2551 replies to this topic

[Stephen Sullivan]

I agree with CGXRobC

Me too 

[Kablammo11]

Chris, you are in luck this time, maybe, since the 'Black Swan' is treeless. However, I feel obligated to inform you that I am currently putting the final touches on my thesis for my Doctorate degree in Geology. The subject of the thesis is 'The Properties of Rocks in Ireland'. Very timely, even if I say so myself. Therefore you should expect some advice on the subject in the near future.

 

P.S. Unless you plan on substantially 'downsizing' the object created in the video, you have not created a 'rock', but rather a 'boulder'. Just saying, and I couldn't wait for the 'near future!!

 

Bring it! I read up on the Iapetus Suture and the Laurentian Region. Precambrian igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rock. Who knew that the northwesterly half of Ireland, all the way down to the Shannon estuary, shares the same geology as the North Americas? Not me. Until 3 hours ago. And that means that NoPutt ticked all the right boxes in his post, and will serve as Advising Geologist to this project from now on. Fret not, though: I will ignore him - same as I ignored you.

As for "boulder", boulders need to be smoothed by erosion - if not, the synonym "rock" applies to all sizes of single stone objects. The roundness of my rock may indicate water erosion, yes, but the fragmented grain of the texture clearly shows  that this is not the case.

No emos this time? I knew it! So predictable!

[Richard]

Bring it! I read up on the Iapetus Suture and the Laurentian Region. Precambrian igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rock. Who knew that the northwesterly half of Ireland, all the way down to the Shannon estuary, shares the same geology as the North Americas? Not me. Until 3 hours ago. And that means that NoPutt ticked all the right boxes in his post, and will serve as Advising Geologist to this project from now on. Fret not, though: I will ignore him - same as I ignored you.

As for "boulder", boulders need to be smoothed by erosion - if not, the synonym "rock" applies to all sizes of single stone objects. The roundness of my rock may indicate water erosion, yes, but the fragmented grain of the texture clearly shows  that this is not the case.

No emos this time? I knew it! So predictable!

 

Oops! Sorry, I forgot, also known as 'CRS'. I'll try to do better in the future. And, to meet your expectations, here's a few to carry you through.

 

                

[NoPutt]

My attempt to inject glacial humor was not intended to

initiate the Butterfly Effect, causing a pebble

to become a cataclysmic rockslide consuming all in it's path.

"Rock On"

[TheBigYin519]

You got him Chris..........

Nice vid by the way ... no probs with voice.

[Kablammo11]

You will be hearing more from that voice tomorrow, John. 

 

My next tut is imminent, dealing with importing and placing objects in Unity. A casual glance at the premises will tell all of you that some geological activity has already taken place. Huge slabs of cliffs and rocks and non-boulders have appeared over night.

 

 

There will be many more of these. They are all simple and low-polygon shaps, each with less than 1000 vertices, some with less than 100. I could crank up the subdivision to make them a bit rounder and softer, but that would hurt the intended ruggedness of the place. I'm currently using 7 different models, but duplicating, rotating, resizing them and arranging them into groups gives me a tremendous mileage in diversity already.

 

 

For tomorrows tutorial, I will show you how to place something more man-made, though. There is a spot on the course where I need a bridge to cross over a deep inlet of the ocean. So I am currently in the process of constructing a bridge and, Fates permitting, I will implant it into the project tomorrow.

 

 

This is it, the outer ramps are still missing. Richard, isn't your next thesis something about "arched stone bridge architecture from 1870 until today in County Mayo, Ireland?"

(Not picking on you, buddy. Inserting a wink-wink. Just trying to build up a flow...)

[Richard]

EDITED:

 

Richard, isn't your next thesis something about "arched stone bridge architecture from 1870 until today in County Mayo, Ireland?"

(Not picking on you, buddy. Inserting a wink-wink. Just trying to build up a flow...)

 

Nah, I'm not into construction. My studies are mostly geared to the natural sciences like botany and geology. However, I am strongly considering doing a new study of the impact of the Irish livestock industry methane gas level impacts on the atmospheric effects on Irish golf courses.

 

I am very pleased to see that you have decided to use local stone for your bridge. Very nice, very nice indeed.

 

By the way, I found your missing 'wink-wink'.

 

[Richard]

Removed - double posted

[Kablammo11]

It wasn't missing. I had stabbed it three dozen times, dissected it into tiny yellow fragments and spread the remains all across the solar system. How the hell did that monstrosity survive? Oh well, time to break out the heavy machinery...

 

[NoPutt]

Love the bridge and texture, remarkable.

Will this be a strictly walking structure, or will there be small vessels

that will pass underneath? If the latter, have you considered a wider

arch in the center and arching the whole structure as well?

