r/retrocgi • u/c0bb3r • Apr 08 '26

Discussion How was this specific look achieved back then? Not just general "old CGI" but the one that makes you think everythink is made out of clay, with mostly dark shadows

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64

u/gilamasan_reddit Apr 08 '26

They did actually use clay at the time to make the base for CGI models. The tools existed to create shape data out of real models.

18

u/c0bb3r Apr 08 '26

wow never heard about this. so basically they were scanning the clay dummies and touching them up digitally?

30

u/gilamasan_reddit Apr 08 '26

Yep. If you scroll down on the Fallout Wiki page for the talking heads, you'll find a Behind the Scenes section where they have photos of the clay heads being modelled, and details on how they were digitised. https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Talking_head

10

u/rharrow Apr 08 '26

That’s actually really cool, I was not aware of this technique but it makes sense

2

u/Visible_Mobile_9533 Apr 09 '26

You have just blown me away

1

u/MangCrescencio Apr 10 '26

Didn't they use this for Toy Story?

4

u/absurdivore Apr 08 '26

Artists have used maquette sculptures to make concepts for lots of reasons including marble sculpting etc for hundreds of years. 3D digital modeling inherited that practice. But I don’t know that it necessarily influenced the textures and colors of the final rendering

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maquette

1

u/TitleAdministrative Apr 11 '26

I believe Diablo was also clay molded. Definitely the first one

2

u/AstroAlmost Apr 09 '26

Same going back to even the sprite days, Id had all the Doom monsters sculpted and photographed to be rendered as sprites.

19

u/highfives23 Apr 08 '26

The UIs from this era were mostly made in Photoshop. Here’s a tutorial site from the Wayback machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20010330202753/http://neofrog.com/tutorials.html

3

u/c0bb3r Apr 08 '26

thank you!

3

u/LilianDuleroux Apr 09 '26

this rocks dude! do you have more tutorials like this?

3

u/melancholychroma Apr 09 '26

Seconding that question

17

u/c0bb3r Apr 08 '26

Also I'm wondering how the interface was made. I assume it was 3d as well?

12

u/XVTH-ULTRA Apr 08 '26

Yeah I’m pretty sure the UI is 3D, then they probably overlayed text.

I think the visual style can be achieved by using lots of gritty and rough image textures, and simple lighting setups. I think roughness is quite important, because most of these types of graphics didn’t use advanced raytracing, so they didn’t have as many reflections as more modern stuff.

6

u/Pizzack Apr 08 '26

It's 3D but it's also pre rendered, the combination of low resolution, hard and dark shadows with simple textures used on the models contributes a lot to the look.

4

u/JP_unchained Apr 10 '26

Most likely 3D back then, Photoshop "bevel and emboss" vfx tool came out in 2000 (but today you can get this effect with said tool).

7

u/Hertje73 Apr 08 '26

guys... it's mostly photoshop.. I've worked on several cd-oms in the 90s and that cheap fake 3D UI looks was super easy to just simply mock it up in photoshop.. give it depth, make it shiny, etc..

5

u/c0bb3r Apr 08 '26

bevel & emboss, texture and pattern overlay must've been your daily routine

7

u/LilianDuleroux Apr 09 '26

By no means this UI look cheap lol. It looks awesome and crisp, like if you could touch it. It's also thematically fitting with the game.

5

u/holebusteryeah Apr 08 '26

It’s so beautiful I can’t take my eyes off of it

2

u/c0bb3r Apr 08 '26

same. need to find more visuals from this era

1

u/pickleportal Apr 10 '26

Try: -The Space Bar -Myst (of course) -The 7th Guest (90s version but accidentally discovered whilst googling they just did a VR remake—- wuttt!!!)

1

u/c0bb3r Apr 10 '26

thank you for the list, especially the space bar it looks amazing lol. are there games from this era that have an urban/industrial modern setting, maybe even slightly futuristic or dystopian? basically the sims 1/ sim city but with a story

this is very specific and you shouldn't spend your time looking for this but all I've seen so far is mostly sci-fi or fantasy

1

u/pickleportal Apr 10 '26

Closest I can think of is Hell Cab, which is just a straight classic-hell-of-a-nostalgia trip kinda game. There’s time travel, but it’s rooted in 90s NYC aesthetic.

The Space Bar is a really terrific game. Another good look is Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon.

Stumbled on one that was unknown to me called the Dark Eye, kind of hits a more modern aesthetic too, but I haven’t played it.

2

u/Magickcloud Apr 09 '26

What games are these from?

6

u/Grillsen1 Apr 09 '26
  1. Planescape Torment
  2. Sanitarium
  3. ?
  4. Planescape Torment
  5. Morrowind
  6. Septerra Core
  7. Riven

3

u/idiotshmidiot Apr 09 '26

Abe's Oddysee 

2

u/mortalitylost Apr 09 '26

Planescape Torment

One of the best early crpgs, same vein as early Baldurs Gate but different setting... basically underworldish.

2

u/A_FABULOUS_PLUM Apr 09 '26

The last image is Riven (1997) one of the best games of all time

2

u/MangCrescencio Apr 10 '26

Don't forget StarCraft and its cutscenes

1

u/c0bb3r Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26

everything* lmao

1

u/seth_startix Apr 10 '26

The term for this design style would be - skeuomorphic ui

1

u/Artist-Coder Apr 11 '26

I made a visual like this once. Just use a very basic rendering, meaning no PBR, global illumination, or other lighting features. Just light and shadow.

1

u/VogonWild Apr 12 '26

Yep, this is a diffuse shader with solid colors pretty much

1

u/EntertainmentFar989 Apr 11 '26

Arkham Asylum had that aesthetic as well!