Thursday, February 29, 2024

3D Modeling Asset Breakthrough

John B. Marine | 4:56 PM | | | | Be the first to comment!
Of late, I had a breakthrough in testing 3D assets for games. Using GZDOOM for DOOM and JFDuke3D for Duke Nukem 3D, I finally found a way to test out my 3D assets. I learned to import my creations into these ports. The impact from my first successful 3D model importing is me trying to make more models to replace some of the sprites in such games. This blog post is a look at some of the creations I made and what I replaced some graphics with.






3D Modeling Asset Breakthrough


Most of what I have created was done in GZDOOM. I used Duke Nukem 3D also because it is my favorite first-person shooter. GZDOOM, though, was easier to import and implement my creations. JFDuke3D was more of a pain to get my models into the game. I still succeeded.


Model Showcase.

Here are samples of the 3D models I worked on...

3d canteen DOOM
^ from: (my X/Twitter) - Carry around a canteen to hydrate while on duty.

3D canteen DN3D Duke Nukem 3D
^ from: (my X/Twitter) - My Canteen, in Duke Nukem 3D.

classic DOOM asset collage
^ from: (my X/Twitter) - This is a collage of assets in DOOM I developed. From left to right, top to bottom: canteen, small sci-fi healing kit, large sci-fi healing kit, pistol clip, ammo box, and four shotgun shells.

small health kit
^ from: (my X/Twitter) - This is a small healing kit. It will recover minimal health in a game.

large health kit and berserk (DOOM only)
^ from: (my X/Twitter) - On the left is a large health kit, and on the right is a berserk health kit meant to be used in DOOM. The large health kit will recover a moderate amount of health. The berserk operates as it does in DOOM- full health and a damage increase.

paramedic bag
^ from: (my X/Twitter) - This is a Paramedic bag. Depending on the game, this item restores a massive amount of health, grants full health, or takes your health a level above full health.

These are only a handful of game assets I developed. I may go back and edit some of the other game assets I worked on previously.


My Workflow Explained.

My workflow consists of using Blender to make the topology for my models. I use GIMP for texturing my models. I export a map (as well as a UV layout) from Blender to aid in trying to develop UV mapping for my models. Once that is done, I export my models to FBX.

I only exported selected objects and the animation and geometry data. From what Blender considers forward (-Y), I change Forward to "-X Forward" and Up to "Y Up." Other options: Apply Unit enabled, Use Space Transforms enabled, Apply Transforms enabled, triangulate objects, and bake animations.

I use a program called Noesis to convert my FBX to either MD2 or MD3. I had some better luck with MD3, so that is what I use for my exported format from FBX. What I do in Noesis is rotate the model 90 degrees. If exporting to GZDOOM, I use an Advanced Command of "-scale 0.5") or something so the model doesn't look massive in GZDOOM. The original FBX size of my models seem just fine for Duke Nukem 3D in most circumstances.


Struggles Implementing Models.

GZDOOM has been rather simple to implement models into. The one problem I run into is forgetting to put my creations into my own custom PK3 file. I realize why I don't see updated material because I fail to update my PK3! So if you're importing 3D models and textures into GZDOOM, remember to implement them into the PK3. It is recommended you use SLADE for editing PK3s, and also get ZDL to load up DOOM or DOOM2 using a custom 3D PK3.

I struggled so much with Duke Nukem 3D because I had trouble setting things up in DEF files. What makes DN3D easier, though, is that while you have the High Resolution Pack (HRP) installed, you do not need to compile everything into one file like with GZDOOM. The big problem with me is that the MD3 files I've used do not have animation frames to use. So when you define a model, you have to leave the part blank about certain animation frames (the "definemodelframe" property) if you're using a static model.

While I haven't tried out importing models for "Cube Engine" or "Cube 2 Sauerbraten," they were two other options I considered for making 3D models for. The process is rather difficult doing so. I also considered trying out my 3D assets in "Quake 3 Arena" or "OpenArena."


Future Plans.

