Which 3D rendering tools were originally used to render movies & assets in LBA2?

[FSanches]

Anyone has any idea which software tools were popular back when LBA2 was developed so that we could perhaps identify the most likely tool used for rendering the videos?

I am assuming they used readily available 3d modeling and animation rendering software. Off course they could have developed some custom in-house tools as well.

But the core of my question is that I am interested in understanding the 3d rendering techniques that resulted in that characteristic visual aspect. That look & feel of the 3d objects in the scenes could be reproduced by fans by either using the same software that was originally used during game development, or by creating our own tools with similar computer graphics techniques. Any idea?

I have a similar curiosity about the computer graphics techniques used for the overall look & feel of the indoors environments. The items have a special kind of texture and lightning that I can only guess comes from the typical 3d rendering tools & techniques of that era. Can someone clarify if there are technical terms that could make it easier for me to find more information about these tools and techniques?

[BardBun]

I don't think you'd need the old software they used, though it would certainly help getting close to the visuals.

All you have to do is render the videos in 640x400px or 640x480px with limited colours and find the level of anti-aliasing they've used.
Not sure what VGA mode they used for LBA1/2, but somewhere around 256 colours you should be getting the same visual output or very close to it.

I'm also not sure what resolution the videos are in, but in general DOS games that are in 640x480px still use a resolution of 640x400px for any video cutscenes.


Everything else, the light effects, 3D models and distinctive look depends on the 3D modeller to get as close to the original as possible.



Cinema4D is a great programme to do 3D stuff in.

[rob_c]

I don't know what tools were used to make the game, but they used Softimage for movies.
Softimage was the best 3D software in the 90s. but Autodesk suspended work on the program in 2015.
In terms of modeling and texturing It really doesn't matter what program you use. 3DS Max, Maya, Blender, Cinema 4D etc. The principles of modeling and texturing are exactly the same in every program. Sometimes it's a matter of getting used to the interface : )
I use 3ds max at work but in the past, I worked for companies that had their own in-house tools.

[CUvox]

Frederick Raynal: Visu3D was done to work in a dedicate environment, like network paths and disks and DOS4GW...

https://www.magicball.net/games/lba1..._12_march_2006
Visu3D was originally used to do all 3D work inside Adeline Software International at least for LBAs.

[Polaris]

Ooh, nice catch CUvox !