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scififan
scififan
Join Date 04/2009
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How good of an artist do you have to be to mesh/texture ships?

June 29, 2009 11:00:40 PM from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Well, the title is pretty self-explanatory.  I looked on the forums and found guides to texturing (which programs to use,  how to use them, etc.), so I can figure out how to change the look of ships.  But I've never been good at drawing and I want to know if that will hinder my attempt to texture the ships.

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scififan
dresda
Join Date 04/2009
+6
Reply #1 June 30, 2009 12:27:43 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

texturing isn't difficult.  basically, your ships look as good as you are an artist

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scififan
SZ0
Join Date 05/2008
+38
Reply #2 June 30, 2009 12:39:32 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Well I don't think you need quite the hand - eye co-ordination that a good painter has, however be prepaired to spend quite a bit of time and effort learning new skills with modeling and imaging programs. You will also need to incorperate your work into the game.

Wilst I'm no guiniuss, and not that experinced with computers, I've spent 100's of hrs. learning modeling and drafting and imaging programing techniques, and still yet to finish a model thats half decent, and that looks like the models that SoaSE has in it.

The people that created the models textures and so forth in this game I would deffinatly consider talented artists.

But really you should give it a go, see if you enjoy it. If you do, then it does'nt matter how good or how long it takes, you learn some techniques and may even go on to be quite good at it.

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scififan
StCobalt
Join Date 02/2008
+21
Reply #3 June 30, 2009 4:38:17 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

not really. texturing in general is reall basic. although the more time you put into it, the better it will look. you will have to learn a bit about UV maps or use the texture outlines already provided. it really depends on how detailed you want it. there are some great tutorials for making things like ship armor pannels and whatnot. just one thing to keep in mind is that you should not expect to get the same result as someone who spent a number of years doing it when your first start out.

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scififan
Lord_Tirian
Join Date 07/2008
+5
Reply #4 June 30, 2009 5:00:10 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Haven't done modelling for Sins, but I do model some stuff for Civ4 mods - and I'm a half-way decent artist with acrylics and good in the use of photoshop. When I took the plunge into modelling, I found that creating meshes is a completely different skill set, that drew more on spatial visualisation than anything else.

Texturing... benefits a bit from painting (because you have some feel for the colours and good blendings or patterns), benefits a lot from being proficient with photoshop/GIMP - but is also sort of a new thing.

Basically, it doesn't draw on the mechanical skills of arts, it's its own thing - having some experience with arts will help to get into it faster (because you can wrap your head around what looks good/bad more easily), but it's by no means a requirement.

So, just go ahead and try, you'll develop the necessary skills as you go along - and every model will be better than the last - just don't give up, if the first one or two aren't supergreat.

Cheers, LT.

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scififan
StCobalt
Join Date 02/2008
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Reply #5 June 30, 2009 5:09:39 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

ya. the real headach is modeling and creating uv maps really. but even that gets easyer after you sink a few hundred hours getting confortable and familier with the program you use for it.

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scififan
Major Stress
Join Date 05/2006
+161
Reply #6 June 30, 2009 5:44:39 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

You dont have to be an "artist" at all to learn how to model, and texture. I sure was no artist when i started. All you need is time, and the patience to learn the programs that are used. The patience is the most important part. If you are easily frustraited by setbacks, and you will have a lot of setbacks while you are learning, or are in a big hurry to get stuff done then modeling, and texturing may not be for you.

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scififan
Volt_Cruelerz
Join Date 06/2008
+115
Reply #7 June 30, 2009 1:55:53 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Yeah...  I am actually what one could call an artist (for whatever reason, it runs in my family), and yet I am horrible at GIMP and Photoshop.  If I had a pad, I would be fine (or I could steal my brother's, but he lives about 300 miles away...) but seeing as how I don't, I can't skin worth anything.  I just can't draw with a mouse...  Its just weird feeling...

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scififan
definitelynotme
Join Date 07/2008
+9
Reply #8 June 30, 2009 2:20:44 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

modeling for me came quite easily but I still have a hard time with texturing.

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scififan
SNeamtu
Join Date 05/2008
+1
Reply #9 July 4, 2009 5:27:43 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

You don't need to be an artist(believe me, I'm no artist) to texture or model.

Its more of, simply learning how to first use the programs, especially learning what you can do with them, and second experimenting and learning new techniques.

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