I hope to be able to develop models that can be animated. I am looking at GZDOOM, Duke Nukem 3D, and even Cube 2 Sauerbraten for animation of MD3 models. GZDOOM seems the easiest to implement animated models, so most of my early attempts could be with GZDOOM. I am going to offer models anyways that will not be rigged or have any animations for those who want to use Mixamo or something for animating models. They will be offered in Blender format along with GIMP's XCF files. The benefit to this? You save money! That is... unless you prefer to subscribe to an *industry standard* at exorbitant prices...





That's all for this blog post. Thanks for checking out my creative work blog, John's Creative Space! Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Support me further by connecting with me on social media; and if you are inclined, feel free to donate to me (donations are voluntary but would be appreciated). Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Creative Works

John B. Marine | 11:06 PM | | | Be the first to comment!
I have always been a creative type. I have not relied on other sources to help me produce my own creative work. I had a certain disdain and guilt about using artificial intelligence (AI) for creative work. Lately, however, I tried to train my mind to embrace AI. I was drawn to the appeal of AI art when I found out I could prototype work better. I ended up having several stints of trying new AI prompts using the free Bing Image Creator. Powered by DALL-E 3 (as of October 18, 2023), I tried a number of different AI art prompts. Some prompts turned out well. Some others resulted in "unsafe results." No matter what, I have started to use AI for prototyping and for getting realistic results of what I want to create.

This blog post is a discussion about using AI creatively without guilt. I may create similar blog posts for my other blogs based on this topic.


BEFORE I BEGIN...

Most of what I will discuss in this blog post relates to my adventures using the free Bing Image Creator, powered by DALL-E 3. There are other AI art generators available online, offered for free or for a fee.

Okay. Let's get it!


About the Label: AI

Blog topics that mention or feature AI-generated content will be featured under this Label.






Embracing Creative AI


Artificial intelligence has been one of the hottest things going among the past 10 years. AI usually is known with games to provide realistic entities able to act and react. Lately, AI is being used to automate tasks normally filled by humans and with human labor. Many people fear AI will be like robots- replacing human labor.

If you think AI can be damaging to many different industries, it certainly impacts the realm of creativity. AI art generating has been popular in the usage of AI. Using certain prompts can yield certain results. Some people use AI voices to automate certain people.

Even though a single user can generate almost any sort of AI media, one has to be careful of what one can actually produce. What one can produce can either be blocked or regulated. Some people have tried things such as using certain AI art prompts regarding certain celebrities or re-creating certain controversial and deadly moments. Some people made certain audio works with AI voices resembling actual people. Certain celebrities can even sue people who use AI samples of their voice, such as hip-hop legend Ice Cube.


AI Isn't Perfect...

One thing to be mindful of in AI Art Generators is that your AI prompts for AI art can often times produce results you will not be happy with. So you may need to use the same prompt again to produce a different set of images. Keep using the same prompt to try to produce a better image or set of images you want to generate. If need be, adjust the AI art prompt to something more specific to what your idea(s) is/are. However, be careful. Sometimes, the same prompt you input can produce "unsafe results." And about such results...


The "Unsafe Results" Conundrum.

If you produce a prompt which is deemed unsafe, it is because you mentioned something that gets blocked. This usually involves material that is copyrighted, considered offensive, considered seductive, or anything of that nature. You may use the same prompt and get safe results one time. Then with the same prompt, you may get unsafe results. You just have to try your luck and hope for the best.

Be wary that some words may be banned terms for certain AI art generator prompts. I found using words like "top," "bottom" or things like that will result in unsafe results. I also found using certain body parts in my prompts can also result in blocked prompts. For example, I probably can't use "shoulder" if I make a prompt about off-shoulder dresses. I think I also did a search about grilled chicken breast sandwiches, and that prompt was also blocked because of the word "breast."

Conversely, I was surprised at what terms I could use. I actually used words about certain ethnicities and some body types. For example, I did a prompt about an "athletic black woman" that did not result in me getting unsafe results. Prompts are all trial and error when it comes to AI prompts for creative material.


Your Results May Vary.

