Led by Susannah Emery, a game design academic at UniSA, I am part of a small team of academics and game designers (Melonhead games, developed Rooftop Renegade) who will develop a game and teaching resource that explores environmental storytelling.
Tag Archives: Unreal
Unreal on a Curved Screen
Google reminded me of a 2017-18 summer student intern project I supervised 3 years ago. I asked Corbin Yap to calibrate Unreal to larger screens (as with the French intern hybrid reality project I have not written this up although Corbin wrote an excellent report on how to do this).
The screen is 3 metres high and 8 metres in diameter, forming a near half-circle of approx 179 degrees, designed by Paul Bourke in 2013. It can also handle stereo (which Corbin did not have time to adjust the display for). Funding by Curtin Institue for Computation. Corbin was hosted in the library makerspace, great people to work with. Presentation was, I believe, 16 February 2018. Yes I wanted to port my Palenque models but the then-new version of Unreal would require a complete rebuild.
If I have the chance to teach game design again I would greatly appreciated having access to a similar environment that is accessible and immediate for game content. I have many ideas for this.
Some free 3D digital props/objects
- Unity +Unreal free 3D models https://cgaxis.com/15-unity-3d-models-15-unreal-3d-models-free-download/
- downloadable https://sketchfab.com/models?date=week&features=downloadable&sort_by=-likeCount&type=models
- Or https://free3d.com/3d-models/unreal https://free3d.com/
- ue4models https://sketchfab.com/tags/ue4
- or https://www.turbosquid.com/Search/3D-Models/free/unreal
- printing https://technabob.com/blog/2014/10/15/3d-print-unreal-engine-models/
- Other [from https://www.reddit.com/r/unrealengine/comments/6da735/best_place_to_get_free_materialstexturesmodels/ 2017]
1. Both Textures and Models:
1. Models:
- https://www.turbosquid.com/
- https://free3d.com/
- http://www.free-3d-models.com/
- https://clara.io/library
- https://www.cgtrader.com/free-3d-models
- https://archive3d.net/
1. Textures:
- https://www.textures.com/
- http://texturelib.com/
- http://www.deviantart.com/tag/royaltyfree?offset=0
- http://www.freepik.com/free-vectors/textures
- 2D textures https://craftpix.net/freebies/
- Seamless tileable textures https://tileable.co/?my_cat=Every&my_search=
- From Unreal Engine Forum https://forums.unrealengine.com/development-discussion/content-creation/28291-community-list-free-software-tools-resources-list?57471-Community-List-Free-Software-Tools-amp-Resources-List=
Free UT (Unreal game engine) assets
I’m having some trouble finding suitable Unreal engine assets for an intern to use the latest Unreal engine on our (stereo) cylinder and semi-dome at Curtin, but in the meantime..
UPDATE: here is the EPIC Sun temple download link: https://developer.nvidia.com/ue4-sun-temple
[And I assume you have something like
http://www.meshlab.net/ to convert and a 3D modeller like (free) Blender 3D
https://www.blender.org/ ]
- Resource list https://forums.unrealengine.com/development-discussion/content-creation/28291-community-list-free-software-tools-resources-list?57471-Community-List-Free-Software-Tools-amp-Resources-List=
- https://free3d.com/ (many personal use only)
- https://mobilegamegraphics.com/product-category/all_products/freestuff/
- from motion capture http://mocap.cs.cmu.edu/resources.php see also http://mocap.cs.cmu.edu/search.php?subjectnumber=%&motion=%
- Blender assets https://www.blendswap.com/
- https://www.modelplusmodel.com/free.html
- http://www.sharecg.com/
- https://www.renderosity.com/ (requires a free account)
- https://3dsky.org/
- https://archive3d.net/
- Clara 3D model library https://clara.io/library
- https://www.cgtrader.com/free-3d-models
- Mostly professional (for a fee) https://www.turbosquid.com/ free: https://www.turbosquid.com/Search/3D-Models/free
- Nb 2D but may be useful https://craftpix.net/freebies/
Thanks for many of the above links, to the Unreal engine forum.
