First Grass Result

Here is my first grass test. I have some ideas for getting better results that look more realistic and would be composed inside the engine instead of an external 3d package, but I wanted to show my progress. I think I will be working on blocking out our early levels, so the grass project may be put on hold for a few weeks.

-Alex

Grass and Shadow of the Colossus

Hello ladies and gentleman, today I'm going to talk about grass. Earlier today I was overcome by the strange urge to replay my favorite game of all time, Shadow of the Colossus. Whenever I play this game I get all kinds of ideas for our games, and today grass was what caught my eye.

Lately in Castle of Maidens I have been looking for a way to create grass in a way that is both realistic and stylish. I have been happy with the results so far, but my methods are extremely memory intensive. The way I do it now is, I create a triangle mesh and I map a basic grass texture to it. When I take this into the engine I place thousands of them around the player with a basic Level of Detail (LOD) system that Tapers them out at a certain range. Even with the LOD and tapering my framerate drops like mad. The effect looks great (see "The Field" post), but a better solution is necessary.

So, today while playing Shadow of the Colossus I realized something. When I was crawling my way up the back of a colossus I noticed the amazing fur. At this moment it occurred to me that the methods for creating fur would be a great way of making grass. After a couple hours of research I found what I was looking for. the fur in the game was done with a few layers, each with parts of the hair creating an interesting and efficient effect. A good example and explanation can be found Here.

This week it is my goal to create some grass using a similar method and I will post my results here, so check back soon!

-Alex

this is not art...

this isn't art, to be put in a museum and stared at... this is my soul, my voice, my prayer. it is the visible, tangible evidence of not only me, but of a vibrant, creative, and strong people. it speaks for me, but it also for you, and for everyone; it speaks of the world in which we live, and most importantly of God. this is as much a part of our life as the leaves that the trees make or the clouds that the sky weaves. you cannot simply call it, “art.”

-Ian

I wrote this after reading the words of Michael Lacapa regarding Native American Art during a visit to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. These words are my own, but they reflect the effect and impressions that Lacapa's words and the museum had on me, as well as the beliefs that resonate within me as a Native artist. The portrait of a boy is also mine, © 2010.

The Field

Here is a small preview of what is to come. This is one of the early levels of the game, taking place before you reach the castle. Check back often for updates!


-Alex

Firefox Users, Rejoice!

Introducing the first in a series of Firefox personas from Polian Studios!

"Toxic" by Alex and Ian. More personas coming soon!


-Ian

A Drop of Summer.

There's a drop of summer in the warm spring ocean, and I'm a shark who's scented blood.

 

More art, game updates, posts, etc., coming soon.

Possibly a site redesign, as well!

-Ian

Etsy Prints for Sale

Hello Polian community! Alex here again. I just thought that I would mention that I am selling prints of my art on ETSY, so if anyone is interested you can find those here: Click!

-Alex