I tried a number of different prompts to test the waters of what is possible with AI art generation. I got some oddities with some prompts I generated. You might find some oddities in images. I usually found this with some of my fashion-themed AI art generated images. Usually, I would have a female fashion model that has three legs. Some female fashion models through AI may be wearing a hat while also holding onto another hat. I think I even had one female fashion model that had a severed leg. For some reason, when I did a prompt about dress outfits with sneakers, the model was holding a skateboard. I did NOT specify having a skateboard.

In other words, do NOT expect your results to be perfect the first time around. Unless you are given one result that does not result in what is close to what you are looking for, keep running the same prompt and keep trying your luck. It is like spending more money at a slot machine- keep trying until you get something you'll be happiest with. Don't give up until you've exhausted all of your efforts trying to generate something perfectly or near-perfect to what you are trying to generate.

AI simply uses algorithms based on terms you use. It will never be perfect. A great thing about AI is that it is always learning. Like how one gets better practicing something in repetitions, AI can get better with repetitions. Sometimes, your AI prompts may result in something deemed not safe for work (NSFW) and may result in your search results being blocked. Most of the time, this is a restriction set by certain providers rather than the proper AI art generator itself. So often times, your AI art generating can be hampered by the service you are using.


With an idea about AI, now it's time I discuss AI without guilt.




Embracing Creative AI: Avoiding Guilt


If you are concerned about guilt in creative works created by artificial intelligence, one thing to understand is that AI is meant to HELP you, not REPLACE you. It is perfectly safe to use AI for concept purposes. As long as you are not creating AI art to be your proper artwork, then you need not feel guilty about a lack of originality for something you could have done on your own. If you feel originality is paramount, using AI will make it seem like you cheated creative work. So avoid using AI if you feel you will suffer a lack of originality or if you feel you did not entirely make the creative work yourself.

I am personally using AI to generate concepts that I otherwise couldn't produce through making my own art. The AI I generate are concepts. I feel like using AI to generate art that provides a realistic view of what I eventually will create. In no way are the AI images I generate meant to replace any of my actual art and talent. I still maintain originality in my work no matter what AI material I produce.

I usually rely on some images online to help me express points. While this is good, some of the material may be copyrighted, and hotlinking to images can be denied. I could use AI art to express points without needing to look online for images to help prove points or demonstrate things.

Do not feel guilty about using AI unless you are making material you claim as your own and generate through AI. Just use AI to produce prototypes and concepts of your creative ideas. Once you get the proper inspiration, use those generated images to help you create the sort of work you want to produce. Try to find ways to incorporate AI into your work without letting it replace your creative work.




Embrace Creative AI: Final Thoughts


Rather than see artificial intelligence as replacing creative work and human work, learn to embrace it. AI is not entirely a bad thing if you are using it for purposes outside of prototyping or concepts. Some websites and services actually let you monetize your AI generated work that you produce. For the most part, though, the safest way to feel good about using AI is if you do not use it as your "original" prompt or your "original" creative work.

No matter what prompt(s) you use, there is a chance you may produce something deemed unsafe, resulting in a blocked prompt. This even includes if you use the same prompt that yields different results. You may need to keep using the same AI prompt to keep generating images until you find something you will eventually be happy with. You may also have to change up the prompt to something that will not result in a blocked prompt.

The point of this blog post is not about questioning the merits of artificial intelligence. Instead, I am providing this discussion on creative works AI to help you think about producing content through AI generators. In this case, mostly about AI art generators. Use any sort of AI systems to help you produce all kinds of material.


Want to Try AI Art Generation?

I started with Bing Image Creator, powered by DALL-E 3. If you want to get an idea of generating AI art, you too can start with Bing Image Creator if you have a Microsoft account. You can use any AI system besides Bing's suite of AI tools; but if you want to get started with AI art generation using Bing, follow this link: Bing Image Creator.





