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--PolyWorld-- Low Poly Toolkits and More!

Discussion in 'Assets and Asset Store' started by QuantumTheory, Apr 9, 2014.

?

Would you consider purchasing prefab PolyWorld scenes, crafted by me, and published in the store?

Poll closed Aug 18, 2015.
  1. Yes, only if they are budgeted for performance, utilize existing packages, and have enough variety.

    4 vote(s)
    44.4%
  2. No, I just want new packs.

    5 vote(s)
    55.6%
  1. p6r

    p6r

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    WOW ! I like your plugin.
    I'm always happy to see something's different.
    The scene and the modified objects are great. Very nice effect !!!
    6R
     
  2. Azaphrael

    Azaphrael

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    I have NO idea, man. I didn't even understand half of what you just wrote. :D

    See, I am no shader programmer. This will always be a book with seven seals for me. I just figured I could use Polyworld's shaders on every model, because it would save on draw calls.
    Then I noticed, that I'd have to recolor most of the models for this to work, because it makes some colors so freaking bright. But according to what I understand of what you wrote, then I might have to check the ambient light color setting and maybe use a skybox (we don't use one, as we wanted to have straight lines on the horizon. So we're using an inverted halo that is fixed to and moves with the camera).

    Hell, it would have never occurred to me shaders could calculate lighting based on a skybox that doesn't even exist. o_O

    Well, if the other vertex shaders output the vertex colors as an emissive color - and I guess they do - then yes, it seems to be brighter by a good amount.

    On a side note, I'd love to have a vertex color transparent shader that culls the back faces. Maybe I'll put up a week of work that it would take me to modify an existing shader. :p
     
    Last edited: Jun 13, 2014
  3. RC-1290

    RC-1290

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    Sorry, I estimated what you knew based on your previous post ;).

    Basically it comes down to:
    There's more light falling on the objects, because it uses a cubemap for ambient lighting ('IBL' stands for Image Based Lighting), in stead of the standard ambient light color.

    You could reduce the brightness of your scene lights, if all your materials use image based lighting, or you can change "IBL brightness" on the material to a lower value.
     
  4. Azaphrael

    Azaphrael

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    Yeah, I'll just play around a little to see what I can achieve.

    But thank you for the informations. :)
     
  5. QuantumTheory

    QuantumTheory

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    By defaut, no IBL cubemap is specified in the material, so under the hood it probably uses "white." The IBL intensity is set to 1 by default, so that would explain why things are so bright. Set it to 0 with no cubemap and you should have standard, flat Unity lighting.
     
    Azaphrael likes this.
  6. QuantumTheory

    QuantumTheory

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    If all you want is a tool to fill a mesh with a color, then have it randomly vary in brightness across all the triangles, I can do that. I'll add it to the mesh script.
     
  7. XavLar

    XavLar

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    Will the mesh script be added to the current PolyWorld asset?
     
  8. Azaphrael

    Azaphrael

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    That is exactly what I need. Would be cool if the range of brightness could be specified.

    Thank you very much!! :D
     
  9. p6r

    p6r

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    +1 for this very useful mesh script !!!
    6R
     
  10. Azaphrael

    Azaphrael

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  11. QuantumTheory

    QuantumTheory

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    Honestly, this is a point that I've been struggling with and would appreciate input from everyone:

    I'd like to do tons of future PolyWorld packs like Industrial, Scifi/Starship Interior,Rivendell, Pirate/Galleon, Steampunk, Midwest, etc. The issue is that if I release the script free, it may reduce the demand for these new packs since you can almost make these from pre-existing packs of the same genre.On the other hand, offering it as a free update creates alot of goodwill and buzz. So I may do one of the following:

    1. Offer the Mesh/Character conversion script in the store as a separate purchase.
    2. Include it in the Packs for free.
    3. Include character conversion the packs for free but have Prop conversion as a separate purchase.

    Now I know most of you will choose #2, but try to think about it in terms of the future. PolyWorld can have a ton of new themes going on for it which, in turn, can expand your world and inspire new game ideas. Another downside to #2 is that it makes updating the script difficult since I'll have to update every single pack which includes it.

    I appreciate the feedback!
     
  12. Azaphrael

    Azaphrael

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    I highly doubt that every model will look good if you apply the script to it.
    Unless that script is also capable of doing a bit of subdivision on the mesh.
     
    Last edited: Jun 13, 2014
  13. p6r

    p6r

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    #2 is better because as Azaphrael says some meshes will not look good and we wil have to try with this or that one.
    AND you increase the price of the package when released !!!

