#aquadeco

Remember when I said.. I would have more time in the new year? It’s true.

But, I can’t predict the future, and things that are not on my agenda, might still happen. Just to let you all know, it’s fine, it’s good.

Not the start I intended, but I still have all the good intentions.

Also, I quit smoking this year. So I was not in a good and happy mood, and although I have tried - I did not want to work on the mod, being all frustrated with everything around me. Thankfully, I’m feeling better and less on edge every day - Also eating less garbage to fill the void. Ridiculous..

Hello everyone!

Can’t believe we’re nearing the end of the year already! So I better be quick, as I’m already behind! For one more time - this year - here’s a new peek behind the curtain.

As I mumbled, I’m behind.. Not that I have a strict schedule, or in fact, any schedule! This is a side-project, and it has been quite busy for me. So there will always be times when other things have priority over fun projects like this. Nonetheless I keep on going to the best of my abilities, and the new year gives me more space and time to work on AquaDeco. Besides, a lot of you are probably occupied with festivities anyway. ;)

Coral Tubes

A little piece of “coral”, maybe with a worm or some other surprise inside. Maybe not.

Angelfish

Originating from the murky rivers in South-America; meet the angelfish! A common freshwater aquarium resident, but elegant nonetheless. It’s narrow body, elongated fins and stripe pattern all serve as camouflage. It’s perfect to blend in the surrounding foliage and mangrove roots.

Here’s an attempt of an Amazon inspired tank, which includes more new bits!

Sword Leaf

A new “big leaf” plant with large blade-like.. big leaves. (see above, in the back on the right)

Fluorescent / UV Light

Besides the fluorescent light (the white “office light” beam) which actually lights up the place, I have also added an ultraviolet variant. This is the purple, “black light” one, commonly used for saltwater aquaria, as it serves coral and other delicates. But a real benefit is that this re-colorable, glow-only light barely impacts game performance, opposed to the actual light that can impact frame rate if overly used. So you can still use the object to your liking, whatever the power of your computer.

Water Quality

Now, time to get technical (not really). There is a lot of equipment involved behind the scenes at an aquarium. Especially in zoo’s and theme parks. I have made a bunch of water heaters. Real heaters are pretty complicated, or look very boring. So I’ve taken some creative freedom and made some variants, based on the wires and plates in all kinds of temperature regulating devices.

I made it so, so you can build your own complicated inner workings. Or make a something more sci-fi with it. I could’ve made a very large one-off model, but I think this way is more useful. You can always make a blueprint, and it keeps the objects as generic as possible.

Included is a small radiator, that you may find in a living room, but of course you can scale and color everything to your liking. The water filter got a face-lift. Now looking less “Nintendo 64″. :D

Thick Glass Walls

I will show off the full glass set, including the tunnels, another time. Still need to add some slopes and corner variants. And I need to test performance a bit more. Here is an earlier test, of some sort of a “botanical desert”.

It might be taxing if someone wants to make “Glass World” - which I wouldn’t advise in any game, but I can make it “less-taxing” as much as I can. Anyway, more on that later.. :)

Trash Bin Shark

Added a new trash bin, which can be custom colored!

Pretty much does what any other bin does.

Though may look a bit sad when full..

Crab

There are still a lot of unfinished objects and missing pieces, some of which I have not shown. When I’m lingering on something for too long, I tend to move onto something else for a bit. To keep it fun, and so I can come back to it with a fresh pair of eyeballs.

I had done a lot of try-outs with the crab model before (as you might remember from a post some time ago), but I wasn’t sure about a lot of things. Now able to see what I was staring blind at. Here is the result! Alas, not the end result.. One thing I have yet to cross off the crabby checklist is it’s proper animation.

It has a temporary animation at the moment. I’m not happy with any of the animations (of the ones I’ve shared) so far because I’m rushing through. I’m actually proud of myself for actively reminding myself not being too perfectionistic (this whole project is one big ol’ psychological challenge that I’m happily, fully committing to).. but I can and want to do better in this department, besides that, it is pretty much the main course of the mod - I think. To be clear, this doesn’t mean the final result is actually good by any means. I’m just saying that I can do better. :P

More decor!