That concludes this blog post. If you enjoy my work, please Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work and want to support me any way you can. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Hallucination

John B. Marine | 6:22 PM | Be the first to comment!
Let me break down my latest song for you all. "Hallucination" is the latest song I worked on and released to Soundcloud and Bandcamp. It is a hip-hop style song I first worked on in 2016 through Linux Multimedia Studio (LMMS). I made a much better version in FL Studio. The song is very simple. I used only seven tracks in its creation. A big part of its creation is how I dedicated one entire track to the beats. I learned I could put together all of one element of a song into its own track. That is what I did with the main beats in "Hallucination." The other six tracks all involve the individual elements of the song.

In its infant stages, "Hallucination" was created as practice for using a triple oscillator called 3x Osc. I was not really happy with the sound when I tried to re-create in FL Studio, so what I did was replace it with an organ sound. I felt using an organ sound worked a good bit better with the song. The FL Studio re-creation also got me to be more creative with the beats. To that end, I tried to come up with a good kick, hat, and snare. The middle of the song has the only real variation in the beat style.

Though "Hallucination" is my latest song, I put it among a new album on Bandcamp. I am releasing some of my songs as part of suites. These suites contain simple songs created by me for you to enjoy and maybe use in media projects if inclined. "Hallucination" is part of my Hip-Hop Suite on Bandcamp. More basic songs in this category will be made available. If you're a paying visitor to my Bandcamp, enjoy the prices for my work before I bump things up for anyone who wants the full package of my songs.


Song Preview.

I have previews for you on Soundcloud and Bandcamp. Use the items below to hear my work:

--- SOUNDCLOUD ---

More of my music on Soundcloud

--- BEATPORT ---

More of my Hip-Hop Suite on Bandcamp: John's Hip-Hop Suite (Bandcamp)



Thank you for taking a look at my breakdown of "Hallucination!" I might post this also on YouTube in the future, so that might be featured in a future edit to this post.





If you enjoy my work, please Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work and want to support me any way you can. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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Monday, July 17, 2023

Feel Good!

John B. Marine | 6:22 PM | Be the first to comment!
"Feel Good!" is a song I worked on privately since about 2016. Like the "Urban Dream" song I mentioned in my previous post, I constantly developed "Feel Good!" to something I felt would be enough to share with the world. This is a song that has a light dance feel. It is melodic while also being peppy and upbeat. It also sounds a bit mellow, but not too much to dilute a lot of the vibes this song generates. The one thing I struggled most with is trying to get many of the instruments to respectable volume levels in FL Studio. I also thought about ways to spice up the song. I am still fairly amateur with FL Studio, but I am evolving and learning. This song was created almost entirely with stock FL Studio instruments and samples as part of the Production Edition. Most of the instruments were in using the Sytrus generator.

The mood I was going for was a sunny Monday. Not many people like Mondays, but I often embrace Mondays as the start to hopefully make the upcoming week great. Musically-inclined me often thinks of Monday songs to be in C Major. I had this song originally to be part of a special suite of original songs as a Monday soundtrack. "Feel Good!", however, may be part of its own suite of songs as I have a few different versions of it in mind.

I also had a vision of stories I could tell with this song. I had the vision of a family enjoying a sunny day having fun. Think of it a bit like being able to enjoy a beautiful day by having fun and not letting the world's problems get in the way. You are free and at your happiest. Let's say you are enjoying a city park, a theme park, a festive carnival, some celebration, or simply feeling happy doing some normal stuff. You could also think of this as a song where young folks are simply dancing the day away to a fun tune. Have friends and/or family to enhance the experience? Even better! In the outro of the song, the day was an amazing one, and it's time to head to bed, but not without having an enjoyable time. Those are the vibes behind "Feel Good!".

I sort of hope you find some enjoyment in this "Feel Good!" song I've worked on. I invite you to have a listen if interested. Here is how:


^ "Feel Good!"

