What is Texture Mapping?Texture mapping is the process of laying an image over a 3D rendering of an object to make it look more realistic. Think of it like wrapping a present, the texture is the wrapping paper, and the model is the present. How do You do it in 3DS Max?There are many options for texturing, such as checkerboard patterns, etc, but the method I will explain is bitmap textures. The first step is to select the model you want to texture, then you will hit "M" , which is the hotkey for the materials (AKA textures) window. Then you will add a box which is called a standard, which is basically instructions of how to wrap the texture to the model, and you will add a bitmap material which is the texture you're wrapping. When you add a bitmap, it will ask you to upload an image as your texture. Then you will drag a line from the word "diffuse" on the texture to the word "diffuse" on the model, which connects them. Then you want to right click the standard and hit "apply to selection" and when you render your object, it will be textured!
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What is Earthbound?In short, Earthbound is a masterpiece. In my completely biased opinion, it's the best game ever made. Earthbound is a JRPG for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System made by HAL. The game is based on humor and non traditional RPG elements such as a ticking health meter. It takes place in a modern setting, called Eagleland, a play on America, and focuses on a boy named Ness. What Makes Earthbound so Good?There's almost nothing I don't enjoy about this game. Most games feel like a mad dash to get from start to finish, but this game feels like life. It's relaxed when you're having fun, and hectic in a pinch. The surrealism of the game makes it a cult classic. The characters are well pronounced and the humor is on par and fresh even today. The art style is definitive of the SNES and it feels packed to the brim. The music is amazingly good and the story is one of the best there is. Things I Don't Like About Earthbound-It's Expensive -The controls are weird My Final Rating∞/10 This game is a masterpiece and ever since I booted the game up it instantly was my favorite game. A lot of people hate it just for not being Mother 3, or don't think it's worth buying for such a steep price, but there is a reason the community of fans for this game is so massive and that's because it's nothing short of a work of art. I can't remember a time I wasn't having fun with this game. If I could only choose to own one game for the rest of my life, it would immediately be this one.
BackgroundIn the 90's a fast blue hedgehog hit the scene. Sonic the Hedgehog is a popular character, and back in the day there were many different media variations of him. Obviously there were the Sega Genesis games which he was from, and the video games are so popular that they are still mass produced today and have placed Sonic as a household name. Also, many toys and action figures, and even a few comic series that performed very well. The comic produced by Archie Comics ran from 1992 to 2017, and won many awards. In the west, 3 different cartoons were made about the character, which is the main focus of this blog post. Sonic CartoonsThere were 3 sonic cartoons which all were very different from one another and the source material (Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega Genesis) for that matter. All 3 had the main character of Sonic the Hedgehog, and in all 3 Jaleel White voices sonic. Sonic underground and Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM) were more serious comics, while Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog was a slapstick comedy cartoon. Sonic The Hedgehog (AOSTH)This iteration of Sonic the Hedgehog has an attitude and is probably the fastest one of the bunch. His kryptonite, if you will, was that he was obsessed with hot girls and chili dogs. Often he was easily fooled into traps with these as his lures. In this show Sonic is shown exercising some crazy feats, even causing a trail of fire when he runs and extremely sharp sight. He's witty, he's fast and most importantly, he's Sonic. He has a few accomplices, but his main one is Tails The Fox. Sonic The Hedgehog (SatAM)Sonic the Hedgehog (Sat AM) took a dark tone, and in the show Robotnik has taken over the planet except for a small base of freedom fighters in a forest. Since the show is about the fight for freedom, Sonic is clearly not portrayed as the strongest or smartest in this show. In all honesty, AOSTH Sonic plowed through situations that SatAM barely weaseled out of. Canonically to the show, Sonic's max speed is 1100 MPH without modifiers. The interesting thing about this cartoon is sonic has an item to power him up called the Power Ring, Which when used temporarily gives sonic a huge boost in power and speed. This Sonic has a whole army of friends, but this also shows his weakness, as he is shown relying on their help for a majority of the shows running. Sonic The Hedgehog (SU)Sonic Underground was somewhat similar to Sonic The Hedgehog (SatAM), however the main focus and plot is that Sonic's mother, queen Elise abandoned him and his two siblings, who he meets and together they try to find their mother. The series takes a focus on music, and Sonic has a magical guitar that he can use as a weapon. Unfortunately the show got cancelled before the end of plot, which in this case means we never really got to see Sonic's full potential. This cartoon is the only one of the three to not include Tails the fox as a character, as the show focused on making new characters. How Would a Fight Between Them Go?Its likely that Sonic The Hedgehog (SatAM) Would have a singular power ring , and Sonic The Hedgehog (SU) would have his magical guitar pendant, and the ability to use it by himself, and