VFS Box art shots

Currently printed on standard quality paper, the end result will hopefully look a lot nicer.

(WIP) - Tutorial Finale

Here guys a quick vid of the level showing its environment, I think its pretty much done now bar a few entity / objective issues.

(WIP) - Tutorial

Here's a video of the final part of the tutorial, I've tried to make this as much as an actual level as possible since I did'nt do the Petrol Station and at least this one is decent!

(Update) - Fire Extinguisher

Since numerous groups are learning how to implement the fire extinguisher in their mod, we're all going to end up with the same models! however this is no longer an issue:



As you can see from the picm our extinguisher now has a custom feature and has been repositioned for better viewing!

(WIP) - Tutorial

Hey guys heres a clip of the tutorial level I've made so far, I've only covered the weapons so far so theres room for more i.e. Rescuing Survivors etc

(WIP) - Tunnel

Practically the finished tunnel environment bar a few minor edits, such as fire density and damage.

Annoucement, New Arrival!

Here are a few pic's of my new son Vernon Jnr, xD

Here's where i'm currently at, need to throw in more statics still to fill up the shelves and furnish the rooms, shouldnt take long

(WIP) - Content Screenshots

Heres a few screenshots to accompany the video I previously posted since it was pretty bad quality:

(WIP) - Fire Axe

This new weapon was rather quick to prepare for our mod, the only problem I had was messed up animations (again), however I soon resolved this. The end result was an impressive set of smooth animations, alongside a new texture to fit the mod (since the old one had blood on it), enjoy!

Just an update showing I've got something and am actually contributing, a quick screenshot of my level in progress, more to come as the weekend progresses

(WIP) - 3D Background

Here's a quick background I threw together, I presonaly think this one is superior to the previous one, simply due to the fact it has our logo on-screen and a Firean that looks around!



Sorry for the very short clip, just keep pressing refresh! :D

(WIP) - House level

Here is a brief walkthrough of the House environment for VFS. It is currently waiting for a number of models to be converted over to use within the product, as many that are available within HL2 are unsuitable for this particular environment.

Noticeably there is no fire triggers, these have been saved into test maps and await being placed into the environment once I’m one hundred percent satisfied with it.

(WIP) - Mod & View Model

Here's a screenshot of the finished view model and an icon to accompany it!

Todo - Vern

Fix weapon_extinguisher collision model (Currently floats) DONE
Fix Fireman's hand rigging (if noticable in-game)
Unwrap view model & Fireman if required
Create a defualt position for the Fireman view model for all the animations DONE
Create / Fix the accompanying animations for the Extinguisher DONE
Finish Petrol Station (low priority) EXCLUDED

(WIP) - View Model

After hours of trail and error I finally managed to get a working view model in-game, at the moment it only has an idle animation and the model itself needs re-positiioning etc. The next step to a more immersive experience has been taken!



Next step is to determine the best position for the arm geometry and then apply this to the rest of the animations, then

(WIP) - View Model

After a quick attempt at creating a new view model for the fire extinguisher this is how far I got.



The textures need re-allpying to the weapon and then new animations baked, then it should be ready.

(WIP) - Fireman

After collaborating with Rob we've finally got a fully textured and working in-game Fireman NPC with a working world and player Fire Extinguisher, heres the video of our efforts.

WIP - (Fire-Fighter)

The Fire Fighter texture is practically finished - unless the model goes through an update. I had a few issues regarding the UV mapping and there are a few glitches but they are not too noticeable.

WIP - (MP Client)

One of our secret surprises, multiplayer connectively, has ran into a few hurdles. The video below depicts a few issues.



Problem lies somewhere with the configuration of the weapon/mp compatibility. The extinguisher sprite fires for all the weapons, not just the one firing, with no effect on surroundings.

I hope that tonight the team will be able to determine the right course of action in regards to these issues and how it affects the project.

WIP - (Fireman)

Below is a video showing the custom Fire fighter I modelled and creating into an NPC using the same technique I used with BoxMan from the earlier posts. Addtionally This video also demonstrates another feature which was initially unplanned which is custom NPC weaponary.



Next step is to fix stray vertexes currently invisible in the video above, and then either myself or Rob will attempt to unwrap him so he's ready to be textured.