Have a listen on SoundCloud:


Have a listen (and please buy?) on Bandcamp:


Or visit: Feel Good! on Bandcamp

That's all for this post. Thanks for visiting! :)





I thank you for taking a look at my breakdown of this song. If you enjoy my work, please Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work and want to support me any way you can. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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Saturday, June 24, 2023

Urban Dream (2023 Version)

John B. Marine | 9:34 PM | Be the first to comment!
(UPDATED: July 17, 2023)

"Urban Dream" has been a song I made privately since 2013. I went from Linux Multimedia Studios (LMMS) to FL Studio with this song. I did enough work to make a better version of my old song. And now, I put my work on Beatport. It's my first song uploaded to Beatport since 2016, so this is nearly seven years since I released any completed song to Beatport.

All of the instruments except for drums and other effects are made with Sytrus in FL Studio. It was tough to try to put together a solid set of instruments to help shape the song. I later had to adjust the volume levels so the song didn't sound so distorted. I was happy enough to where I felt I could make this song final and release and sell it. I now am able to share this with you all.

You may click on the material below to hear my full version of this song after a series of revisions in 2023...


^ Urban Dream (2023 Version)



Or check out this song on Bandcamp:



I hope you like my work!


In Case You're Interested...

To see an older version of my "Urban Dream" song, take a look at this older post: Urban Dream.





If you enjoy my work, please Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work and want to support me any way you can. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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Friday, March 24, 2023

Goodbye Payhip, Hello Ko-Fi!

John B. Marine | 9:55 PM | Be the first to comment!
After some thought, I decided Ko-Fi would be better for me in selling my creative works. So I am announcing the termination of my Payhip store in this blog post. I thank everyone who even visited my Payhip store. I feel Ko-Fi will be better for selling and for profit. Also, I can connect with my audience more. If you want to help support my work, my Payhip is no more- support me on my Ko-Fi store now!


For More Information...

You can find links to my Ko-Fi in my future tables at the end of posts. But visit me right now if you're interested and want to connect: JohnMarineDesigns on Ko-Fi.

Use this graphic to visit:



Or show your love directly with this:




Thanks, mates! :)





If you enjoy my work, please Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work and want to support me any way you can. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

Visit my JohnMarineDesigns Weebly site, subscribe to My Blog(s), and/or Follow on Bloglovin! Let's connect:
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Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Beginning My Blockbench Journey

John B. Marine | 9:37 PM | | Be the first to comment!
Blockbench has become one of the hottest 3D modeling software of late. This is especially popular among pixel art types. I mostly have avoided Blockbench, thinking this can be done in Blender. I also thought it was only to modify Minecraft. However, I have a new perception regarding Blender of late. While you can do a lot with Blender, the learning curve and being able to produce some of the same content can be quite challenging. More focused and niche programs can help you better produce the kind of results you want to make. That is even if you are ready to make a few sacrifices. That explains how I plan on taking on the challenge of Blockbench. I'll be sharing my thoughts on embarking on a Blockbench journey in this blog post.


About the Label: Blockbench

Blog posts under this label are for work and advice in using Blockbench for 3D modeling.







Blockbench at a Glance


The way I understand Blockbench, it is an evolution of certain programs designed to make models for Minecraft. Previously, there was a program called Techne, which was one of the earliest programs used to develop 3D models for Minecraft. An easier program to develop cube-based models from MrCrayfish, called Model Creator, was then developed for making Minecraft models. After these two programs were used to develop 3D models using a cube-based architecture, along came Blockbench.

Blockbench is a program that utilizes cube-based modeling to develop mostly pixel art. Anyone who is adept with impeccably-detailed 3D will be downsizing considerably using Blockbench. The emphasis is on developing 3D models using cubes and mesh planes. UV mapping is also fairly easy considering the ease of pixel-style work. So Blockbench is all about simplicity mostly with a focus on Minecraft-style cube modeling.

Even though Blockbench modeling is done in cubes, you can mesh edit for some simple low-polygon art that isn't a hodgepodge of cubes. So you can turn cubes and rectangular prisms into some more interesting shapes. A simple cube could, for example, be a trapezoidal prism. The program even comes with meshes of cones, cylinders, and even a torus among other 3D model types. Another perk to Blockbench is that you can also animate your Blockbench creations. You can set up animation sequences and even use a dope sheet to act out every nuance of your creations. That's right- you can breathe life to your Blockbench models!