Sonic The Hedgehog (AOSTH) has just eaten a chili dog. Who Would Win?It's likely that Sonic The Hedgehog (AOSTH) would destroy both Sonic The Hedgehog (SU) and Sonic The Hedgehog (SatAM) faster than you can say "chili dogs", with his extreme speed and skill. The power ring is temporary and the guitar has to be in harmony to be useful, and even if it was possible to be used by just Sonic he still is limited on the attacks he can use with it, while Sonic The Hedgehog (AOSTH) has permanent skill that he built up over years of hard work. He is very cunning with tricks and traps, where as the other ones are known for their other actions and would likely fall into his traps with ease. CitationAll information used in this article comes directly from the Sonic The Hedgehog Cartoons. Sonic the Hedgehog, characters associated with the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, and the Sonic cartoons are property of Sega and Dic. All research for this essay was conducted by me. This is a nonprofit post.
What is 3DS Max3DS Max is a basic 3D modeling/animation program made mostly for short animation or static models. My First Impressions3DS Max is fairly easy to use, if you know EVERYTHING about it. Often the program will randomly change settings or certain things won't work for no reason, but if you know how to fix it the program is very useful. It's simple to use if you're fine with wrestling with it. Final Verdict.The program is one of the easiest for making short animations and static models. It's easier than programs like blender, but lacks complexity on subjects like model rigging. Overall I suggest the program.
ForewordFor about 3 years I have been using the Adobe Elements version of Premiere. Therefore, I have experience with video editing, and some experience with the program. This also means that it is more frustrating to me the changes between the two versions. What is Premiere?Premiere is the video equivalent of Photoshop. It is an easy and basic video editor that is regarded as one of the kings, up there with programs such as Sony Vegas. Many people use it and its one of the main names that comes to mind when talking about video editing. One of the few drawbacks for the common Joe is that the program does cost money. TLDR of the abovePremiere is a video editor made by Adobe. A lot of people use it, but it is kind of expensive. What Do I Think?You have to be really creative to get your moneys worth out of the program, and it takes a lot of learning. If you want to edit videos, I still use Premiere and ditched Vegas Pro very quickly. If you're feeling brave, try mixing the program with others like Windows Movie Maker, because Premiere is missing features that some other video editors have, and vice versa. Overall, I would recommend this product to anyone looking to have some fun making their own videos, because since my quirky little projects that got only a handful of thousands of views on Youtube from 7th grade until now, Premiere has always stayed on my desktop.
What is Mr. B's Room Like?Mr. B has a classroom that looks completely different from most of the schools classrooms. It is clad with geeky posters and merchandise, and filled with computers and nerds. Pros and ConsPros-Lots of utilities (keyboard, mouse, drawing tablet, two monitors, lots of programs) -large amounts of desk space, Enough to set everything on -In the main building, so not far from most classes -has lots of advertisements, merchandise, posters, decorations, and style choices that are fun to look at -Swivel chairs -The board is easy to see -The room is open enough that Mr. B can walk around to help us out Cons-The computers are really outdated
-The heating system is broken so it's either extremely hot in here or extremely cold. -We have drawing tablets, dual monitors, keyboards and mouses which means there is a lot of wires on the table -The keyboards are really loud when you type which can get annoying -When we do video tutorials, we have to bring our own headphones because the ones provided are usually broken -No wheels on swivel chairs -We don't use many of the programs on the computer ForewordIf you read my recent blog post about bitmap game art (titled Bitmap Game Art), there was a section where I briefly went over what the difference between a vector and bitmap image are, so I'll now be going into depth more with what vector graphics are. What is a Vector Graphic?Vector graphics are images that are created using mathematical equations. It is the alternative to the other, more universal format for digital art, the bitmap format. A common misconception about vector graphics is that you have to write out mathematical equations to make the picture, which is not necessarily true. Many programs exist that work like standard paint programs, which is how most vector graphics are created, as it is far more convenient. Adobe IllustratorThe program we use in class is Adobe Illustrator. As you may have guessed by the creator of both programs, Illustrator is strikingly similarly laid out like Photoshop. However, since its vector graphics, the tools are a little different. If you've used Photoshop before, you will have a bit less trouble finding your way around Illustrator. What do I Think?All though there are certain things I like about illustrator, like the fact the lines come out more smooth and the such, I hereby have to revoke all negative statements I have ever made about Photoshop because I despise this garbage excuse for an "alternative to Photoshop". The entire program is a mess, and many times I have lost progress due to things I cannot for the life of me figure out how to fix. There are tools which I cant even tell you why anyone would use them, the swatch pallets are atrocious in my opinion, and the overall usage just isn't practical to me. I think in the future, I'll be sticking to bitmap.
