TIECorps Tailoring Tool 3

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Revision as of 20:20, 19 June 2021 by Wildfire (talk | contribs) (Clarified the EH Internet Office oversees this application)

Application

TIECorps Tailoring Tool 3 is a program for creating Emperor's Hammer and TIE Corps uniforms, created in 2021. The creation of version 3 of this tool was spearheaded by SkyShadow with support from many other EHTC members. Version 3 replaces TTT, Tempest's Tailoring Tool 2. This application is maintained by the EH Internet Office for the exclusive use of the Emperor's Hammer, and is the only official and approved tool that may be used for this task.

Introduction: What is TTT?

Since the template files for the uniforms are 3D models, which not too many people can easily work with, this tool is for assembling the uniform parts from given personnel data (either entered via the GUI or imported from the TC database).

TTT3 generates a basic preview in POV-Ray (the Persistence of Vision raytracer), allowing the user to comfortably set camera position, lighting and some other options, and finally renders the final uniform image by calling POV-Ray to render the final image as per your selections.

While it would have been easier and faster to just render out template pictures and have TTT put them together, as the first version of the program did, there would have been some disadvantages.

First, when putting images together that look 3D, but are only 2D, the objects don't interact (don't reflect and don't cast shadows on each other). Elements that do not always appear on the exact same spot (like a 3rd class merit medal) would also look perspectively wrong when put to a location where they were not originally rendered at. You therefore end up with a kind of 2.5D look.

Second, working with the 3D data directly adds a new level of flexibility, like being able to set the camera and lighting, change the resolution, and so on.