Converting Unreal Tournament Levels
Hope to convert an Unreal Tournament (UT2004) game level to UT3. My models (originally), but ported to UT from Adobe Atmosphere and re-textured (read: sculptures/reliefs removed) by students in 2005.
And tutorials warn I have to delete almost everything to convert, and it may well not work. Great!
Perhaps it would be easier to import from 3DS (3D Studio Max) but I no longer have the models! Oh well, that is virtual heritage for you.
If others have virtual heritage models in the UDK editor (Unreal 3) or directly in the latest Unreal 4 engine, please let me know, a student intern here is modifying Unreal to run on the Curtin HIVE cylindrical screen and (semi) dome.
Kinect & HMD collaborative engagement
Corbin is my summer intern, looking at
1. Kinect-Minecraft v2: a software framework for non-programmers to create their own gestures for Minecraft interaction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09tc3nLgx9w
See also: https://maker.library.curtin.edu.au/2016/08/02/creating-a-gui-for-kinect-v-2/
2 Kinect-Unity pointer software:
3. Point clouds with a Head Mounted Display (HMD) /Unreal. Status: exploratory.
See also CAA2017 slides from Damien Vurpillot: https://www.academia.edu/30171751/Exploring_massive_point_clouds_how_to_make_the_most_out_of_available_digital_material
4. Corbin will narrow down the above into one main investigation. Evaluate: sharing virtual experiences across different displays (cylindrical versus HMD): to uncover similar papers with a collaborative learning focus. Ideally there will be a comparison of Unity versus Unreal.
Unreal Tournament Editor
Notice the HTML and Phone output formats for the free Unreal Tournament editor, comes with some useful preset objects and behaviours. I note Google’s own 3D format O3D now exports to WebGL. WebGL and HTML5 seem to be the height of fashion at the moment!
modding games for AI related research, bots, and portraying character behaviours
Here is an abridged answer I just gave to an architectural academic who is interested in using games and game modding and AI (bots) in consideration was something like 3DVIDIA/Virtools, Unity or Unreal.
I hope this is of use to others or if my sourced information is out of date or inaccurate please comment below the post!
I am no AI expert although I too have an AI project I wish to develop: I don’t know 3DVIDIA, I do know Unreal (UT) used to have AI research projects, I don’t know if UDK has easily available AI projects but UDK does look good.
Overall Unity is probably the easiest and their asset store has many content packs and scripts and avatars for purchase (including for AI) and it runs on Mac and PC and quite well on older machines.
You may not need the Professional version, I am not sure.
An introductory summary of difference for level design: http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categories/level_design_tutorials/what-level-editor-game-engine-should-you-use-how-to-choose.php
A game engine comparison is here: http://fragileearthstudios.com/2011/10/24/comparing-cryengine-and-unreal-and-unity-too/
For heritage settings I have been told UDK (http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categories/udk/ue3-vs-udk-vs-ut3.php) is very good but I have yet to use it.
Of interest to you: there are tutorials for UDK bots
http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categories/wold-members-tutorials/petebottomley/udk-01-how-to-spawn-bots-in-kismet.php
https://sites.google.com/site/tessaleetutorials/home/udk-custom-enemy
UDK AI Director:
and project at http://draxov.com/design/ai-director-research/
Free tool: http://www.moddb.com/forum/thread/create-bot-ai-with-pogamut-in-udk-ut2004-ue2-or-defcon
http://www.blackfootstudios.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5898
UNITY AI research
Wandering AI http://answers.unity3d.com/questions/432027/wandering-ai.html
Robot AI from Mecanim example http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/166633-Mecanim-quot-AI-quot-Free-Sources
AI programming
AI applications (basic overview) http://unitygems.com/ai-applications/
Tutorials in Unity and Basic AI http://devsbuild.it/resources/type/article/unity-basic-artificial-intelligence-part-1
Alternative:
A side project might be to review the new SIMS4 and Sims Societies.
http://tesalliance.org/forums/index.php?/topic/6547-new-artificial-intelligence-mod/
On a more urban design and cinematographic level, one used to be able to link Simcities and the SIMS2 avatars but I have not heard of related urban design or BIM research.
