Doom sprites HD (8x) version v03 released

[Enjay]

Oooh, I like that cacodemon. I never thought of the "loops" at the bottom as having an entrails-like appearance before but I think it works really well.

[.+:icytux:+.]

While the cacodemon looks pretty good. I loved the direction this project was going when the detail was handdrawn. I know 3d renders might help out in speeding up the process. but i don't think one could reach the same great end result with them.
I compiled a picture of some of the hand drawn designs i thought was best. (is the lostsoul half-rendered though? it looks pretty great)

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- Not sure about the demon designs, the first ones face is better, its defined and has good contrast/shading. The other ones teeth and tongue are sort of better but not as good as they could get.
- The Impface I chose is in my opinion the best one in this thread so far as it's the most defined one, and it sort of resembles the good ol imp quite well althought taking a few artistic liberties. Added another variant with a bit bigger eyes for a more close-to-the-original look. I kinda like the small eyes though. Either way the headshape is right and the mouth is le'perfect. Body needs work thought but thats not the main focus right now.
- The shotgun guys body is excellent(+ in the rotations), the face is also pretty good, although its somewhat blurry in the face, IIRC there was a sharper version of it somewhere. The resizing filter used on it seems to blur too much. Either way it seems like this guy soon has a full set which is excellent, stick with it too! (with maybe slight defining and reshading of the face) Ps. the one in my compilation pic has the wrong pants but whatever.
- Zombieman, just pasted the best face of him i could find on a body. it looks really rough around the edges but its the face that I'm focusing on, which is easily the best in this thread.
- The lost soul looks really good, pretty close to the original. there are some squarey bits left but its obvious that it's unfinished and they are a very easy and quick fix.
- The baron speaks for itself, great looking face and great looking torso. There are a few parts left to do but those are not the most important parts.

My suggestion would be to go with these designs, they are the best HD versions of the monsters I've ever seen. Note though that this is MY opinion.

[SalmonGod]

I think you should be using a slightly more realistic renderer, like Indigo or any other renderer that uses path tracing and global illumination. I know that in some of them you could imitate several kinds if materials, probably allowing it to look more like the original physical models. Also I hope you're using skeletal animation. And when will you add the fire? What program are you going to use?

These renders are four years old. I did these while I was still in school, and didn't have time to do a bunch of experimentation with materials and such because I had to get started on my capstone project. I will definitely be doing some polishing. I'll still probably be doing all of my work inside ZBrush, but they have upgraded their rendering tools immensely since I made these models. Skeletal animation will also be unnecessary, since they have fantastic posing tools. It'll be basically be stop-motion, the same as the original graphics.

As for the fire... I don't know. Still thinking about that. I'll probably contact a friend/former 3d classmate of mine who is much better at special effects rendering than I am. I originally made these models for a short animation that the two of us were going to put together.

Oooh, I like that cacodemon. I never thought of the "loops" at the bottom as having an entrails-like appearance before but I think it works really well.

At first I tried to make the Cacodemon an exact copy of the original sprites, which was just a red blobby thing with a cyclops face on it. As I was getting close to finishing this, I realized it was going to look pretty dumb. There was all this undetailed red space just begging for something. If I just left it a shiny red blobby thing, it would look incredibly unfinished. Some interpretation was required to make the thing look finished, detailed, and modernized. I decided that the Cacodemon was a floating mess of internal organs all stuck together with a slab of dried, withered flesh stretched across the front to make that memorable grin. I literally spent a whole week collecting images from the internet of invasive torso surgeries, roadkill, etc to figure out what fresh internal organs look like. To keep it true to the original, I made absolutely sure that the silhoutte and proportions were exactly identical, and tried to keep the color scheme as close as I could figure out. Lots of deep, rich red.

While the cacodemon looks pretty good. I loved the direction this project was going when the detail was handdrawn. I know 3d renders might help out in speeding up the process. but i don't think one could reach the same great end result with them.

My suggestion would be to go with these designs, they are the best HD versions of the monsters I've ever seen. Note though that this is MY opinion.

I think it's going to be near impossible to get a general look that's true to the original style with hand-drawn, since the originals were based on stop-motion photography. You just won't be able to match the same sense of depth. This is what it's about much more than speeding up the process for me. That is my opinion, though.

I'm going to get back to working on this just because it's something I've always wanted to do. If this project wants to stay with hand-drawn that would be fine with me. I'll still do my own thing. I've always loved Doom, and I still feel like its artwork is some of the best ever produced by the entire gaming industry. It deserves some faithful updating, and I'm really surprised that there hasn't been more work put into complete graphics overhauls for the game already. It was really neat to be unexpectedly contacted by someone who shares this enthusiasm.

[Blox]

That baron isn't hand drawn, it's a picture of some really bulgy guy slapped (interestingly) over him.

[iLikeTheUDK]

...literally spent a whole week collecting images from the internet of invasive torso surgeries, roadkill, etc to figure out what fresh internal organs look like.

