3D ClockTower

Hey,

I was directed here by Emmaneul from my vid on youtube 3D Tallship Battle simulator,
I've been mucking around in game maker for a long while now, and have a good grasp on how to work it in 3D, and got asked how to make a clocktower in the backgound with perspective so you can see its sides... Theres a few ways to go about this, but first I'll need to ask some questions :

What are you using to make your game? Gamemaker? if so what version?

Is the game in 2D? - like a sidescroller? or do you use 3D to build the environment?
for example the castlevania vid I was linked was 2D

Whenever I use gamemaker I always aim for the simplest solution to a problem - especially as actually using the 3D functions is processor heavy - I think the best way to make that clocktower shown at the start of the castlevania vid is by stretching 'side' sprites on the tower while keeping the face of it unchanged. This would create the illusory effect of perspective, without really having to use any fancy 3D.

- Michael

CaptainMichael wrote:Hey,

I was directed here by Emmaneul from my vid on youtube 3D Tallship Battle simulator,
I've been mucking around in game maker for a long while now, and have a good grasp on how to work it in 3D, and got asked how to make a clocktower in the backgound with perspective so you can see its sides... Theres a few ways to go about this, but first I'll need to ask some questions :

What are you using to make your game? Gamemaker? if so what version?

Is the game in 2D? - like a sidescroller? or do you use 3D to build the environment?
for example the castlevania vid I was linked was 2D

Whenever I use gamemaker I always aim for the simplest solution to a problem - especially as actually using the 3D functions is processor heavy - I think the best way to make that clocktower shown at the start of the castlevania vid is by stretching 'side' sprites on the tower while keeping the face of it unchanged. This would create the illusory effect of perspective, without really having to use any fancy 3D.

- Michael

we are using game maker 8.0. the game is a 2d sidescrolling game like in video. see the game itself that was in video actually had 3d primitive objects in the background. we are striving to try and do the same.

the reason that we dont want to fake 3d is b/c we like the shifting fx that it gives with the 3d looks. take for example, this 2d mario fan game has 3d shifting block platforms in the bg



then look at the clocktower here. it has 3d primitives



Laslunder will send you the engine and i asume the props for the 3d tower.
I reiko26 is emmanuel young from youtube.
Laslunnder here is Pete ambrose from youtube

Hey guys i'm here. Yeah i can give you the engine. We use 8.0 by the way and yeah we are looking to put in 3d primitives for background purposes. The game is also a 2d platform sidescroller like classic 16 bit casltevania's.

Ok here you go Captain Michael. Here's the SCv3 source+ some primitives and a read me.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/zh1q2h

If you got any questions or concerns please feel free to hit me up. ok thanks!

Wow guy, just having a look at your work now - very nice, I can see a metric shit tonne of time has gone into this, I'm not use to looking at others code as well... but back to the task at hand...

I think the best way for me to help you guys would be to make a side example of what it is you want to do with various ways to save the same problem , then you could easily pick and choose the way way to solve your own problems.

Another gem of information I would like to share is the gamemakermodel program, - it was made by someone using gamemaker to make gamemaker primitive 3D models. just search ".gmmod" in google and your'll find a free download link and a tutorial on youtube - I found it the easiest way to make good 3D models and import them into Gamemaker. It can also generate primitive drawing code using the d3d functions that you can copy into a location or script for whatever reason..

Needless to say this also means I have little / no experience with blender or 3dmax etc... I never figured out the best way to convert the files into gamemaker, so kept to the gmmod program.

anyway - I got a bit of free time over the next few days - I'll quickly make a simple viewing 2D sidescroller example and incorporate a 3D clocktower or something in it to give you guys a the ideas of how to do it. It's easier than you think to code in 3D - its just a matter of thinking about 2 things: the 3rd axis dimension, which is easy enough to visualise - and the draw order - draw order is the most important - if gotten wrong it can mean some things wont appear in front of others despite being 'infront' of them in the 3D world/axis accoridng to the viewing point.

I'll explain more in my example. Coming soon. Is there a way for me to upload it here? or perhaps I could be given an email to send it too? it won't be very large. just a gamemaker editable, and a file filled with some models which can be viewed with that gmmod program.

-Michael

Yeah i guess you can upload it right here. I personally have no 3d experience. Everything i've done is in 2d. Thanks fro the compliments by the way. But yeah.. i thought i heard about a programd like that.. IF you do find the link please let me know. I suppose if it has a easy manual or tutorial on how to insert 3d primtives in your game and is real easy that's cool. Otherwise i'd say if you can make a few tutorials or 3d exmpales yourself and just put them in various rooms that'd be good so i can just transfer them to the main engine. Right now i'm still working with sprites/levels and retweaking broken code...so i have little chance to get to that sort of thing. So anything with very simple explanations that allow me to take something and copy it right over or even just read how to do it...yet being really simple...would help. Yeah honestly i was hoping the 3d thing woudlt be too hard. Well ok man anything you can do to help us get this game rollin' would be nice. Cool...yeah just upload it to here whenver you get that stuff done. Cool ttys!

