Scripting time!

For programming, we've been learning MEL and Python. We were asked to come up with 10 possible Pyth scripts that we could have use for later. These are mine:

-A Script that hides everything except the selection in all viewports
-A script that selects all the edges  around a loop (as opposed to shift double clicking, which occasionally dosen't work)
-A script that relaxes all selected verts by a certain percentage (as if you were vertex painting maybe?)
-A script that toggles backface culling on in all viewports
-A separate script that toggles backface culling off in all viewports (I like keeping it separate so I dont get confused)
-A script that forces all the selected verts to a certain place on the grid
-A script that quickly applies a new material to a certain object (to tell them apart)
-A script that selects all the edges in a loop and deletes them right after (to add onto the other)
-A script that immediately planar maps UVs onto something and then unfolds them. (this is probably stupid.)
-A script that automatically forces all viewports to fit the object into the viewport (as opposed to clicking f multiple times)
-A script that duplicates an object, puts it in a new layer and hides it


The bold text are my top three, the italicized are my second choice.

Racing Game Trailer - My Favorite

So for class we needed to find a racing game trailer with ACTUAL FOOTAGE. Not prerendered stuff. Because you know, that actually exists.

While I did find some actual trailers, there were some that were a lot more resourceful, like F-Zero GX's game intro:

But an honest to goodness trailer that I enjoy that came out recently is Mario Kart 8's trailer:

I like that it is solely in-game stuff. All of the art in the game is well polished and the trailer shows various interesting camera angles, all that keep the watcher interested.
There appears to be about 5 seconds between each shot change, which keeps our eye busy. All of the shots are from the side of the car or from a floating camera outside of the track.

HUD time!

Alright, so for class we all have to design a unique HUD based around our car and our level.

So the first thing I started researching was the old Mercedes wagon speedometer (Because my car is a 1995 Mercedes Wagon, of course), which I remember looking very 70s-esque with the tacky fake wood and everything.
Well.. I was right!

 

 It's not too cheesy. But one thing I noted was that the displays were all rounded. Which... We have yet to figure out in programming. So, I came up with a compromise.

In my first pass artwork, I made things similar to the default HUD our teacher created. Except I made the speedometer's shape less linear, and more rounded, with ticks similar to the ones shown in the image above.

Additionally, I looked up the HUDs from games like Crazy Taxi and Grand Theft Auto. I liked the way GTA crams their "general"(money, health, time, etc) bar in the corner so there's more room in the game to see. I'll be experimenting to see how I can get the most viewspace while making the "BOOST" appearance very obvious.

...And as a bit of a bonus, I thought it'd be funny to have faces representing the speed you're going (maybe instead of numbers?) I sketched something up quickly to represent it:

Don't think I'll be going through with it, due to how much space it takes up, but it's the thought that counts.