When reading this, one person who is widely known for creating the original monsters for Doom comes to mind (that kind of stuff you mentioned was what he most liked to draw even before he joined id - his skill for that was seen when id was working on Wolfenstein 3D, which involved blood for the first time):



So well done. If you're inspired by pictures of bloody internal organs, then you'll probably get the look of the monsters very similar to Adrian Carmack's original work for Doom, especially when it comes to death animations.

[thief666]

hi,
@salmongod - thanks again.

I decided that the Cacodemon was a floating mess of internal organs all stuck together with a slab of dried, withered flesh stretched across the front to make that memorable grin

totally agree, your version is absolutely creepy and gruesome. Its flying abomination, true thing that should not be.
Here is that thing flying in game (just few frames made so far):
WARNING HUGE SCREENSHOT:

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The dilemma "rendered or not rendered" is really easy to solve - rendered monster (or monsters if you will squeeze time to make more) can be placed in separate file which can be used along with my HD pack, seperately from it or not used at all depending on user. I can help to make sprites from renders and put into working pack - off course this "renderedHD" pack will be totaly under your authorship. Should they be put into one HD pack - everything will be clearly explained and your authorship clearly stated. Possibilites are endelss having your renders just adds more opportunity for us.

@icytux - thanks for taking effort and picking this sprites, thats what I am looking for when it comes to feedback. . I always make some hand-drawn design first (as I did with Demons you picked, zombiemans etc) this lets me really get "feeling" of monster - then eventually I am mixing them with elements of renders/pictures (mostly free-to-use templates and pictures - skull, etc.)
so actually I am ending up with:
1) hand drawn image
2) mixed with renders/pictures
releasing them separately as two versions are no problem and almost does not add more work.

@Blox: Baron's upper body its not just some guy "slapped" over Baron, its combination of hand drawing, mixing it with free-renders and free template figures (culturist) in almost equal proportions, I spend several hours composing it please dont dismiss my work by "slapping" one-liner

PS. Still struggling with demon, this version of demon recently managed to really scare me, it too far from original and has pupils ! but maybe something in between....:

[Zombieguy]

The cacodemon looks quite odd. And the demon looks a bit too different from the original sprite. Great work though.

[Minigunner]

If anything, the bumps on the Cacodemon protrude too much or the crevices are too deep. The top bag of flesh is the worst offender. As for the eye, I think that the iris should be smaller, and the pupil should contract to its fullest extent when firing the ball.

[SalmonGod]

Wow! It is very cool to actually see my work inside the game. I'm quite pleased with how well the colors fit the environment. Is that actually imported into the game or just photoshopped into a screenshot? Either way, it's very motivating.

If anything, the bumps on the Cacodemon protrude too much or the crevices are too deep. The top bag of flesh is the worst offender. As for the eye, I think that the iris should be smaller, and the pupil should contract to its fullest extent when firing the ball.

It just looks out of place because nothing else in the scene is 3d rendered. I think that if all the assets are updated in the same way, that it will all fit together and still "feel" like Doom. If you're referring to all the protrusions around the edges, it actually fits the silhouette of the original Cacodemon exactly. I stacked them on top of each other to be sure.

Speaking of which... did anyone else ever notice that the horns on the Caco don't match up if you compare the different angles on the original sprites?

[CaptainToenail]

The Cacodemon's new design looks great. On the other hand it looks odd ingame because it has that shiny plastic look that 3D model renders often do.

[SalmonGod]

The Cacodemon's new design looks great. On the other hand it looks odd ingame because it has that shiny plastic look that 3D model renders often do.

See my previous posts. That is far from a final render.

[thief666]

in-game cacodemon really fits doom. The color scheme exactly matches DENGs hi res textures. Doesnt look odd, after I played with it original looks flat.

@SalmonGod - One thing I realized is that there is no way to satisfy everyone. Thare alwways will be someone who likes things and dislakes. Still comments are extremely impottant to tune thing etc. Especially here when you try to touch such a legendary game you have to get used to all negative comments. and thats fine
BTW screen is actually from game. I made all rotation frames and animated shooting frames (its openinng mouth, the reason why is closed here because when it releases fireaball its already closed) This are very preliminary frames poorly animated.

[Reinchard2]

I prefer 3d rendered models. Cacodemon looks really good ingame, as I say long time before this is the best way to make hires sprites. Look at the shadows precision - you can't do it with hand draw sprites.

[Zombieguy]

in-game cacodemon really fits doom. The color scheme exactly matches DENGs hi res textures. Doesnt look odd, after I played with it original looks flat.

@SalmonGod - One thing I realized is that there is no way to satisfy everyone. Thare alwways will be someone who likes things and dislakes. Still comments are extremely impottant to tune thing etc. Especially here when you try to touch such a legendary game you have to get used to all negative comments.

Understood, theif666. Do as you wish.

[Blade3327]

The new Cacodemon doesn't look bad at all in-game, but the style conflicts too much with what you've already got going. Either use high-res model rips for everything, or stick with drawn sprites.

I'm liking your most recent Pinky, by the way. It's not too far from the original in my opinion -- and yes, it's actually scary. I'd say use it.