Concept Art Page for "A Clash of Cultures" (CoC)
A Clash of Cultures: A Virtual World for Exploring Ancient Civilization and Learning Conflict Resolution
Below are photo albums, or groupings of photos, of 3d computer generated plants and objects that serve as examples of what we hope the project will eventually look like. These are made using 3d generated plants native to the region along with historical representations of objects used in the Fertile Cresent during the development of civilization. These are all made using 3d art programs. Some of the 3d material was purchased online or modified from something purchased. Wherever possible, credit is given to the original artist (see credits document below). If you find your 3d object without credit given, please send an email so we can correct the error.
Above link is a PDF file
Special credit to the staff at EON software. Much of the art work is created with their software and based on objects from their library. A glance at the credits and you will see that other Vue artists objects have been modified for this concept art. Gratitude to all of them for a job well done!
3d Concept Art Objects
Concept art is drawn to help the project developers have an idea of the vision for the project. There are hundreds of concept art objects drawn for the CoC world and not all of the art work can be shown on this website. Below are examples, arranged into photo albums, that can be viewed using Adobe reader. The photo albums are arranged by categories, as listed below. Please note that these albums are large files. If you are using dial-up then it will take some time to download. Click on the category to view the album. When the album is open you can double-click on any photo to see a larger view. Click on home (the house) to return to the thumbnail sequence. Enjoy viewing and imagine yourself back in time!
This is a very large and complex project. If you would like to volunteer, or if you would like to fund its development, then click on the email button and contact us.
A Clash of Cultures is a development project in connection with the "Mind Awakening Institute" - a 501 3c organization whose main purpose is to help awaken the compassionate mind thus contributing to global harmony.
Note some native plants became cultivated and are also listed below.
Last updated 10/27/09
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Art work by W. David Hoisington, Ph. D. - except as noted (see art credits)
Over 100 plants are in the concept art series representing some of the vegetation native to the Fertile Crescent. This album is meant to only serve as an example of several different types of plants. The goal is to have the computer-simulated vegetation represent the actual vegetation in the region.
The albums above contain 3d art done mostly with Eon Software's program Vue. The animals and people in the albums below are done mostly using the program Poser and credit belongs to those artists.
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Last updated 10/31/09
Building a civilization, starting just before the Bronze age, required hand labor for both the gathering of materials and the shaping of crude materials into usable materials such as mining ore rock and making it into a metal object. Many steps were involved. Along these steps there are specific items that are needed to complete the production sequence and end up with a finished product. The collection of concept art seeks to represent these various production sequences and the items needed at each step. The above album contains only a few examples that are close to historical accuracy.
Last updated 10/29/09
Many different plants were being grown by the population in ancient times. The album shows a growing sequence of two production related plants - flax (linen, sails, clothing) and hemp (rope and canvas). The growing sequence will start after a seed is planted and continue provided that certain growing conditions are met. The harvest yield is also dependent upon a number of different factors. Basically all the cultivated plants will follow a similar sequence tailored to their particular growth habits.
The buildings for living and production account for the majority of the buildings in any given town. These buildings can be upgraded and an example of this is included within the album. Every building has its own unique function and look. When technology is beyond tents and reed homes, the mud brick buildings will have both an exterior scene and an interior scene. To some degree, the owner of the building will be able to do both interior and exterior decorating to add their personal touch to each building. When paint is available, they can add that also.
This is the largest photo album on this page. Technology is very important to the development of civilization, and it is important in the CoC world. The examples shown are mostly based upon historical evidence of life 5000 years ago. The evidence is scant and so some artistic creativity has been applied. A "machine" is an aparatus that is used to improve the quality of the product or decrease the labor needed. A fire pit is better than an open fire and a cooker is even better for making specific recipies (which are important in the CoC world). Review the album and you will see machines for all sorts of tasks.
Facilities are resource gathering out-buildings. The best examples being an animal pen and a mine. These are shown in the album. The mine has both an interior and an exterior view. In addition mines have "ore colors" and open space nearby for the smelter set-up.
Last updated 10/29/09
Animals play an important part in the development of civilization. Initially they will appear across the landscape, as individuals and in mated pairs or herds. These are illustrated in the above album. There will be wild beasts that can cause harm or even death to the avatar. There will also be a scattering of other wildlife, like insects, birds and frogs. In time some animals will be domesticated (see sheep pen under facilities as example).
There are various roles that human forms take within the CoC world. The primary roles are illustrated in the album: male avatar, female avatar and two child avatars. There will be a range of clothing types to select from, hair styles, body size and other features. In addition to avatars there will be computer directed characters that will be "owned" by an avatar. They will include slaves, guards, and shopkeepers. They can perform simple repetitive tasks at the request of the avatar. Finally there will be quest figures (not shown) that will be totally controlled by the computer.
There will be special buildings, like the temple and the school, which not only add to the culture of the town but also play a role in both technology and avatar development. There is also the all important Tower of Truth and every culture has only one located close to the center of its province. The Tower of Truth is already built by the ancients before any avatar arrives on the CoC world. There will be a wide range of special buildings added throughout the course of each civilization's development.
There are other objects in addition to the categories listed above. There will be objects that are part of missions and "sandbox" play, like the caves and "ancient ruins" (not shown). Caves and ancient ruins will have both exterior and interior views. There will be trade routes, by ship (as shown) and by caravan, that come from far away lands to trade items not plentiful in the Fertile Crescent. These will be computer characters. There will also be a host of other objects related to missions.
There were a wide range of wood and stone tools being used 5000 years ago. Only a small sample is shown in the album. Examples of copper tools will be added in the next update. Hhunting weapons and harvesting/processing tools will also be added.
This section of items is quite important to the development of civilization. The CoC world will use history as a base and expand upon it. There will be different "recipies" that combine herbs with food. There will be potions that have special effects. The dyes will be used in a wide variety of ways to add color. Resins (the term includes other tree sap substances like varnish and glue) have a broad range of applications. The aromatics - like rose petals or cedar - were bottled and marketed through out the region. These products will be woven into the play as it unfolds in the CoC world.
It is not enough to just think about changing the world, you must also practice doing so and receive feedback on how to improve. This can initally be done in a virtual world as preparation for actions done in the real world.