If so, how do you go about applying it? When I mean normal mapping I mean making a low-poly model look high quality with a normal map from the high-res version.
Even most Empires models have it, most notably on the flanks of the BE Heavy Tank. EDIT: If you go through the Valve Developer Wiki that Demented linked to there should be several methods for normal map creation.
Some on the forums have said if you want something implemented on Empires, make the source files yourself and show us. I want to create a building animation instead of buildings just appearing out of nowhere, but I don't know where to start, I don't even know what such a file would be called. Can someone point me in the right direction?
You can't have it do that, you'd need to alter the code, and it would be laggy and badly executed no matter how you'd approach the problem.
Wonderful. Well, how do I create and implement sprites like the ones suggested here: http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=7326&page=2
Huh, that sounds like a good idea, problem is you have to one, decompile the model files (or get it from the dev team), two load it into either 3DS, XSI or any modeling program, then compile an animation. A good place to start would be learning how to model first, because you can't exactly do animations with nothing now can you =D
Source even supports Parallax mapping but it usually starts crying on older computers when you use it. Looks pretty impressive ingame tho
Seems like that wouldn't be as hard as you would think, BE res points are animated, as well as radars, turrets, just another animation sequence, would be stepped by progress of engineer applied healing. The pain would be the collision model and how you would address that.
I can imagine this as an animation for building model. Just another sequence for every building in Empires. If you can help with modeling or making animations talk to Megel or dizzyone.
If you need something that works with every building you could do something like a simple jump & stretch animation(it'll look a bit cartoony though): :D Timing sucks, I know. I haven't done much animation at all. Aside from this one: Anyways, the best thing would probably be some sort of an materialization animation(a bit like the Total Annihilation style). Something like having the building fade in with some sparks, smoke and other particle magic would probably go a long way(I think someone said something about BE using nanotechnology)
