DARKmatter

Has anyone used Darkmatter 1 or 2??? The stumbling point I am at in my game is badguys... I need things to kill (in the game...) or the idea of a FPS is moot.
-RZ

Darkmatter 1 has some handy badguys. But the animations are almost useless, so be prepared to add some nice Animations. THe Chars are top. Not the latest tech standard, but kinda anno 2000 professional: Very low poly (around 1000 Tris) and they don't use a Skeleton, instead they use the old method of multiple children meshes (upper leg, lower leg, feet, head, neck, chest etc.) in .3ds Format. It's well wort the price and if you only edit the textures slightly (alter Hue of Camo or something), they even aren't recoginzed as DarkMAtter Meshes easily.

Darkmatter 2 may not be used with other Tools than DarkBasic, as far as I know.

I was wodering it says DM2 exports to .X format... I own UltUnwrap3D... Hmmmph... Anyone got alternate sources?
-RZ

www.psionic3d.co.uk

I've just bought the DakMatter 1&2 model packs and I can't see anything in the copyright that explicitly limits the use of DM 2 to DarkBasic users. Although DB users are specifically mentioned in the copyright notice it doesn't say they are the only DM 2 purchasers who can make use of the models.

[EDIT]
Actually, after reading the copyright notice again, this has me a bit worried now. I'm wondering if I've wasted my money on these models.
[/EDIT]

Copyright text:-

Copyright

All models Copyright (c) Geo-metricks 2003. All rights reserved.

All 3D models included in the Dark Basic Model Pack library are non exclusive (Geo-metricks retains ownership and Copyright)

Dark Basic Users (End Users) are not authorized to :
Separately sell, re-sell, sell as, duplicate, collate, distribute, publish, represent - for re-sale or free objects, any original Geo-metricks 3D model or any derivative thereof, in any known digital format, by any means whatsoever, invented or yet to be invented, when the Geo-metricks models are the product itself e.g. 3d Clipart, 3D digital stock libraries.

Dark Basic Users (End Users) are however authorized to distribute or sell (royalty free) any Dark Basic application that contains the said models or derivatives in the .x file format only.

Double post.

I understand this to mean you are not allowed to re-sell (etc etc) the models as if they were your own as a spearate package.

i.e. 'FRED'S GREAT BADGUY MESHES ONLY $5'
I will have a look agaiin tonight as I am using textures from DM1 in my latest project.

You can use DM2 models in any programming language or game engine that you wish, but you cannot convert the .X models to another format. DM2 uses DX8.1 bone-animated .X format, so you cannot use these models in Blitz3D.

Thought UltimateUnwrap can convert them to .B3D, no?

I think I remember halo said this, about the Darkbasic-exclusive usage. And if I read that copyright notice again, it sounds like the models are strictly copyright by Geo-metricks (is that the same guy like the one who "kindly provided 3d models" for the Blitz CD, or ist it coincedence?). The only exception from the copyright is for DarkBasic Apps and the models may as well not be converted to other formats.

Well, DarkMatter 1 was royalty free without limits. What was the price for the doublepack?
Well, DM1 for 14.99£:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005YT5A/qid=1090496872/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/026-2738169-6538849

BTW there have been as well some roduct releases from this community. I remember "Military essentials" for example with pretty good animations. And there is Psionics Military guy Package, that is pretty good as well.

Yes, but as Jedive says, the license explicitly forbids you from converting them to another format. TheGameCreators made a deal with Geo-Metricks ( who made the models ) which is pretty strict but works fine for DB Pro users. I have emailed TheGameCreators to verify that this is the case, and have an email where they confirmed that they cannot legally be used in Blitz because Blitz is unable to load the models with skeletons and animation intact. If Blitz enabled you to create your own bones, it would be possible to write an .x loader, but AFAIK this is not possible.


EDIT: And yes, none of this applies to DarkMatter 1 models and textures. Those are fine.

That's good I get scarily worried when all this legal stuff starts flying!

This line:-

'Models can be used with other languages like C++'

from the DM2 key features page at:-

http://darkmatter.thegamecreators.com/?f=features_dm2

confirms that DM2 can be used with other languages.


That still doesn't sort the Blitz3D incompatible file format issue, though. I was aware of this issue (so I've only got myself to blame) but I was hoping that there may be some acceptable workaround, which there may well be.

Possibly converting the models to B3D and then Moleboxing them to prevent other people from accessing them, may be acceptable to GeoMetricks and The Game Creators. Assuming that there was a conversion tool available that kept the animation data intact, and that the relavent parties agreed to that usage.

I don't think you would want to use them for a final commercial game.
I've bought both, the quality ain't that good, but they are perfect for placeholders and prototypes. So you just use and convert them, and place them in your games, and replace them later with other models.
The animations are kinda crappy, I wonder if it would be possible to make a good job with Character Shop.

The leg deformations shown in the supplied model viewer definately look to be a bit of a worry, amongst other issues.

They'd be good enough for freeware games, though.