RFC: Fancy classics

[Simon B]

.... those of you who were worried about the high poly counts in the more recent neolite ships will be relieved to note that this one is one model around the 350 mark (compare ~1600 for the rapier).

I returned to basics and used wolfies model ... though I note that all the models seem to have their center axis about 10cm in (1,1,0) off the z axis. This has been corrected. But - if there was a special reason for this, better speak up.

This was a beautiful model to make - please note that the patchwork effect on the skin is less pronounced in the game.

[Simon B]

... I know you've been dying for this one :D

This ship is quite stunning in the game.

The forward bridge means that I have been able to put view positions right on the windows to good effect. There is a clear feeling of looking out of the cockpit. The rear view is the only camera view: I positioned it to show the spike and engine nozzels.

A curious effect is that I ended up putting the formard laser hardpoint higher than the bridge - so the beam shoots from above. However, with an offset of only 2m, the targeting is pretty sure.

Here's another in-game shot, no enhancements, looking at a rapier from the port window of another rapier.


note: I decided that the traingular cross-hatch things each side of the tail are heat-exchangers - they glow at speed.

[DaddyHoggy]

That's a gorgeous model and a fab texture - very nice indeed!

[Simon B]

... there are enough cobras now to do a comparison.

The clipper is in the neolite concepts oxp. You've seen it before - honest.
I'm pleased that the first cobra model still stands up against the more sophisticated newer versions.

The courier looks like a lightweight cm3 - like it's had lots of heavy panels stripped. The rapier looks like a refit more complete than the enterprise from the first ST movie. Commanders must think of it as a different ship altogether, though it is still recognisable as a cobbie.

All these are the actual models in a single session of Wings3D - viewes in orthographic mode so you get to compare the scales directly.

[Simon B]

... this should create some stir though.

I continued my interpretation of fighter-size craft being a lot about wings. This worked well for the gecko and sidewinder - so far the most acclaimed designs and those npcs.

The original drake flew with the belly about 30-45 degrees to the flight direction (top was level with it) giving it a nose up look. I dropped the nose, narrowed out the wings, but kept the basic attitude and angular design.

This left a very large flat back to deal with - I stuck radiators on them, which get hot at speed. Continuing the heat-waste theme, I made the engines get all-over hot too... but I think I may need to modify that.

The drake spikes are taken from the Krait, which is about the same size, and cut down.

In deference to Wolfies original textures, I have used a patchwork pattern through all these ships. The dull green is a bit odd-looking but it brings out the eyes, which I goniffed offa the original.

Turned out to be quite difficult to get a shot of in-game:

... shown here with two cobra couriers.

Wolfies standard external views are great for rear shots, but not so hot at other angles.

Note: the wide-apart exhaust plumes for the courier make it distinctive at a distance.

[Simon B]

My istink was to leave this one A L O N E! The original was almost a neolite model already. Mainly I just added some ekhaust detail, an explicit cockpit, and the usual hatches and grills.

I was not all that happy with the grass-stain effect on the color, but hit on the idea of giving it speed-glow lines on the hull. I was hoping for something like the vector but got a more diffuse effect.



Sadly I got bogged down with a serious problem with the forward laser.

The forward view was at (0,-2) and the laser at (0,-9) wich resulted in a red cross in the middle of the target reticule. i.e. as if the view and laser points coincided.

This occurred for any combination which had the view position under (0,2) regardless of the laser point. Still dunno what that was.

I still think this will look great with a vector-style graphite finish and glowing highlights.

[Simon B]

... This one was easier than expected - though it took fiddling to get the spikes to look like they belonged. It's another design barely altered.

I seem to have misplaced the in-game shot. Later.

Also left to another day are:
Asp mk1 and Asp Explorer. I showed you both of those as part of a row of asps earlier.

I have done no normal mapping on these ships at all. Some may be forthcoming - asp mk1 could use some ridges at panel boundaries for eg. I'll have a think about it.

[Lestradae]

*silently drools*

[Griff]

beautiful work Simon, the models & textues are ace!

[DaddyHoggy]

Wow!

[ovvldc]

Well done!

[Simon B]

I've been having trouble with my ftp sites again.
For some reason every hosting provider I use has chosen now to change details like the server url.

<sigh>

Anyway, I seem to have successfully stashed neolite-wolfies.oxp
[update]url is now the hbrlinux one - it's proper home.
This link can go in to the wiki.

I have archived it as plain zip, please advise if there are any problems with this.

Griff Alert: and anyone with shader experience ... I'm getting to the point I really need to discover why the engine-heat effect vanishes at full throttle. I have not figured what is doing this!

Can some other eyeballs roll over the shader to see what I've missed? Thanks.

