Joraks Experiments [WIP]

[Jorak Uln 458]

Hi there fellow modders,

 

its great to watch you guys on your projects - many of them are really stunning!

 

So inspired most by the next gen approaches of Xarwarz & Co. i decided to try a lil bit of my own...

I have to say these pics are my first retexture ever, so its a long way to go 

Throw it at me, im happy about any advice you guys can give me!!

 

 

 

 

Here my try on the bothan visor :

 

Vanilla:

 

 

 

 

Modded:

 

 

 

retexture of vanilla absorption band (still requires some work):

 

 

Vanilla:

 

Modded:

 

 

 

 

a new gui:

 

 

 

 

 

 

dont know, why ihand_l and ihand_r isnt displayed at all - any ideas?

[LDR 234]

Peragus looks dark and spooky. I like what you're doing with the GUI! Keep it up.

[Sith Holocron 2,478]

Your GUI frame looks suspiciously like something that Xarwarz worked on.

 

 

IN GAME MENUS

 

Game Paused

 

[Jorak Uln 458]

Your GUI frame looks suspiciously like something that Xarwarz worked on.

 

 

Oh - that is from Xarwarz and also Peragus  - I have taken the screens from my fully modded TSL version so sorry about that. To make it more obvious, I will upload my mods using vanilla TSL in the future. 

[Jorak Uln 458]

Here a teaser pic for my upcoming helmet overhaul:

 

BEFORE:                                                                                                              

 

 

 

 

AFTER:

 

 

 

COMING SOON!

[Jorak Uln 458]

Guys, after working more on the various computer panels i need some feedback on the desk1. 

 

It was quite a hassle for me since this crappy texture just refused to look good...

After some tries i decided to change the display texture to something more "next gen";

 

so, here are some tests, which version do you prefer and why - feel free to give your feedback, suggestions:

 

 

Vanilla:

 

 

 

 

first try:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Version 1:

 

 

 

 

Version 2:

 

 

 

 

from side:

 

 

[Fair Strides 509]

Version 2, because of the smooth, stream-lined appearance.

[Jorak Uln 458]

Version 2, because of the smooth, stream-lined appearance.

I thought that

The desk is part of a larger project, where i want to make the "technology" in Kotor more Mass effect like , but always as close ap to the original game.

so you dont feel V2 is to far away from kotor?

[Fair Strides 509]

I thought that

The desk is part of a larger project, where i want to make the "technology" in Kotor more Mass effect like , but always as close ap to the original game.

so you dont feel V2 is to far away from kotor?

 

Well, with modelling, I'd opt for Version 1, but since the surface is too flat, Version 2. As to whether it fits in with KotOR, I'd say it does, going by the graphics in the scenes of the Republic's attack on the Star Forge.

[Mutilator57 140]

Lots of great work in this thread! However I would also agree with Version 2 as I think it suits the futuristic style of Star Wars

[Jorak Uln 458]

Lots of great work in this thread! However I would also agree with Version 2 as I think it suits the futuristic style of Star Wars

Thank you. I do my best

I have in mind also to make some animations out of them, but to get a fluid one with 16 or more pics the files r getting insanely big (at least 16k)...

Deadman somehow managed to separate the animated part of the texture in his vibrosword mod - but i have no idea how that works...

[Sith Holocron 2,478]

Version 2 - but I'd like for it to be an animated texture.

[Fair Strides 509]

Thank you. I do my best

I have in mind also to make some animations out of them, but to get a fluid one with 16 or more pics the files r getting insanely big (at least 16k)...

Deadman somehow managed to separate the animated part of the texture in his vibrosword mod - but i have no idea how that works...

Most likely, Deadman edited the models and mapped the blade to a separate texture file.

[Constar 23]

These retextures look really awesome. Also your game seems to be in German, which is my mother language, so I will tell you in German:

 

 

Deine Texturen sehen echt super aus und echt nicht 'non-canon'. Meiner Meinung nach kann man nicht von einer kaum erkennbaren 500ter textur erwarten, dass sie auch nur im geringsten Gültigkeit für den Kanon enthält, das saresh-band kann man so sehen wie man will und deine Textur passt mehr zu dem objekt als das original.

 

[Zhaboka 91]

Version 2! Looking awesome.

[Malkior 476]

I prefer version two, since it looks more like Star Trek TNG's glossy buttonless interfaces, and that to me, Star Wars would have more touchpad interfaces on their consoles and fewer big glowing buttons. I agree with SH that it would look good animated.

 

They cloned the exact same interface textures from the Ebon Hawk onto pretty much all of the consoles throughout Kotor 2, so for me, anything different is a plus. I would additionally like to note that Kotor1 had a bunch of different console combinations for each location/planet rather than the default one we see throughout Kotor2. 