Stone Slab

The stone slab is a flat scenery piece, intended for aquarium backdrops, but can be used as any environmental asset.

Conch Shell Spire

It’s an expensive feature, but it might be worth it? I’m still working on it. More soon!

Happy days!

I hope you like all the new additions and changes. Feel free to leave your comments, suggestions and questions on the Parkitect sub-reddit. In any case I wish you all a very merry december, however you celebrate it, if at all.

All the best, and thanks for the support and comments. I’m having a lot of fun making this, and it is all purposely very different for me to work in such a public manner.I’ve learned so much in such a short time, and it’s only because of the Parkitect community that I’ve kept my motivation. It’s what I needed. Thank you!

Ok, I’m ready to receive my Oscar now.. and my champagne.

Be safe, but more importantly have a good time.

Up and onwards in the new year!

Hey everyone!

It’s time for another “work-in-progress” update, a weekly post where I share my progress of making the AquaDeco mod. I’m almost caught up with the things I have yet to show you. So let’s close that gap!

Today it’s mainly about the “other things” you could find in an aquarium. I’m talking about the backstage areas, the stuff that goes on to keep the aquarium in good condition.

“Bench”

One idea I had floating around in that dark void, was a couch kind of a bench. The in-game vanilla benches, to me, seem mostly suited for outdoor use. Of course, they work on any path, anywhere, but I wanted something softer. More of a lounge-y feel. A couch or a large “Fatboy”.

Here’s (above) a screenshot of the first version. I went for a somewhat more generic design, so it is not only (visually) suited for peeps on beaches. In the image you can see that I’ve stacked a couple of the triangular benches over one another. You can’t really stack benches on the same tile, but the object is so big that two separate benches, connecting to a path corner, overlap.

Although I did like the cosy feeling of a pile of peeps enjoying a lolly.. this iteration didn’t work well, visually that is. The technical side worked fine, but there was a lot of walking/clipping through the object. I was happy with the direction though, so I started adjustments.

Here I’ve made the benches quarter (of one tile) sized. The idea is to be able to make you’re own bench, in a modular way. Or use them for in a diner, or a small toilet for instance.

Another issue came up with this though. Because the benches are placed on the sides of paths, they are offset from the center on the tile grid. Using quarters like this - and being able to pair the up next to each other to make a half, for example - ..it gets fiddly and confusing. It’s not clear to see where the origin of a placed piece is located, and you can easily replace one when accidentally stacked on the same tile. All in all, this design didn’t work as smoothly as I wanted it to be. I do really like the concept, I think this could be really neat and handy..

Talking about visually communicating; When they’re all side by side - and the majority is vandalized - it’s easier to see. But you might not have spotted that some benches, are also vandalized in the first image of the same scene that was shot a bit earlier in time. This is not very helpful. You should be able to see, clearly, what’s going on. This is especially true in a potentially busy theme park with lots going on on-screen.

To display vandalism, he vanilla benches get replaced by a “broken” model variant. This is something (currently, as I’m writing this) that I have yet to learn to implement. If that is possible at all, at this time.

Above you can see that I’ve tested to see if I could hide an object within the bench model. I did this to see if the hidden object would become visible when the bench gets vandalised and thus tilted at an angle. But sadly the object (the trapezoid/cube within the triangle) also tilts with the bench, as a single object.

Fingers crossed things like this will become easier to implement in the future when the modding tool gets an update. Until then, I’ll make the buttons on the couch fabric easier to see (if I didn’t remove them already in the last iteration - if so, I’ll add them, or some other detail), so the tilt is easier to spot. I also wanted to remove the border along the bottom, kept it for this reason (see below: the couch in the middle has one of four vandalized). But, this is the best I can do for now and I hope it works well enough!

Now your guests can have a bit more comfort as they enjoy your aquarium, cinema, theater, restaurant, museum, library etc. And I’ll add a non-triangle one in the meantime, if you want a “regular” version.

