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Posted: Mon Mar 07 @ 10:19 am Post subject: Re: L4D2 map: Seaholm Power Plant
Ok, long time without an update, but that is because I was hard at work on the skybox.
The Seaholm power plant is basically located on the edge of downtown Austin, and it surrounded by skyscrapers.
Because they are so close I can't do the "cardboard cutout" style skybox that I used in Fan Feast. So all of these are 3D models located at the proper distance from the power plant.
Since the map is based on a real location if any skyscrapers are missing or out of place some people may take notice. A few are yet to be added and are missing from the screenshots, such as the Frost Tower. Also none of them have textures yet.
These images also have a greatly increased fog and view distance.
The other function of the skybox is to add reflections to water. This is quite a challenge as the skybox is 1/16th scale, so in the case of custom close-up models such as the bridge I have to compile a 1/16th scale model and get it located precisely in the skybox. You may note some tree missing from the reflections, I am still debating decompiling and rescaling those so they can reflect, but I think that may be overkill anyways.
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The image below is the start of the map. It is at the end of a long jut of land connected with a walking bridge.
The first half of the map will be a challenge to not get charged off into the river.
This image shows a constructions site along the walking trail. It also shows the railroad bridge which is located both in the skybox and in the game map. Way off in the distance is the Lamar street bridge.
Posted: Sat Sep 10 @ 6:36 pm Post subject: Re: L4D2 map: Seaholm Power Plant
Finally, after months I have a update with images.
This building is a massive open area with multiple levels and lots of windows. Because it is based on a real building I can't always change the geometry of the building to block visibility and speed up rendering in the game. So I have spent a lot of time optimizing the map.
But now I am getting back into detailing the interior. When I first started this project I hadn't set foot inside the Seaholm Power Plant. All my reference images were what I could find online. Last year I was able to get permission to go inside and took hundreds of reference images and I was able to explore every room of the power plant. Reality is always stranger and different then what you imagine.
One of the new items is a custom made overhead crane that matches the real world crane in the power plant.
The crane will be a key part of the finale. I also modified the original generator prop to make it three times longer.
Not visible in the images are lots of extra stairwells that I didn't originally know where there.
One thing that amazed me about the real location was the offices. The front half of the building has a tall ceiling, but when they built the offices they installed a drop ceiling with tons of space above it, sometimes that space had nothing more then plywood and a A/C duct. I have added this to the map, it will give more area for the infected to spawn and drop down on the players.
Many of the textures and signs in the game are taken directly from the real world. For example the door that leads out to the crane is textured directly from the real door.
Joined: Jul 19, 2005 Posts: 2123 Location: Far, Far, Far, Far, Far, Far, Far, Far, Far, Far, Far, Far South Austin Down Under
Posted: Sun Sep 11 @ 2:43 pm Post subject: Re: L4D2 map: Seaholm Power Plant
Very well done. Thanks for the update. Glad they gave you access to the building to give it that much appreciated authenticity it deserves. Excellent work! _________________
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