Bitmap Game Art: A Brief OverviewA bitmap art piece is a piece of art made in the bitmap format. The bitmap format is, as explained here , is a format of digital images that uses a dot matrix to store data. It is opposite of the Vector image format. When used in a game, bitmap art is generally referred to as a sprite. TLDR: bitmap game art, also known as sprites, is a type of digital art that in this circumstance is used in games. What We Are Doing In ClassIn class, we are creating mock-up bitmap game art by following some online tutorials that help create a scene which contains elements that could be worked into a game. The All Dreaded: My OpinionThere are some good and bad things about these tutorials we do in class. A lot of it is nitpicks and personal gripes, so I'll just bullet point them.
Good: -The tutorials let you work at your own pace -Most of it is changeable to your own preferences and creativity -Pretty short, 24ish minutes in length each Bad: -Often misleading; instructor messes up halfway through, but doesn't edit his mistake out -Extremely overdragging intro -Doesn't explain all techniques Overall, It works but it's nothing amazing. If you are new to photoshop, I can't say it wouldn't help you because it most likely would. IntroductionKirby Super Star is a game that was released on March 21st, 1996 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game is composed of 9 smaller games, however is advertised as "8-in-one", since the last game is a boss rush. Reception Generally the game is received well. One of the most famous game review websites, IGN, gave the game a 8.5/10 in their review of the game. The game Has a fair amount of playability, The world record for the game is over an hour, and it took me about 8 hours to beat. My Experience With the GameThe copy of the game I bought for this review was a Japanese version, on original hardware, and I did play through sections of the game with a friend. The game took me about 8 hours to complete, but I had been very familiar with the games controls and mechanics. I also was familiar with lots of the secrets. Overall, I think the game is the best game in the Kirby franchise, and one of the top 10 SNES games. The game seems perfect for all audiences, as I was astonished at how much of the game I could figure out without being able to read a single word on screen. There were many times where I didn't even remember I was playing a foreign copy. Critical AnalysisOverall, here's the condensed version of my opinions on the game: Gameplay: 8/10 -Fun and easy to pick up -Not overhauled with story -Short, non related adventures Graphics:9.5/10 -Clean, Distinguished -Occasionally murky, mostly in grass textures in cutscenes -Doesn't cause the game to lag Music: 9.9/10 -Packed to the brim full of different instrumentals -Iconic -Music occasionally gets repetitive Multiplayer: 7/10 -Player 2 controls the same as player 1 -Player 1 gets control of when player 2 is allowed to play -Can have a CPU player 2 when playing by yourself -Player 2 is very limited on what power-ups they get -Having a player 2 can limit player 1's power-up uses Overall Game Score I give the game a 9/10.
What is a Color Wheel?A color wheel is a circular diagram that shows off different colors and their combinations. There are two digital color wheels, the RGB and CMYK models. What is the difference?The models use different primary colors, the CMYK uses cyan, magenta, yellow and black, while the RGB uses red, green and blue. The RGB is most commonly used, used for things like color display on screens, and graphics for programs, while the CMYK is used for printing. My Personal OpinionHonestly, I feel like there isn't enough use for the CMYK model for it to matter, and I don't understand why they don't make RGB printers. The RGB model is really straightforward and anyone can pick it up in no time flat.