Right, enough about that bench! Still keeping it in the homeware realm with another way to chill.

Fans

When I think of the aquarium, a reptile house or any other indoor humid atmosphere at the zoo - or perhaps in an actual, real-life, outdoorsy, tropical climate (not the climate I’m in, or used to) - I remember how warm and humid it is (also, the smell). This might be not as common as a memory, but it is real (I convince myself).

Keeping theme parks in mind, combined with the warmth of the simulated exotic exhibits; I figured that we needed some air!

Aside from the table fan, there’s also a separate fan without a stand. Both can be resized and custom colored. In the image above you can see some tests of applications. Of course you can use the fans for keeping your waiting peeps cool in the queue, build a hovercraft, airship or perhaps using it as a wind effect in a dark ride or coaster. Anyway, you can use it for whatever!

Sadly, does not actually cool anything, it’s just decor. But, it definitely tries;

This was also to try out some other, less complex animations. Turns out, it works really well. I found a way to avoid the use of invisible collision triggers, which is amazing to know. Doing it this new way makes my animated objects selectable and recolor-able etc. in-game! It’s not a solution for all circumstances, but it’s a good way (easier for the player, as they function like any other object without special cases) to at least try to incorporate in all the animated assets (if the animation is not too complex).

Technical Equipment

If you want to keep your lovely livestock “a bit longer”, you will need to install some hardware to keep them happy!

Here are some pieces to cater to those needs. Instead of making very specific aquatic equipment, I chose to make it so you could build your own - or as a result use it for other things as well. :)

Above you can see a large reservoir, which would be the water filter and a metal foundation plate. Also, a basic metal cabinet, and a monitor screen. I still need to google to find out how these types of “electro technical closets” are called (please fill me in if you recognize something, I used no reference for these :P).

Ah yes, and you might have spotted the buttons and triggers. These could be placed on the cabinets, or be used somewhere else in the park in any combination. I will also add a “facing up” variant of each button and trigger. I mainly based these on how I remember coaster control booths (which is me saying, with no reference but my memory). I used no reference, mainly to not get caught up in too much detail, as they are quite small already. It, again, is more the idea of it, than the actual thing. But, if I missed a crucial part that’s missing, let me know!

One thing that I know is missing, is a water heater/cooler. And other equipments of basic aquarium keeping. Those are still on the to-do list! :)

If you actually hate machinery with a passion, and are only hear for the animals. Thanks for enduring, so much, and here’s something I worked on today:

Work in progress model of the (..or a) new shark! The model in the image here is not done, I’m working on optimizing the mesh and such (this was taken before that). After that will come the animation bit.. But that will be next time! I am still not caught up.

I’ll be on the Parkitect sub-Reddit or in the Discord for comments and such! :)

It has been a minute since the last update, but I have been busy in the meantime! It, once again, is a bit of everything as I’m aiming to have at least a good base result for all the assets that I want to include. Now that the launch of version 1.0 of Parkitect has been announced, I have put more work into making stuff - over making these update posts (which can be quite time consuming, in the end).

My goal is to have a “beta” version of the mod out around Parkitect’s launch. Because there are some new territories to explore and figure out (the animated objects in this mod), it would be helpful to have some testers, and get some feedback. More about this at a later date.

Another thing that took (too) long is giving the “aquarium mod” a proper name. I never really liked that name, the double “m” didn’t really work for me. I had a bunch of ideas, but although “aquarium” (in general) is a well-known international-ish word.. it was kinda hard to be creative with it, without making a complicated looking word. Another thing that made it harder was that others already came up with good variations using the word “aqua”. Or, another example that potentially made it less easy to find my mod was words like “aquarium kit”. This is of course kit hobbyists use to build fish tanks. Adding the word “mod” would dive into actual aquarium modifications.

So, after a lot of time pondering in the back of my mind - and with the help of the lovely folks in the Parkitect Discord - AquaDeco is the chosen name. It’s what it says on the tin, while being short and easy to spell and find. Still need to get used to it, but that will happen with time.

