Visual Art and Geometry: the Unreal Engine

Welcome to a unique addition to 3D Gaming. Here at VAGUE I intend to explore the use of non-Euclidean geometry in the 3D Gaming environment, specifically utilizing the WarpZone features of the Unreal engine.

Download

DMCube.zip (48,887 bytes: last updated June 30, 1998)
DMThreeWorlds.zip (132,141 bytes: last updated July 7, 1998)

Background Info

For a few years now, I've been playing with the idea of a computer-simulated virtual environment that did not conform to Euclidian geometry. In other words, I wanted to completely destroy the concepts of 'above' and 'below'. I wanted to have space fold to my own whims. I wanted to build objects that were actually beside themselves. I wanted to build actual 4D objects. I wanted to design environments that used similar sorts of visual effects as the work of M.C.Escher. I even designed and implemented a simple 2D graphics engine that started to allow me to do some of the visual tricks I wanted to. I was always very aggravated by the available 3D simulation engines for forcing the concept of flat 3D space on me, and dreamed of a time when this limitation could be abandonded.

And then the game Unreal was released, and I realized that at least part of my dream had come true. Unreal allows, through the use of WarpZonePortals, a level designer to connect two surfaces in space arbitrarily. This means you can do such disconcerting effects as having a square room with a door in the north wall and another door in the west wall, and if you walk through the north door you find yourself coming back into the room through the west door. More importantly, if you just look through the north door, you can see yourself in the next room, facing towards the left! If you did this with a door in the north and south walls, you could actually see an infinite tunnel infront of you, with an infinite number of copies of yourself! (Well, the Unreal engine does have some limitations which stop this from going to infinity, but you still get the idea).

It is this feature which I intend to take advantage of in this site. I want to explore geometry which cannot exist in the reality we are used to.

This Site

Well, it's not really a site: it's more of a single page. And I'm not much of a fancy HTML person, and I certainly don't have the time to do complex web pages -- I'm much more interested in playing with the Unreal engine. I'll be posting Unreal levels I have designed (and maybe those designed by other people, if they fit the theme). I'll also be posting information that I've learned about WarpZones and their limitations, as well as artistically interesting screen shots. If anyone else is as interested as I am in this particular area, please email me. And if someone wants to do some better HTML than I and can find a better place to be hosted, then we can work something out that way, too.

Files

DMCube

This is actually a surprisingly playable deathmatch level which makes simple but effective use of portals. It is also a good introduction to the type of effect I am looking for. It isn't as advanced as some of the other stuff I am working on (which will be posted here soon), but I find it very neat. As did a number of other people at the Unrealease party held in Toronto on June 28, 1998. For a large portion of that evening, DMCube was filled with people fragging each other. Both of the reviews I've read of the evening (the one at PlanetUnreal and one at Processed.net) mention the level, and the three Unreal designers who were there (Jeremy War, Pancho Eekels, and Arturo Bialas) wanted to meet me. I was completely surprised by the whole thing, and I thouroughly enjoyed playing my own level one one of the beautiful computer systems connected to a large-screen TV while sitting in an Intensor chair. Anyway, due to all that, I was asked to actually release the level, and so here it is.

Download DMCube.zip (48,887 bytes: last updated June 30, 1998)

DMThreeWorlds

This level was originally based on M.C.Ecsher's Other World. Actually, I originally thought Ecsher called his Three Worlds, but it turned out that I was mistaken -- it was a different print that was called Three Worlds. But anyway, I think the name Three Worlds suits my level better.

There are two portal tricks in this level. The first is the outdoor cube, which connects three different (but similar-looking) rooms at odd angles, in the style of Escher's . The second portal trick is the intersection of hallways such that no two share the same direction as 'down'.

I also learned much more about bots for this level. The bots are able to use the high-speed lifts, and can very successfully chase you through the portals. Oh, and watch out for those high-speed lifts; they take some getting used to, but they lead to some great ambushes...

Download DMThreeWorlds.zip (132,141 bytes: last updated July 7, 1998)

Portal limitations

When I get a chance, I'll go over the limitations of Unreal portals in more detail. For now, here's a brief list:

Weapons which fire at infinite velocity do not pass through portals. This includes the automag, the ASMD, the rifle, and the minigun.
Bots sometimes disappear for no very good reason. I'm not quite sure how this happens, but it seems to be due to them falling into the virtual portal space which doesn't exist.
There is a limit to the number of portals deep that are displayed. So an "infinite tunnel" will actually only pass through 3 WarpZones before stopping.
The Fake Backdrop has some difficulties when seen through a WarpZone or two.

Random Notes

Hmm.. this page is getting pretty long. Looks like it may be time to break it up into smaller pages... I may do that if things work out with a new site I'm looking at. Also, I have someone who is interested in doing some HTML, so things might get redone rather significantly.

Anyway, here's something interesting: I just found out from someone (I accidentally deleted the email, or I'd give credit to the person) that Prey (an upcoming game from 3dRealms) is very much into cool portal stuff. I did some web searching today and found out some very cool stuff. Apparently, it will allow dynamically created and movable portals! Very, very cool. I'm looking forward to that... Mid-1999 is the release date.