Procedurally Generating Icons for my Farming Game

Devlog video about "Homegrown", a casual farming game I'm creating using my own engine.
Setting up an icon generation system this week, to procedurally generate tool icons that can be upgraded using the upgrade system!
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Play my previous game "Equilinox":
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#devlog #Homegrown

[@marcruijs1039]

I'm lokey kind of jealous of your workspace dude. It's so peaceful looking with all the greenery, both inside as well as outside. My dad always says "green is good for a human, grey makes you irritable." Too bad my place is surrounded by concrete and bricks 😂

[@dirklangohr]

Yeeees it's so beautiful!!

[@nobocks]

Static grass diorama tutorial ❤

[@evanchilson9829]

100% - Also the concept is called Biophilia! Super interesting stuff!

[@milanrdesign]

get some plastic plants to brighten up your space :)

[@semydev]

So true, would be my dream! Even the outside, I live in germany and for me I have one ugly tree infront of my window

[@Kaikaku]

In case you are struggling to get enough handle models: -> The handle could start with no handle at all i.e., only the end of the stick, -> next could be a knob and -> then finally the t-shaped handle which you currently use right from the start.

[@morgan0]

also maybe one of the later models has finger shaped bumps and cutouts to make it look like it fits in your hand better

[@aletei]

Another idea would be to change the appearance just every second upgrade, so saving half of models needed :)

[@liliyaversus4051]

@@aleteia reply from someone who is actually working in a creative field ahah. But i like the idea of having a whole-powerful system of upgrades. He can add special rare upgrades randomly or at the end, to make the tool unique. And he can add constructions/machines that may use his tools, which again would motivate players to create and upgrade them as a separate mechanic. But these are just ideas.

[@SZvenM]

Love these new icons. They fit the style of the game perfectly and the designs are very fun. Really adds a lot of life to the whole system.

[@ThinMatrix]

Thanks!

[@callumcowden1511]

I'd keep speed being a colour change consistent across the tools so players can easily see "oh light blue (tool) is 2x speed". Feel like it's just a cleaner user experience. I understand it doesn't work for every tool part but speed being colour would keep it somewhat consistent

[@himselfe]

A very easy way to indicate scale changes would be to have some sort of fixed size object with the item for contrast. For example you could have the watering can sitting on a a very simple patch of grass with a blade or two just around the base, or some stones, or a tool laying next to it. I'm sure you get the picture! I'd probably only use that object in the upgrade/shop screens and not for every icon on the tool belt otherwise it'd start looking very cluttered.

[@LukasOwen]

i like this idea, i support it

[@morgan0]

could also make some fake in world tool brands, which have some sticker of their logo on it, which doesn’t get bigger with the bigger objects

[@ThinMatrix]

Nice idea!

[@Pallerim]

It's always great when "overengineering" a system pays off. These icons look perfect, good job!

[@SirJoshuaTree]

Your tools change too much visually for each upgrade. Unless there's a reason to parse the exact level at a glance, you can do smaller incremental changes to the model and it's fine. Keep dramatic mesh changes for significant milestone upgrades. I think that will be a much more comfortable system for everyone

[@whannabi]

Now that you say it, lots of games do that. It's slightly different so you can notice it but not some much that you don't even recognize the object. Unless it's the intention to really make it seem like a completely different object instead of an upgrade. Just like cars in real life, you add carbon then next upgrade better tires then maybe spoilers etc.

[@dieselboy.7637]

I disagree. The way he made is way more creative and fun.

[@dieselboy.7637]

And not basic and generic.

[@harrasika]

​​@@dieselboy.7637 the problem with the changes being too dramatic too often is that you no longer can recongnize the tools at a glance and need to search for it every time you need to use it. But I think it is worth the sacrifice

[@4AneR]

I've done a similar thing on positioning objects in the camera frame, and I think this way is simpler: (1) get the true rectangular bounding box as you already have (2) expand the bounding box so it's a square, basically depending if it's a tall bounding box, add abs(H-W)/2 to horizontal bounds or to vertical bounds (3) this square bounding box can be directly mapped into NDC coordinates (from -1 to 1), you can even go with simple orthographic projection unless you really need the perspective for your icons

[@ThinMatrix]

Ah that sounds like a good solution, thanks!

[@lancer197]

the sprinkler is absolutely awesome. Kinda hilarious but genius aswell.

