Resource use expectations

GIS3000

Hi there guys,

For practice, I'm about to model and texture a Panzer Mk V (AKA Panther). My target machine for it to be run on is an Xbox 360 type machine. It would be used in an FPS.

What do you guys think the polycount on it should be? 5000 Quads?

How about the texture resolution? 2048 like many portfolios I've seen or 1024?

thanks for the time guys!:)

GIS3000

Xenobond

Here is just me thinking it through.
5000 quads? maybe more like >8-10k tris. (You wouldn't want to make a bare tank, would you?. Would need some nicely detailed MG34s, other tacked on gear(shovels, tools, track segments).

There are a lot of sheels and cylindrical objects on this guy. Since they'll mostly be at/around player height you'd want to make sure they are sufficiently detailed.

As for textures, you'd probably use multiple textures as opposed to one huge texture.
Think of how things would be animated- The tracks would be a big thing to think of.
I don't know what they do in more recent games for this, but it used to just be a scrolling texture that went around a belt that represented the tank treads. This would have been a seperate texture from the hull.

As well the wheels would have been on a seperate smaller texture.

Is this tank going to have variations (different model of turret, gear configurations) Those could be isolated to a seperate sheet for modularity.

Maybe do some test to see what minimum pixel density you'd need to get the look of Zimmerit to look good. That'd be a sure way to help figure what you're optimum texture count/sizes would be.

Keep in mind what the player will be seeing most and focus on that. Unfortunately that'd probably everywhere (can he jump on top of the tank? can he hide in a small trench and have the tank roll over him?)

Oh yeah, and decals would probably want to be on their own texture for variation as well.

GIS3000

Thanks! That was a wonderful brief!

I'm considering the moving track texture approach. Many examples in portfolios and games still use that method.

U said the tank should be more than 10000 tris (5000 quads). So I guess I should limit mysef to 15000 tris?

As for decals, how do u think I should make them? A seperate flat polygon placed near the surface? Will this enable the decal to "blend" in with the metal surface?

Thanks again!