TEXTURE UNIVERSE!!!!!!! Feedback please

  • Thread starter Das Fragmeister
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Kokensu

Kokensu

Fire in Ma Belly!
Jan 4, 2000
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Hey Das, you may have seen me in the UT forum section. Im new to the UT editing world but Im working on a project for school. Im developing a 3D environment for a pretty famous(in the art community at least) artist. He's coordinating with UCF and my friend and I got an independant study to do the project. We had to choose what type of environment to use to create the 3D world and what better than Ued. One thing I will need is textures. Epic has said that we can't sell the "artwork" if it uses anything from unreal(i.e. epic custom textures etc...). So I'll have to make my own textures which isn't a big deal. But if you're gonna start texutre universe and don't mind giving your textures away then Im all ears! That'd kick A$$ man. You look like you know what you're doing so Im looking forward your site. Im assuming you're taking requests by the posts I've already seen in this thread. I don't have any yet(the artist is still working up ideas). But I'll probably have some soon.

On another note, Im really getting into the editor lately, and Im going to try and make my first DM level as a test. Im thinking of making some along the lines of Planescape(Tourment), with that sort of look/feel to it. I was wondering if you have or can make any textures of different types of chains. One type of texture I haven't see ALOT of in UT is that with alpha on it. Some of these work really well, especially with metal works type environments(like the beam work on some of those sky scraper stages). Just wondering. If you have anything I'd be interested in taking a look at it. Thanks.

Sorry about the length of the post ;)

bullet2.gif

You like that?
 
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Das Fragmeister

Guest
Kokensu,

At this point, I am making textures by request. But only in a limited fashion, since, of course, I could get 1000 requests in a week and I wouldn't be able to fulfill them. ;)

Second, your request poses a very interesting dilemna for me: how to distribute textures and whether to give them all away, or just some of them.

I *AM* providing textures for FREE to people with reasonable requests and who I am trying to help. But at the same time, textures take me 15 minutes-2 hours to make apiece, and my texture and website-related tools are costing me upwards of $1000 at this point. (Photoshop/Dreamweaver/KPT plug-ins/300MB of hosting/AutoFX, etc....) I'm doing everything legal and legit (i.e., no WAREZ....all software is paid for by me), and I haven't petitioned for hosting since I want textures available for all games.

Sometime, in some fashion, I'm going to have to figure out how to reconcile a few contradictions (and I'm TOTALLY open to suggestions):

1) How to give textures away, but retain a copyright and get a credit, if possible.

2) How to pay for the site over time (Banner Ads? A mod author buying a texture set? Offering custom texture-creation services for people that want something special?)

3) Whether just to say f*ck it, and make it all free, because there's no other way of doing it.

Let me know what your project is, in some detail, and I'll see what I can do. I want to give away as much as possible...I just want to make sure I don't put myself in debt financially or time-wise in doing so.....no reasonable request will be refused...

I would like people to respect copyright...and that means using textures by permission...that's going to be tough to enforce, of course, but with everyone's help...I hope people realize that taking advantage of the freebies means being responsible as well...

E-mail me with the details! I can give you other sources for textures as well....

-Scott
[MUTTS] Das

To Do List:
1) Roman Texture Pack
2) Learn Dreamweaver 3 intermediate and advanced levels (I use Freeway now)
3) Launch site next week

Done:
1) Hosting, 300MB of space, at http://www.gxhosting.com
2) 100+ textures
 
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Das Fragmeister

Guest
A basic stone surface texture is a very easy thing to make in Photosop.

The trick to making the stained glass textures, the heiroglyphics, etc... (I believe) is that artists scan art of those things, use it as a template, and use semi-transparent layers and shadowing to make them appear 3-D and make stone surfaces appear simultaneously.

Anyway...short answer is yes, it can be done, and I have the royalty-fee Roman-style art to make it with. The trick will be making it believable as real stone etchings....

I'll let you know...

Scott
 
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Dark_Outlaw lPuFl

New Member
May 16, 2000
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Raleigh, NC
wow...the roman request is #1 on your list...

gee...i am humbled...

seriously!

one request in that roman pack...is it possible to make a texture of like gilded gold? i know i can use a special unlit to get that on unrealed, but i think if i could get a texture with a gold tint, and then did that it would go a loooong way...

THANKS!
 
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Das Fragmeister

Guest
I can make gold....

Can I add one piece of advice on mapping?

poly count, poly count, poly count...

I've reviewed 100s of maps since I started looking at textures, and I can't tell you how many I've found that are amazing in textures and design, but unplayable....

