the tgas for textures to UV to.
God speed ;)
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/33409411/HLAALU%20TEMPLA...
Thank you! Wow you put my attempts to shame.
Here is a really bad model of a window. Still in concept stage. Base texture curtsy of Ravanna.
interesting start. Could we have 2 types of windows? one is poor, and simple, and the other is more ornate?
We can do the cool shader effects in skyrim.
If you wish, when i return, i can take your window models, and use them in zbrush to create brick effects and glass shaders in the same way i did the doors, then i send them back to u.
Hmm... green appears to be a common theme for the different architecture styles...
thats because they use redmountain glass throughout vvard :)
though I think adding extra chemicals to the glass would change the tint, but thats easily changed last minute :)
Mazam sent me a window design and I expanded it into a zbrush piece.
So mazams style is on the left, the more posh style with less damage and metal rims.
Right window is poor style, more damage, and u can see the rake effect where the wet clay has been applied around the stone shape.
I Need ideas for additional glass patterns on the left design.
Mazam i copied the rim squares in your design but i need central pattern, any thoughts?
hows ahbout this?
Oh how I love the wonders that can be achieved using zbrush! Would the window with the Hlaalu emblem be for all upper class houses, or only for certain ones? I feel that these would fit with government, or law buildings.
Dude it looks amazing. I wish I had zbrush. :(
You captured the design i was going for. thank you for bringing it to life. Maybe I should just switch to concept art.
Overall it looks amazing
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