    This mesh script and your words on this forum about this mesh script were the reason I bought it : to be able to create my own Polymeshes to improve MY worlds...
    Then with our results and screenshots or videos we could make advertisement for your plugin to attract new customers at this higher price !

    And why not sell your own polymeshes too in other packages !?! If they are great you will attract customers too !!!
    6R
     
  14. lazygunn

    lazygunn

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    Hello again, this is lovely and is a great fit for an idea im working on that would use both a regular terrain shaded with RTP and if i could generate this style of terrain from that in realtime more or less that would be great. The thing with realtime being, in my idea atm which can be subject to change, and im just guessing at current functionality, the terrain is randomly generated every 20 minutes, as part of that generation, holes are cut out of the terrain to be filled with voxel terrain that can be manipulated in a more significant way than the regular terrain. The regular terrain should still be able to be edited in realtime however and wondered if this would be able to offer that similar functionality. This would match the source terrain, including holes cut (RTP provides a way to cut holes based on any part of the colourmap's alpha channel that is black, i think), and deform the terrain in the same way

    Effectively the polyworld terrain is an 'alternate reality' version of the base terrain with it just as mouldable - this could definitely go for the voxel terrain and maybe even various features of the landscape too if fast enough. If it's up to all that i could definitely be interested in a buy sooner rather than later but i do figure i'll pick it up at some point anyway, its lovely
     
  15. RC-1290

    RC-1290

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    Yeah, I think you could probably compare it to Shader Forge. It's great for prototypes, but it is still possible to make improvements by rebuilding it by hand. It's not quite QT-ent AAA-quality ;).

    I do think it makes sense to provide the scripts as separate assets. Or perhaps as part of the base PolyWorld asset.
     
  16. QuantumTheory

    QuantumTheory

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    Hi lazygunn,

    Sorry, but the generation is currently too slow for realtime and isn't setup for that. To do any of this in realtime would require replacing the terrain system with my own solution.
     
  17. RC-1290

    RC-1290

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    Or writing a C++ plugin that switches the graphics pipeline to flat shading. Not trivial.
    (And that would require Unity Pro)
     
  18. lazygunn

    lazygunn

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    Just out of curiosity, would you be able to say how quick it is in a general sense? I just ask because i'd still find it very useful if it only had to be generated once every 20-30 minutes in-game, a lot of things would be regenerated here so it's understandable to take a little while anyway
     
  19. QuantumTheory

    QuantumTheory

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    Currently, the time it takes depends on the size of the terrain, the density, and the hardware that's generating it. My desktop at home is a mid to high range and it takes 2-3 seconds for a 200x200m terrain with .5m quads. I can set that quad size higher with the Polyworld detail setting and it goes faster.
     
  20. Silly_Rollo

    Silly_Rollo

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    I'd go with 1. It also lets you know where your future development efforts should go based upon purchases. You could also offer it as a one time download for early bird purchasers who send you their invoice number. Behavior Designer did that recently with his add on movement packs.

    I say this as someone who hasn't bought the asset yet I've just been watching it closely as I dig the style and I'm looking forward to playing around with it in the future sometime.
     
  21. red2blue

    red2blue

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    Hi Azaphrael,

    thanks for your help and your thoughts. This will help me a lot to make clear if this asset suits me or not. I will have a deeper look into vertex coloring and importing from blender. This all sounds very solid to me. So thanks again for your detailed answere and sugesstens.

    Cheers!
     
  22. XavLar

    XavLar

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    I am voting #2, because if the script is sold seperately, people can just buy the script at a lower cost and then convert their 3rd party terrain meshes to PolyWorld and they will not be as willing to buy your packs.

    Also, just bought Polyworld! can't wait for future developments!
     
  23. p6r

    p6r

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    I agree with _Spanda_.

    And don't forget : The package is called "Polyworld", not "Polyterrain".
    So, it will be perfect if all the scripts are in the package.
    Again, simply increase the price of the package when the mesh script has been added...

    Sure YOU are the author and YOU will decide what and how to do...
    Within or out of the package the mesh script is necessary for the project your great Polyworld inspired me. My first tests are great but all is unuseful without the mesh script...
    I can't send you every model I would like to "polysh" !?! :)
    And you never can "polysh" all models customers need !?! :confused:

    6R
     
  24. Tiny-Tree

    Tiny-Tree

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    Would vote for option 2 : polywolrd main package with conversion script as you advertised early and that the reason why many people bought it,
    Then you can create addon themed props/environment pack sold separetly without terrain and prop conversion scripts
     
  25. Mad_Fox

    Mad_Fox

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    Like Damien or p6rsay, i would go for option 2, i already buy the asset and i would like a conversion script as advertised.
     