Yeah sorry to ask again...but what is the exact name of the program i'd be downloading that you are talking about. If it's .gmmod isnt that a dll librabry file? just curious. I have no previous knowledge of this it's why i'm asking.

I think this is it it says gmmod


download link
http://www.host-a.net/u/Michael%20pw/UMP%2045.zip

if thos isnt it, then michael, Im sure will have what you may need.

Well either way for right now i'm taking the sketchup models i had in that folder and converting them to .obj .mtl and .x files cause i think those are more game maker friendly from what i hear. I am loading the models into sketchup, exporting to .dae files. Then from their i import the .dae files into 3d blender program and from their i export them out to .obj, .mtl, or .x. Hopefully i'll have them all ready by tommorow at some point.

do you have the clock tower pics? if so can you post a picture on here of clock tower sotn version or which ever one you are going to use. post it on here like how we did sprites.

Like do you mean sotn clocktower or kaxblastard's clocktower. I could take a snapthot of loaded models in skethcup and upload them through  photo bucket or something. But for now i have another request. I do have the sprites for these...though it may be nice to come up with new orginal stuff. But i'm refering to these chapel room 3d primitives. I totally love this room and it would be completely kick ass if we ditched the chapel room(room 3 in warikiya village). And replace it with something similar to this.. what jaw dropping it woudl produce.

Here is what i mean in sotn at abour 2:57 i think:


i'd like to take this room at 0:59 second in cv3 nes and reproduce something similar to the one up above. It would bolster the competition.

you'd have to give me time to show the 3d models. Last i checked photo bucket would not let me log in. The page went blank...

Laslund wrote:Like do you mean sotn clocktower or kaxblastard's clocktower. I could take a snapthot of loaded models in skethcup and upload them through  photo bucket or something. But for now i have another request. I do have the sprites for these...though it may be nice to come up with new orginal stuff. But i'm refering to these chapel room 3d primitives. I totally love this room and it would be completely kick ass if we ditched the chapel room(room 3 in warikiya village). And replace it with something similar to this.. what jaw dropping it woudl produce.

Here is what i mean in sotn at abour 2:57 i think:


i'd like to take this room at 0:59 second in cv3 nes and reproduce something similar to the one up above. It would bolster the competition.

sotn clock tower is bad ass. i think we could do something of that caliber but make something better. especially with your imagination. plus there would be no competition. b/c there is no comparison rightnow lol. plus 3d primitives would kill any fanvania game. then after that, we can find someone that can do reflective water for us.

Well ok here are the screenshots to view from.. Sorry i couldnt get the clocktower by itself cause i didnt receive the .skp file from kaxblastard just the .obj and .mtl. But it's in his castlmania video 3d skp file i do have. Here take a look at what i've thought may look good:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/icnc3m


And yeah Reiko i agree some new chapel windows...maybe making some of the organs,pews...retweaksd and alter may look neat...we'll think of something.

@ Michael bennett. Oh i wanted to ask you if the best method to convert .skp(sketchup) files would be to either .obj and .mtl or to .x files. I just wanted to know...i'm not familar with this stuff. I dont know if they all contain the same model with it's skin or not.

Heres the tutorial to the model program - also I worked up this example for a 3D workover you could use: theres one big problem - all your backgrounds need to be used as tilesets at a set depths as opposed to being backgrounds assigned to a room. This is important due to draw orders in regards to adding in 3D primitives as ur backgrounds.

It will all make more sense after you have a look at this little example I worked up yesterday morning, I have explained all my reasoning for each line of code in the 3D object and kept it really simple. If you have a close look at the system3d object , its create event and draw event, you should have a fair understanding about how to put the primitives into the background.

The example also include the model I made for a clocktower (nothing fancy just proof of concept) , I'm pretty quick at building models using gmmod - if you wish I may be able to spend a bit of time and make an identical look alike to the one in the castlevania video.

Especially if you guys could provide me with the textures for the clocktower?

Anyway - I'll upload with a link to my google drive, can't figure out how to upload here haha
ok guests can't post links... hold up lets see if I can be sneaky...

https:/ /drive .google.com/f older view?id=0ByqDbH6E wqDUT zFX RVJkU 1k5MUU&usp =sharin g]Link to g oogle dr ive

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0ByqDbH6EwqDUTzFXRVJkU1k5MUU&usp=sharing

boom - a working link to my example, enjoy lol

Laslund wrote:@ Michael bennett. Oh i wanted to ask you if the best method to convert .skp(sketchup) files would be to either .obj and .mtl   or to .x files. I just wanted to know...i'm not familar with this stuff. I dont know if they all contain the same model with it's skin or not.

