XSI Script: Toggle Component Mode

A quick self-installing plugin that I wrote for XSI to make modeling easier. Toggles between point, edge and polygon mode on a user-defined hotkey.

Download this script from XSI Base.

Introduction to ZBrush 2

I wrote this article for the German print magazine Gamestar/dev that I wrote in 2005. It focuses on Zbrush 2 and is in German, so you might not get much use out of it. But if you’re still using Zbrush 2 and speak German, it’s a good read!

The article is stored as a .pdf file. Click on the image below to download it.

PC Games Unreal 2 Tutorial

This is a 2003 Unreal 2 editing article that I wrote for the German magazine PC Games. It’s in German, and you’ll need to register on the PC Games page.

GDC 2005: Normal and Displacement Map, Sitting in a Tree

GDC 2005: Normal and Displacement Map, Sitting in a Tree
Speaker: Matthias Worch (Game Designer / Technical Art Director, Factor 5, LLC)
Time/Date: Wednesday (March 9, 2005) 9:00am — 10:00am
Track: Visual Arts
Format: 60-minute Lecture
Experience Level: Intermediate – Basic familiarity or some experience.

Description: Zbrush, Normalmapping and Virtual Displacement. These days it seems impossible to have a conversation about next-generation graphics without somebody quickly throwing out these and similar terms. But while the tools to get the job done present themselves quickly, integrating them into an efficient production pipeline can be a challenge. Using Factor 5′s art pipeline as an example, this talk looks at the challenges that present themselves as your studio makes the shift into next-generation asset creation. Zbrush, normalmapping tools and the scanning of physical maquettes are just some of the topics that will be touched upon.

Idea Takeaway: Attendees will leave with a thorough understanding of how to tackle the creation of assets for for next-generation games.

Intended Audience and Prerequisites: This talk is useful for everybody who contributes to the visual look of a game: artists, technical directors and level designers.

GDC 2005 Downloads

Powerpoint File (5.7MB)
Movie 01 - CySlice 01 – Resurfacing (15.2MB)
Movie 02 - CySlice 02 – Map Extraction (6.05MB)
Movie 03 - ZBrush Concepts (34.8MB)

The movies were encoded using the DiVX codec.

Maya2XSI Plugin

There still seems to be a constant stream of people looking for a compiled version of Softimage’s dotXSI for Maya plugin. I’ve been hosting this for a while but never made it public, so here it is: dotXSI4Maya, compiled for Maya 6.0.

Solaris Base

This is an unfinished (but fully playable) Unreal 2 level (based on the PC Games tutorial I wrote in 2003) that I released to the community. No scripting or particle effects, but the map is fully playable and provides at least 30 minutes of gameplay. See if you can find all secret areas, there’s three dead hidden scientists! More information can be found in the Solaris Base readme.

Download Solaris Base.

DM-Memento Mori

Deathmatch map for Unreal Tournament that I created December 99, right after Wheel of Time and Unreal Tournament had shipped. Includes all new textures that had been created for some early Unreal environments but never made it into a shipped level. Good for 4-16 players, can also be played in Domination mode. More information can be found in the DM-MM readme.

Download DM-MementoMori.

Armageddon 5 CTF

Single release of my CTF level that I made for the Quake 2 Allstars map pack. I should convert this to Quake 4 at some point… More information can be found in the Arma5CTF readme.

Download Armageddon 5 CTF.

Armageddon 5

My first (and only) Quake 2 deathmatch map. Just a random collection of rooms with some early inspiration taken from Q1DM3. The central room became the flag room of Arma5CTF. Pretty big, good for 4-16 players. More information can be found in the Arma5 readme.

Download Armageddon 5.

Armageddon 4

This was my contribution to the original Rocket Arena mod for QuakeWorld. Uses textures from the second Quake mission pack.

Download Armageddon 4.