buenas noches! i want to create an elvira/waxworks like game.
1) my idea is to mix digicam-fotos with rendered graphics. probably i need a program like 3dmax, right?
2) in the end i want the result to have an "oldschool"-elvira/waxworks style. is there a photoshop filter available?
which programs could u recomend me?
3dmax is a powerful tool and very popular, but it's also quite heavy on the purse. There are many programs available for a few bucks or even free, and they're by no means less powerful, and 3DMax can be intimidating.
Cinema4D comes to mind, it is very good, has a great manual and is available on quite some cover CD's. It can do anything from architecture to organic modelling, and supports the 3dmax formats should you need to import them. I'm working with it for two years now and had no reason for complaint.
Truespace 3 is a free download , though not well suited for architecture (still worth a try if you wish a free prog that can teach you the basics).
Blender's free, too, and has a good quality, but a freaking interface.
At 3DAZ.COM you can get Bryce (landscape rendering) and DAZ (Poser clone) for free. I can recommend DAZ, it's a good start for character animation, though you must acutally purchase the models (most are cheap, six dollar for a model set).
Just bear in mind that a 3D-redering kit requires some getting used to; if you're a beginner, prepare for a learning curve, especially faces are pretty hard to do.
A good filter is Pixelate/Mosaic in PS; it creates a blockier image and is still fine enough to give you some detail. Or you could get EyeCandy, I think that there's a similar, but more flexible filter in there.
And heavens, don't just go for Elvira-Style. Bring that lady back to the screens !Ã, ;D
ghost, thanks for your reply.
1) i don't want to render faces, i will use modified digicam fotos. all i want is to render some scenes. is 3dsmax suitable for beginners to create scenes such as the catacombs of elvira1?
2) elvira will not participate in my project, she is just a big inspiration! the lady of my game will be a relative of elizabeth bathory, which seems more interesting to me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Bathory
but i¨ll change the location to an argentinean slum (because i live close to those places).
moreover, i participated in several history classes on witchhunting at the univeristy, so the game will have influences of the "hexenhammer" (the hammer of witches)
[/url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexenhammer[/url]
its a weird history mix, but as far as i elabortaed the story so far, it all fits quite well. i could also write a novel, but a game seems more interesting to me...
3ds is, in my opinion, not suitable for beginners at all, but that's obviously a biased opinion. First, 3ds takes a long time to learn, the interface is not intuitive and throws a lot of functions at a newcomer. If all you need is simple scenes, I once again recommend Cinema4D. If you've never used a 3d rendering software before, you will find it easier to learn AND later you will find it easier to step up to 3dmax. But then again, that's my opinion, and in fact I've seen absolute newcomers blasting through 3dsmax like a hot knife through butter.
In simple words, there's no end to the things 3dsmax can help you to achieve, but it doesn't create the art for you, it's a tool, and a very complicated one. There are simpler tools around that will serve you as well, especially since you're referring to a game that had not too complicated locations (architecture-wise).
QuoteAnd heavens, don't just go for Elvira-Style. Bring that lady back to the screens !
They did, and unfortunately Elvira's Haunted Hills was terrible ;(. As far as achieving graphics like Adventure Soft's (nods at Helm) I would be very interested to see the results as I am a great fan of their work from that period (when they were Horror Soft). What you might try is simply taking a photo and using the photoshop color reduce to bring it to 8-bit and then gradually lower the color count until it looks pixellated but still decent. I'm reasonably sure that many of the images in Elvira, etc, were painted over by hand though or simply drawn from references.
If you want 3ds max, go with max.
It's suitable for almost anything. Point is, we have only one life, and if every moment you spend on learning 3D software counts. If you spend it on best program, you spend it in best way.
Same goes with money... why buy lot of weaker programs if you can make one invest?
Max has millions of functions, which really works similar to Photoshop; overwhelming possibilities leave you very confused at first. Then again, the insane amount of tutorials on the web will help you out.
Good-looking catacomb modelling isn't hard at all, if you have decent system and learn to use bump and displacement maps quickly. There's a game level making plugin for 3ds max, which makes everything insanely simple..
http://www.maple3d.com/MainFrameScriptsPage.htm
How about Blender? I don't have any experience with 3D programs, but since Blender is Open Source and free (and available on a variety of operating systems), it would probably be my first choice. Anyone actually have any experience with it?
I have. It's good- the results look good and the renderer is quite fast, but the interface is bearable ONLY if you have a DOS background.
I agree with InCreator that max is the best, or at least among the best, rendering programs. The reference to PS is a valid one. But using a simpler or cheaper program isn't wasted time IMO. When you're a beginner, even learning to navigate such a prog can be challenging, and having a motherload of features can, then, be intimidating.
One thing's for sure, the sky's the limit for a skilled maxer.