BDW Posted May 6, 1999 Share Posted May 6, 1999 Steve, have you been holding out on us for a month, or is the date just wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Time Software Posted May 7, 1999 Share Posted May 7, 1999 You mean it isn't April?!? Man does that screw up my appointments schedule I'll fix it... Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRourke Posted May 7, 1999 Share Posted May 7, 1999 Well.. as long as it doesn't push the release date back..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Galanti Posted May 7, 1999 Share Posted May 7, 1999 Just a couple quick questions/comments on the movies. First, before I start to pick nits I want to say overall they look amazing, and I can't wait for this game... I have a couple of comments on the infantry animations though. First, is there going to be a running animation? From the Panther movie, it looks like running right now is just walking really fast As such, the feet kinda slide along between steps and you get a bit of a moon walking effect... I noticed the same kind of thing in the Panther movie when the unit kneels down. His body stays in the same place while his feet kind of slide in front and behind him, instead of the feet staying in the same place and the body moving... Finally, the walking (and currently running) animations seem a little stiff and upright. I've probably seen too many war movies, but I expect more of a running crouch then a parade march. The squad firing at the end of the Panther movie looked great. I espcially liked the arm recoil of the guy with the submachine gun. I'm sure these are still works in progress, so I hope I'm not coming across as too harsh, just my opinion on their current state. My other question is regarding the Battle2 movie. When the Priest brews up, the squad next to it seems unfazed. Can exploding vehicles cause nearby squads to go to ground? Looking at it again, the squad might have just recovered before the camera pans, but I'll ask anyway Finally, does only arty cause terrain damage? I'd think that the Priest going up would leave at least a bit of a smudge or something There were some other pretty neat details though, like the tank treads reversing as it turns in the advance movie, and the plane shadow is just too cool Now where's my credit card for a preorder.... [This message has been edited by Ben Galanti (edited 05-07-99).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Time Software Posted May 9, 1999 Share Posted May 9, 1999 Hi Ben, glad you like the flicks. We really wish we could show them at full screen size, but we'll have to wait a few years for that We do hope to improve the animations more before the game ships. Unfortunately, 3D software sucks for making models for game animations, so all of this stuff has been done in code. Very time consuming. At the very least I think we can improve them somewhat, but not as much as any of us would like. One of the things we are thinking about for the next version is spending the time (like a month) to make an animation "tool" so that we can have a larger variety and degree of design flexibility for future versions. A vehicle blowing up can take out guys that are too close. I can't comment on that particular squad you saw because I didn't check it out when I was recording it. No, the vehicle can not damage terrain when it blows. Only in rare circumstances would it explode in such a way to make something change that would be noticable at CM's scale. Steve P.S. Yeah, that airstrike thing is way too cool. Uh, unless you are playing the Germans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon Posted May 9, 1999 Share Posted May 9, 1999 I'd like to add that one shouldn't forget that Steve most probably recorded the movies with the men and vehicle graphics enlarged. (Correct me Steve if I'm wrong). That would mean that the squad probably is further away from the exploding Priest than it looks. So it is possible that there were no casualties with that squad... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Time Software Posted May 9, 1999 Share Posted May 9, 1999 Good point Moon. Yes, those guys were probably at least 10m (30 feet) away, maybe as much as 20m (60feet). A guy or two might have been taken out for all I know, but in the woods like that, probably not. However Ben, your point about it being dangerous for the foot sloggers to be so close to a vehicle is well taken. Probably the best reason to keep distance is misses. I have seen guys get whacked by an AP round that fell short or went long. So while the gunner missed his target, he didn't miss ALL targets! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Rock Posted May 10, 1999 Share Posted May 10, 1999 This is a rather cool touch. It will be nice to simulate the desire of troops to want armor support, but preferably not too close to *themselves* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Galanti Posted May 10, 1999 Share Posted May 10, 1999 I hadn't thought about the fact that it was probably scaled. At 20 meters, I wouldn't expect a whole lot of reaction necessarily, It just looked closer to like 2 Steve, I did notice the squad in question going to ground over what I thought was a near miss (shouldn't that be near hit?) on the Priest a couple of seconds before it got nailed. Though, that could have been from some small arms I couldn't make out... As for the animations, I just assumed you guys were doing the motions in a software package and importing them. Doing it all in code? Ouch... I'm impressed they look as good as they do then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDW Posted May 10, 1999 Author Share Posted May 10, 1999 By the way, Steve, the date is still wrong on the main "Resources" page. This sloppiness and lack of attention to detail certainly does not bode well for CM's "accuracy"! I sure hope someone is proof-reading your coded data... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Time Software Posted May 11, 1999 Share Posted May 11, 1999 DOH! That does it! I am changing the whole website so that everything is on one page. MUCH easier to find mistakes Oh well, I suppose it is easier to fix the second place where I goofed. Ben, yes, big pain in the you know what. We have looked at almost a dozen 3D software pacakges, and none can output models in any usable way for us. 3D software has the worst reputation for usable output of any software type, and it deserves it. Garbage! We found an old Mac 3D program that made great models (our vehicles are all made from this program), and its output is clean enough, but its animation information isn't useful. Oh well... Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Galanti Posted May 11, 1999 Share Posted May 11, 1999 I know this has kinda veered off topic, but I'd be interested in hearing the pros and cons of the various 3D packages you looked at. I'm kinda on the lookout for a good (mac) modeler. Though, preferably, one in the hobbiest's price range Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fionn Posted May 12, 1999 Share Posted May 12, 1999 Hi, Has anyone got any opinions about 3D Studio Max 2.0 ? I got a copy off my fiancee's father (major league computer nerd hehe) since I once expressed an interest in doing some 3D models of tanks. I've got the software plus a BIG like 600+ page book explaining it all and I'm just wondering if it would be useful in making some simple animations (tanks moving over terrain, turret rotation etc).. I'm especially interested in its ability to model human movements. I've had an idea for a while to make some very simple "briefings" on tanks in the form of a 3D representation of them using data I've gathered (since I'd like to add 3D modelling to my repertoire) and was just wondering if 3DStudioMax2 is up to the job. BTW Yes I do know it'll take at least 6 months to get proficient with it (probably longer ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Time Software Posted May 13, 1999 Share Posted May 13, 1999 Fionn, 3DStudioMax (or "Max" to artists) is probably the most common professional level 3D tool for "interactive media". But if you aren't an expert with 3D software already, don't bank on 6 months being enough time to learn it. Development houses very often HIRE people solely on their ability/inability to use the program. So we are talking years of full time use here... Its very powerful, but also very difficult to use and prone to doing the opposite of what you expect (uh, like crashing<g>). Max is also exceptionally expensive once you start tossing in modules. All of this info comes from a guy that has never used it himself, so take all of this with a grain of salt. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fionn Posted May 13, 1999 Share Posted May 13, 1999 Hehe yeah I figured it'd be a tough nut to crack but is really something I'd like to get involved in.. I WANT to make those 3D Panthers I've always dreamt about (sad I know but true ). Anyways, as for modules, let's just say my (damn I was gonna call him father in law hehe that'd make my fiancee very happy ) fiancee's dad has a CD-burner and isn't afraid to use it . I think Modules wouldn't cost me too much mwahahahahaha Sounds like a real beast though fortunately if things in the business world work out I MAY soon be able to devote a significant portion of my time to fiddling with 3DStudio Max . Everyone keep your fingers crossed;). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest John Maragoudakis Posted May 13, 1999 Share Posted May 13, 1999 What about Softimage? I heard that was used in Jurasic Park. I think that getting into 3D animations sounds very creative. What program do you recommend learning? <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Max is also exceptionally expensive once you start tossing in modules.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Do you mean like over 1000$ for the whole kit? [This message has been edited by John Maragoudakis (edited 05-13-99).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Time Software Posted May 13, 1999 Share Posted May 13, 1999 Uh, John... prepare yourself for sticker shock... The basic version of 3DStudioMax 3 will be in the $3500 range. Modules range from multiple hundreds to thousands. Softimage starts around $5000 (stripped, I think). There are plenty of others out there that don't cost so much or overwhelm the beginner. I think Animation Master (by Hash?) or Infini-D (I have this and it is pretty good) might be a good starting point - there are others out there that are not over $500, many well under. But this really isn't the place for this discussion, so I think we should stop here Steve [This message has been edited by Big Time Software (edited 05-13-99).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest John Maragoudakis Posted May 13, 1999 Share Posted May 13, 1999 Oooh expensive. I spoke to my brother about Softimage, he used to be the project lead for Eddie at Softimage when they were with Microsoft , in Montreal. He told me that the Softimage software complete in Canadian dollars costs about 20000$. He mentioned that programs like Digital Studio costs up to 100000$, and they take years to make by teams up to 70 people. Of course they throw in a computer along with the software for that sticker price. Anyhow, Fionn, there's tons of sites at yahoo that I found on 3D animations. A very cool field indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Beman Posted May 18, 1999 Share Posted May 18, 1999 I finally got to watch the new movies (posted 5/5)--we have a cable modem, but you couldn't tell from the last couple of days' download speeds. (5.5/sec isn't what I'd term "10x faster than 56K modem) WOW! Those movies were cool! Especially the shot of the Panther leading the KingTiger(right?) through the trees--the visible effect of the Panther driver driving the right track in reverse to rotate the tank faster was excellent. Any new movies soon? DjB ------------------ A lot of my schoolmates called me "warmonger." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon Posted May 18, 1999 Share Posted May 18, 1999 5.5K/sec? I have a 56K and am from Germany and I get 5.5K/sec occasionally... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marko Posted May 19, 1999 Share Posted May 19, 1999 Just to clarify, a 56K modem and 5.5K/sec are not incompatible numbers. Modems are described in bits while Netscape and MSIE report download rates in bytes. There are 8 bits to a byte. Also, the difference between KB (kilobytes) and bytes is a factor of 1024, not 1000. So 5.5KB /sec, would be 45,056 bits per second, well within the capability of a 56K modem. There are other complicating factors, too, but I've already lost my audience. [This message has been edited by Marko (edited 05-19-99).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Beman Posted May 19, 1999 Share Posted May 19, 1999 We're back to normal now, Moon. I was pulling some patches for a well known computer RPG yesterday, and the average speed was around 40K/sec. Marko--as long as stuff goes from "out there" to my hard drive, I'm happy. :~) see? Although I always sorta thought "kilo"-byte was 1000, NOT 1024, bytes. And now you shatter my interpretation of reality? hhmph. This is way off subject, and Steve and Charles will probably scold me, but anybody bought a new P-3 yet, so you can surf the Internet faster? (kidding, kidding--just reacting to the TV commercials) DjB ------------------ A lot of my schoolmates called me "warmonger." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon Posted May 19, 1999 Share Posted May 19, 1999 I have a P3 and it is faster, using the same ISP at the same time of day and time of week, I gain about 1K/sec... really... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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