Subset Games Forum

kartoFlane wrote:Huh. I was under the impression that the point of this thread is a discussion on how to create a nicely-looking hull graphic for a ship. I think that using a raw model render as a sort of "concept art" to draw the hull sprite proper, yields results of superior quality.

Sounds about right, although I wouldn't be one to talk. I think splicing/recoloring/adding details to existing ships is by far the easiest way to go, although sometimes it doesn't look 100% original.

Thunderr wrote:

kartoFlane wrote:Huh. I was under the impression that the point of this thread is a discussion on how to create a nicely-looking hull graphic for a ship. I think that using a raw model render as a sort of "concept art" to draw the hull sprite proper, yields results of superior quality.

Sounds about right, although I wouldn't be one to talk. I think splicing/recoloring/adding details to existing ships is by far the easiest way to go, although sometimes it doesn't look 100% original.

Agreed.

Here are all the tools I use for textures for modding in general:
Gimp\photoshop\paint.net
Lightwave\maya\Dazstudio5\hexigon\sketchup

If you need a cool animation jwildfire and aftereffects can be used

I make my stuff (all 2 mods worth xD ) on a frankly godawful program called 2D Design and Photoshop.

My design process isn't anything special. I'll sketch out some designs in a margin of a notebook or something. i'll be thinking about what kind of ship I want to design - a fighter is more recognisably a fighter if it's small, sleek and dangerous looking. Likewise, a freighter is bulky and large, with lots of space for cargo. I guess you could call them design 'tropes'.

With that done, I'll pick one I like best then boot up 2D Design and sketch it out. 2D Design is great for getting a black and white line 'mesh', I guess you could call it, of a ship ready for colouring. You can manipulate line images fairly easily as well. Photoshop itself has some nice tools for colouring which I prefer to use.

Designing... just look at things, I guess. If you want to keep your ship within the original aesthetic of the game, look at other ships from the game. If you're going for a look reminiscent of one of the original factions, copy bits, like the Federation engine. Give them little changes or subtle twists, a bit of individuality and personality. Extrapolate from what you've got - think like 'well, this looks like that, so... this would look like that'.

I guess it would vary from person to person, though. Maybe I'm not the best to be giving design tips xD

Yay, all depends on wat u want to do. If u want to design an original ship, or just make splices and mount an pseudo original ship spliced with vanilla parts. If the design is original i dont think the vanilla style is needed, i honestly dont care about the "style" itself, since never completely liked the style a bit simple of the vanilla ships. I dont think thats important, wat is important is that the ship looks good, and not a 2d crappy sketch done in paint.net in about 5 minutes.. Anyways, u will never get the style of the vanilla ships, unless u are makng a spliced ship, or u have really professional skills on photoshop / gimp or watever. Besides, u will need to know wat procedure the authors used on vanilla ships to achieve the exact style of em. Its not enough try to "simulate" the style of the vanilla ships. And of course that must be the idea, i dont think any author of any game, even if it is modeable, wants people to just exact copy the style they used in their ships. Its like the "secret" ingredient xDD.

Honestly i looked to some mods that are made trying to get close to the vanilla style, and the final result is just terrible. As i said, if u have really pro skills on photoshop (meaning not regular user skills, pro skills), go for it, if u dont, dont waste your time, trust me.

Yes , thats another common procedure that i use, i sometimes sketch in 2d the contours of the design i want, and then i make it a "texture" to use it in sketchup, and i just draw the contours on sketchup over that texture and i start making the model from there. I also use sometimes adobe after effects, to make some effects, or a stand alone filters based on photoshop, like the dream suit ultimate (i did a lot of shield effects with that plugin) and others. But in case of weapon graphics or some weapon effects, since the sprites are so small, i just use a iconeditor like iconworkshops to make em. Its really a great small sprites editor (the best i tried) and its really easier to make small lgraphics like weapons and projectiles in that, instead of in photoshop or something like that.

I could make the weapons as well in sketchup, but the sprites are so small that they will lose all the detail i put in the 3d model. So is almost stupid trying to make em in photoshop, gimp or watever as well (for me in any case). But since i intend to make a cover from my mod using a renderer image of some ships from my mod at the same time, i will need to make at least 3 or 4 weapons in 3d, so i can mount em on the ships and make the render..

Everyone seem to want to fly good looking ships. I actually want to fly the equivalent of the Demetrius (garbage scow). Any idea where I can find "bad" or "Junk" looking ships?

I dunno wat is the Demetrius.. but if u point me maybe on the sketchup gallery i can find something. U tried to google it?

speedoflight wrote:I dunno wat is the Demetrius.. but if u point me maybe on the sketchup gallery i can find something. U tried to google it?

Demetrius - Battlestar Wiki