 

-Edit

 

BTW, the absorption band comparison shot beside "Modded" isn't displaying properly, instead it's just attached to the post rather than part of it.

[Jorak Uln 458]

I prefer version two, since it looks more like Star Trek TNG's glossy buttonless interfaces, and that to me, Star Wars would have more touchpad interfaces on their consoles and fewer big glowing buttons. I agree with SH that it would look good animated.

 

They cloned the exact same interface textures from the Ebon Hawk onto pretty much all of the consoles throughout Kotor 2, so for me, anything different is a plus. I would additionally like to note that Kotor1 had a bunch of different console combinations for each location/planet rather than the default one we see throughout Kotor2. 

 

-Edit

 

BTW, the absorption band comparison shot beside "Modded" isn't displaying properly, instead it's just attached to the post rather than part of it.

about the absorption band: funny that you mention it, i found out just at this moment - it was one of my first attempts (and a really poor one) that accidentely found the way to this topic - i will upload a more up to date version.

 

about version 2: i made the "large buttons" instead of the low tech vanilla ones in V1 to have sth next gen, that points to the original desk; but could you upload a pic which matches your Imagination of a  Star Wars like desk1? 

Would help me refining it - also keep in mind, that i want to orientate on  some of the "good things" from ME2 & 3 like the holographic style but always in respect of the original Kotor games. 

[Malkior 476]

Apologies if I sounded like I was insulting about the "large buttons" talk. I meant the high gloss you used on each segment made it look like they were large buttons in various colors visually. In comparison to the two, I prefer the gloss over the entire interface not unlike how Star Trek treated their consoles in The Next Generation versus The Original Series.

 

For comparison

 

 

   

 

The Original Series had large semi-circular buttons with a very simplified frame. This makes the design the most "down to earth" in that it could easily be used by a society which (at the time) had no plasma screens or touchpad capabilities. Your first image most resembles this to me not only because of the way the buttons are emphasized, but also because of the size and visual impact of the frame versus the interface.

 

 

 

     

 

While The Next Generation had more of a bunch of fancy designed icons/ displays, but rather than having a large metallic frame, it instead was all underneath a large glass cover. This to me most resembles your second screenshot since first of all, it is all covered in a gloss layer (which resembles to me, the glass cover I saw in the show), and secondly because it comprises almost entirely of icons and images on the screen rather than prominent buttons for interface.

 

 

 

However, in direct contrast to both of these, Mass Effect has almost no interface on its consoles with most if not all done by hologram or by extremely similar console designs with monochromatic schemes.

 

This is fine for visual impact, but the holograms in Star Wars seem to be primarily used for communication rather than for console interface.

(There is no explicit reason given for why they don't just use holograms for interface on their computer consoles, but I personally theorize that they're designed this way as more of a redundancy; IE if the unit were to lose power to its displays, you could still use it with physical buttons.. but of course this could just be a set design decision..) 

 

Regardless.. this does achieve making the Star Wars technology look more realistic for our day and age which does not currently use hologram technology.

 

 

So in short, to keep the futuristic look of Mass Effect and still retain the "realistic" look of Star Wars, I believe that having a complicated board with what looks like touch screen buttons on the interface would be the way to go. At the moment, your second screenshot achieves that goal, but the only way I see to go closer to the "Mass Effect" level of sophistication would be to add more glowing buttons (but to organize them in a visually pleasing way so as not to make it look "messy") or to animate a few of the buttons that are on it so as to give it the impression of a higher level of sophistication.

 

I think you'll be fine just as long as its not the exact level of desaturated orange and blue color schemes from Mass Effect for the displays, and as long as there is at least a hint of a physical interface. 

[Jorak Uln 458]

Apologies if I sounded like I was insulting about the "large buttons" talk. I meant the high gloss you used on each segment made it look like they were large buttons in various colors visually. In comparison to the two, I prefer the gloss over the entire interface not unlike how Star Trek treated their consoles in The Next Generation versus The Original Series.

 

For comparison

 

 

   

 

The Original Series had large semi-circular buttons with a very simplified frame. This makes the design the most "down to earth" in that it could easily be used by a society which (at the time) had no plasma screens or touchpad capabilities. Your first image most resembles this to me not only because of the way the buttons are emphasized, but also because of the size and visual impact of the frame versus the interface.

 

 

 

     

 

While The Next Generation had more of a bunch of fancy designed icons/ displays, but rather than having a large metallic frame, it instead was all underneath a large glass cover. This to me most resembles your second screenshot since first of all, it is all covered in a gloss layer (which resembles to me, the glass cover I saw in the show), and secondly because it comprises almost entirely of icons and images on the screen rather than prominent buttons for interface.

 

 

 

However, in direct contrast to both of these, Mass Effect has almost no interface on its consoles with most if not all done by hologram or by extremely similar console designs with monochromatic schemes.

