How to make a 1001 Models pack - Part 1 : General overview
by Vincent BILLET · 05/28/2005 (1:19 pm) · 21 comments
What's the problem?
Yes ! I'm a programmer. I can make great games! Hopefully. I have Torque Game Enigne, and the task is really easier. Hmmm... Let's start some coding and ... Ouch ! I need to have models. So let's go! The Solution is Simple ! 3DS Max (price problems), Blender, Maya, etc.. And now you are not in front of your favorite editor, but in front of a modeling suite. That's not the same thing! Now game development seems to take 12 Months in the face...
First Solution : Content packs!
Yes ! Great, GG and some authors in GG community produce content packs! I can buy this pack and have some really great contents! But there is a small problem. Content packs don't correspond exactly to what you want. And after all I can edit the meshes, change textures, so I can have a great content in a real short time. That's right. But think really that there is not enough models in the GG community to solve that problem.
Second solution : Finding modelers "On Plan"
Yes ! you can spend time explaining your project, what kind of models you need, to a person who will work on it , interpret your wishes, and finally give his models (which may not meet your wishes) only to you. This solution is good, but pretenders are legions, real makers are few. If you have the chance to find a guy, you may be disenchanted with the results.
Thrid solution : Find Free Models
Yes ! There is a lot of models around the web that are free, and you can use them. If the author diffuse them on the net, you can use them! Yes, you can ! But there is some rules to follow. What are these rules ? These rules are defined by copyright laws. But there is a little problem with these laws. They are different from a country to another country. Copyrighted products in U.S. are not ruled in the same way in Europe or in Asia. So Now be pragmatic. You want to use the work of someone (you find his model great). Ask him !!! "Can I use your work for making a game...". Following my own experience, no author said me "No you can't, these models are mine!". Try it, you'll see! Another problem is the money. Remember this : You Win, He must Win. This solution has also some inconvenients. (we will see some of them later...)
The example
I'm RPGamer. I liked NeverWinter Nights (NWN) series. Why? Because their editor was very powerfull, and there was (always) a great community around this game. This community has developped hundred... Thousand models! You don't believe me ? Check out nwvault.ign.com.
Sections (models/ HakPack). Hackpacks can contain hundreds of models each!
Yes ask these model's author if you can use them, you'll be surprised !
Yes ask these model's author if you can use them, you'll be surprised !
I want to use them, but relashionship with Torque?
NWN community has developped many and many tools to work with these models. The second article of this serie will explain how to import models from NWN to Torque.
But there may be some technical problems?
Yes, the second part of this article will give some solutions.
Firstly these models are very low poly. The thrid part of this serie will try to give some way to counter this problem. Secondly, Textures are very low-precision textures. I will try to give some solutions in the fourth part of this serie.
Final word?
Yes in an eventual last part, I will conclude on different documents, or contracts model to propose the authors.
To be continued....
Sorry for my poor english, I'm a frenchy guy!
Yes ! I'm a programmer. I can make great games! Hopefully. I have Torque Game Enigne, and the task is really easier. Hmmm... Let's start some coding and ... Ouch ! I need to have models. So let's go! The Solution is Simple ! 3DS Max (price problems), Blender, Maya, etc.. And now you are not in front of your favorite editor, but in front of a modeling suite. That's not the same thing! Now game development seems to take 12 Months in the face...
First Solution : Content packs!
Yes ! Great, GG and some authors in GG community produce content packs! I can buy this pack and have some really great contents! But there is a small problem. Content packs don't correspond exactly to what you want. And after all I can edit the meshes, change textures, so I can have a great content in a real short time. That's right. But think really that there is not enough models in the GG community to solve that problem.
Second solution : Finding modelers "On Plan"
Yes ! you can spend time explaining your project, what kind of models you need, to a person who will work on it , interpret your wishes, and finally give his models (which may not meet your wishes) only to you. This solution is good, but pretenders are legions, real makers are few. If you have the chance to find a guy, you may be disenchanted with the results.
Thrid solution : Find Free Models
Yes ! There is a lot of models around the web that are free, and you can use them. If the author diffuse them on the net, you can use them! Yes, you can ! But there is some rules to follow. What are these rules ? These rules are defined by copyright laws. But there is a little problem with these laws. They are different from a country to another country. Copyrighted products in U.S. are not ruled in the same way in Europe or in Asia. So Now be pragmatic. You want to use the work of someone (you find his model great). Ask him !!! "Can I use your work for making a game...". Following my own experience, no author said me "No you can't, these models are mine!". Try it, you'll see! Another problem is the money. Remember this : You Win, He must Win. This solution has also some inconvenients. (we will see some of them later...)
The example
I'm RPGamer. I liked NeverWinter Nights (NWN) series. Why? Because their editor was very powerfull, and there was (always) a great community around this game. This community has developped hundred... Thousand models! You don't believe me ? Check out nwvault.ign.com.
Sections (models/ HakPack). Hackpacks can contain hundreds of models each!
Yes ask these model's author if you can use them, you'll be surprised !
Yes ask these model's author if you can use them, you'll be surprised !
I want to use them, but relashionship with Torque?
NWN community has developped many and many tools to work with these models. The second article of this serie will explain how to import models from NWN to Torque.
But there may be some technical problems?
Yes, the second part of this article will give some solutions.
Firstly these models are very low poly. The thrid part of this serie will try to give some way to counter this problem. Secondly, Textures are very low-precision textures. I will try to give some solutions in the fourth part of this serie.
Final word?
Yes in an eventual last part, I will conclude on different documents, or contracts model to propose the authors.
To be continued....
Sorry for my poor english, I'm a frenchy guy!
About the author
Torque Owner Richard Wermske
Cheers,
Rich Wermske