[Simon B]

And now for something completely different - a dock rework was requestod. I have created a patterened metal texture based on the triangle parts of the coriolis. The trouble with the dock is, what with the lack of self-shadows, there's too much light.

This can be fixed by making the dock less reflective or adding interior light sources.

Low albedo will make the texture loss obvious. Lights will make it look funny without shaders, and look a bit like griffs docks with them. Some people have expressed dislike for dock lights anyway.

Project Status

package: status
notes

Core: complete
Tweeks only - last added: station textures, plist tweeks; to be added: transporter and bouy models. boulders and splinters to be reskinned. What have I missed?

Companion: complete
To be added: aegidean's barrel

Wolfies: complete
to be added - normal maps to some ships (under evaluation)
Aside: @Ark - when this finds its proper home, it can be added to the wiki. @Wolf: and the wolfwoods-varients entries could have a reference to the neolite page?

Concepts: alpha
this is a testing ground for new ships, scripts etc. Probably will evolve into a stable oxp for my personal craft. I've figured out a way to render the menger gasket and like it for an easter egg for asteroid hunters. I'll have them set to role boulder - which fragments to small scoopable versions - cargo-type "alien items") ... also a collection of corpses (role fragment?) which scoop to food (yuck!) - wolfie varients to be removed from this one.

Megaships: beta
outstanding questions - tipped to replace behemoths and join the behemoth/navy oxp

Behemoth/Navy: drawing board
outstanding questions

Random Hits Patch: proposal
RH already uses core ships, but clearly cannot use ships that did not exist when it was last updated. The proposed patch is supposed to update the shipdata.plist in RH to use models in other installed neolite oxps.
Aside: I'd like to propose RH as the proper home for the Viper Vigilante. Failing that, it should go under bounty hunters.

General Notes:
I've noticed that newcomers have started to adopt the neolite set with mention coming out in otherwise unrelated posts. Particularly recall an incedental mention of the "shiny new neolite fer de lance".

I want to encourage others to make neolite patches for existing oxps. Particularly those which use core ships with different textures.

YAH is an example. I'm also thinking of bounty hunters and racers, and others similar. It only took a day to do 8 sidewinders. If anyone wants a blank or a bare metal texture to modify, just ask.

Support has been good and welcome. Particularly those who have sent textures and suggestions by pm. These find their way directly or as "inspiration" to the official oxps.

Some people who posted to early parts of this thread have vanished - could this be because they feel "left out" or unhappy in some way with the project? I need to hear from these people.

One of the criteria for the project is that the result have general appeal. I don't want to be left just with the fans (who are welcome) because that will just skew neolites off general lines - which will thwart proponents of using neolite as a standard shipset.

(Which proposal will be worth discussing properly once those oxps which use core ships have all had neolite versions.)

[Lestradae]

Hi Simon,

sadly, when I attempt to download the neolite-wolfies, it doesn't work.

I then had a look into your folder (see below) but still nothing

You are having bad luck with your download sites ...