[Kablammo11]

Considered and dismissed, NoPutt. You will see in the tut that the inlet in question is just a narrow sliver of ocean that might cause a golfer a cumbersome detour from the 7/13th to the 12/6th double greens, but would not justify any floating vehicle to want to sail it. Truth told, the bridge will be a little too grand for this measly little obstacle...

Then again, I'm pondering creating a harbour mole-sort of structure sticking out into the see, but that would be better placed near the club house at the other end of the course. I also have wondered if a beached, rusty fishing boat or at least an old wooden sailboat, half broken, might be placed conveniently.

I have, however, decided not to go for what is most obvious: A lighthouse. Every designer keeps mentioning lighthouses for their coastal links courses, to the extent that I will file this one under "too obvious" and give it a pass. I might go for an oil refinery or a nuclear plant on an island a bit out to sea, though, perhaps even a larger merchant ship somewhere out there, but that would depend on me getting my hands on suitable free models - constructing these things myself would be well beyond my wherewithal. 

Then again, since these objects would be at least 500m away from the golf course, I might create them as billboards and just stick them there. We'll see.

[KenR]

Hey K, let me take this opportunity to congratulate you on Willow Heath! Looks great, plays great... am enjoying it!

[Kablammo11]

Thank you, KenR

Second video instalment, The Return of King Tut, dealing with object placement:

Press the enlarge arrows for a full screen view

 

 

 

For those who don't have the time, here's the result again:

 

[NoPutt]

Magnificent !!  Very informative, precise, and to the point.

I haven't downloaded Unity, and my apprehension to do so

is based on what I think I read. It is my understanding that

Unity and Course forge will come as one package and that

the Unity program now will be different from what will be

released with Course Forge, Is this correct? Would you be so kind

to explain, as I would like to start on the right foot.

Again, a magnificent tutorial and hope you will continue

with the lessons.

Thanks

[Kablammo11]

... It is my understanding that

Unity and Course forge will come as one package and that

the Unity program now will be different from what will be

released with Course Forge, Is this correct? Would you be so kind

to explain, as I would like to start on the right foot.

...

 

Your understanding is wrong and you are not correct, I'm afraid.

But do not feel bad about it and thank you for asking, because this is a very tricky bit that is quite difficult to communicate - even though it already has been communicated several times (though not recently), lots of members still struggle to wrap their brains around this. Starting on the wrong foot is a definite danger and you are right to ask.

 

First and foremost there is Unity 3D (just google it) - a well-known game engine, that is a software that serves the purpose of designing games. You need to download Unity on your own, there is no involvement from PP in this. There is a free version and a bloody expensive pro version, but the free version will be okay. I'm using that version, too.

With Unity, and with Unity only, you can:

• Build and sculpt terrains
• Apply textures to these terrains
• Import objects like bridges, rocks, fences, clubhouses, Taras, benches, clowns and toothbrushes - you name it
• And finally plant vegetation.

 

That's all Unity and Unity only! CourseForge will be an add-on, created by PP and imported into Unity, that will take care of the special golf course features. You will access and manipulate CourseForge from within Unity 3D. CF is an additional element of Unity.

 

I felt a bit grassy just now so I started working on what you can see in the image below. Designed in Photoshop and planted in Unity - without any CourseForge being even remotely involved:

 

[NoPutt]

Thank you very much for the clarification, I will start my Unity journey at once.

Your grass is the Bomb, and I don't mean that in a psychoactive way.

[Kablammo11]

Oh, but you should mean it that way: I used to be a group admin of the Stoners Club back in TW0.

[NoPutt]

Don't get me started. In my younger golfing days, a SHOTGUN start, took on a

whole different meaning. I can only assume that your creativity and paranoid

attention to detail evolved from your past or even present psycoactivity.

[Kablammo11]

Might as yet add a hemp billboard...

I'm generally going for a mix of green grasses matching the course greens colours, but interspersed with numerous lighter patches of dried-out grasses emanating from the many waste areas. I wanted to do everything grassy at a later date, but found that I need to get a feel for it right now, because that will inform other aspects of the design which will in return report back to me differently...

 

 

Sorry about the blue patch bottom left - it's the Unity brush.

Tara says hi. She's pretty tired out from standing around for me motionlessly, but then she knew what her job would be like when she signed up for this.

[NoPutt]

The grasses are of excellent construction. I understand the lush greenness of those

grasses close to the water, however, the dry grass in the water seems odd, unless

of course it is dead from over-watering. I know, there are grasses of that color that thrive

in wetlands, but you mentioned dried-out first. Only kidding after my first sentence K11,

the grasses are superb, and you did say you were just getting a feel for how they would look,

so please don't waste valuable design time typing a reply to my amateurish meanderings.

As you suggested earlier I did Google Unity 3d, and decided that before I download and try

to jump into unfamiliar waters, I will wade through all of the CF topics here first.