OpenZone 8.4 in the works

[Richardo]

WindCatcher, I get an error with those models that you've sent me. It has a format issue, did you export them correctly?

[Windcatcher]

They exported fine for me, I tested them with Ultimate Unwrap 3D and they load fine for me. That said, the texture filenames are longer than the 8.3 format that is standard for .3DS files so your program might be squawking about it. Do you want me to just post the original .AN8 file instead? Another thing could try would be to download the evaluation version of UU3D and maybe use that to export them to another format...

[Richardo]

3ds max will load past textures if there were an issue. There is some sort of format incompatibility. Yes, if it isn't too much of a pain.. I'll take the AN8 files.

[Windcatcher]

Did that work out for you? I'm itching to see what you make

I've finished my lizardman and I've started on wolves (6 variants of each). They're actually models from GeorgeS that I've tweaked here and there:




I've also uncovered a bug in SimpleClient and I'll probably release a bugfix for that tomorrow. When I finish the wolf animations I'll put together a release of OpenZone with the new models and a full-up release of SimpleClient (rather than an incremental one). I wanted to get these models done so I can populate some more zones with stuff to fight.

[Windcatcher]

One by one I'm adding the wolf animations (I think I'm getting better at making animations in general, but I'm dreading the walking and running ones for this model).

Sitting


Standing/howling


I haven't created the wolf form druid spell yet, but when I do, when you sit to med I plan to have the wolf model sit, too...and occasionally wag its tail

[Windcatcher]

The wolf is almost done...I just need to make a running animation. Hey GeorgeS, would you be willing to make a puma model, too?

[Windcatcher]

Wolves are done



The next version of the Admin Tool will have some features that will make adding mob pathing a lot easier, as well as Z coordinate correction. Before I release the next full-up-release of SimpleClient I plan to add more spawns to the DB and lots of pathing.

[GeorgeS]

Wow WC, those wolves look good in the zone!
Lizardman looks excellent. I think there was another lizardman model if I recall correctly. I think I also gave you some snakes - those should be easy to animate.

A puma should be no problem. I'll start this week.


My models for OZ/SimpleClient
http://wizardportal.dyndns.org/eqemu...k_to_date.html


GeorgeS

[GeorgeS]

I spend a few hours modeling these puma/lion body type.

Newest models for OZ/SimpleClient

http://wizardportal.dyndns.org/eqemu..._to_date2.html

I'll export these to .x later. Textures must be smooth and not faceted to diplay right, as are the normals.

GeorgeS

[Windcatcher]

Very nice! Sort of prehistoric-looking. Let us know when the download link is up. I had the hardest time finding something that could convert your .x files to another format so I added a .x importer to OpenZone 8.5. I can't guarantee it can load any .x file, but it loads yours and I added a way for OpenZone to convert them to an Anim8or files.

In the meantime I'm adding spawns, pathing, and loot to my existing zones, but those cats will be perfect roamers for the Peshara Highlands, which aside from some goblin camps is largely empty.

[Windcatcher]

GeorgeS, your wolf textures are also great for making bears:



I started this model a long time ago and it looks like I can finally finish it.

[GeorgeS]

Very nice.

I have the puma/lion models ready for dl. They are in .X, and textures in BMP.

http://wizardportal.dyndns.org/eqemu/pumas.zip

GeorgeS

[Windcatcher]

Bears, finally...



Hunting bears by moonlight?

[Windcatcher]

A new lair, somewhere...



I'm adding lots of spawns and pathing to the six zones that come with SimpleClient, and loot where applicable. I'm also improving some zones as necessary, as with The Namtarn, here. I had hoped for a release this weekend, but there is simply too much to do. At this point I'm planning on releasing everything around Christmas. There will be new versions of OpenZone, the Admin Tool, SimpleClient, and OpenZone textures. I want to make every zone viable for play, which means mobs and loot, and merchants, guildmasters, etc. in player zones. The Namtarn will allow play up to level 20, though you will probably need to group for the rooms in it. There are also lots of new spells since the last release, though no visible spell effects as yet, and of course lots of bugfixes and some new features in each app.

[Windcatcher]

Hey, I can get to the site again!

Here's what I'm currently experimenting with...GLSL shaders in OpenZone:



This is showing up to 6 dynamic lights using a vertex shader. You can't tell in the screenshot, but they are also flickering. I've added a Flicker parameter to light objects and updated the mesh library objects so torches, etc. will flicker. There is still a ton to do, there is no way to export any of this to XWA yet, but that's the plan: to have SimpleClient support shaders. At the moment I'm trying to get bump-mapping working in OpenZone with normal maps. When I'm satisfied with the results I'll start working on the export chain so this can work in SimpleClient. None of this will work in the live client as the .WLD format doesn't support it.

For shader purposes, I'm defining the light radius as the point where it reaches 50% intensity, not zero. This more closely approximates what the static lighting model was producing. Think of it as relating to a FWHM measurement.