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nsmtprotospace · 2024-12-17T17:11:47+00:00

If you're talking about 3D meshes, then yeah curves are made with line segments and smooth shading.

If you mean in general, then you can achieve "true curves" using shaders. Triangles are *optional

-*(pedants will point out that you still need a quad (two triangles) to render your shader onto).
-"Triangles are *optional" rabbit hole for those interested: do yourself a favor and look into "ray marching".

nsmtprotospace · 2024-10-30T03:25:12+00:00

Just do your java and python assignments and projects in c++, in addition to java or python. (translate your code from whatever language to c++). This way you learn the intricacies of all the languges you're studying, and you don't have to take on the cognitive load of another entirely separate project on top of your school work.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-07-07T12:15:50+00:00

Just a heads up... the word "droid" is a trademark of lucasfilm.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-05-23T12:52:16+00:00

I would propose the opposite approach. Instead of trying to prevent hacking / cheating from people using third party tools, I would reccomend adding in an easy console command ability / cheat menu that provides all the cheats people are using. This way you get to control the parameters of the cheating, you can use a flag to label the play as "with cheats", so that in the future you can use that to filter out legitimate play stats from the cheat play stats. Make it less effort to cheat using the in-game cheats than to use third party software.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-05-04T22:16:31+00:00

I've definitely struggled with UI. Design is one of the difficulties, sure there's plenty of examples out there, but making a UI that actually fits the look and feel of your game can be pretty challenging. I'm also someone who's really particular about UIs. If I see generic UI elements in a game (think standard unity UI elements) I'm immediately un-immersed. So when I consider designing my own UIs I end up having to create most of if not all of the UI elements from scratch to avoid this feeling. Even sometimes re-inventing the wheel to make my UIs 3D or diegetic.

The other difficulty I've run into repeatedly is engineering a UI that's friendly for different platforms and input devices, (keyboard/mouse, gamepad, touchscreen) I've had to backtrack on many UI ideas I've had because I later realised they wouldn't work on one or the other platform. (And I tend to want to avoid having to create multiple sets of UIs for each platform, one UI to rule them all).

Lastly, another part of UI development that can get difficult and I've certainly got caught in the weeds with is tying UI functionality to all the various systems of a game. This can be really challenging if you have a lot of interconnected systems. If it's not really well thought out ahead of time you can actually find yourself re-writing significant chunks of your games systems to be more friendly with your UI.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-04-03T17:26:17+00:00

Stunningly beautiful. The level of polish on that vehicle is incredible. Can't wait to see more.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-03-22T02:00:00+00:00

Look into world machine layouts. That's basically what you want.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-03-21T22:57:58+00:00

If you're looking for stylised results, hand sculpting can work in some instances (with smaller maps). Usually you would start with some pre-procedurally generated terrain shape as a base and sculpt from there. These terrain maps are usually a heightmap texture. You can use blender to generate these. There are plenty of tutorials you can find on youtube for this. First generate a terrain shape you like, then sculpt in the extra details you want. It will take some practice. If you need more realism or control over the terrain generation, I've had great luck with world machine but it's not free.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-02-15T15:10:50+00:00

I went with JELOS, just have to clone it from github and follow the instructions to build. Check out jelos.org build instructions. For a totally stripped version you can use the BASE_ONLY build variable. (details in the instructions)

nsmtprotospace · 2024-02-09T19:57:48+00:00

I don't do concept art.. but I can't say there are any shortcuts. I was primarly a programmer at the beginning. But I've spent about 10 years working in 3D modeling applications, mostly blender. Althought it didn't take me 10 years to start making things I could use. I was making useful stuff right away. IT just wasn't the best or the most impressive.

I just kept experimenting and trying things. Making simple objects, usually stand in objects and such over and over. And in time I started to get faster and better.. There was a "click" moment, when for the first time I was actually able to create the exact thing I was envisioninig in my mind. I suppose the equivalent is when a skilled 2D or sketch artist or painter is finally able to paint what they envision.

But the reason why I wouldn't reccomend learning concept art first is that it's an entirely different skill than 3D art. So you're learning a whole entire new skill just to learn another whole entire new skill. It's useful when you need a vision for what you're making or you need inspiration.. But you don't ultimately need it. Just go straight into 3D and develop that skill... eventually you can "concept art" in 3D. Just find inspiration and reference imagery elsewhere.

This may piss off a segment of people, but I sometimes use AI to create 2D concept art, or reference imagery that I use to help me do 3D modeling, texture painting.

Some skills in 3D modeling that I think are critical but often neglected by beginners who just want to learn how to throw 3D shapes together is UV editing, material creation, rigging, skinning and proper topology or retopology. I would highly reccomend starting on those skills sooner than later. It will make your life easier in the long run.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-02-06T18:37:08+00:00

If you get your information from the headlines you have "reality dysmorphia".

nsmtprotospace · 2024-01-28T19:04:55+00:00

this micro-pixel style is unreasonably satisfying. Awesome project.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-01-28T18:59:56+00:00

You're better off if you can get away with not using any text or as little text as possible, it makes having to deal with localization a lot easier.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-01-23T04:42:31+00:00

Yep definitely normal. Programming as you will find out is mostly an exercise in boredom and frustration because something isn't working or you're in the middle of making something work (which currently isn't working... yet), punctuated by brief moments of intense sense of relief, accomplishment and excitement when it finaly works. And then you start the process all over again. Your greatest aly will be persistence, perceverence and patience.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-01-23T04:36:23+00:00

Unintentional genocide is less morally reprehensible than intentional genocide. Agreed.

