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Totan VPX full graphics rebuild WIP


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#1 flupper1

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Posted 08 September 2018 - 07:15 PM

talesarabiannights_t.png

 

I have started working on a full graphics rebuild of Tales of the Arabian Nights and want to share the updates with you. Triggered by the work of G5K I want to try the following:

- all graphics (all) will be prerendered; all the physics will be (invisible) VPX objects

- all rendering will be done with "project from view". Recently I finally figured out how to get the exact same camera point of view as in VPX. This enables perfect transparent ramps (Diner was more sort of the same viewpoint). This means that the FS and DT view will be sort of fixed to the settings I set them to. Diner has this as well, White Water not so much.

- all objects will get prerendered GI and Flasher lighting (including posts, plastics, metal rails, etc).

My other tables have prerendered graphics, but I have not yet made a full prerendered table, so this is partly a new journey as well. And since I do not have access to a fullblown renderfarm like G5K, I have to optimize everything otherwise rendering will take forever. 

 

Contributors so far:

- Clark Kent: a perfect new playfield in the crazy resolution of 6301x14086 pixels (almost 16K resolution!!); I will use it at 4K level in the rebuild in VPX

- Clark Kent: almost all of the plastics in pristine scanned quality

- JPSalas: for the original VPX table

- Rothbauerw: he offered to implement the spinning lamp code, which is similar to the disc in Safecracker. Also working on material based physics, a real trough and subway, and surround sound

- Randr: graciously provided new images of the genie in order to make a better texture of the genie. Also working on 3d scanning the genie for me to have a highpoly model to do lighting tricks.

- My brother: he works professionally in the 3d scanning business (scanning people). He is helping me converting the genie images into a good texture.

 

Work done up to now:

- remade all the inserts with prerendered on/off textures. I have a new way in VPX to still have fading lights but with proper on/off textures.

- partly converted all objects into a full Blender model of the table.

- remodeled the ramps and did the first test of a project-from-view rendered ramps. Blender 2.8 has a new feature which makes it easier to implement these ramps.

- remade the lamp, see the post below.

- made some new fireball pinball bats

 

As usual I will update this thread with pictures, but I thought to do a longer post on specific items, explaining how I create them. This first one will be on the lamp, coming right up after the break. To start with, some first images of the WIP:

 

Blender:

screenshot0401_t.jpg

 

screenshot0411_t.jpg

 

VPX:

screenshot0500_t.jpg



#2 3rdaxis

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Posted 08 September 2018 - 07:19 PM

Fantastic, love the pre-rendered stuff. Very much looking forward to doing TOM this way. 



#3 bassgeige

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Posted 08 September 2018 - 07:30 PM

It is always a pleasure to see when new dreams come true!

Edited by bassgeige, 08 September 2018 - 07:31 PM.


#4 flupper1

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Posted 08 September 2018 - 07:42 PM

The story of the Lamp...

 

I think that the original lamp is quite dull, so as reference for the lamp I used this image:

img_5122_mop_t.png

 

So how this works is that I first imported the JPSalas version of the table in Blender. The lamp from the import is quite well made and has 12k triangles. However: its geometry is not really fit for making good looking textures. The reason being that although it seems one model, it in fact is several parts which are displayed together but are not really connected to each other. That will prevent nice reflections and bump maps. So the first step for me is creating a fully closed 3d lamp model by "fixing" the imported lamp. This is the result:

screenshot044_t.jpg

 

A little less triangles (11.7K) but now a fully closed model and screws added in the model as well. As you can see, this model has no details on the topside and also no details in the lamp handle. The way I added those is by creating a displacement on these surfaces. That means that this picture is used to generate additional details on the surface:

screenshot048_t.jpg

 

I made this picture in photoshop based on photos from the internet. The pits in the handle are in fact mooncraters...! Blender displaces triangles based on this image up and down on a surface. You do need a lot more triangles for that though (1.6 million):

screenshot043_t.jpg

 

If you render this model in Blender with a good environment map, it looks like this:

screenshot045_t.jpg

 

Some people say that you cannot "bake" these kind of reflections to a texture (for using in VPX). I did it anyway. Also I made a normal map to be used in VPX, which simulates 1.6 million triangles when in fact there are only 12k. This image shows what the normal map looks like (blue part) and below the texture for the lamp:

screenshot047_t.jpg

 

If you use the texture without the normal map, it looks quite bland:

screenshot046_t.jpg

 

But in VPX it all comes together: the new model uses the new texture and the normal map. I also prepared a special environment map for VPX to give good reflections:

screenshot049_t.jpg

 

To see the lamp when spinning I made two small videos:

https://youtu.be/7Cct_5lZuHE

 

https://youtu.be/HLNe5hWNOUs


Edited by flupper1, 08 September 2018 - 07:44 PM.