  26. QuantumTheory

    QuantumTheory

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    Almost ready :)

    After sqaushing some bugs, here is some sample output of the converter. The model on the right is the source prefab which in its hierarchy has two SkinnedMeshes and several standard meshes. All you need to do is drag your prefab in the scene, select its root, and hit the convert button. The bottom pic was caught during their walk cycle.

    The "Brighten By Color" will take the color you choose and add it to the vertex colors. Useful when you want to brighten the base vertex colors. The Main Color swatch in the material is also usable.

    No tweaks to coloring has been made in these shots. This is just raw output.

    You'll notice the plate on his chest is brown in the source but blue in the faceted version. This is because of where the UVs lie; They're right on top of bluish pixels in the diffuse texture which are hard to see in these shots, but they are there. You can easily fix this by just painting the brown color in the diffuse texture, then regenerating. Or, using brown in the material color swatch.
     
  27. p6r

    p6r

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    Fantastic !!!
    Can't wait...

    6R
     
  28. Mad_Fox

    Mad_Fox

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    That's Really nice. i like the low poly model better than the Hi-poly one, great work!
     
    Bullets42 likes this.
  29. RC-1290

    RC-1290

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    How does your script look up the textures to use for the vertex colors? Would it be possible to apply texture filtering, and/or look at high MIPmap levels, in stead of point sampling?

    Also, does the conversion script take existing splits into account when placing vertices and determining vertex colors?
     
  30. ecurtz

    ecurtz

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    This looks great! You might be able to fix the pixel sampling by just going down to the next mipmap level.
     
  31. burtonposey

    burtonposey

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    My vote is for #2. I think that these things already go hand-in-hand and it only sweetens the deal for people. Having one product that does it all feels like more of a value for people sitting on the fence. When you have a sale on Unity's Asset Store, you might only get one product featured at a time. So when you do get it up in the "bright lights" you're offering the combined value of both facets of what I personally feel one product and you'll likely get more buys and it's under one product. It's a lot like MegaShapes. Chris West just keeps adding in bells and whistles under the one package. He's not charging for the extra pieces he's adding in months and years later. He's just sweetening the deal to attract more people off of the fence.

    I guess the only other feedback I'd give is if you do keep them separate, I'd maybe make a more concerted effort to show the terrain without the props as it might be a bit misleading.

    I'm going to be messing with Polyworld for the first time this weekend. Really looking forward to digging in and seeing what I can come up with! Regardless of what you do, keep up the great work! Take care
     
  32. QuantumTheory

    QuantumTheory

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    These are good suggestions. At high mips, there isn't much meaningful difference between bilinear and point filtering results. Changing the mip levels to low values, then choosing the filtering method yields a more noticeable difference.

    The initial renders from a few posts above are 1024x1024 point filtered. Here, the colors are more gradual while the point filtered hi-res is more varied. I would say point filtering is probably the most accurate color reproduction, so you'd probably want to use it for things like faces or when you want that color contrast. But if the contrast is too much, go with Bilinear. At any rate, I'll include both approaches

    Regarding splits, yes it takes it into account. Look at the neck. His body is one mesh but has splits.

    Thanks for the suggestions!

    * GetPixels() is giving me problems, so I'll have to experiment more.
     
    RC-1290 likes this.
  33. QuantumTheory

    QuantumTheory

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    Update:

    • Support for a selection of prefabs is in. Convert a whole bunch of stuff in on click.
    • "Brighten by Color" takes the base diffuse and adds a chosen color to the vertex colored result. Helpful when the colors come out too dark.
    • "Alternate Coloring" turns Bilinear Filtering on and off.
    • "Blur Amount" allows you to choose the top mip, middle mip, or the last mip.
    • Tons of error checks.
    • Quick help window in the tool.
     
  34. soapOD

    soapOD

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    Fantastic, work, QT; really amazing. I'm looking forward to your continued progress!
     
  35. QuantumTheory

    QuantumTheory

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    It's coming this week :D

    Here's a quick example video using that dragon:

     
    RC-1290, MinhDao and jmjd like this.
  36. MinhDao

    MinhDao

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    Hi, It looks fantastic!
    Can you release poly mesh script in a separate pack with new price? I think many people like me need only poly mesh script and some small demo!
     