Now, that was all the admin. Onto the more exciting things! I’m not gonna dwell on every little thing, but I’m sure you’re ok with that. In a short while you are able to observe it all for yourself anyway! :)

Although I’m not done with the tunnel set, here is another look at some more pieces. This is still just a sample from a test to see what is needed, and what is not. Sometimes you don’t need as much objects as you think, if you “cut them up” in the right ways. I’m working on a new iteration that is more optimized, and also has junctions and slopes. I will share those when the set is finished.

Besides exteriors, the main course of this mod pack is the livestock. Here are a couple of new animals that I’ve added!

Moray Eel

This serpentine-like fish likes to lurk between the rocks. It seems to yawn continuously, but it actually needs to open it’s mouth to help it’s breathing.

This is still a work in progress. As you can see in the clip above, they don’t move a lot. This is the reason why I chose this particular species (so it’s works well with mod limitations), but I’d like to give them a bit of locomotion - in place.

I have done some experiments with path following and other solutions, but now that we have the “waving” shader - which has been implemented on the vanilla flags - I thought this might be a better option. But I have not tried using shaders yet, and I am not sure if this will work in this case. Regardless, I’m happy with the result so far. Compared to these initial derpy looking ones:

Granted, the deformation that makes them look more like Muppets is a thing Unity decided - to optimise. I know now how to counter this, but anyhow - these first ones have a higher polycount, and they’re badly animated. Moving on!

I once had an aquarium, and there are some fishes that are commonly represented on displays and packaging. Pretty much icons of the freshwater, brackish, and saltwater variety. One of those “famous” freshwater fish is the..

Discus

You might’ve spotted a couple in the moray eel preview, I need to re-do it’s texture. I was trying to get the vertical stripes on, but it doesn’t look good and adds unnecessary polygons. Thankfully I have found a better way to do these things (I’m learning new techniques as I go along).

But I am happy with the perpetual circular motion! You can stack a couple of them on the same tile to keep them contained and all moving like a shoal.

There is more to show, but I’ll end it here for now. I’m still catching up (and setting up this Tumblr) and I don’t want to make a single monster post. So keep you’re eyeballs peeled for more!

As always I’d love to hear what you think, and I’m open to suggestions etc. I don’t think you can do that on Tumblr, but I will always make a post on the Parkitect sub-reddit letting you know about updates over on this site. So, leave a comment on Reddit - I’ll be there to observe and answer them.

So I figured, it would be nice to have the basics done - and continue what I started before. Well, re-make.. I seriously have a thing for losing work to mishaps... One thing you might remember from once before: Aquarium tunnels :D Shark tunnels? I'm not sure what these are called, need to look into it some more.

a fun day at a theme park, they said

This is what I'm currently working on, so the set is not complete yet. But, I'm now at the same point as I was before. So, that's good! :) What I still need to do is the connecting corners and angled pieces.

Here is a shot from the test park. Currently there are 3 tube variants (they poke a bit through the ground), each have a slight more thickness. This was mainly for me, to get the right general glass depth to work from - to achieve neat placement over existing water path tunnels - but also just look nice and flush with each other. The difference is minimal, so it will just be a single depth version.

I also added separate arches and "bands" that can be placed over tubes/tunnels. These "rings" are slightly bigger, you could "hide tunnels seams", or use them for other construction/support stuff.

Besides the glass set of tunnels, I also want to make a regular themed building set. All that I'm making in glass form, will probably be there in "wall form" as well.

Oh right, speaking of walls. The tubes/tunnels (1 tile sized) work like actual tunnels, peeps can only walk through the open bit. They provide rain protection, but are see-through.. It's glass. So you can't hide your facilities with it.

These are not scale-able, but work as standard walls - so they are recolor-able! Depending on the color, you get different opacity/see-through values and reflections. I will make them a tad more see-through than they are now.

Fences

Spruce it up with something a bit more natural, or combine them with other fences to make them more grounded.

Wood Stump

This off-grid stump of wood (I'm sure this also has a better name), could serve as a barrier. Or perhaps something for a playground, or a pirate ship?

