Nanovoid

[TrevoriuS]

Good lighting is also very important.

I'd like to mention consistency here as well.

[Lazycow]

@TrevoriuS: I have tried greebles already and did not like the result very much. The models are probably too small for that. But normal maps were a good idea!
@ptoing: I did not find any shmup screenshots from cave. Do you know the name of the games?


Here's a render test with bricky normal maps and one specific white light source at the top left. (and some white ambient light) Looks like there is still some room for improvement.

[ndchristie]

Oh, normal maps are a great idea, but only when they are used to accentuate the forms!  criss-crossing a ship that's quite flat now (medium-glossy is your friend in space) with some arbitrary bright and dark lines only destroys the nice details of the model!

[TrevoriuS]

It works on the center ship, the sphere
But indeed fails on the right

[Lazycow]

The Humanoid Fleet: Now illuminated by 3 light sources. Does that normal map really look that bad? I tried to imitate metal plates on the hull. Also, the Interceptor and the material colors have been tweaked a bit and the now obsolete old Battlecruiser is the Transporter now. The Fanatic Fleet: These crafts are build out of glowing crystals. (mostly) The middle one probably glows a bit too much.


still WIP...

[TrevoriuS]

Where's distortion, filth, things like that?
I myself find this way too clean to be convincing.

[vierbit]

They looks far better with the new lightning, and the higher saturation and brightness.
I think normal maps only hurt when they packed on very small objects, like this rocket shaped ship, on the others they look fine to me.

Interesting concept with the fanatic fleet, but the details get a little lost. Simplify the shape could maybe help.

Where's distortion, filth, things like that?
I myself find this way too clean to be convincing.

Explain what you mean, as I personally think its contra productive on such a small scale. Probably only adds to much noise to it.

[ndchristie]

I agree with vierbit on the no dirt.

Normal maps are great when drawn to the mesh, but this is just meaningless lines stretched over and the result is awkward segmentation and distortion.  Normal maps are like textures effective on a small scale when used to create or emphasize edges implied, but not expressed, by design.

[TrevoriuS]

It's not purely noise or dirt I mean to add, but these colours are too saturated, and have too little difference in the diffuse part. It's like having a huge brick wall in which all the stones have the same colour (and luminance?). Just wrong.

[Dr D]

I don't agree, I think in designing such a fine piece of craft (possibly even in space, where there is no dirt!), you would take much care to keep it clean, and from being weathered.

Now whether it's built on Earth, on some futuristic space station, or a different planet, could affect that totally, as well as where it's been, such as having a heavy battle, by a big, soily, planet, with lasers and rockets flying into it, shooting up dirt to land way out onto one of the ships. 

But nevertheless, I think it'll be cleaned up time to time.

Bricks just sit there, on Earth, and nobody ever messes with them again. Depending on their location, they get eroded, some more than others.