Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
option for the software you need. On Wikipedia there is a comprehensive comparison chart of this software
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_3D_computer_graphics_software).
It is imperative that you decide early how your 3D modeler will be used to support your design message at
every step of your project. It may be that you utilize one kind of modeler to create preliminary presentation
models (a light, fast modeler such as SketchUp) and another type (a solid modeler with more robust capacity,
such as 3DS Max) to create the fully textured, inished models for your virtual environments.
Deciding what you want to do and where you want to take 3D modeling is often the most dificult aspect
of a project. As you remember from the worklow charts in Chapter 3, there is a huge beneit to be gained by
deciding this process ahead of time.
Here are some questions you should ask:
1. Regarding the inal output: What is your desired inished quality for your project presentations?
Would a rough, nontextured white or gray “massing” model that shows the general overview of the
design sufice for a planning meeting, or do you need to present a full-blown colored model with
multiple views to obtain the funding for the project?
2. Regarding the team and worklow structure: Are you working on the project alone, or do you have
a team that can divide the work into specialized areas of expertise? The simplest structure for a vir-
tual world build team would be three or four people, one designer/overall coordinator/pitchperson,
one master builder, one coder/scripter, and possibly one web specialist. The web specialist may not
be needed until you are further in the project; however, if you are planning to interact with 2D web
pages and databases, it is advisable to bring the web specialist into the group as soon as possible.
6.2.1
T hree p ossiBle s Cenarios for 3d m odeling m eThods
6.2.1.1 Scenario 1: The “Basic Geometry/Basic Textures” Approach
The “basic geometry/basic textures” approach to the design and building of your virtual environment takes
advantage of the native tools and assets that are provided in Second Life and OpenSim, and to some extent Unity.
The Build editor in the Firestorm Viewer has various “built-in” prims or basic geometry available for your use.
Because these are already deined in the database of the virtual world, they are readily accessible, quick to rez, and
have no upload charges. When you think about it, most of the things built in our real environments can be made
from simple geometric forms. Our buildings have walls made from boxes or cylinders; our vehicles are various
sorts of spheres and cones. Almost anything man-made in real life lends itself to fabrication with prims in a virtual
environment. Figure 6.3 shows a “Guitarlale” built by Vicki Brandenburg entirely from the standard prims.
In Scenario 1, the textures are derived from the basic “in-house” textures that come with the standard
inventory of the avatar's account. At the bottom of the inventory list in the Library/Textures ile folder of
Second Life and the OpenSim Library/Texture Library are loads of prepared textures for use in your builds.
The best feature about them is that they load instantly, so no visitor will ever see blank gray objects when
initially visiting your virtual world. Bear in mind that, since these textures are within the common database
of each virtual world, they cannot be exported along with the object since you were not their creator.
If you are thinking of utilizing prims in a Unity build, the Unity Asset store has some plug-in tools for
that. In 2012, Pro-Builder (http://www.sixbysevenstudio.com/wp-lexible/project/probuilder-for-unity-3d/)
was introduced, which allows building/editing of mesh right in the Unity environment [2].
6.2.1.2 Scenario 2: The “50/50” Approach
By utilizing the inworld prims for 50% of your build and imported meshes for the other 50%, you are set-
ting up for a build that has a more realistic and organic look. This approach will provide more lexibility
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