Mission accomplished

So after the last post, I practically managed to create the "Hello World!" or "Hello Triangle!" of CryEngine`s Sandbox with that section of the stadium successfully imported in the game. Having done this my job is finished here and the goal of the project has been achieved.

Let`s not forget that the main objective of this project was to learn... and I learned a lot!

- modelling

- programming

- cry engine

- blogging and writing

- time management, planning and organising and also working with a deadline (job done before 31st of August)

Even though I have enjoyed making this project, there were moments when I wanted to just give up because of my job (too many hours at work just killed my "free" time for the project). I am happy that I managed to tick all the goals I set for myself and I am also happy that some visitors liked what I did.

Following this project I have been approached by FIFA Next Level Romania to help them import this stadium in FIFA 14 the game. Even though I have previously made stadiums for Pro Evolution Soccer that were successfully included in unofficial patches (National Arena, Municipal Medias, Ilie Oana) and I didn`t get enough credit for it, I accepted to start a collaboration with this team and I will further build some other stadiums (assuming that I`ll have enough photo resources and of course time to complete them).

Until then, I would like to thank my audience for checking with the blog and for making it visible in countries like : UK, US, Romania, Spain, Denmark, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Canada (really?!?!), Germany, Italy, etc.

This being said, this is my last official UNversity related post connected to this project. There might be other posts on this blogs updating with any changes, but there will be a new blog for each stadium that I will create. (I hope to have at least 2 more stadiums until next year)

Noapte buna Iasi!

Constantin Tinu Toader

tynutsu

NT Games

Back to initial plan

So I tried to import the model in VS to use it with OpenGL, but ended up with a huge file that would take just too much to load. Because Sketchup knows about it`s components it doesn`t need to save 11.500 seats, that are quite high poly, instead saves only 2 and the information about position and orientation (one for blue and one for white). That`s a smart thing and is the main reason why Sketchup file is about 12-13 mb while an exported obj (not to mention 3ds, would take a lot more time) is about 560 mb or so... for one bloody model is too much.

So I had to sacrifice some quality and some ideas. Went back to Cry SDK and managed to get in the Game a part of the stadium, correctly binded:

- correct textures

- correct materials

- correct physics

- correct surface type

- approximate layout (I don`t have Google`s ease to place objects... need to be more accurate and I place the objects using the X,Y,Z values... wish they weren`t floats...

So after all this here`s what I came with:

And the beauty of using the SDK... physics! Gravity is sorted, collision on all axes, bullets affect the surface, leaving marks, just awesome!:

I am not sorry I made this choice now. To be honest it is a lot of work to do in defining all the materials for all the components, and by materials I mean texture, faces (2 faces), texture maps (normal, diffuse, specular.. etc.) but seeing it in real time... priceless!

I hope you like it... unfortunately it will take a while... I thought that I can just do bits of stadium and clone them... but the SDK does not have a flip by axis options, and neither scale -1 does not work to mirror a group of components. If anyone knows how to flip an item (after loading the model) please let me know.

The seats have been modified and simplified due to large number of vertices/faces... useless effort unfortunately. But still excited about this :)

Cleaning in progress

Started to clean the model and just noticed that the top part of the stadium, the top side walk way is too wide and now I have to narrow it in all the stadium.

I will narrow it as I clean and divide the stadium parts by materials. Like this, having the following materials from top to bottom:
- white plastic
- blue plastic
- blue metal
- yellow concrete
- blue concrete
- stairs (different component)
- white concrete

This is only a part of the stadium, peluza A, need to do the same for peluza B, tribuna B, A and 0.

This is how it used to look before cleaning, I already have a saved copy for this as it is complete, but I will have to split all the stadium sections by materials for easier import.

Also another view on the latest add-ons (window and fence and the fantasy solution for the back of the main stand)

Yeah.. stairs.. that`s my final solution for the gap...

