3D vs 2.5D Environements

Paykoman

Hi guys. I really would like to know the bestt way to create a Diablo3 type environment, just some tips, cuz i dont really know how to attack this from the best way. Is it with terrain (like Unity terrain) and 3D models for buildings and other stuff, is that with only 3D models including the floor/ground and the buildings? I really appreciate any kind of help.

I find this video about Diablo 3 development and 2.5 D stuff but its nothing specific so in a image like this one i cant figure it out wt is 2D/2.5D/3D if someone know about this i appreciate.

Video: http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1015306/The-Art-of-Diablo

Image:



Cheers Bruno

Scruples

Other than the ground textures being painted with fake parallax in and the odd background 2 dimensional prop I don't think they use 2.5d props/tricks that often.

Someone figured out how to drop the camera into a lower perspective here.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy6vbV22gQs[/ame]

I think dIII's look is more reliant on the soft color palettes and smooth animations.

Paykoman

Ok nice. Ty for the repply

Eric Chadwick

Terrain for the ground, with a lot of meshes added. Pretty standard method.

Lots of info available if you want to dig in:
http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Landscape
http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Modular_environments

Paykoman

My only problem is that the terrain cost a lot of polygons... But its much easy working with terrain and easier to create outdoor environments specially since dungeons are more mesh modelling i guess. I will take a look at the links ty.

Eric Chadwick

Yeah games with this kind of limited field-of-view don't need the kind of terrain system used for open-world games with long vistas. They don't need dynamic LODs, tesselation, heightmaps, etc.

But still they have a layered shader of some sort, rock/grass/dirt, that kind of thing.

They probably have their own optimized terrain system, just to make it easier to deform and paint in-engine, with all the meshes in place.

Paykoman

Yap its very probably. The onyl thing i really need to try is to use image in background or like in the image i post in 1st post cuz for me seems that all that is away from view and under the bridge seems a 2d image or maybe im wrong xD, i already try to make that kind of environemte use only terrain in unity and it seems very bad look xD seems that dont hv depth... but it could be any error that im doing im environment creation with terrain... there arent much info about this kind of thigs at least specific ones.. But appreciate ur help

Eric Chadwick

Best thing is to show what you have so far, and ask for feedback. It's much easier for people to help when they can see what you are doing.

One thing Blizzard has going for them is their environment artists all seem to be experienced painters. They really seem to understand color, value, atmosphere, & composition. Few artists understand these concepts well enough to put them into practice.

The more painting you do, the more you can improve these skills. Both in 2D and, by extension, into 3D.

Eric Chadwick

Here's that same bridge, in motion. Looking at it again, it is pretty straightforward, geometry-wise.
http://youtu.be/H5n7swkNax0?t=234

This is definitely recreate-able in Unity, you need carefully-tuned tiled textures, some custom shaders for mist/rainbows/rivers (scrolling UVs, alpha blending, and vertex alpha for shoreline fadeout... or else depth testing), plus a little ambient occlusion, some camera bloom, and a vignette for the darker edges.

Paykoman

Jesus ur a pro or wt? xD i will start work in some new environement test and i will put here in forum to ask for the ppl oppinion and i will take a look at that points u refer i think i hv much to study since im self learning everything, from code to 3d and its like a never ending process but i really enjoy it hehe. Appreciate m8

Paykoman

And so if i understand the both sides of bridge are terrain and the pridge pure 3D geometry. same thing under bridge?? Another terrain everything full of handpainted textures thats thats it?

Eric Chadwick

Just look at my portfolio, you be the judge if I'm pro or not. !!

It is indeed a never-ending process! That's what makes it so awesome. Been going strong for more than 20 years as a game artist, but there's always more to learn. :thumbup:

The bridge is most likely 3d (could be 2.5d, see the presentation you posted). Under it is one terrain (no sense in adding multiple terrains, when you can just push/pull the existing one). The terrain has rock meshes (and 2.5d trees) stuck into it here and there, plus meshes for the scrolling water.

Oh, and the textures are probably a mix of photo-source and handpainted (as he said in the presentation). It's not too difficult to filter photos to look painterly, then add paintovers to refine.

Paykoman

I already checked ur portfolio and ur really a pro xD, u hv nice works ins ur site

Nice i go start working on a new test environmente and then i will post here.. About water is a pain for me i never get nice water effect, same with mist i try diferente things in unity like fog effect but nothing seems believable i dont know why,, probably its not xD

Other thing i have to improve is the textures... specially the seams part looool

When i hv something i will post here hehe and again ty for ur help m8 really appreciate it (y)