The Final Steps to Monolith World

I must accomplish three things before actually beginning to code Monolith World:

1) Learn water effects so that I can use ponds, lakes, rivers, ocean shores, etc;

2) Achieve better NPC control and interactivity so as to further draw the player into the world/game;

3) Learn how to use the Heads Up Display (HUD) orthographic projection so that the player can be given useful information in real time.

Progress on item #1 thus far:

A Picture from the Oza Go Tournament

Clicking the picture will take you to the Oza Go Tournament pictures page. The following picture is at the bottom bottm left.



(Yours truly in the left foreground.)

The Right Thing at the Right Time

The weekend at the Oza Go Tournament was fun and inspiring. It was great to meet up with and interact with friends that I have not seen in person for years. It felt like zero time had passed since our last meeting. I made it home last night around 6pm. Now I step back into the makings of "Monolith World", having found a couple of perfect images for the job:

The Game of the Weekend

I am going to put down my computerized 3D endeavors for the weekend and meet some old friends at UCLA for the Oza Go Tournament. I'll be competing as 25 kyu and will probably get knocked off pretty quick. One of my friends stands a better chance of staying in the battle for longer. Parties interested in learning more about Go or the Tournament can click on the picture below.



It should be a good time for one and all!

Test World Demo Video

The explanation of what's going on is in the video.

Good Prognosis

I went to Physical Therapy yesterday for my right arm problem and got a good prognosis along with permission to slip it out of the sling and to do all that I can with it. I am very happy to report that I am typing this entry with both hands! How very good it feels to have my right arm and hand back in action and back at the keyboard! Of course, it will be a few months before I have full range of motion back, and a few more after that before it regains full strength, but even now it is feeling better than just a day ago -- the semi-atrophied muscles and ligaments stretching out from the month-long hiatus of disuse. And, more importantly, it means that I can get back into the code and get back to work on the prototype to "Monolith World" and then get the show on the road with the actual game that comes after. I will soon post a short video of where the Test World was at when I had the unfortunate fracture back in December -- for continuity's sake -- and then go forward from there.

Welcoming Stella

Please welcome Stella -- she is complete with skin and animations. Starman joins her for the Signs of Nox, being those of The Night.



In order from top to bottom and left to right, they are: Puer, Puella, Vir, Mulier, Osiris Risen, and Mater Triumphans. Please be careful when practicing these on your own, if ever you dare };-)>

UV Mapping Tests

Testing to see if the UV Mapping is properly aligned.



I did a much better job this time around.

Mask

A step along the way during face-grouping in preparation for UV Mapping.

All Boned Up

Nasawoman is all boned up with (almost) nowhere to go. In the current picture, she is driving -- possibly a Mars buggy after terraforming has taken place.



The UV Mapping and Skinning is next.

One Small Step

Testing the stability of the Root Bone with one small step:

Ready for Boning

Nasawoman is finally ready for boning.

The R&R That Turned Into Something Else

The idea to take a small break from 3D modeling and play a decent amount of Final Fantasy VI got thrown way off course due to a power outage that lasted from about an hour after my last post here until about an hour after sundown yesterday. During the time without power, I finished Fianal Fantasy Tactics on PSP (which is one of the best games I've yet played, I think, and which I will give a full critical review to on this blog one day soon), made good progress on Final Fantasy Tactics Advance on Gameboy/DS, started Jeanne D'Arc on PSP, read a significant amount of Neil Gaiman's American Gods, and wrote up a detailed design and event outline for "Monolith World" (the working title of the first actual and whole 3D RPG that I will program using the current technology). So, even though the original plan for R&R was sent aspinning, substantial and satisfying progress was made elsewhere and I feel decent enough about that -- plus it's always exciting to play a bit of Urban Survivalist at home.

Ready for Boning

The Nasawoman mesh is complete and now ready for boning -- however, I'm taking the day off for some R&R with Final Fantasy VI.

Abject Shock and Horror

Imagine my abject shock and horror when I snapped the two sides of Nasawoman's face together for the first time and saw...



Patrick Stewart staring back. (On some level, it probably makes sense that a Nasaman would want his Nasawoman to look like Captain Jean Luc Picard in drag, but such a thing is definitely not acceptable to Starman.) Mission Fix That is now underway.

With Depth

The newly reasoned technique seems to work better than that used for Starman.

Without Depth

Progress on Nasawoman's face.

Nasawoman Bodyworks

Nasawoman's body is finished up to the point of final shaping adjustments -- which comes right before boning and animation.



Ahh... I long for the day when I finally sit down and work on non-mittenesque hands. After the plantworks though, after the plantworks....