Mini Challenge #13 - Gateway To The Afterlife

[blankslatejoe]

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Theme: GATEWAY TO THE AFTERLIFE

This minicomp might be wildly popular or it might be a ghost comp. To test the waters for environment mini-contests here on GA, let's try an environment contest focusing on a single aspect of an environment--a single set-piece.

The objective is simple: Build a door/gateway/portal/passage/wormhole to the AFTERLIFE.

Will that gateway lead to a fiery hell, a la Doom? Will it be pearly clouds? Will it be an alien world? Will it be made of iron, wood, or stone? Or, perhaps is it a futuristic portal? That's up to you—the important thing is the gateway itself.

THE SPECS

-7,000 Tris
-1x2048x2048 total Diffuse mapsize. Likewise, you can have normal, specular, glow, alpha, and any "support map" (non-diffuse) you need, also with the 2048x2048 total map size limit.


Otherwise, anything goes! These minicomps are meant to be fun, quick, goofy, and just quick ways to spend an afternoon or two. Actually..this one might take more than an afternoon or two.

Please post all work-in-progress shots and questions in this thread!




THE SUBMISSION:
-Submissions open once the voting for Minicomp 12 is over--that is, you can't submit till Wednesday!

-Your final submission should be in the form of a SINGLE image. This image should include a wireframe, flat textures, a final render, and anything else you wish to show us! (high res sculpts, close ups, etc.) Please label the high res models, if you decide to show it.

-When you have completed your submission, use the following link to submit it:
http://www.gameartisans.org/contests...character.html -- Remember to hit upload before you hit submit!



THE DEADLINE: So, this is a little new for this contest too. We're trying something called a 'soft deadline.' See the next post for information about this.
Voting will begin Sunday, June 15th 2008, at midnight!

GOODLUCK!

[blankslatejoe]

FAQ:
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Here's some questions that might come up:

GATEWAY TO THE AFTERLIFE FAQ:
Can you build an entire environment to fit around the gateway or to show the realm “through it”?
Yes. You can, but whatever you build, you are limited to the budgets listed below--so plan carefully! The budget is for everything you build collected, as one total.

Can I split that texture map into smaller maps?
In past comps I said no to this. But this time I'm saying YES. You can certainly split the map into smaller maps. All of the maps together must add up (or be less than) 2048x2048. This means you could have four 1024 maps if you wished. Or sixteen 512 maps!

Can those smaller maps be non-square sizes?
YES, but they still must be powers of two. For example, A good strategy might be to divide the map up into four strips 512x2048. This allows for tiling in one direction, and fitting a lot of different elements the other direction.

DO I have to use tiling textures or build modularly or all that stuff?
Absolutely not--the specs are designed so you could build just the prop, a gateway, if you want, or get a little crazy and make it more elaborate

Do I have to have the door open, or closed?
No, it can be whichever you want. You can show the world 'past' the gate, or not.

What are the lighting limits?
For lighting, you are not limited to a standard 3-point lighting scheme--lighting can be a REALLY big factor in how the 'mood' of an environment set piece can look. You can use more than three lights, but you are limited to simple spots/omnis/directional lights. No GI/Radiosity/Bouncedlight or the uber lighting solutions like Brazil or final gather.

However, that said, it isn't unheard of to 'bake' complex lighting solutions down into the diffuse map. So if you really want complex lighting, you'll have to go that route.

Can I use a second UV channel?
Yes.



MINICOMPS FAQ:

What is a 'Soft Deadline'? A soft deadline means that there's no fixed deadline. I will enable community voting at the 'Soft Deadline' time, but I will not close the contest to submissions. That means if you're running late with you're entry, you can still submit, but you might not get as many votes (or...well...any, if ts TOO late). It's at your advantage to submit your entry as close to the 'Soft Deadline' as possible.


Why can't I submit? I'm getting an error!
Try these two things:
-Log out and log back in with the 'remember me' function toggled on.
-Double check to make sure you hit the 'upload' button before you hit submit! That accounts for most errors.
-If you still have trouble, send me a PM. I'm here to help.