 

This is fine for visual impact, but the holograms in Star Wars seem to be primarily used for communication rather than for console interface.

(There is no explicit reason given for why they don't just use holograms for interface on their computer consoles, but I personally theorize that they're designed this way as more of a redundancy; IE if the unit were to lose power to its displays, you could still use it with physical buttons.. but of course this could just be a set design decision..) 

 

Regardless.. this does achieve making the Star Wars technology look more realistic for our day and age which does not currently use hologram technology.

 

 

So in short, to keep the futuristic look of Mass Effect and still retain the "realistic" look of Star Wars, I believe that having a complicated board with what looks like touch screen buttons on the interface would be the way to go. At the moment, your second screenshot achieves that goal, but the only way I see to go closer to the "Mass Effect" level of sophistication would be to add more glowing buttons (but to organize them in a visually pleasing way so as not to make it look "messy") or to animate a few of the buttons that are on it so as to give it the impression of a higher level of sophistication.

 

I think you'll be fine just as long as its not the exact level of desaturated orange and blue color schemes from Mass Effect for the displays, and as long as there is at least a hint of a physical interface.

Thanks Malkior for your comprehensive answer! And, about the large buttons, no damage taken:)

To be honest, I'm not fully convinced too how the "buttons" in V2 turned out, they are way to over-colored and are more like  "to have sth vanilla on the screen" ...

They also make the interface look too "Trek" like..

 

About your argument that SW doesnt use holographic interfaces at all, i think thats only correct regarding the movies - but we are in the old republic, right? And if you take a look at SWtor there are holographic displays all over the place.

The main reason for that i think, is simply that the movies were made at a time, where technology was much less evolved than today, therefore holographic interfaces just a step too far away.

 

Beside that, you thought about merging ME interfaces with touch screen buttons is a very interesting one, i think ME has even done that, but only a few times.

If you take a look at the following picture, maybe thats the way to go, what do you think:

 

 

[Jorak Uln 458]

Here are some more - should i leave the generic displays as they are or should i change them to sth like in the Lab/Wbench model?

 

 

 

with generic displays:

 

Vanilla1:

 

 

 

 

Modded1:

 

 

 

 

Vanilla2:

 

 

 

 

Modded2:

 

 

 

 

 

compnl_b:

 

 

 

 

compnl:

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here the workbenches with ME displays:

 

 

Workbench:

 

 

 

 

Labstation (texture unfinished):

 

 

[Zhaboka 91]

Looking great. You really nailed the new-but-faithful-to-Obsidian look with those workbenches!

 

Malkior, you just nerded so hard it knocked my socks off.

[Malkior 476]

Thanks.. Zhaboka. I'm really into Scifi and put a ridiculous amount of thought into how movie props and concepts could realistically operate in the real world. (Although, I actually did about two hours worth of research to find all of those images and perhaps a bit more to compile it all so that I had a properly concise answer. )

 

As for your experiment, Jorak, I like the direction you're taking with the comp panels and information terminal! I am quite impressed how without changing any of the color schemes you managed to make it not only visually striking, but also more akin to a hologram you would see in TOR or Mass Effect. 

 

I only have one problem with the Workbench/LabStation, though.. basically the tools that are normally on the table portion have no detail for them. For the default Workbench, there's a hydrospanner or soldering iron clearly visible along with other miscellaneous tools for you to do workbench type stuff. Without them, it just seems to have no purpose other than its viewer (which looks great BTW) above the table apparatus. If that's the look you're going for, then that's cool; but without the tools on the table, for me anyway, it detracts from its visual identity.

 

If you want to go along with detailing the hydrospanner, here's a decent image of it that I could find 

 

 

(along with what could be the other tools) . Well, a drawing of it anyway.. I'm sure there are some actual replica images online as well..

[L0ki194 82]

Wow, those new computer panels and workbenches look awesome! I agree with Mailkor that the workbench should have a detailed looking Hydrospanner. I'm looking forward to downloading this once it's done!

[Xedii 17]

You have some pretty nice stuff going here. Nice work!.

 

I see that I'm gonna have to step up my game. I'm glad everyone is starting to accept the Mass Effect type look that I tried with my 2012 mod. The most important thing is to keep up your motivation and see it through until everything is finished. (I'm no exception.)  I get bored with doing my next gen mods but I pace myself so I don't give up.. Anyway . . . keep it up!

[Jorak Uln 458]

@Zhaboka: Thanks! I also liked how the workbenches turned out.

 

@Malkior, Loki: 

Glad, that you like the generic panels - although im playing with the thought to make an alternate, more up to date approach of the display.

The hydrospanner is shared with the wb lights and the viewer. So to add detail is only possible if you remodel the whole bench - which isnt possible for me at the moment.

 

@Xarwarz:

Thanks! Excited about the next OTE update!