L

Index of /oolite

Name Last modified Size Description

[DIR] Parent Directory 05-Aug-2009 16:43 -
[ ] neolite.oxp.tar.gz 24-Jul-2009 18:39 31.4M
[ ] neolite-megaships.ox..> 11-May-2009 18:00 9.4M
[ ] neolite-companion.ox..> 06-Jul-2009 17:48 6.6M
[ ] wakapiko0109.oxp.tar.gz 07-Jan-2009 13:37 4.9M
[ ] waka.oxp.tar.gz 23-Nov-2008 23:07 4.6M
[ ] neolite-concepts.tar.gz 08-May-2009 19:02 4.3M
[ ] wakatoro0109.oxp.tar.gz 07-Jan-2009 13:33 1.9M
[ ] arachnid.oxp.tar.gz 12-Jan-2009 21:39 1.2M
[ ] typhoon.oxp.tar.gz 29-Jun-2009 13:27 705k
[ ] galcops.oxp.tar.gz 23-Nov-2008 23:01 466k
[ ] galcop.oxp.tar.gz 09-Oct-2008 12:06 466k
[ ] blade.oxp.tar.gz 23-Nov-2008 23:01 241k
[IMG] nthargoid.png 24-Jan-2009 16:34 215k
[IMG] neoshuttle1.png 18-Jan-2009 12:17 210k
[IMG] ncm3.png 25-Jan-2009 18:18 205k
[IMG] viper-i.png 13-Jan-2009 01:16 190k
[IMG] neosidewinder2.png 19-Jan-2009 18:27 180k
[IMG] ncm1.png 25-Jan-2009 02:08 177k
[IMG] neoadder.png 19-Jan-2009 03:14 176k
[IMG] neoboa2.3.png 04-Feb-2009 19:30 173k
[IMG] nfdl0.png 23-Jan-2009 03:48 172k
[IMG] neocobra1.png 21-Jan-2009 00:28 172k
[IMG] nmsb.png 23-Jan-2009 18:30 170k
[IMG] neoviper2b.png 14-Jan-2009 19:14 167k
[IMG] neoanaconda.png 07-Jan-2009 05:23 158k
[IMG] nfdl2.png 20-Jan-2009 17:27 153k
[IMG] neoboa.png 07-Jan-2009 05:23 151k
[IMG] neogecko.png 18-Jan-2009 12:17 151k
[IMG] nfdl4.png 21-Jan-2009 13:00 148k
[IMG] neoworm.png 23-Jan-2009 12:31 148k
[IMG] neoasp.png 15-Jan-2009 14:53 145k
[IMG] neoshuttle2.png 18-Jan-2009 12:18 144k
[IMG] neokrait.png 14-Jan-2009 05:31 143k
[IMG] neopython.png 04-Jan-2009 14:47 141k
[IMG] viper-c.png 13-Jan-2009 01:16 141k
[IMG] nfdl1.png 20-Jan-2009 17:27 134k
[IMG] neomako.png 06-Jan-2009 02:09 132k
[IMG] neomamba.png 18-Jan-2009 12:17 127k
[IMG] neoguess.png 18-Jan-2009 12:17 127k
[IMG] neosidewinder.png 18-Jan-2009 12:17 126k
[IMG] neovipers.png 14-Jan-2009 19:13 125k
[IMG] neoboa2.png 26-Jan-2009 01:19 124k
[IMG] viper-poster.png 13-Jan-2009 01:16 113k
[IMG] neolite-group1.png 26-Jan-2009 14:57 106k
[IMG] screenshot.png 23-Nov-2008 23:00 76k
[IMG] neocoriolis1.png 04-Feb-2009 19:30 72k
[IMG] neolite-poster.png 07-Jan-2009 05:24 57k
[IMG] nfdlvs.png 21-Jan-2009 12:59 48k
[IMG] nfdl-snap.png 23-Jan-2009 03:48 47k
[IMG] smallcraft1.png 24-Nov-2008 14:36 46k
[IMG] nfdl3.png 21-Jan-2009 00:28 42k
[IMG] blade1.png 23-Nov-2008 23:09 37k
[IMG] galcop3-1.png 23-Nov-2008 23:10 28k
[IMG] punkin-attack.jpg 30-Nov-2008 20:15 22k
[IMG] phoyd-int.jpg 29-Nov-2008 14:46 21k
[IMG] phoid-pkin.jpg 29-Nov-2008 14:46 20k
[IMG] arachnidp.jpg 24-Oct-2008 21:50 17k
[IMG] katipotop-avatar.png 23-Nov-2008 23:03 17k
[IMG] makos3.jpg 08-Dec-2008 17:07 17k
[IMG] namu-gc.jpg 13-Jan-2009 01:33 15k
[IMG] arachnidtop.jpg 24-Oct-2008 21:50 14k
[IMG] typhoons.jpg 23-Nov-2008 23:00 14k
[IMG] pare1.jpg 08-Dec-2008 17:06 11k
[IMG] ripi1.jpg 08-Dec-2008 17:06 11k
[IMG] naonao1.jpg 08-Dec-2008 17:06 11k
[IMG] anaconda.jpg 23-Nov-2008 23:01 10k
[IMG] weta1.jpg 08-Dec-2008 17:15 10k
[IMG] bladet.jpg 08-Dec-2008 17:07 10k
[IMG] ururoa1.jpg 08-Dec-2008 17:06 9k
[IMG] naeroa1.jpg 08-Dec-2008 17:07 9k
[IMG] makos1.jpg 08-Dec-2008 17:07 8k
[IMG] cobrakb.png 09-Nov-2008 21:46 8k
[IMG] typhoon1.png 23-Nov-2008 23:09 7k
[IMG] namu1.jpg 08-Dec-2008 17:07 7k
[IMG] kwai1.jpg 08-Dec-2008 17:07 6k
[IMG] taniwha1.jpg 23-Nov-2008 23:12 6k
[IMG] t2poster.jpg 23-Nov-2008 23:10 3k
[IMG] wolftop.jpg 30-Oct-2008 18:04 3k
[IMG] avondaletop.jpg 23-Nov-2008 23:12 2k
[IMG] wolf.jpg 23-Nov-2008 23:03 2k
[IMG] katipotop.jpg 23-Nov-2008 23:01 2k
[IMG] arachnid-avatar.jpg 24-Oct-2008 21:47 2k

Apache/1.3.41 Server at www.hbclinux.net.nz Port 80

[Sendraks]

Simon - will you be doing re-models for the Wolf MKII and MK II SE as well?