Making good graphics in the editor is easier than you think

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JohnDoe641

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pinnacle, make this a playable tech demo-esque type map. I've been dying to play one that simply shows off how well the game can look.

Do it and you'll be super special awesome, man.
 

h.pocus

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Apparently he's referring to the games and how they implement the engines.

my bad i thought this thread was about engine capabilities, and he used the word engine.

@PIN

great job man, cook that thing! id love to run around in it even if its not a functional map.
 

fuegerstef

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Well, my point was to show people who haven't tried it how easy it is to make beautiful scenery with UEd. I think the tool seems more intimidating than it really is.

Anyway, here are some shots after a few tweaks to make it more crysis-esque.

[screenshot]http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/3853/shot6gh6.jpg[/screenshot]

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/2954/shot4xm6.jpg

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/1962/shot5ud7.jpg

How are the FPS in these shots....????????

And if the FPS are good... ...why the heck didn't EPIC do UT3 like this with some "unrealism" added to create another awesome Na'Pali again...
 

pinnacle

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How are the FPS in these shots....????????

And if the FPS are good... ...why the heck didn't EPIC do UT3 like this with some "unrealism" added to create another awesome Na'Pali again...
The map isn't optimized or anything at all. Right now it hovers around 50-60 FPS compared to the 100+ I get in the stock maps. If I ever make it into a real level there's no way I would leave it as unoptimized as it is.
 

Anuban

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Umm dude, sorry to burst your bubble, but based on the OP's post, this is specifically dealing with *tree* technology. No need to bring interiors/gameplay into it.

I don't know why people get, as Shredprince would say, their panties in a wad when it comes to comparing Crysis and UT's graphics. Just calm the **** down. Neither of them is a threat to the other's awesomeness (or lack thereof).

How do you figure you are bursting my bubble ... I know what was said but I still decided to examine the entire picture ... also folks the artistic style that Gears uses is called Hyperrealism ... it is an offshoot of pop art and more specifically the graphic art style used in comic books (graphic novels like the Dark Knight and 300 and Sin City) and sci fi/horror movie concept art work. And no one does Hyperrealism better than Unreal ... and the good thing about hyperrealism is that it can contain elements of photorealism albeit they will usually be somewhat exaggerated.

And what is your deal ... no one around these parts wears panties as far as I know and they wouldn't be in a wad whatever that is supposed to mean anyway. We are just talking about the two most graphically advanced engines currrently on the market. Soon though with id5 and the Alan Wake engine and Project Offset engines coming they are both about to get some serious competition. Also the engine for Uncharted is very impressive ... if that engine becomes popular that is another serious contender. This year all kinds of amazing games are going to come out.
 
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ambershee

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I'm of the belief that UT3 is very capable of matching Crysis in terms of visuals. What it cannot match however, is the size and detail of the terrain. UT3s terrain is polygonal, Crysis' is voxel. Model the same environment in max, and light them in a similar fashion, I'm willing to get they'll look pretty much the same.
 

toniglandyl

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IMO, crysis still looks way better. the real-time lightning does the trick and the normal-mapped rocky ground is really impressive. If you want to come close to crysis, you'll need some custom stuff as well as enabling real time lightning.

still looks great though.
 

ambershee

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*sigh*

UT3 has normal maps, and real time lighting. You just have to know how to use it in order to get it to work efficiently. Crysis uses light maps in places too, you know.
 

pine

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Looks nice, but I just hate the damn bloom. Gets so tiring. I like Crysis's general "look" a lot better.

Repeat after me, developers: Unrealistic game, realistic environments. Unrealistic game, realistic environments. Unrealistic game, realistic environments.
 
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toniglandyl

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*sigh*

UT3 has normal maps, and real time lighting. You just have to know how to use it in order to get it to work efficiently. Crysis uses light maps in places too, you know.

sure, but the normal maps have all a plastic look. real time lightning ? sure, in the editor, but not in game.
oh well, just wait till angelhe@rt makes a map. then we'll know for sure :)
 

T2A`

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I'm pretty sure Q4 had real-time lighting, and that game didn't look all that impressive, did it? The lighting was why it ran so poorly on so many people's systems originally, and id has since patched in an option to have all light function in an ambient manner instead.

That said, of course UE3 supports real-time lighting. What do you think makes the glow on the ground from your shock core or lights up the area around you when you shoot your gun? What causes player models to be lit at least semi-realistically?

Real-time lighting is expensive and should be used sparingly. Since most lights in a game/level are in a static position, it makes no sense to do anything but "bake" the lighting into the level. It'll never change regardless! Just because something is real-time doesn't mean it looks better, but it does mean it's harder on hardware than any other option.
 

os][ris

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May 10, 2006
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it's too blurry...

same problem with shang. I have to turn everything down just to play that map.
 

T2A`

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Just the other day I turned the world detail down to 1 since I'd been running at 5 the whole time and I LOL'd at how clear and colorful the game became. Unfortunately, doing that makes the game look no better than UT2004 with a few more polygons. D:
 

FlashIV

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Just the other day I turned the world detail down to 1 since I'd been running at 5 the whole time and I LOL'd at how clear and colorful the game became. Unfortunately, doing that makes the game look no better than UT2004 with a few more polygons. D:

Plus invisible things are actually invisible
 

Kantham

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Sep 17, 2004
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Better graphics than crysis in 30 minutes of editing...

No. Blurring the whole thing isn't going to make it stand up over a shaper looking game.
Crysis has it's own style, so is UT, just let the god damn thing die.
 

os][ris

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May 10, 2006
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os][ris;2065531 said:
it's too blurry...

same problem with shang. I have to turn everything down just to play that map.
To be more precise, it looks liek a movie dream sequence or something..