RelevanceFor the past few weeks we have been working with principals of design by making examples of certain elements in Photoshop documents. What are principles of design?The elements of design are abstract and organic shape, space, color, emphasis, texture, proportion, and perspective, but if you want a formal definition, some would describe it as; the elements are components or parts which can be isolated and defined in any visual design or work of art. What is The Use of The Elements?the elements are used in any piece of art, and when used together are called the principle of unity. Elements like emphasis are used to draw your eyes to a certain point of an image, or something like texture can define an object for what it is.
The Assignment In our class, we were given an assignment to draw a character and then use it in a comic strip. Admittedly, I am not very good at making original characters, so this was a very hard task for me. I did however create one eventually, and created a comic strip to accompany it. Drawing a CharacterThe first step is drawing a character, after all, a comic wouldn't be very interesting with no characters! If you want to draw a character that is easy to manipulate, you want to start by drawing your character in a T-pose (with their arms stretched out straight, and body and legs straight) , and in an orthographic sketch. Orthographic sketchingFor the millions of people that didn't have it beaten into them by their teacher (*cough cough*), an orthographic sketch of a character is a drawing of the character from the front, side and back. You would not believe how much detail needs to go into these drawings. It may seem nit-picky, but things like the feet not being perfectly lined up, or height being slightly off on one angle can be extremely detrimental to your drawing. These drawings are extremely crucial to character creation. Drawing a Comic StripNow you have your character, lets jump into giving them a world to live in. You're gonna want to think of a backstory for your main character; why they are where they are, how they got there, and what they would be doing in the world. This will most likely require you to repeat the last few steps to make some surrounding characters. Next, you want to give your character an objective. Now that you have the whole wide world created, you need to draw it out! You will want to make your drawings neat enough to be distinguished, and you should have a somewhat linear plot. ClosureCongratulations! You have your very own comic, and knowledge on how to make them. Happy trails paisano!
Castlevania for the Nintendo Entertainment System is one of the most well known Konami games of the time, and is considered a classic. If you have never played it, there's not too much to get caught up on. There is a vampire hunter, named Simon Belmont, and his weapon is a whip. He walks up to an iron gate, and the game begins. Game MechanicsThe most prominent thing that sets Castlevania apart from most NES sidescrollers is that the controls are really bad. The whip takes a second before it works, it's really slow, and limits your movement. The only way to move while whipping is if you whip midair. The jump arches are also painful to control, as you have to dedicate your movements to a direction before jumping. However, these control restraints are purposeful, because they add difficulty to the game without cheap gimmicks or grueling backtracking. Without backtracking in the game, The enemy placement is a majority of the difficulty level, and the combination of the two is where the fun happens. Not being able to make tight maneuvers and constantly getting bombarded with enemies gives the game the upper hand, and forces you to plan out your every move. Atmosphere and GraphicsThe game takes place in a horror setting, which is portrayed through the game rather than graphics, since the NES has 8 bit graphics, which aren't much to work with on drawing out detailed pictures. The way it portrays horror is by making the player fear losing all their health, and by adding suspense for what is lurking ahead. The color pallet used is quite unique, as the character, platforms, and candles which drop items are orange, which compliments the dark blue used for the backgrounds. To distinguish the enemies and weapons from the background and player, they made them white. Everything pops and is easy on the eyes. End StatementsOverall, Castlevania is always going to be considered a classic for the NES, and still is a solid game today. It's got a good design overall and is made very well. I would give this game an 8/10
So far it's been a good few weeks in Mr. B's class. We Haven't learned all that much, but he sure keeps us on our toes with lots of projects. We've covered advanced search in google, the (heavily abridged) timeline of computers, and how to work in a few programs, but that's it, and that's one of my favorite things about the class. It's not about remembering the material, it's about going out and making something original, which I totally dig. Sure, almost everyone knows how to use Google, but it takes skill to use Google well. Our first lesson was on Advanced Search, a super secret method that makes it actually possible to use Google 95. This is where we come to our problem, is that Advance Search has sort of become obsolete. I believe the reason for this is that the fellows at Google Inc. realized people had to master the martial arts of using brackets, and updated the search engine to work better. To give an example, I went to www.google.com and searched for the creator of a random game I have, Kirby and the Amazing Mirror. I didn't get solid results when using advanced search, but did when I didn't use it. ConclusionOver all, this doesn't make advanced search a useless tool, just obsolete. It can also be helpful in many instances, but in my experience, it just doesn't work all that great.
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