[Research] Voxel editor

JamesTan

So I was idling in #tigirc when somebody mentioned about the open source Tig pixelation project. I was thinking for a bit, and I thought what about a really good voxel editor which supported standard photoshop like layers, blending and so forth. The premise of the idea is to still allow some form of pixel crafting but also have the added ability to be able to then use the voxel to create many of the other angles. I could then look at doing other things such as allowing for animation, automatic shading and so forth.

I'd like to make it an indie tool too, and perhaps ask for donations to keep the project going.

Opinions?

Michael Knubben

I think it's an interesting enough idea, but have trouble imagining how that would work, or probably more accurately: what I'd use it for.
Err, unless I'd want to make a fez-clone, ofcourse (yesyes, I know they're not called voxels in there, but the same principle applies)

Also, what's the opensource tig pixelation project? Are some Tiggers working on their own sprite-editor? That'd be pretty nice!

Anyway, I hope someone does realise they could use this, and you get some donations towards getting some work done on that.

Snowfly

Musings from Gwot over at the 3D Coat forums...
http://3dbrush.kriska.hvosting.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=1850

JamesTan

What I wanted to do, was to not so much allow developers to have to use voxels, but rather use them to create sprite sheets with them in the end. I mean, I can sort of imagine it, but you could perhaps create some really cool sprite work while using voxels as the base. As in, say you were making something like a weapon sprite sheet, and you needed it to rotate around and stuff, this sort of tool could work really well for that sort of thing.

That's really interesting SnowFly, but I think the intention of this tool is to help with the low pixel count stuff, say you needed some sprites at 64 x 64 but needed them to rotate or wanted animations or something.

Ged

wow Im sooo tempted by 3D coats retopology and voxel modelling! I think I will buy it when I have a new PC

cman2k

So, you are talking about actually working with pixels or "voxels" in a 3-dimensional space....kinda like this?



The idea behind it is very intriguing. I'd love to play with it. I wouldn't have any specific uses for it personally, but I can see how others would. I can't even being to imagine how layers & animation tools for something like this might work but....it all sounds very neat.

JamesTan

cman2k: Very much like that but make sure to retain a pixelated look, so that you could make the other angles from it very easily. The best example I can think of, is to imagine a weapon. So you make the voxel for it, and you can then render it so it looks like it is spinning around ... but it would still appear as if you hand pixelated it yourself.

I think I may need to prototype the idea to try it out.

Farfarer

http://voxelstein3d.sourceforge.net/ might be worth a look, Wolfenstein remade in voxels.

3devo

Oh nice! Someone finally put ken silverman's voxlap engine to use. will be keeping an eye on that.

leilei

the only voxel editor I know is slab6 and its interface is arcane

Michael Knubben

James: interesting idea, I could see that working. Whether it would actually end up saving time remains to be seen, but it's a cool idea nevertheless.
There aren't many people using low-res sprites on here, though. Pixelation/way of the pixel might be very interested, though!