#5 bolt

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Posted 08 September 2018 - 07:56 PM

Wonderful, the lamp look like as build from Genie.


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#6 robertms

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Posted 08 September 2018 - 08:03 PM

:JawDrop:  :JawDrop:  :JawDrop:  :JawDrop:  :JawDrop:  :JawDrop:  :JawDrop:  :JawDrop:  :JawDrop:  :JawDrop:


Behold Godzilla! Check out my monster pincab project here: http://www.vpforums....topic=32236&hl=


#7 3rdaxis

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Posted 08 September 2018 - 08:06 PM

Wow Flupper you really have some impressive modeling skills. Top shelf brother. That sort of modeling was always difficult for me being more of a "hard-edge" type creator. Color me impressed. 


Edited by 3rdaxis, 08 September 2018 - 08:14 PM.


#8 Ben Logan

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Posted 08 September 2018 - 08:15 PM

I’m reading your posts in a cafe, Flupper. The combination of this thread and caffeine is too much. I’m literally getting the jitters from all the excitement! The video of the spinning lamp in context has me grinning ear to ear. Boy, does that normal map make a difference!

Thanks so much for documenting your process. Dreaming about playing the table (based on your lovely screenshots) is almost as much fun as enjoying its release. It’s so neat to see the way other community members’ projects inspire builders. You guys really push one another onward to new heights. I love your super ambitious plan to pre-render everything.

Thinking back to when Timeshock dropped on iOS with a bunch of pre-rendered elements... At the time, I think we’d kinda concluded that such an undertaking would be too cumbersome in VPX. Look at us now! You guys are hitting it out of the park. So exciting.

#9 Draifet

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Posted 08 September 2018 - 08:56 PM

Cant understand how can u push the limits of VPX so far every time u release a table. A pleasure to read your WIP. Thanks. U found a genie for sure, cause this looks like magic.

#10 g5k

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Posted 08 September 2018 - 09:03 PM

Great read @flupper1 and that lamp is stunning. I’ll write to you to discuss your camera findings.

Edited by g5k, 08 September 2018 - 09:03 PM.


#11 WWE

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Posted 08 September 2018 - 09:26 PM

Thank you flupper 1 for New. Totan, Graphic looks good.  :otvclap: 


30041117ij.jpg


#12 jipeji16

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Posted 08 September 2018 - 09:40 PM

WOOOOOOOWWWWW !!! Just WOW !!!! ;) Another futur jewel !!!!! ;) ;) Thank you very much for this very hard work !!!!!!



#13 bord

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Posted 08 September 2018 - 10:38 PM

Some people say that you cannot "bake" these kind of reflections to a texture (for using in VPX). I did it anyway.

 

Tell me more...



#14 Thalamus

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Posted 08 September 2018 - 11:23 PM

I feel like a 6 year old boy on x-mas eve every time you post "WIP" stuff @flupper1 !

 

Simply amazing what you guys are able to do !!


Edited by Thalamus, 08 September 2018 - 11:25 PM.

From now on. I won't help anyone here at VPF. Please ask Noah why that is.


#15 Outhere

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Posted 08 September 2018 - 11:55 PM

I'm with Thalamus on this one

1000  LIKES

I feel like a 6 year old boy on x-mas eve every time you post "WIP" stuff @flupper1 !

 

Simply amazing what you guys are able to do !!



#16 flupper1

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Posted 09 September 2018 - 05:18 AM

Some people say that you cannot "bake" these kind of reflections to a texture (for using in VPX). I did it anyway.

 
Tell me more...

Bord, in this case, it is not complicated: the material for the lamp is basically a glossy node with roughness 0.01. I first thought about projecting a rendered view to the lamp sides (complicated), but then I just pressed the bake button; and it looks more than good enough. So: not physically correct but it works anyway!

#17 krel01

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Posted 09 September 2018 - 07:59 AM

Fantastic graphical update to this top table! Many thanks for your work!
Will it be available this year?

#18 vogliadicane

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Posted 09 September 2018 - 09:26 AM

incredible stuff to see and read here!



#19 Fleep

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Posted 09 September 2018 - 09:57 AM

Looks great! Following this topic


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#20 Mark70

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Posted 09 September 2018 - 11:45 AM

Absolutely awesome! And for us Pinball addicted people, these wip threads are more interesting then reading a book or a magazine :)