Challenges during the design process

Challenges during the design process

We have faced many troubles and frustrations during the whole project development, including the technical problems and also the collaboration; yet they all have been solved and finally we get our model done quite well. It is necessary to record the challenges or faults, as they can remind us not to let the mistakes happened again, also keep a record of our design process.

1. Collaboration with ‘New’ team member
Collaborate with someone never work together before or even totally stranger, is always happens in the real world. Our team members in this studio were picked randomly by choosing number tickets from a ‘Hat’, which is a really good experience that I can work with someone that I never work together before, and learn how to communicate and expressing myself. I think our team are working a bit harder than the other group, as Gordon – one of our team members- is living in Perth, so we cannot meet up quite often and only rely on phone or e-mail. Yet Gordon is a really good partner to work with as he is responsible and smart, so the distance does not make our process too difficult. And the other group mates Joanne and Michael, they are also helpful and funny, I had so much fun to work with them. We assigned the work evenly according to our strengths, which let our design process smoother and efficiently.

2. Building the model
We have the most challenge on building the model as we do not have the accurate measurement or any detail about the Cenotaph. To get the nearest result, Joanne built the model in ArchiCAD by the following the scale of the imported section of Cenotaph picture; yet it seems not looking very good after we imported it into 3Ds Max, so I rebuilt the model again in 3Ds Max by using Joanne’s Model as a reference, and add more detail to it, then the model looks quite well and achieved the sense of elegant.

3. Import from 3Ds Max to Crysis
Micheal and I spent nearly two days for importing the model from 3Ds Max to Crysis and we were quite frustrated because somehow it did not work well.

The first challenge is the SDK plug in does not support 3Ds Max 2009 which I used to built the model; so I have to

• export the model from .max to .3ds format in 3Ds Max 2009

- go file > export > choose .3ds format

• Then import the .3ds file to 3Ds Max 2008

- go File > Import> choose the 3ds file > then completely replace the current sence

• Use SDK plug in to save the model as .cgf format

- Firstly save the 3ds file as .max to
C:\Program files\Electronic Arts\Crytek\Crysis\Game\Objects
- Group all objects and Name it the same name you just saved it as
- Select the whole object and go to Utilities on the left hand side tool bar, choose the cry engine exporter
- add selected
- Choose ‘Export to Geometry (*.cgf)”
- Then click ‘Export Nodes’ to
C:\Program files\Electronic Arts\Crytek\Crysis\Game\Objects

• Import to crysis by the following steps:

- Create a terrain
- Go to objects in your roll over menu (right hand side)
- Select Brush
- Your new object you just exported should be in the list
- drag it into your terrain

However, when we try to import the model to crysis, we found that the material I made in 3Ds Max does not work in crysis editor; and also some elements does not show in the editor correctly because of too many vertices. So I spit the model into parts according to their materials, and do the steps above again.