[C Wong]

This looks a bit tough.... Haven't got a clue how to go about this. Does anyone know a tutorial or anything? Like one to get me started in tiling stuff, or do you just apply map to piece and build it up that way... Am I making any sense?

[C Wong]

Also, whats with this soft deadline all of a sudden? Sorry Joe but not too sure about that one.

[blankslatejoe]

Yp, perfect sense.

Ben/Poop has a lot of great tutorials over at www.poopinmymouth.com (yes, that's the real link). Also, you dont HAVE to use tiling if you don't want. That's just for anyone who wants to tinker with getting a lot out of their maps.

As for tiling, it's actually really easy--just stretch/plot your uvs past the 1-1 box and it should tile

[blankslatejoe]

the soft deadline is the result of some issues with the last comps deadline. If it's not something people like, we can go back to a firm deadline next time, or try and fix the submission system to allow for a better 'cut off' process.

[stormrunner]

ok so i'm going to give this ago it is meant to be a challenge and this WILL BE for me the most i have done before is good old Max prefab tree's

[C Wong]

Cheers Joe. You have been more than helpful.

As for the softdead line thing, I'll leave it in your capable hands. How about a poll in another thread like you suggested? Don't want this to carry on in this thread.

[Cold]

Joe can I make a Door and have it open? .... hhahaha lols

Anyway going on Poops webby, have no idea what an environment can look like with such requirements... anyone got any links to simular specced envo comp?

[Styx]

uff....environment....im in, but this is a hard challange. ^^

[blankslatejoe]

ok fellas, I took out the intro text--I think it might have been making things seem a bit more daunting than it is.

At it's heart, this contest is simply a build-a-setpiece contest, which is much easier than character stuff. You can, if you wish, extend the scene out to include more of the environment (which is where things get more complicated), but you don't have to.

cold--ill look around to see if I can find any similar comps, or at least some images.

[noritsune]

environments, yesss

I will make my inaugrual entry! that is, if I can tear myself away from Starcraft long enough.

[dudidam]

tough one... and the specs are pretty high for "meant to be fun, quick, goofy, and just quick ways to spend an afternoon or two" with that specs, a scene sure still fit.

and for final render, do we still use standard lighting (3 point lights)? since i haven't it out that the environment are gonna be boring or not with standard lighting.

guess some references could help. still confusing...

[funkdelic]

I really liked this theme! sounds new, shall give that a try...
btw, references would be good
thx again joe

[Cunipshun]

here's my idea:

When you die u end up in a cell and they hand you a type of weapon and refer to you as a "subject" and this weapon shoots types of holes that you can travel through to get to places from these holes and u have to get certain levels/floors of the after life and then you win a giant cake lol jkjk im not doing this because Portal already did

but right now i have the perfect idea that is not this

[blankslatejoe]

ok fellas, for those interested in some reference, here's a few images, pulled these from random places in the web.

[blankslatejoe]

for the questions:

For lighting--lighting can be a REALLY big factor in how the 'mood' of an environment set piece can look. It may make sense to use more than three lights, but you are limited to simple spots/omnis/directional lights.

No GI/Radiosity/Bouncedlight or the uber lighting solutions like Brazil or final gather.

However, that said, it isn't unheard of to 'bake' complex lighting solutions down into the diffuse map. So if you really want complex lighting, you'll have to go that route.

[YdoUwant2know]

Sweet... environmental comp. Thanks Joe!!!

Still 7000 tri and a 2048 map? Thats almost Dom War... I think the 8th might be pushing it a bit. This seems more like a one month or even 6 week main comp. Just my two cents. Even so, I just know I will be losing sleep over this. Just sounds like too much fun to pass up.

[blankslatejoe]

hm...you may be right..it's pretty high up..you don't have to go that high though. I'm not sure I want to push it into a longer come range--maybe a week or so max....

would june 15th (or whatever that nearest saturday is) make people more comfortable, or should I trim 2k off the limits?

[dudidam]

i second june 15th!
thx for the references, joe. get me more exciting. i hope i can learn something about AO map this time...