You need not develop models for Minecraft when using Blockbench. In fact, you could make any sort of generic model in Blockbench to be used in other 3D modeling software or for game engines. You can even sell your work in Blockbench if you choose to on sites like SketchFab. So the opportunities can be endless.

And what is the cost for all this awesomeness? How about the absolutely low price of free?! It is also free and open-source (FOSS). Blockbench can be downloaded to your computer (for Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms), and it even has a web version that you can use in your Internet browser. So it is possible you can even use the Cloud to save your Blockbench work as you operate in a browser. Cloud-based modeling also opens the possibility of getting other people to work on the same model. The versatility is certainly there in Blockbench.




Blockbench: Where I Come In


Now I tell my side of how I got into Blockbench.

I got into Blockbench as I was learning and practicing a method of 3D modeling through Blender. I had a nice go of making voxel-style models. I was thinking I could do 3D modeling making my models in the form of a bunch of cubes. It would make some UV mapping easier and could lead to some simple making of base meshes. Even back when I used MagicaVoxel to develop 3D voxel models, I knew the simplicity of developing 3D material by not going through Blender or some other 3D modeling software.

Later, I realized the potential of Blockbench. Around this time, I began to realize I could utilize the low-resolution technique using Blockbench instead of trying to find my way around Blender. I also seemed content trying to develop models in Blockbench while making certain sacrifices from what I could accomplish in Blender. Could I do a lot more in Blender? Absolutely. However, could I do much less with Blockbench? Not at all.

One Blockbench modeler inspired me to try to develop models in Blockbench. While this modeler's scope was outside of my own, at least I thought about what was possible with Blockbench. My current focus has been on making 3D characters. I began thinking about how I could make a real evolution of my original characters. From what I have been able to assess, Blockbench could serve as my not-Blender solution for 3D modeling characters.


A Blender Revelation...

The previous segment leads to a new revelation for me:

Blender is too complicated for me to make material from start to finish.

Do not get me wrong- Blender is an excellent tool for making almost any sort of media ranging from models to full films. It is also a great free tool to use if you want to 3D model with a quality software without having to commit to a subscription to more powerful and more capable 3D modeling software. I felt like trying to learn and master Blender has hindered me from developing anything really interesting. When you spend more time trying to navigate your way with a program rather than develop wonderful content, you lose your creative energy. I still want to use Blender, but I may use it now for certain things I can't accomplish in native programs. For example, I want to use Blender to make quality renders and possible animations.

I felt like there would be more incentive in making something from start-to-finish with Blender even if Blender isn't an *industry standard* in media. Trying to adapt and execute with Blender really has worn me down instead of fuel my creativity. Using dedicated programs and focused programs like Blockbench will help me to simply enjoy making material without being worn down with too many different avenues to create one simple piece of media.

If you followed my past, you may know it took me nearly 20 years before I finally created a model from start-to-finish that I was totally proud of. I did it in Blender. It came from gaining confidence with Wings3D, going through the Google-owned days of SketchUp, and then finally making a start-to-finish Blender model. So you can imagine the pain I've endured trying to 3D model. I was never an adept modeler to begin with. However, I enjoyed doing 3D modeling for the hope I can make material for all of you to enjoy and utilize. I may lose credibility for not using quality 3D modeling software from a powerful program, but at least I am trying to find success using other programs.


My Blockbench Experience So Far.

For now, I am simply learning how to use the program. I have yet to make my first true Blockbench model. I would like to create my first model and then try to see what I can do UV mapping or even animating. The potential is definitely there, and all I need to do is produce content to finally realize my visions.

If I do develop anything, you know I will be sure to share on social media and even here on "John's Creative Space." Could I do all of this in other 3D modeling programs? Yeah- pretty much. However, Blockbench gives me hope and opportunity to make amazing things. Whether or not they happen remains to be seen.


For More Information...

For more information about Blockbench, please visit www.blockbench.net. To see what is possible with Blockbench, here are some links for you to see others' Blockbench work:

Blockbench Gallery
"Blockbench" results on SketchFab

Hopefully I've gotten you into my future 3D plans for now.