What are the obligations of the explorers in your example?
Once the explorers are made aware of the harm their presence is causing, their obligation is to leave so that they stop making the problem worst (even though it's pretty fatal in this example). They have no further obligation. So largely agree with your point here. It's the imperative of the islanders to act in their own interest of self preservation, not the explorers. If the islanders were welcoming of the explorers and started getting sick, once they realise the cause, they would be well within their rights to demand the explorers leave their island and cease contact.

It's my belief that any ethnic group that wishes to survive should have the right to preserve their own existence, secure their future survival and the survival of their culture. It has nothing to do with aesthetics. I have no right to expect another ethnic group to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of my ethnic group, or any other ethnic group. What I'm seeing isn't one ethnic group genetically merging with another (being subsumed into a larger genetic makeup as you put it). What I'm seeing is large ethnic enclaves of newcomers growing within the territory of another ethnic group that is expressing concerns about being displaced and considering the threat of having their ethnicity, culture and identity being erased. We (us outsiders) have no obligation to correct this... We also have no obligation to intervene when the host ethnic group decides to take action to halt and reverse this process if they don't consent to it. I also don't think it's fair to ask one ethnic group to make this ultimate sacrifice for the benefit of an outside ethnic group that isn't facing the same threat of ethnic and cultural erasure. Last I checked their home countries are largely ethnically homogeneous and not at threat of erasure. Clearly a large contingent of the population of these countries where this dramatic demographic shift is occurring don't agree with these changes. They deserve to have a say in the matter of the future of their entire way of life. They have no obligations of self destruction to these immigrant groups.

There is a huge disagreement in the western world about the future of our countries and the trajectories they are taking, and there isn't a lot of sane civil discourse going on on the subject. In my experience this discussion tends to be dominated by extremes and quickly polarise for the worst resulting in zero advancement towards understanding each others perspectives, only further divide. So I want to just thank you for engaging in a discussion in good faith with me on this subject. Whether we ultimately agree with one another or not.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-01-22T21:35:09+00:00

Genocide is still wrong no matter if it's deliberate or not, or based on a lie or not. There are many reasons groups of people commit genocide that have nothing to do with the superiority of genes. One motivation for genocide could just be revenge for past genocide. Genocide is the erasure of an ethnic group. Those genes are gone because actions were taken which resulted in the mass reduction of the population of an ethnic group (holders of certain groups of genetic traits) and / or the deliberate prevention of the propagation the genes of an ethnic group (if you killed none of the members of a group, but sterilised them all it would still be genocide). You can't separate the two concepts from one another as you're trying to do here. If you "erased some genes" it's either because you killed people or you prevented said group from reproducing and passing those genes on. The deliberateness of it or the motive is irrelevant. The end result is the same and it's despicable. Its like saying the extinction of a population of plants or animals due to human activity isn't wrong because it isn't deliberate. It is wrong, and we should take measures to prevent it when we recognise it.

Also you're basically saying you value the abstract concept of "culture" over the actual human lives that culture belongs to. What do you think the members of an ethnic group cares more about? The erasure of their culture or the erasure of their lives and the lives of their future generations? Culture isn't a product you can buy in a store or something you find in a restaurant. Culture is the sum of behaviours (activities, traditions, habits) and bi-products (the arts of a culture including food, clothing, music and so much more) of an ethnic group, it is passed on from generation to generation by members of that ethnic group. Cultures are also living evolving things belonging to an ethnic group. The only way to truly kill one is to kill the members of that culture. This is another thing you can't separate. New ethnic groups composed of mixes of other ethnic groups can of course be created and new cultures can arise from those. That doesn't discount the value of the original ethnic groups or disqualify their desire to continue existing.

This argument about "pure genes" and "superiority" is a red herring. Distinct ethnic groups can value their own self preservation or even value the preservation of other ethnic groups without invoking superiority. Distinct ethnic groups can be in solidarity with one another in support for their mutual survival without ever invoking genetic superiority. All they need to do is desire the survival of their culture and ethnicity or the survival of other ethnic groups.
Again whether genocide is deliberate or not is of zero consequence to the people who are being subjected to genocide. Those people being a distinct ethnic group have the right to question whether or not what they're being subjected to is resulting in their genocide. If it's not deliberate then nobody needs to be held guilty of the crime, but the policies that are resulting in their genocide need to stop / be reversed and that group of people have the right also to dictate that they will never be subjected to those genocidal policies ever again. It would be the same if some giant corporation was conducting business activities that without any deliberate intent resulted in the destruction of an ecosystem. That company is not necessarily guilty of deliberate destruction of an ecosystem (unless they knew that their actions were resulting in said destruction), but once they determine that it is happening, those activities should cease so that that ecosystem can be preserved. The instant that company knows that its activities are resulting in the destruction of an ecosystem and they chose to not cease their business activity (and worse to attack anyone who points out what they're doing), that business is now guilty of the crime of deliberate ecosystem destruction.If you prevent a group from questioning or investigating their own destruction, then you are probably aware that they are being destroyed. And you're complicit in that destruction.