WIP - (Fireman)

Below is a render of the finished Fireman, Its not too differnet from the Half Life model I used however its more than good enough for use within our assignment.



Next I need to Rig him properly, give him weight etc and create the collision model version of him, also he needs to be unwrapped so that Rob can texture him, then he'll be ready for use in-game.

WIP - (Tunnel Level)

WIP - (Flashover)

An example/test of a flashover event within the Source engine.
The side of the corridor is intentionally removed for this demonstration.

WIP - (NPC Prototype)

This is the final stage of prototyping for our custom NPC BoxMan, in the video below I have replaced the Barney NPC with this new one allowing him to attack enemies.



Also if you didnt notice the long spikey thing on BoxMan from the previous video is fixed! (Was down to a weight problem)

Next step is to start on the Fireman since BoxMan is complete and was a success!

WIP - (NPC Prototype)

Continuing from the previous post... I re-rigged the character model I had (also known as BoxMan) to work better within the Source engine evironment, the results are more than satisfactory.



Next step is to finish of the Fireman I've allready half modelled and then put him through the same steps to get him in the game too.

WIP - (NPC Prototype)

Here's another update of our beloved BoxMan, he is now an NPC in-game. At this current stage he does nothing but face the player, but at least we're getting their as the video below demonstates.



Next thing todo is to learn how to add animations to him so we can make him walk & run etc.

WIP - (NPC Prototype)

After a very long time researching how to create NPC's for Source games I came across a tutorial that helps you create a ragdoll. Ragdolls are the first step in creating custom NPC's for use within the game, so I decided to follow it and try a prototype model.

A few days later and lots of hours here is the end result...



The next step is to actually see if we can make him an NPC within the game instead of a "prop_ragdoll". Also FYI if you guys want this model is ready for use within game, I have no idea how you could implement such a model but hey he's yours for the taking! You could make a mod! attack of the squared men featuring yours truely... BoxMan! :D

P.S. The post count is 15 / 12 to Me! whoop I win

WIP - (Fireman)

Below is a video I took of the Fireman model I semi-created, I basically attached the mask and helmet etc to a pre-existing Half Life 2 model (thanks to Rob). Then I took this video to demonstrate that the model is attached correctly to the bones and ready to animate as and when required, thanks and enjoy.



P.S. The music is a Sonic 3 remix I was listening too and just got carried away with Fraps, lol.

WIP - (House Level)

The house level is finally taking shape. I took time this week to nail down the dimensions of the rooms in correspondence with the Visio plans recorded in the design document.

In the image below shows the top down view of the house along with the original Visio plans and an in-game screenshot highlighting correct dimensions and a bit of decor.

WIP - (Fire Engine)

Hey I made progress on my Fire Engine! I reverted to a previous version I created a while back.
I managed to lower the models poly count to 2091 from over 4000 and it also renders now without any problems in max that is. I also figured out why the model had invisible faces in-game... it was due to the command "$translucent" I over looked in the .vmt's for the textures of the model (Don't laugh), heres the end result:



Also even though the model now "works" it now needs a more detailed collision model so that the player can jump inside it etc and also it needs a texture unwrap.

P.S. 2091 polys is acceptable for this model since its only going to appear once or twice, 3 times tops in any given level.

WIP - (Models)

After reading up on various modelling articles I decided to see if I could make / remember how to get a model into Source from scratch. I decided to use the Fire Helmet from the Fireman I posted about the other day, heres the results:

Model Viewer -


Hammer -


In-game -


P.S. The Helemt is to scale! also only thing I need to work on is UVW Unwrapping otherwise the textures on custom models tile over and over.

Also the model pictured above is a physics model! as mentioned in the previous post it is as simple as recompiling the model with 1 additional line of code to make it a static object.

Modelling Info

After doing more research I finally found a site on approprite modelling practices for games, and it actually gives you rough polygon estimates! for example:

Small Objects: 200-300 Polys
(Items that appear frequently but require no major detail)

Medium Objects: 700-900 Polys
(For items that only occur a few times)

Large Objects: 1500-2000 Polys
(Items that are infrequent but require alot of detail)

Special Objects: 2000-4000
(Special objects or colossal structures)

Weaponary: 1000-3500
(This includes the arm geometry)

For the full article head over to here http://www.interlopers.net/tutorials/3959.