BONUS! My Blockbench Plans (for now)


I thank you for reading my blog post! I'd like to announce something here. This may or may not materialize, but at least you know what I will be up to. So here goes...

Depending on how much I can utilize Blockbench, I may use Blockbench in re-working my voxel character models. I am not sure if I will give all of my creations similar animation sets, but I may develop Blockbench models to bring my old voxel characters to life. In addition, I will be considering making some of my original characters in Blockbench. Any creations I make could find their way to more friendly formats for game engines and other 3D modeling software.

At the moment, I have not considered my voxel vehicles. With some more experience, I could possibly develop 3D vehicles through Blockbench as well.

Any creations I make will be offered for sale to a number of different online retailers. That way, you can own my creations as well as help support my creative work.


Thank you for viewing my announcement!





A new journey, a revelation, and an announcement. Quite the post, eh? I'm glad you were part of this experience! If you enjoy my work, please Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work and want to support me any way you can. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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Low-Res Journey

John B. Marine | 5:21 PM | Be the first to comment!
Incredible 3D graphics and models have never been my forte. However, I felt if I went the low-res route, I wouldn't be as regarded for the best 3D graphics and models. This blog post features my latest focus on 3D modeling. I want to sort of announce my plans moving forward with this new direction of 3D I am taking.

Basically, I may slowly transition to doing pixel-style art. Cartoon-style art was never one of my strong points. I may try to learn to do low-res style art to go with low-polygon modeling. Just because I go the low route, though, doesn't mean my quality will be equally low. I am basically wondering- can I make low-res fun? Can I make low-res beautiful? Can I make high quality with low-res?

The move to low-res for me is in response to not having much success making realistic or more interesting models or art. This style of media is easier and honestly more fun. There is nothing wrong with making hyper-realistic 3D art. There is nothing wrong with photo-realistic art. I, however, have never been adept at true 3D. That is why I went with voxels to get my start in 3D style art. I will be willing to try to learn and develop some pixel style to proudly use to showcase my art style. This means I will have to learn to utilize a set palette and develop a new art style different from what I am used to.

In a future post, I will announce one program I will be using to try to begin my newer journey into 3D. And as a hint... I won't be relying on doing everything in Blender. I have nothing to share in terms of my new 3D adventures. When I do produce something, I'll share my work across social media. So stay tuned!





I'll keep you all posted through all of this. If you enjoy my work, please Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work and want to support me any way you can. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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Sunday, January 22, 2023

Urban Dream (2023 Revision)

John B. Marine | 7:50 PM | Be the first to comment!
(UPDATED: May 3, 2023)

"Urban Dream" is a song I made a long time ago and have recently released a newer version of. As I got more inclined with FL Studio's Signature Edition, I developed the passion to make more music. Urban Dream was just "Dream" long ago. I first developed this song around 2014 in Linux Multimedia Studio (LMMS). Back then, it was simply called "Dream." Because I sort of envisioned this song is more like a song with an urban feel, I decided to later name it "URBAN Dream."


LATEST UPDATE(S)/REVISION(S).

MAY 3 2023 - added second revision





I guess "Urban Dream" has become my signature work. While I don't consider it my theme song, it has kind of been like my song for my work. I somehow have seemed to have a knack for making a lot of songs in the C-Sharp key. As much as I try to diversify my content, some things you always seem to come back to, even if unintentionally.

I shared my original work of this song on YouTube years ago. Only recently, I began sharing my music work on Soundcloud. I offered my FL Studio work in 2022 followed by my 2023 rendition of the same song. The key to this was in utilizing different instruments. My 2023 rendition utilized more Sytrus channels. While the in-program FLEX instruments are of a great collection of free instruments, too many FLEX channels can slow down your real time playback of songs Sytrus, however, is much lighter on CPU load. Sytrus is more for those who mostly use a lot of electronic dance-style instruments. I'm okay with that since I mostly am big in the electronic scene.