  37. Tiny-Tree

    Tiny-Tree

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    thats wonderful that script is probably the best one of the assets store, you should sell it at 200 $ now! ( i already bought it haha)
     
  38. p6r

    p6r

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    Very inspiring... I need it ! I need it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I think it must be within the package because the whole package will be the best one and the most creative one !!!
    6R
     
  39. Mad_Fox

    Mad_Fox

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    Hi, i have a question for the upcoming "Polyworld Mesh", this plugin actually reduce polygons of my meshes like the terrain plugin? or only break the vertices and give the "faceted" look with the baked custom vertex shader? Thanks!
     
  40. burtonposey

    burtonposey

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    The mesh aspect is coming along very well and looks great. I started a prototype with the terrain stuff this weekend.

    Think I'm going to need to write a tool to line up terrain edges nicely with one another, but that's no fault of PolyWorld at all. Anyone know of a tool that does that already? So if you had two terrains butting up against one another, the verts would line up, either via giving one terrain edge priority, or by way of an average.

    Update: Found this on the Asset Store. Only $5 and seems to do what I am looking for. Will report back when I give it a whirl.
     
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2014
  41. canibecooltoo

    canibecooltoo

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    Wow thats looks very nice whens The script coming im rdy to buy
     
  42. QuantumTheory

    QuantumTheory

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    This script facets the mesh at its current triangle count. It doesn't do reduction. If that's what you need, I think there are a couple polygon reducers in the store, most notably SimplyGon.
     
  43. QuantumTheory

    QuantumTheory

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    I think you're referring to StitchScape. Post a screenshot of two PolyWorld terrains merged when you get one ;)
     
  44. burtonposey

    burtonposey

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    Yea I was. Sorry, didn't get much sleep before yesterday.

    Here's the link for anyone interested. https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/en/#!/content/83

    Got caught up on sleep last night, so I'll probably mess around with it. I think this solution might require some finesse on the part of the user. It's either all or nothing and there's no averaging done across terrain edge data. Maybe I can figure out how to build something if this one's lacking. Not my forte, but I definitely know conceptually what's in there, just not how to build a plugin, ;)
     
  45. im

    im

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    @QT

    when do you think that the update containing the script for converting meshes be available in the unity asset store?
     
  46. gilley033

    gilley033

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    Been playing around with this for the last day or so. This is probably the best looking world I've created so far. It's not necessarily playable, as the ground needs to be smoothed out (at least in some places), but as a test, I'm fairly happy with it.

    polyWorld.png

    This is a 2048 x 2048 (with 1024 height) terrain (2048/9 resolutions) generated in World Machine. I have attempted to segregate the colors (i.e., there is very little mixing between them, except for the grass), as personally I think the results look better once the terrain has been converted to a PolyWorld.

    The world was generated at 1/8 the resolution of the original terrain.

    What do you guys think? Any suggestions? This is an early prototype, but so far I'm very exciting about the Poly World possibilities.
     
  47. Yamo

    Yamo

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    Hi, great asset I'm glad I picked it up. I noticed that the terrain files that go through the polyworld plugin get turned into .asset files. Would it be possible to have an option to keep them as .fbx so that we can do some post editing on them? Thanks
     
  48. MinhDao

    MinhDao

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    Will it be released in this week? Waiting! Waiting!
     
  49. im

    im

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    great idea!

    check the web there probably some script u can use to automate it

    perhaps op could add fbx checkbox to his terrain generator and also to upcoming mesh generator

    id fbx is not possible then some other format like obj would be ok the thing is to be able to save in a format that some external mesh editor can use

    in case someone is interested here is a way to export obj from unity

    mesh to obj
    http://wiki.unity3d.com/index.php?title=ObjExporter

    terrain to obj
    http://wiki.unity3d.com/index.php?title=TerrainObjExporter
     
    Last edited: Jun 25, 2014
  50. im

    im

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    re: the mesh script

    it should be included as with the terrain script as part of polyworld asset

    if u like the terrain script and the mesh script can also be bundled and old separately without them having to buy polyworld

    you should also see asset packs for polyworld u create with the scripts

    for example

    polyworld $50 includes the scripts, documentation, demo scenes, base asset pack

    mesh and terrain scripts $25 are just the script and documentation but not demo scene and no base asset pack

    then u could have bunch of asset packs at different price ranges

    base asset pack (for thos who bought the scripts separately
    skybox asset pack
    terrain asset pack
    town asset pack
    city asset pack
    interiors asset pack
    props asset pack
    ect

    also u could have polyworld complete which gives u verying at some discounted price

    or asset pack bundle which give people who bought polyworld the asset packs

    anyways here is my idea

    i get the first $1B for my retirement in Hawaii for coming up with the idea...