It seems like the only maps that ever get used have better gameplay than looks...hopefully, I can help you have both... ;)
 
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Dark_Outlaw lPuFl

New Member
May 16, 2000
204
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Raleigh, NC
oh i get polys down...

i also zone alot to keep framerates down...

just don't give me any huge textures that just eat up all my memory! (just kidding...i have 128 now but going to 256 this weekend)...

another request...and this one is tough...

you know how, like shane church, there are the decorated badass stained glass (the women)? how would it be possible to do something like that except in a marble etch? like a bas-relief? conversion would be great, OR maybe with gods or chariots (import an image into photoshop or whatnotif and marbelize it? talk about adding atmosphere). if i had that, i could lose the idea of statuary and go with that and cut down on my fps.

tell me what you think...

and yes i will give you full credit for the textures...why wouldn't i...that stuff is hard work!
 
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Das Fragmeister

Guest
Hey D/O,

got the first few textures...need your home e-mail addy or an address I can use for the weekends...

e-mail me with it or post it here please...

Thanks :)
Scott
 
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Das Fragmeister

Guest
Well, the hosting actually costs the least amount of money of all the ingredients....I got a really good deal on 300MB of space at GXhosting.com.

And since these textures will be usable by any 3D artist, game designer, etc..., it makes more sense to have an independent URL than park the site as a subdirectory of any one forum.

I guess I'm caught in a way...everybody knows producing this stuff costs alot of money, but I don't want this to seem like a site that exists for profit...it won't...by a long shot.

My original thought was to have the site so that say, 150 texture downloads would be free. Then to offer a whole collection on a CD for $10-15. Or offer design services. And then use that money to pay for all the necessary software, domain registration, and hosting.

The problem that I'm finding is too many people don't treat any 2D art on the web (or anything for that matter) as being under copyright, having ownership, etc... So you put stuff up and it gets ripped off, altered, people claim it's their work...it's ridiculous. One person would get a CD and I believe many more would rip the textures out of that map and not give a credit or respect authorship.

To counter that, I was hoping to put EVERYTHING up free....and just say "do what you will." It's kind of upsetting that part of the reason you have to do that because people won't respect your rights. The main reason why I'd be doing it (and why I'm creating the site) is because I really want everyone to enjoy the textures and add diversity to the game.

I was just hoping that someone had an idea of whether banner ads, game designers buying collections, sponsorship of some sort, etc..., existed so I could still invest the time but break even on the expense...

Scott :)
 
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Das Fragmeister

Guest
Hey, Dark Outlaw!

I need your weekend e-mail, Man! :)

Your Roman Texture Pack is almost done!!!!!

Scott
[MUTTS] Das
 
8-4-7-2

8-4-7-2

New Member
Mar 6, 2000
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Germany
Fragmeister, could you make some textures for me too, please?
I'd like to have some warning signs:

"Authorized Personel Only": black letters on yellow ground

"Danger! High Voltage! No Trespassing"

"Warning! Trespassers will be shot!"

s.th. like that. It should't be very hard to do.
 
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Dark_Outlaw lPuFl

New Member
May 16, 2000
204
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0
Raleigh, NC
HEY...THIS IS A HUUUUGE *B-B-B-B-BUMP*!

this guy is good...i mean...reallllly good.

he sent me some textures this weekend and they are OUTSTANDING!

i mean, they are what the dcotor ordered...

just hope my maps can live up to the textures!!! :)
 
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Das Fragmeister

Guest
8-4-7 --

I'll see what I can do. I'm a short on time this week because I am trying to publish the Texture Universe site (of course everything take 10x longer than you expect), but if it can wait until the weekend, I will definitely do something for you....

Scott
:) :) :)
 
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Das Fragmeister

Guest
I did...thanks!

It's good to know you are pleased. I will make more...so you might want to get going on only the basic structures. IMHO, CTF-Horus and DM-UTCP Kulkulcan are good maps to see how this type of texture is applied, since textures like the fresco and lion textures are sometimes best "inset" into a wall, rather than used as a sheet or repeating texture. Horus does a great job of applying specialty textures, like the heiroglyphics, without making them look repetitive.

I'll make more, but I'm devoting my concentration to getting the site up this week. Look for adds towards the weekend, and let me know what else you need.

Thanks,
Scott
[MUTTS] Das :) :) :)
 
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Das Fragmeister

Guest
Yes, I can send them to you. :)

Hopefully I'll have time to make enough textures that I can give some different ones to Dark Outlaw and yourself so each map has its own look.

The only clause is that I want to make sure that this stuff gets an obvious credit (and copyright notice) so this stuff doesn't get ripped off or become public domain.

I'll send them to your e-mail addy if that's fine...let me know what the project is, too...I'd be curious....

Scott
[MUTTS] Das
 
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