I'm not sure at all - all I work with is my gamemaker model program (its included in the google drive link I uploaded) , and it saves in .gmmod format which is specifically for gamemaker.

hI michael here is some textures for the clock tower. if this isnt what you need than im sure that Laslunder will post it here for you. but i think this file is it.  

http://www.sendspace.com/file/sgjstu

@ michael bennett. Ok i'll check out the video and download those files and the program. Thanks for the support.

@ at reiko...where did you get that 3d model of clocktower? curious. I did see the one jorge made esco...but that's not it. Also what about kaxblastard...it's orginal and unique. I suppose if we dont use it...in this game..i can always use it in my other game. I was thinking though that it'd might be used...

@ michael. Yeah ok i looked at the gm tutorial example and i didn see a clocktower in it. I also put the object in the room and still couldnt find it for some reason though i checked the x,y coordinates. Also the model creator program looks very promising i will probalb fool with that a little later. But alot of the models i sent you and though i hve to convert them to .obj .mtl or .x which ever is best, they are already fully made models but others.. We are just looking to insert them via code in our game...not start models from scratch. I did download the youtube video and will be looking at that later. I dunno if i'm over exerting here...i havent actually looked at the video...but from what i seen of it it looks like it's a program based either for gm or withing gm that allows you to make models directly in game maker.. This would good if i learned how to do it in so far as i can literally eitehr 1) import thos .obj files into it and use them...as full models already...or 2) figure out how to draw the wireframe base model and duplicate those objects...and just put the textures over it. So that they are just as the models were...basically a duplicate clone. As for anything really on 3d past basic terms...i'm sorta in the dark on this.. Atm my skills are only in 2d spritework and level building...not really coding or 3d work yet. THough looking to improve their.

Laslund wrote:@ michael. Yeah ok i looked at the gm tutorial example and i didn see a clocktower in it. I also put the object in the room and still couldnt find it for some reason though i checked the x,y coordinates.  Also the model creator program looks very promising i will probalb fool with that a little later. But alot of the models i sent you and though i hve to convert them to .obj .mtl or .x which ever is best, they are already fully made models but others.. We are just looking to insert them via code in our game...not start models from scratch. I did download the youtube video and will be looking at that later. I dunno if i'm over exerting here...i havent actually looked at the video...but from what i seen of it it looks like it's a program based either for gm or withing gm that allows you to make models directly in game maker.. This would good if i learned how to do it in so far as i can literally eitehr 1) import thos .obj files into it and use them...as full models already...or 2) figure out how to draw the wireframe base model and duplicate those objects...and just put the textures over it. So that they are just as the models were...basically a duplicate clone. As for anything really on 3d past basic terms...i'm sorta in the dark on this.. Atm my skills are only in 2d spritework and level building...not really coding or 3d work yet. THough looking to improve their.

Hey, not sure about how to load and use those model files - but so long as you can assign them to an ingame variable the rest is easy: Like I said, I only know how to use this model program - I'm not a 3D model developer by any means, everythings self taught with trial and error lol.

The reason you can't see the clocktower in the example is probably because you need to put the models folder and .gmk file in the same directory, then test it. It calls for the model file under the directory models\clocktower.gmmod" - if that fails, then there'll be no models to see. So just try that test again with everything in the same folder.

Let me know if you have any problems with the 3D code - or any questions about specific points, it should be pretty straight forward and you should be able to simply transfer it directly into the various points in your game, - just so long as you replace all ur backgrounds with tilesets.

ah ok i'll retry it. I had them in the same folder...but not a model folder. I'll try that instead. As for the models...well yeah i was gonna make them .obj. or .mtl or .x. I really wasnt planning to make models in the engine at the current time but import models in and have them coded. I'm not sure how it'd work...but yeah...sorry also i didnt get a chance today yet to expor those models from .skp files to.obj,etc. But yeah i will if it helps. If not i'm not sure what to do. I really need to focus on levels and sprites...not making the 3d models from scratch. You can do that if you'd like...but i think it may just be as easy to import already done models into the game. I can't imagine that would be too far differnt. Then again i've never dealt with 3d before.

I've been busy for a bit back there, sorry guys, hows things? - Did you get a chance to look at the example game I uploaded showing how 3D works? Also I've done more experimenting myself and I don't think I can find a way to make the backgrounds or tilesets work properly in 3D - this will mean a lot of reworking the depth values for tilesets and not using backgrounds or foregrounds at all. - You will have to do a work around for the background - either draw it in 3D so its size matches the back of the screen or create a tile that big at the appropriate depth and work all the other depths out around the new "back"  anyway, perhaps if you give me a bare minimum of the clock tower room/level to work with - and I'll chuck in the clock tower in the background with lots of comments to explain how I do it, and do my best to rework the tiles as well?

Let me know whats the next step.

Also - I can only work with the 3D models from my program - If you let me know a freeware viewing program to view the models your've sent to me - then I could probably remake them in my gamemaker program very quickly - I have no experience converting models from any other program into gamemaker whatsoever sorry.