Custom Models Note!

After doing a little more research I found out how to make custom models work as static props! it's all down to the .qc file. If anyone decides to try their hand at this all you gotta do is add "$staticprop" (without the quotes) to the command list and viola!

Also if any of you guys require any models nows about the time you should be telling me so I can get them out of the way.

P.S. Ben / Julian, read / post on the blog!

- Vern

Notes for realistic mapping scale

# The height of a wall within a common building i.e. a house should be 128 hl2 units high to prevent the player feeling claustrophobic.

# Width and height of the common door within hl2 is 48 x 108 inside and 56 x 112 on the outside (including frame.)

These sizes and more, including counter size and ladders can be found as textures under “dev”

WIP - (Fireman)

Heres a sneak peak at the Fire man I decided to start working on, bear in mind i didnt make the *human* model I'm just using it as a scale reference. Once the appropriate Items have been created these can then be placed on a relevant player model and edited as needed.

Shot 1:


Shot 2:


I would have done the oxygen tank but its late so I figured I'd just show what I have so far, hope you guys like it.

WIP - (Models)

After all the tideous teething problems I had getting models in Source I finally made a break through, originally I had models in the game but with no textures. Next I got models in Source with textures but they would be invisible, now without further adieu I present an in-game working (fully textured) model!



Now let the back patting commence!

P.S. The problem was down to how I was implementing this particular model in-game, some models won't show if set to a static entity, this came to me whilst we was watching the progress presentations and I realised the errors of my way.

WIP - (Fire Truck)

After many many nights of trial and error I've finally managed to get the Fire Truck model fully textured within the game engine, however due to computer limitations at the moment I can't test it in-game. Even so the model should work now without problems since the model appears within the external model browser (If there was an error of some sort it would be visible (or invisible in some cases)).



Additionally, the model has a graphical error, I don't know wether or not it's down to the 3D modelling program or the process which enables its use within the game. If you look at the screenshot closely you can see that the model has invisible sides making the interior visible, further testin will have to be done to fix this.

- Vern

WIP - (Character)

Last week we managed to extract the needed files from Half-life 2 in order to alter/change character models and general appearances. This week we have a fully retextured character in the appropriate fire-fighter attire. Over the coming weeks, this character should evolve to include additional models to further the authenticity.



Useful links:
#New model from scratch: http://www.fpsbanana.com/tuts/6766

#New textures for existing models without using 3dsmax: http://www.fpsbanana.com/tuts/8003

#Re-compiling models with new textures: http://www.fpsbanana.com/tuts/7971

WIP - (Fire Truck)

Here is a quick update of a particular peice of content crucial to our assignment.

NOTE: Click the images for a larger view

Screenshot 1 (Begining):


Screenshot 2 (Rendered):


Screenshot 3 (Textured):


As you can see from the screenshots its a very basic Fire Truck for use within our mod, the final textured version needs to be retextured thens its ready to be imported into the game.

Research

*EDIT: The third link goes into great depth on "replacing" Source NPC's

Ok my computer is still broken, however I've managed to do some research, the first link is a tutorial I found on how to edit/create your own HL2 MP character models. The second link is to the Missing Information mod homepage, so check them out if you like.

Model Tutorial
Missing Information
Replacing NPCs

Content Update

I know this is not an actual task as of yet, however I've started work on the creation of my particular scenario within the Source Engine. It's far from finished, at the moment is a basic gas pump thats on fire.


(Sorry for the huge image! click it for a better view)

If compared to various images within the design document you can see that it's pretty much identical and not to different from the original plans / concept.

The environment is very dark, too dark infact but that's what I wanted it to be like, this enables the flames to illuminate the surrounding area. Also I will be adding emergency vechiles with flashing lights to brighten up the scene.

Progress Update

Everything is completed to a satisfactory standard, the only thing left is to do another iteration of my scenario plan, detailing events etc.

Also a note for Rob: I don't know if you've done it yet but we need a design for the MOD's load up screen, and / or main menu. If you like I can do a quick sketch as I have an idea of how it could look.

Addtionally I will have the plans you require for tomorrow, thanks.

