Welcome to the asset development forum. In this forum, we create and develop models and textures for use in Tamriel Rebuilt. We have some guidelines on how to make assets for us. They are listed below and assume a certain base level of knowledge about making models and textures. If you are looking for tutorials on how to create good looking meshes and textures, click here.
General Guidelines
Before we get started on the particulars, there are a few things you should know:
- Concept art for new items or objects goes in the concept art forum[link].
- Modder’s resources (that is, meshes and/or textures that someone else has created that you think might work well in TR) go in the modder resources thread[link].
- The model apocrypha (link) is where we keep miscellaneous old models, which prevents them being lost. Not all the models in the apocrypha thread are finished.
- Sound assets are in the sound forum.
- Ideas & requests for new assets go in the Assets Needed for Morrowind thread.
The Life Cycle of an Asset
Assets are generally developed first as concept art, and are then created as models with textures. When we see an idea in the concept art forum that we would like to become part of TR, we create a new thread in Asset Development, where it can be developed.
Sometimes, assets are born from requests, or a need for a specific thing. If you think we need a new asset, post your request in the Assets Needed sticky[link] and if we think it should be included, a new thread will be made.
Once an asset has a thread here, the asset will need functional concept art, a model, and textures. Assets in development are are open to anyone who wants to try their hand at them.
Completed assets are quality-checked, then added to TR_Data to await use in the Construction Set. Once completed, assets are still open to suggestions, comments, and improvements. If you notice a bug or issues with an existing asset, post your bug report in [whatever thread is correct for that].
Concept Art Guidelines:
Concepts in asset development threads should be functional or technical. This art should show the shape, size, color, and texture of an object. While more conceptual art is still useful, most of the art should be more technical; that is, it should accurately represent what the object should look like and preferably should include orthogonal views, such as the front, back, top, bottom, and left and right sides of an object.
If the artist has a sense of how the model is made, the artist can also draw diagrams suggesting placement of faces, alpha, and seams.
This art should be posted directly in the relevant asset thread.
Modeling Guidelines: [Needs input from Seneca37 and any other active modelers]
A completed model with texture is the end goal of the asset development thread.
[in progress, need feedback]
- How many polygons, ish?
- Notes about file type and how to save or edit the model so it’s morrowind compatible
- Triangles vs quads/polys
- alpha
- texture/uv mapping (uvmapping well, dealing with tiling, seams, etc)
- collision
- anything else we need to have
- Where to put it in tr_data
- animation things
- Models should be named according the the guidelines below.
Texture Guidelines:
Once a model is created, it will need to be skinned or textured. This is usually the final step of the development process. Before creating custom textures, check the Catalog [link] to see if existing textures fill the need.
- New textures should be sized equivalently to vanilla Morrowind textures, or at max twice the size. Check the Catalog (link) or BSA for appropriate texture sizes.
- If your textures are larger than we need, downsize them appropriately and save the originals. We will be collecting HD textures as an optional texture replacer pack. (Creating large textures to downsize is recommended.)
- All textures should be in DDS format. If the texture does not need alpha, it should be saved as dx1. If it does need alpha, save it as dx5. In either case it should have mipmaps included.
- TR uses (when needed) glow maps and detail maps. Bump, normal, and parallax maps are not used.
- If you use images taken from the internet, please make sure they are royalty-free. For further advice, check the tutorials.[link]
- Textures should be named according to the naming guidelines, below.
Asset naming guidelines