Making art for ps2 and GC

apocalypse

Hi guys, I am basically new to the games industry, I started a new junior position a few months ago and have been assigned to making level props, pickups and recently basic level art (platforms and skydomes).

One thing that frustrates me is that my work never looks right in game. It's pretty embarrassing and frustrating to me. It looks fine in the 3d app but when it is exported and displayed on the TV my work glows and doesn't look like it belongs in the level.

I was just wondering if anyone had any techniques in creating art that will be displayed on the tv and how to get their work to fit better in levels.

Picking colours is the hardest part for me, I think. Any advice would be great.

MoP

Well, can't you get the art assets which area already in the level and use their colours as a guide for what you're painting?

If it fits in with the scene in your 3d app, it should fit in on screen.

Also if your work is glowing and doesn't look right, try to figure out how the TV is making it look different, and paint accordingly (like if it's coming out too bright and saturated on TV, paint darker and less saturated on the computer).

But yeah, just matching the existing assets in your 3D app should do the trick.

poopinmymouth

In the past I've tried to come up with a folder of adjustment layers that adjusts for the TV. So that I can paint the way I like to, and then drag in the folder and have it adjust for the engine/tv. Make a single texture with some good contrast and color range, then only adjust it using adjustment layers, till it looks identical on the TV with them on, as it does in your max viewport with them off. Now you can save out this folder to another psd and drag it in for all your textures.

apocalypse

thx for a speedy reply guys. I have used the colours that existed in a level and it tends to blend in too much with the scenary. From what you guys are saying it sounds like it is a trial-and-error thing. I see it as a problem because there are limited testkits and they are more reserved for the more important jobs.

I have an example of something that confuses me sometimes.
Lets say I am working on a prop that is on a cartoony beach, say a treasure chest. How would you go about picking the right type of colour for the wood and metal?. What I normally do is get a ref and eyedrop the colours I need. But that results in the glowiness I get now.

I'm hoping to understand more about what is happening to the texture and eliminate the Trial-and-error stage.

Tulkamir

Can't you get some of the textures or models from the scene as was suggested? That's not trial and error and shouldn't be eliminated, that's colour balancing, which is something you should always try to be doing I should think? Suppose I might not be the best source, but that's what I gathered MoP meant, and that is what my texturing teacher has told us to do.

apocalypse

sorry, what I meant by trail and error was getting the 3d viewport to match up with how it looks on the tv.

KDR_11k

I think your TV may be LCD based, those are often not only awful in terms of color reproduction but adjusted by the retailer to severely oversaturate everything because people believe more saturation = better picture quality. Try adjusting its settings. They aren't consistent between all TVs anyway so I don't think that'd screw up your testing environment.

AstroZombie

I heard once, as a general rule of thumb, setting your textures to 50% self-illumination in your 3d app will give you a pretty good idea of what they will look like in most game engines.

hawken

[ QUOTE ]
I think your TV may be LCD based,

[/ QUOTE ]

why?

anyway
making games for TV is highly frustrating when it comes to colours. I feel your pain man. One trick we used to have at my old work is to desaturate everything just slightly, TV really does enrich all the colours accross the board, and on one of the test TVs we had, (a 14 inch crappy 10 year old thing) we always kept the contrast at whacked out levels just to see what the worst case scenario was.

to be honest this is a 2d/3d question

motives

Why not ask around at where you work? Surely this cant be the first time someone has hade this problem.

About the lack of test kits.. I totally hear you. Its frustrating to work on something for a day or two w/o the chance to try it out and then when you finally do it looks craptastic!

Eric Chadwick

If you have a graphics card with S-video out, try plunking a TV on your desk and hooking it up as the 2nd monitor. Not as accurate as a dev kit, but you can see your work on it as you go.

KDR_11k

Careful, that often forces your refresh rate down to the TV's. Not good for the eyes...

Ruz

Not to be cheeky, but can't you discuss this with the senior artists in your compnay. I sure they can help you out

AstroZombie

My guess is that as a junior artist he is afraid of looking incompetent in front of his seniors and peers(?). Fact is, if they hired you as a junior artist they don't expect you to know everything. People love to show off how much they know so ask the more senior artists questions! I learned more in my first 3 months in the industry from the more experienced artists (Rhinokey in particular) than I learned in 3 years going to AI. You have an awesome opportunity to learn and grow working in house, don't be afraid to ask questions.

apocalypse

Thanks for all of your replies. You're right, AstroZombie there is that fear of looking incompetent infront of my peers. Sounds kinda lame but their work is brilliant. I sit next to someone who is a visual genius.

Only recently I've started to look at his screen while he works and I'm beginning to understand why his work doesn't look great on screen but fantastic when displayed on the tv.

I think my post a few days ago was the result of me being so frustrated and angry at myself because it feels like I am producing shit. I felt like quitting out of shame most days.

Adjustment layers are you friend!. They are a huge help and as most have mentioned, I found that it is a trial and error process. Desaturating textures and seeing how it looks on the various tvs located around the office. (unfortunately they are as scarce as the testkits).

Thanks for your help everyone. Its all a learning process. I kept forgetting that.