And finally this nice render.. a bonus :)

 

Quick quick quick

Just a quick update no pictures:
- added olympic track
- fixed the back of the VIP stand (in a fantasy way)
- added the missing fence from VIP stand
- added a missing window on the same VIP stand (don`t know how I let that slip)
- other minor fixes (fixing edges mostly)

Almost there

Modelling part has been mostly finished with today`s work... only bits and pieces will be done (if any).

So here`s what happened today:
-fixed the speakers: moved down to the level of the fence, painted in white and added 2 electronic sirens

- finally managed to add some floodlights (not that great.. but ... they`re there just to be there)

- added goalposts and corner sticks to hang the flag to... will be different thing the flag

- added external fence for collision with boundaries

- fixed some modelling errors, reshaped the asphalt area to fit into the fence

- placed Coca Cola stands as seen from Google Maps, eliminated a few also to match real perspective view
- painted some walls that weren`t right
- fixed the pitch (better texture now)

Modelling to do:
- fix the position of the external columns
- level the ground or find a fix for the back of the vip stand

This being said, the project is almost complete, as I do not have too many problems importing this and playing with it in Visual Studio in C++ and OpenGL (although there will be tasks to do here too... )

Merge treaba (Things are going smooth)

Updates:

-finally added fence limiting the pitch area

- added the small section of Tribuna B that is covered

 

-created the entry for the teams (the underpass) and carved the area near it

- added seats at VIP Stand

 

- made a mock pattern for CSMS 1945 IASI instead of FCM POLI IASI

- completely finished the VIP section and the back of the building, finished curtains for windows

Started programming the chassis for the application.

Left to do:
- complete the pitch
- split the model by materials and by parts
- add other elements (next to be made are the floodlights)
- the rest of the programming task

 

 

Back working :)

Another quick update before I go to work, I managed to finish the back of the Tribuna 0 (Vip Stand)
Regarding this part of the stadium, only adding a few seats on the second floor, a litter box, and fencing for the stand is all what`s left.

Also, need to level the ground on the back of the Tribuna 0, because the stadium is on a hill in real life and I notice by modelling that the hill gains about 3 metres in altitude going from the sides of the stadium towards Tribuna 0.

This will be tricky...

Updating...

 

 

After a long and busy period at work I finally managed to find a small window to update the project. I know it has been more than a month since my last post, but this is how it looks now and it`s close to the real stadium.

 

 

So what happened:
- added seats on main stand (Tribuna A)
- added the VIP stand (Tribuna 0) on 3 levels with details
- created seat model for VIP stand (Tribuna 0)
- added doors, cameras and the identical seats pattern on the VIP stand (a bit more than 500 seats carefully placed)
- carved into the VIP structure to reflect the real layout of the building
- remodelled the roof
- created the facility office from the stand

To do:
- fences.. as usual.. connect all fences
- create stairs wherever needed
- finish the back of the building
- create the part of Tribuna B which has a small roof
- finish the pitch (with goal posts)
- add other details (if I have time, floodlights, speakers, more cameras, flags maybe.. etc)
- fix modelling errors
- simplify model if possible (instead of 24 segments curve... make 6 or 8 segments curve where detail is not needed)

Programming:
- I know the plan was to import this in Cry Engine but because of time, I will change the objective and create an application in C++ that allows the user to roam free in the stadium
- might create a collision mask for the stadium
- restructure the materials (instead of white seat main stand, white seat vip stand, white profiles Coca Cola stand just use "plastic white" material instead) ... so simplify again the materials too
- restructure the model so I can easily load it fast (instead of loading all the model at once, with the objects loaded in random order, I will fragment the model by materials so when binding to one type of material is performed only once, no matter where is placed in the stadium/model)

The change from Cry Engine to raw openGL means that I will lose from quality, but let`s hope for the best.

I hope I will not have any other interruptions, and to keep me motivated I will set myself a deadline, and the application should be finished by the end of the month. (31st august)