Scaleform

(Scaleform implemented in engine)

We wanted to have a go at implementing a main menu screen in our project, so started looking into Scaleform.  This involved using Photoshop and Flash to produce suitable assets for it, as well as researching how Scaleform works with CryEngine.

The documentation on the Crydev website didn't quite cover everything we needed, so we had to look elsewhere.  We found a video covering implementing the engine side of things by bazmod.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rDfzDMKFnQ

Rather than use Flash shapes as buttons, we wanted to use our own artwork.  All of the images were made to the power of two so the engine has no problems using them.  It used ActionScript 2.0, as the engine uses a slightly older version of Scaleform.  The Start button plays a cutscene showing the reconstructed Stonehenge as described in the library map.

It works well and gives the level a more professional finish.

Stonehenge Restored

This is our first video showing the restored Stonehenge environment.  We've worked hard to reach this milestone and are now working on our second map.

Everything is much bigger in scale than in real-life, so being able to use 3D objects for the grass meant we were able to reinforce how small the player character will be.  We're also happy with how it looks in motion, with grass and flowers moving in the wind.

There scene itself is not completely finished, so the final game's version will most likely have a few new additions.

Assets and Level of Detail

I've fallen a bit behind in with all this blogging, so I've decided the next couple of entries will bring everything up-to-date.  Starting with assets.

(the stones with added normal maps)

The stones that make up Stonehenge are the most obvious assets in our first map, so they needed to look good.  In saying that, the amount of detail that could be added to them was limited because we wanted to re-use the same models (one model for the stones that make up the outside ring, one for the inside etc).  Any obvious changes in detail would look a bit silly if it was repeated on all of the stones.

As a result we used a standard stone effect, which was achieved using Mudbox.  Normal maps were produced from the high poly models and baked onto the low poly versions.  A diffuse texture has been produced for these assets since.

The UV maps for all of the assets produced so far have been made with as few separate islands as possible.  The stones mentioned above are made of a single piece, as well as the grass also seen in the image.

The reason we are being so careful with the UV's on the grass is because they are 3D models rather than just sprites, meaning they will have a high number drawcalls,as well as having a high poly count on screen.  We want them run smoothly in engine, as well as look good.

(using debug mode to view LOD's and poly count)

To ensure that we can use higher poly models, we have been making use of LOD's (level of detail), so that assets being shown further away are less taxing on the scene.  We have worked hard to ensure that the transition between each LOD is smooth with no obvious popping.  Using the debug mode in CryEngine we were able to view when LOD's changed in the editor.

All of this is for one of the maps.  Thankfully we can use some of them in the other maps too, so production should speed up a little bit now.

British Library Maps

The whole point of the competition is to create something in CryEngine 3 using the maps provided by the British Library.  These ranged from maps based on London in 1667 to those based on the Pyramids.

We considered various maps and scenarios but eventually settled on Stonehenge.  Particularly the 'Stonehenge Restored by Inigo Jones' map, which provided measurements of various elements we could use.

(Above is the map we have decided to use for our entry)

Though the competition doesn't state what the entry needs to be, we have decided to make a game and use the map in as many ways as possible, not just for the environmental layout.