We are also going to look into Skyrim the Crysis/CryTek engine, which may be too powerful / complex for your needs.
I personally will also look into, the earlier version, Oblivion, had very simple scripting tools for avatar interaction and also had good modding tools (but it was not multiplayer, at least not officially).
Skyrim (Creation kit) has built in habits for NPCs, which I believe can be modded/affected, new buildings/settings can be added relatively easily.
http://tesalliance.org/forums/index.php?/topic/6547-new-artificial-intelligence-mod/
SUMMARY
For ease of use, most designers and researchers seem to be using Unity, but UDK (free download for PC) may have some benefits if you find similar AI projects.
If you want to show behaviours and don’t mind or can replace medieval settings, Skyrim may suffice.
For path finding UDK may be good, Unity can do all of it but if you can’t find prebuilt software in the Unity story, you may need to build it from scratch.
Overall, Unity is probably easiest, there plenty of presets/modules, and scripting can be in JavaScript or Python or C# etc. And MiddleVR seems a good for fit for connecting Unity to VR devices and for stereo projection (a video tutorial is here).
reminder: I need book chapter proposals for GAME MODS (ETC Press)
Call For Book Chapters: Game Mod Design Theory and Criticism
This will be both a practical and reflective book on game-mods, designing, playing and evaluating the quality, success and effectiveness of game engines for modding, individual game mod levels, related tools and techniques, and the social and cultural issues related to the design and use of game mods.
The type of book chapter content I am looking for:
· An overview of what is possible and what is commendable or admirable with exemplars.
· Critiques of game mods and game mod/engine technologies (and reviews of mods as creative and critical and reflective extensions of games and game audiences).
· The ethical and social implications using commercial game engines and the content supplied · A comparison of game mod technologies.
· Case studies (Unreal, Source, Panda 3d, Blender 3D, Neverwinter Nights, Marathon, XNA, Oblivion, Cobalt, Crystal Space, WoW, Halo, Far Cry and Crysis etc, Sims, Jedi Academy, Ogre 3D) etc.
· Feature art and aesthetics.
· Machinima features hindered and helped by mods.
· Review of terrible experiences trying to build game mods. · A feature list to help people choose the right game engine for their mod.
· Some sample chapters on how to get started, tips, quick step tutorials as simple 3D, animation, lighting, behaviors, interface customization.
· The social and cultural implications of using and designing game mods (issues with violent content, cultural empathy, copyright, educational issues and so on).
The publisher will be ETC Press, an academic, open source, multimedia, publishing imprint affiliated with the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and in partnership with Lulu.com The book will be published under a Creative Commons license. For more details about ETC Press refer http://www.etc.cmu.edu.
Time Line
· March 18 2011 Please send me a title and 300 word abstract, the earlier the better! Please email your submission to gamemodbook AT gmail DOT com
· March 25 2011 you should have heard back from me.
· June 10 2011 draft chapters to me.
· And after many drafts and checks and proofs later…by the end of 2011 (optimistically speaking), publication!
Editor:
Associate Professor Erik Champion
Auckland School of Design, Albany Village Campus
College of Creative Arts
Massey University
Auckland New Zealand
email: nzerik AT gmail DOT com OR e dot champion AT massey DOT ac DOT nz for general questions.
Send submissions to gamemodbook AT gmail DOT com
Unreal Development Kit
Chris Blundell at www.plutonicdesign.com told me he is highly impressed by the free editor and that it creates better game levels than found in the game!
- good documentation
- demo assets (see http://developer.nvidia.com/object/udk.html)
- radiosity
- scripting interaction potential
- free! (I may mention this quite a bit)
But.. still only for PC..I do wonder how much it costs for a game to go commercial though when sold as an educational game by an educational institute-hundreds of thousands? Or do they take a percentage of the profits (which seems a more desirable option!)
It seems to me that a free game editor is one great leap for indie and educational games (i.e. Unity, XNA-kind of, UDK) but there also needs to be a cheap path to Playstation 3 or XBox..any such pathway out there? Perhaps Blender can be ported to Playstation or XBox?
Ear Zow Digital