- Vern

Week 3a Tasks

Completion of the design document

General:
Annotations of maps

Technical research
#Working equipment
#3Dsmax09 .mdl importer
#Condition scripting
#Restricting character selection
#Creation of NPC

Rob:
#Inclusion of the house scenario
#Final logo/branding design

Ben:
#Concept Art of tunnel
#Converting sketch of blueprint to Visio

Vern:
#Plans to Visio

Julian:
#Complete scenario
#Concept art/storyboards
#Blueprints
#Scenario write-up

WIP Report: WK2b Summary

Most of the design document has been completed; a few more designs are required for completion.
Julian was absent with pinkeye and is expected to submit his work sometime over the weekend.

Week 2b Tasks

This week signals the construction of the design document, the task for the majority of the team is to convert the research of real-life fire incidents into game scenarios for VFS.

This will entail a background of the scenario, a detailed briefing with information regarding environment, list of equipment that the player will have access to, any NPCs that are to be included, any custom meshes that need to be created and the win/lose conditions of the scenario.

Accompanying the scenario section should be an environment layout/blueprint, storyboards, walkthrough and if time permits concept art.

Just to specify who is doing what:

Ben – Scenario Design
Julian – Scenario design
Rob – Design Document, UI design
Vern – Scenario design, Avatar/character design, equipment

WIP Report: WK2a Summary

Everyone managed to gather sufficient information regarding real-life fire incidents including building layouts. This research will prove invaluable in the coming days, aiding in the construction of the design document.

Week 2a Tasks

Research into real-world fire incidents, each member of the team must find at least one location with blueprints/map layout and information as to how the fire started, how it spread, personnel on site and any additional information
Locations:

#Domestic home (house, shed, garage) - Rob
#Petrol station - Vern
#Warehouse – Julian
#Construction site or Tunnel crash - Ben

This research will eventually be turned into playable scenarios for VFS.

Features

Here is the list of features that we hope to achieve with VFS:

Environment
Utilising the Source Engine, VFS aims to recreate many different scenarios based upon real-world fire incidents, brining the user as close as possible to the event without the risk involved in simulating fire drills.

Simulated Flashovers
Flashover risks implemented to instil a sense of caution into the user, accurately simulating one of the most dangerous aspects of fire fighting.

Teamwork
Multiple client connectivity allows the trainees to function as a group as if in a real situation, prompting teamwork and tactics.

Fires
Simulation of Fires and the many different types of fires is at the heart of VSF, imitating how real fires would behave in specified situations including Flammable solids, liquid based fires, electrical firs and flammable metals.

Dynamic Hazards
Scripted events to alter the play-through experience depending upon user interaction ensure that a scenario has multiple directions facilitating different training methods.

Hint Station
Advice from professional fire fighters regarding tactics and equipment is available via the recreated Fire station.

After Action Review
A score sheet, assessing the users’ performance in terms of goals attained and time taken to complete/ fail the simulation.

WIP Report: WK1a Summary

All tasks that were set out, have been completed to a satisfactory level; research documented now covers information including various fire types and classifications, a comprehensive list of all the equipment and attires a firelighter uses, as well as firehouse training and tactics.

Analysis, comparing two of the most popular game engines was also concluded, stating that Valve’s Source engine is better matched to the teams needs due to ease of modifying and a greater amount of attainable documentation regarding modding the game.

Week 1a Tasks

Ample research must first occur in order to aid in the development of VFS, to make it as realistic and believable as possible while assuring that the goals of the team are attainable.

Technology (Rob):
Investigating which game engine is best suited to VFS’s needs.
#The player must be able to extinguish fire
#Fire must be able to spread
#Fire able to harm the player

Equipment (Vern):
Detailed research and images of fire fighter’s equipment.
#How it works
#Video and Images
#Attire

Training (Ben):
Documentation and media of training routines performed by real firemen.
#Rules/procedure fire fighters must abide to
#Scenarios used in training
#Video and images

Environment (Julian):
Research into typical environments and hazards firefighters encounter.
#Types of fire
#Other environmental and hazardous risks
#Video and Images

Deadline: 16/02/09

Introduction

VFS is a project in development aimed to simulate the dangers of being a firefighter by recreating the hazardous environments that these brave men and women operate in on a daily basis. The program will empower the user to venture into precarious situations without the very real risk normally associated with the profession, making VFS a comprehensive yet easy to use training simulation.