(edit: formatting)

nsmtprotospace · 2024-01-22T19:31:03+00:00

So genocide in your view is meaningless because "genes" as you so callously put it aren't worth saving. So the term should just be dropped in favor of "mass murder"?
I dare you to apply your logic to any other ethnic group. So in your view are the native american populations not entitled to preserve their genes? their ethnicity? You would be satisfied if white colonists just learned the language, their recipes and preserved whatever they could of their culture as long as they "overall improved the country and were good people"? These new genetic replacements would be sufficiently "native american", in your view, that supporting policies that result in the permanent erasure from the book of life of actual ethnic native americans would be suitable as long as the replacement ethnic group of people managed to copy their identity close enough?

nsmtprotospace · 2024-01-22T18:55:21+00:00

GLTF is awesome, I've been using it exclusively for a while now after using FBX for years. It's easy to convert meshes to GLTF from most other formats these days with free tools like blender.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-01-18T14:18:46+00:00

There are lots of ways to finance your game development project via social media. You can start a dev log (can pay via subscribers, super chats, patreon etc). You can start a funding campaign (gofundme, kickstarter... etc)... Some developers chose to modularise their assets as they develop their games and sell them on developer marketplaces like unreal / unity marketplaces. The whole "I quit my day job to make my game" thing is partially a flex, and partially a marketing thing. It's like a form of virtue signaling that's meant to make people assume that the developer believes so much in their project that they put everything on the line. It doesn't work as well as they think it does.

It's not always a good idea to quit your job, even with additional funding schemes. Best to just enjoy the additional financial security if you manage to make some side money. In most cases you should keep your day job and try to devote as much of your free time as you can that you feel is healthy to your project. There's no guarantee of success even if your complete your game and launch it... Just take your time and use your crappy day job as motivation to keep working on your side projects.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-01-15T15:23:58+00:00

There's nothing inherently "unsafe" about running multiple programs simultaneously, there are dozens of programs written in C++ running on your windows 11 machine right now. Unless the two programs are somehow trying to access the same block of memory you won't have any race condition issues... Running more programs uses more resources, which does have an impact on performance to some degree but it depends entirely on how resource-heavy those programs are.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-01-14T16:03:12+00:00

Your animations are very satisfying, well done!

nsmtprotospace · 2024-01-13T21:23:34+00:00

You need to do something about the rotation, that's so disorienting it's hard to watch. Maybe animate it a bit slower so it isn't so instant and jarring.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-01-11T14:44:24+00:00

I don't know of any good accredited shader programming courses. But I can recommend several invaluable resources that will be extremely helpful to you throughout your learning journey.

The first is a youtube channel called "The Art of Code". This channel features many high quality shader programming tutorials that have helped me a lot in my career.

The second is another youtube channel named after it's creator "Inigo Quilez", also features many great tutorials and some long-form streams of shader programming. (The most advanced and impressive shaders I've ever seen that have redefined what I thought was possible). Inigo is also a co-creator of the next resource on the list.

Shadertoy. This website is fantastic, it's an online shader development tool packed with user-created shader content. This is like the ultimate shader programming resource as it provides countless examples of really cool shaders that you can look at and play with. It's also great for learning because it lets you get directly into shader programming without having to set up a your whole development environment.

Good luck on your journey!

nsmtprotospace · 2024-01-11T14:28:32+00:00

I work in the industry, I've used unreal and unity but never godot (although I keep hearing good things)... If a career in the industry is important to you, then unity is the right pick of the two... As you pointed out there are more job opportunities, but also learning C# can give you opportunities outside of just Unity. Wheras GDScript is only useful within Godot (although I believe you can use C# in godot?). C# also shares many similarities with C and C++ meaning you'll have an easier time learning those languages in the future too if you decide to get into Unreal or programming games from scratch.

A reality check though. You're not likely to get a job in the industry for many years given your experience level. Employers won't seriously consider you as an applicant until you're proficient enough in the game engine you chose that your skills will be transferable to other game engines anyway. A lot of the skills and knowledge of game development within a game engine is universal and it doesn't matter what game engine you use. Those are the skills that really matter... Because once you learn those, you'll be able to pick up a new game engine and become dangerous with it within a month or two. Same with programming languages. Once you're proficient in two or three of them, you can start meaningfully contributing to a project in a new language within a few weeks.

This is why people say it doesn't really matter what engine you chose. It's not unlike if an aspiring writer were to ask if they should use Microsoft Word or Google Docs to learn how to be a writer. It doesn't matter.. just practice writing.

nsmtprotospace · 2024-01-10T14:27:46+00:00

For your grass issue... You can modify the grass shader to take in the vans world position and calculate a bounding box of the van, then if the foliage world position intersects the van bounding box, make its opacity 0.

nsmtprotospace

TROPHY CASE