Check this out.

I did this to show how easily you can get some decent shading in a map with little effort. Everything, background and foreground, is made of scenery props.

The polygons are in the background. Works like a charm.

I did this in about half an hour, but I could probably do it again in 10 minutes tops.

Obviously, with lots more time spent, you can do a fully decorated scene.

The only downside to this procedure is that the background and foreground both are big image files (almost exactly the size of the polygon map). It doesn't degrade performance in the slightest on my machine, but it's a slightly bigger download of course.

If anyone wants to try this map out (it has no bots and I will not add any - feel free to do it for me), go ahead :)

[file]proofing.jpg,16425,,0[/file]

it's rather big, so I had to split it up.

[file]proof.part01.rar,16425,,0[/file]

[file]proof.part02.rar,16425,,0[/file]

[file]proof.part03.rar,16425,,0[/file]

[file]proof.part04.rar,16425,,0[/file]

It looks nice but kinda empty...
and I don't think that ppl will download 4 parts it isn't that big around 640kb takes 4mins 56kb

Sure it's empty. But that's because I'm just showing the bare essentials. I had no intentions of making a fully decorated map, just to show how to get rid of the ugly polygons.

As far as being big, yes. If people dont want to download it, oh well. No skin off my back.

Edit: Sorry, I thought you meant it was big and that's why they didnt want to download it. But now I see it's because of the parts. Well - unfortunately this forum only allows uploads up to 512 Kb, and this is just a tad bigger at 600+ Kb. So I had to split it up. It's a multipart rar, however, so unpacking it is a snap. Just open the first part and unpack, and all the other parts get unpacked at the same time.

All I am saying is: It's VERY easy to make nicely shaded maps. You could with a bit of effort make something much more cool than what I did. And frankly, since that's the case, there's just no excuse for having poor shading anymore. Imho :P

Oh and, have you ever tried downloading a mod for any of the FPS games? Good luck trying to get those in under 1 megabyte [xx(]

Btw, with some careful planning, and more anal attention to layout, you could probably make maps like this using much smaller bitmaps.

That's not me though :)

I've downloaded far bigger files than this, I have broadband so it's no prob.

Yep, I just noticed. I edited my post. Again, sorry for the mixup :)

Who cares about shading? People want playability and/or original idea. This map is not playable nor original. Even the shading isn't that great, I have seen much better without the huge seneries.

BTW... If you think that you invented something new, you are wrong. This method (huge scenery, polygons behind) is known for ages. And usually maps using this method are completely unplayable.

plus, this isn't shading, its just you slapping on a big scenary in front of some large polygon. There isn't an easy way to get good at shading, the ony way to get good at it is to do it yourself. Check out the SML page, there are tutorials on how to make Shading, and Bots

If it's been known for so long, it's amazing that GOOD maps don't use it. And if shading didn't matter, why does everyone always whine and bitch about it lacking? Hmmm? Tell me that, THEN complain to me.

And for the last time, I was not intending on making anything "great". I was MERELY DEMONSTRATING A PRINCIPLE.

The map certainly wasn't meant to be playable. Do any of you even READ the posts, or do you just get a kick out of trolling?

And dude, the scenery is NOT huge. And even if it was- That was not a factor in demonstrating this. I don't know why you're ranting about that :/

And Leo Da Lunerfox, there ARE easy and hard ways of doing shading. And in my opinion, doing all your shading in photoshop is MASSIVELY easier and much more configurable than doing poly shading. Please, I know how to shade using polys. It doesn't exactly take a long time to figure it out. But why go through the hassle when you can get better results the other way, easier?

Sounds to me like you guys just like to find fault and bitch.

I repeat, this was about SHADING nothing else. Not playability, not bots, not anything. And yes, it does consist of covering up the polys. I just made them big because I didnt want to sit and noodle with it. OBVIOUSLY you can do it SMALL too.

It shouldnt take a scientist to figure that out. :/

Using scenery over backdrops has been an interesting idea for a long time, but the fact remains that it just deviates too far from conventional Soldat mapping techniques tobe of any good. I like my polygons and I can shade them. It does take time, but I think it is very much worth it in the end.

I agree that it deviates. But it's not a fact that it's not any good. If you take someone with some skills in drawing and painting, they could make absolutely awesome maps like this. Results you could never achieve with polygon shading.

I will agree that poly shading is the least complicated way, since it's built right into the map maker.

I *bet* if you could edit graphics like this, in map maker, people would be doing that over shading polys :P

Shading can take 5 minutes (for me at least) ...thats about the same time it takes my photoshop to load up.

Listen to me zzenn, the reason why people don't use your "Great" idea, is because

1. Shaded map: 50kb
Your Style: 600kb

2. Now imagine every map having that size, if you have an average of 100 maps, that would take up 600000kb, which is 600 megabytes, as compared to 5000kb, which is 5 megabytes. I dunno about you guys, but I'd like my Harddrive space free.

3. Because the map maker scans scenary from the soldat Scenary folder (To save space) other mappers who downloaded your map will now have a completely useless scenary clogging their menu. Again, when you have 100 of those random scenaries that is useless to everyone else, it will turn into a huge problem.

Now that I gave my reasons to you using clear, numbered points. Let me remind you to SML, and hope you go there and learn how to shade a map just as good as using photoshop, without creating havoc on other mappers and players.

Look Very Nice, But I Dont Like It,.......

Not to be an ass or anything. But lunar i think you meant to say 60 megabytes. 100X600=60,000. Not that it makes any difference since i myself have hundreds of maps(i still got to go through and chuck some out) and it would be a huge pain if everone made there maps like that. No more downloading 200 maps in a 13 meg zip.

STOP BRINGING OLD TOPICS BACK!! EEEEK

You are not helping Toumaz!!! EEEEK!

Um the topic is only a week old since last post. Also why the hell does most people on these forums bitch and cry everytime somone brings back a slightly old topic. If we were to only post in recent topics then there would only be a few to post in. Also whats the sense in keeping the old topics if nobody posts in them. Im sorry but these forums kick ass and everything(in terms of layout and stuff) but the community is one of the worse i ever seen.

OMG, sorry, forgot that September is after August... XD

You're not helping either Leo! EEEEK!

quote:Originally posted by blackdevil0742
It looks nice but kinda empty...
and I don't think that ppl will download 4 parts it isn't that big around 640kb takes 4mins 56kb




Nah, i'd say 2 minutes tops.

quote:Originally posted by zzenn
Btw, with some careful planning, and more anal attention to layout, you could probably make maps like this using much smaller bitmaps.

That's not me though :)


..did you do that on purpous? :)