Coral

The mere start of the various coral objects that will be in the pack. A big new rock base, that could function as a regular boulder - or be the base surface for some coral reefs. This particular coral species is based on a montipora. Also blocks rain for peeps, so could function as something more fantastical.

Fish

The first fishy customer in the mod! Based on the beautifully colored, shoaling, coral eating butterfly fish.

Jellyfish

Two variations of these elegant invertebrates are also invited to the party. Translucent, and a bit reflective - could be used as something more alien, with the right lighting.

All the powers combined, an example:

Hello there!

I'm pretty done setting up my new computer and getting settled in with all the new bells and whistles. Anyhow, it's time for new things, eyes on the prize, and all that! Time to reap the initial results of these fresh new beginnings..

It's a lot of things, a bit of everything, and, of course, it's not final. This round I focused on small assets that could be done quick. Mainly some new wildlife objects.

Big beach boys!

I started working on a crab, because a crab asset could also be used outside of the aquatic theme. Like on a beach resort, or in a restaurant. Or perhaps even as a flat-ride mascot.

Another reason why a crab could potentially work well is because it's angular appearance, which in return could mean less polygons, making it a lighter model to use.

Of course, this - like any other 3d model for a game - is a balancing act. I aim to make my mod as universal as possible for use out of the aquarium context. And, I like to make my objects resizable as well as recolor-able, because that wildly increases it's usability and opens up more creativity.

Therefore, a lot of trial and errors! Here some examples;

First variations test

Above you see one of the first iterations of me removing polygons, with the extreme on the right. Also you might spot the difference in sharp edges and smoothness on each variation.

Color and material testing

Another big thing to keep in mind is readability. A lot of detail goes lost (or even could make it worse) when the camera view is zoomed out - or the object is scaled to a smaller size.

Also important is how to use the color channels for custom coloring, which parts to color, and how to use the limit of the four color swatches.

Shape and size matters

Because I'm limited to either a "shiny" or, a "not shiny" material, it can be a challenge to decide what to use. I do like to add some shiny details, and that was also the first thing I tried. Making the crab shell shine, but turns out, it's a bit too much. Like with the shark I made before, it makes the model look artificial. I might be able to turn that down? But I'm unaware of that.

Difference in material can make a big difference.

Either way, as far as I know now; I like the diffuse, not-shiny, material more. If only because the colors pop more. But as you might see, I do add a little "shiny-ness" here and there. This is to make it look more interesting, and makes some features more believable in combination with hard/soft edges.

Semi-final of "Aquarium Mod's Next Top Model - Crab Edition"

I am not done yet with this particular model. Still need to try some combinations of parts that I like from all the variations, to create the ultimate crab. What I probably do is make two final variations. One "beach crab" and one "underwater crab", these will be "real animals" and will be animated. On top of that I will make one that is static, that will be a scale-able decor object.

Again, not sure about this, but the "scaling objects factor" makes it harder to make efficient models that look good either big and small. Should keep in mind that these examples mostly show enormous, scaled up, versions. That will be toned down to have better control over model complexity.

So, that's all the crab talk for now. The final, best crab, will be chosen soon.

Next!

Another "up-and-coming" Starfish!

It's a static object, they are not very active animals, and I want to add two versions; One big detailed one, and a smaller smooth variant.

The smaller version shown above is not finished. I am not happy with the color channels.

Also, again, the scale min/max size difference will be not as great in-game. This was mainly for me to see what I could remove, or should add, to the objects.

Bigger starfish model up close

Have not started re-making the lost assets, that I've showed before. I needed to make new things! Mainly to get back into the groove, but extra-mainly; also more fun.

Currently I'm working on new fences and borders, pillars and lanterns. I do want to keep it all in a certain coherent theme, within the Parkitect realm, so I'm exploring that. More on that will come next, for now a peek:

Still have a lot to do, and figure out. But nonetheless, I'm pretty content with the amount produced! Let me know what you think - or feel free to ask or, suggest something I should put on the to-do list!

(For the record, I have not lost the suggestions/requests you made earlier. Thankfully, I used old fashion pen and paper) :D