Art pass entry appreciation thread (image heavy)

Huckle

L3: Member
May 31, 2010
149
101
Now that the art pass contest is over and the winner(s) have been decided, a lot of people seem to think they wasted their time because they didn't win (I don't, I'm better now than I was before).

To remedy this, I thought I'd go back and pick out a few of the screenshots I've stolen with things I want to look at when making more maps of my own. There is something to learn from every map and a lot of things in most of them. These are only a few I picked out from the first two pages in the contest entries section that I've posted in but I have several hundred images saved. Take this as a chance to learn from others and get even better, you have fifty (?) entries that were turned in to look at.

Let's get it on:
3Dnj.jpg


While starting with one of the winners might feel a bit off, there are several things I think are just amazing in these pictures (and they're in alphabetical order). The red/white texture changes in the top one, the ladder/balconies in the middle and just the smooth transitioning between playable area/3d skybox/2d skybox in the bottom part.

DaBeatzProject.jpg


Just like 3Dnj's third image, the top part here is just such an awesome transition between several areas. It also managed to do something more interesting of the right side house (though could use a touch of fog). The middle part is also just an awesome adaptation of the available map with the B houses, I wish my own solution had been that good. The basketball court just looks great and adds ambience.

GoobaTheViking.jpg


Showcasing excellence in two areas that I think are my biggest weaknesses, 3D skyboxing and interesting geometry, Gooba really deserved the honorable mention.

Grazr.jpg


Sometimes it's just the little things. Again I've picked parts that I'm not happy with in my own map and taken images that just make them look great.

Honeymustard.jpg


The floor in the first image and the pure simplicity of the second just shows that you don't need a heavy amount of detail to make something look awesome. B and the surrounding area just look great and manages to encapsulate the area while still having long sightlines and open areas in the 3d skybox.

IrishTaxiDriver.jpg


Again with the little things, the mop and bucket along with the decals and drips really make the ambience amazing in this shot. The second one goes to show that you can make great things even with only barrels and a few brushes. I still get surprised by how great of an idea this was and I've looked at that image dozens of times.

TerabyteST.jpg


Keeping low on the detail but still making the room feel like a solid environment. Just like the barrels in IrishTaxiDriver's shot, the crates in the bottom part of this one might look a bit uniform but I think it adds flavor. Not every room can contain awesome interesting objects. Some have to be dull to make the cool things stand out more.

I would say that if you don't take this chance to learn from others you will have wasted a lot more than putting time into a contest entry and not winning. If you didn't learn a ton of stuff, then what have you been doing? This was the first time for me with 3D skybox, 2D skybox and basically the entire detailing process. My next map will be a ton better from doing the process all the way up to release and I don't regret it at all, there were really a big difference between mine and the winning entries.
 

Ida

deer
aa
Jan 6, 2008
2,289
1,372
APPRECIATION TIME!

I love all you entrants thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much!
 

Draco18s

L9: Fashionable Member
Sep 19, 2009
622
136
Maybe someone could set up a 24/7 artpass server and just cycle through these?

I think someone did, but I don't recall the server address nor where they posted it.

Anyway, great collection of screenshots. I too have my weak areas in mapping and learned from this contest. I'm now much friendlier with displacements than I used to be (though 3D skyboxes and I are in somewhat of a hate-hate relationship still*). The sculpt tool is much much better than the paint geometry tool.

*I didn't even attempt one for the contest. Mainly because of time constraints and the lack of any ideas of what to put out there.
 

Scotland Tom

L6: Sharp Member
Jan 19, 2008
332
64
Great thread! I'd actually like to see some other people take screenshots of their favorite maps/areas and post them to keep things going! It'd be fun to look at and great to learn from.
 

Huckle

L3: Member
May 31, 2010
149
101
Great thread! I'd actually like to see some other people take screenshots of their favorite maps/areas and post them to keep things going! It'd be fun to look at and great to learn from.

That was my intention. Showing people how to teach me about parts of maps I've missed. :)
 

REEJ

L420: High Member
Aug 26, 2010
437
176
detailing sense in these three 3Dnj's screens is almost scary
raising the bar and leaving a scar on my consciousness
 

Pc_Madness

L4: Comfortable Member
Aug 31, 2009
164
51
artpass_acegikmo0000.jpg


I loved this part in Ace's. I remember it taking me a while to realise where the heck I was when I first saw it. Made me realise how crappy mine would have ended up looking as I was sticking to the base layout pretty closely. Good use of spytech as well.


The pattern on the floor annoys me though :p
 

soylent robot

L420: High Member
May 26, 2009
499
394
Im real glad I entered this contest, I learned a lot about detailing and especially optimising.
My skybox and some out of bounds areas in mind were dull and crappy, so thats my next area to improve on.

Personally, my favourite entries were Grazr's and Honeymustard's. Grazr's really fit the feel of tf2 (imo) and Honeymustard's had a nice ambience in the outdoor areas
 

Gerbil

aa
Feb 6, 2009
573
846
I'm pretty sure there will be an art pass pin. Unless there was a change of plans of course.
 

Rexy

The Kwisatz Haderach
aa
Dec 22, 2008
1,798
2,533
Why couldn't the participants at least receive medals :( Polycount got 'em, and now a bunch of us are sitting around with dozens of hours spent on these maps with nothing to show

There's a pin in the works.