I started to get confident about my work when I found a kick and snare combination I felt good about. I had to try to paint in a pattern that I thought would sound great. In my 2022 work with the song, I went with some agogo bells that I thought sound cool. However, I thought that would have given the song a tropical or jungle feel, so I ditched that style for this song. I made sure to put in wind chimes to sweeten the song and some smart bomb sounds to spice the song up. I had a piano effect in my private 2022 make of "Urban Dream," and one piano I found for Sytrus sounded more natural and fit the song better. So I used that Grand Piano effect at times for accents for the song.

When I uploaded my 2023 rendition of the song, I noticed one instrument sounded light and drowned out by the other sounds. So what I did was change the instrument to something that I didn't think would be drowned out by the other sounds. I still felt good about my work to where I released it to the world. Want to hear what I came up with? Check this out:




UPDATED: May 3, 2023) Hey! I made another revision to my song! Have a listen:




I hope you enjoy my work!


Cross-Promotion/Other Reading.

Apparently, I posted about my older version of "Urban Dream." You can hear my old version of this song in this blog post:

Urban Dream (John's Creative Space)

Seeing my old post will make you look at how far I come in developing my old song.





If you enjoy my work, please Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work and want to support me any way you can. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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Thursday, December 8, 2022

Voxel-Inspired Modeling

John B. Marine | 9:30 PM | | | Be the first to comment!
As a veteran of voxel modeling, I felt I have tried to find way to make models out of 3D pixels. It was recently I adopted a newer strategy of 3D modeling. I basically have given up on trying to be highly realistic models and instead will focus on low polygon modeling. Part of that appeal goes with modeling using a simple cube followed by lots of extrusions (and maybe some duplications). So for this blog post, I figured I will focus primarily on this approach to modeling and what I could accomplish with this method. Come along, and let's get modeling!


Before I Begin...

The methods I express here are with my experiences using Blender 2.79b. You will need to adjust my methods for any other 3D modeling program you may use besides Blender if you plan on following my lead.






Voxel-Inspired Modeling


Voxels are essentially 3D pixels. Whereas a simple pixel has x and y dimension, a voxel adds z dimension. Porting over raw voxel information often results in a 3D mesh you can manipulate if your heart desires. The blocky nature of these models is often apparent in games such as Minecraft.

Discovery and Analysis.

I discovered through editing in Magicavoxel about the size of a single cube when I saved a model in PLY format and imported it into Blender. I noticed a single voxel is 0.1 in Blender Units. You could say it is 0.1 meters, since the Blender units are close to metric units. The size of 0.1 Blender Units seems just right without the model looking extremely large or extremely small.

In preparing this blog post, I tried a different size of a cube to make a more precise pixel-perfect size cube. A pixel-perfect cube is 0.0625 in Blender units. This is nearly 40% less of size of a cube at 0.1 Blender units. However, I found it harder to snap to the grid with equal size using 0.0625 as my size and increments. I probably could set up Blender to snap to these pixel-perfect measurements, but I found sticking to 0.1 Blender unit increments works much easier.

Because these models using this voxel-style method are essentially still cubes, it is possible to make them no longer "voxels." In fact, I could refine the models to basically enhance these rough drafts of 3D models. That was part of the plan as I was thinking about doing these voxel-type models from start-to-finish in Blender.


Some Voxel-Inspired Models of Mine.

Since I thought it would be too complex to share my workflow, I will instead share models I have created. So take a look:


^ I re-created one of my past voxel vehicles cube-by-cube.


^ This is a barbecue ham I modeled in Blender.


^ I modeled this blocky ham thigh in Blender.


^ Hungry for a slab of steak? I modeled one in Blender!


^ This is a re-creation of a model I intended to be a Minecraft mob. In a future blog post, I will share more renders and a story on this model. Stay tuned to John's Creative Space!


^ Three health kits were modeled by me here. Since these were intended to be game assets, I put in their healing values in the overlay. These could be offered for sale/download in the future.


So now you've seen some of the blocky modeling I have worked on of late. I will try to make as many of these models as I can while I still have this burst in creative energy.





If you enjoy my work, please Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work and want to support me any way you can. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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