[@liliyaversus4051]

Some ideas: Start with a water bucket. Just a bucket XD. And first upgrade will add a spout. With the size, you might want to sacrifice "perfect framing" only for "upgrade menu". An icon in the inventory can still be a perfect frame, but in Upgrade menu you start with a tiny tool! Great work, as always! Thank you for inspiration c:

[@roz1]

Hi ThinMatrix how is your health now.. hope you are doing well.... Love your videos... It's so peaceful and calm

[@ThinMatrix]

All good thanks!

[@roz1]

@@ThinMatrix Glad to hear that 😊

[@charlvanniekerk8009]

The procedural generation had me really excited and then when i saw how you did it and the positioning of the icons, i was just giddy. Love the progress and the look of the game!

[@jugowater9546]

it would be really cool if you made a video about the process of designing a system. for example, how you brainstorm ideas, relate it to the current state of the game, etc... great video as always!

[@OrionDomeric]

Gotta say I was impressed with the bounding box camera view bit. Nice approach.

[@jonas2560]

Very ingenious. I am maybe afraid that the higher level icons may give a different vibe to the game with their more rpg/gamery look. Maye only one every 3 upgrades changes the model and the two following upgrades change the color : crooked handle : brown, grey, white > straight handle : brown, grey, white. Just an idea.

[@ThinMatrix]

Yeah, I was thinking about that as well, and that would be possible in the current system. I also also want to spend longer designing the models - now that I've had a few trials I think I could do better. Maybe with smaller increments between model stages I could get to tier 10 without it looking too crazy.

[@themrpancake]

I think only 5 upgrade icons would be better. A 1/10 upgrade to a stat doesn't feel like it should be an insane model changing upgrade. It would also make each model change feel more impactful

[@OptimechX]

On that note, I think it would be cool if the icons could slightly increase in size, making fully upgraded ones look beefier :)

[@jonas2560]

@@ThinMatrix Nice ! Also just want to say I am a big fan of your videos. They helped me a lot through the pandemic and I have been following your channel ever since.

[@thiccbaron]

They could also start as 'broken' like you have with the spade. with minimal less broken each upgrade. Or adding a gem that changes color.. Very nice update

[@ooRobertoo]

very nice! A good idea for your selling effect. When the coins float to the top left corner to add to your balance, make the balance add up portions of what you sold while the animation is playing. So it looks like the individual coins matter. Example: You have 2000 in ur balance. You sell products worth 1000. The animation for the coins take 3 seconds. 1000 / (3 sec * 2) = 152 coins This means you update ur balance every 0,5 seconds with 152 coins while the animation is playing.

[@Joern290]

Love the icons! So clever how you have them generated. Cannot wait to see what kind of cool tool modefications you will come up with. 😊

[@IndieMarkus]

I love the way these generated icons look :) Regarding the issue of conveying the size of the watering can, when they get normalized: Could you try scaling the outline relative to the size reduction you performed in the normalization step? So small items (blueberries) would have a bigger outline, making them "feel" smaller than a spade. (Tbh, probably this specific idea would look stupid, but maybe some other shading effect relative to the normalization could work)

[@ThinMatrix]

Thanks for the suggestion! For items with a simple icon like the blueberries I can actually just make them smaller. I have a custom scale that I can apply to the model after the normalization, so I can make chosen icons appear smaller. That only works on a per-item basis though, so it doesn't work with individual model stages of the same item (like the watering can) which is the main issue.

[@pterafier]

I love this series so much. You were the first dev I watched and now I make games :D thanks dude!

[@goodtimeswerehad]

A great video. I enjoyed learning about your workflow idea to generate these new icons. The game is looking really lovely now, great job sir!

[@hamzahgamedev]

As I am making my own farming game, ur series has inspired me so much. I learned a lot from you. Thanks🙏

[@GamesBySaul]

I think this has been one of my favourite updates! Procedural generation is such interesting technology and I think the way you use it is great!

[@Skeffles]

Fantastic to see the icons. It's so cool how you're able to generate them like that.

[@cool.guy.]

This video made me really nostalgic of the time I used to watch your old OpenGL + Java tutorials, ha… good times I’ve come a long way since then

[@codehawkfalcon]

That night to day transition was flawless

[@NitramiuZ]

I get envious seeing you being able to change rendering style, press one button, and get updated icons. Such a cool and impressive system!

[@GamerMickey87]

This looks so cute! I can't wait to play it. By the way, as a feature suggestion, maybe people just walking in the market area would bring life to the game and it wouldn't look so static. In the farm I get that it's just you and it's the chill place, but in the town where the shops are, you would expect to see other people.

[@ThinMatrix]

Thanks you! And yes, I definitely want to add people to the town soon :)

[@interested3791]

Dude I love this... you can check, I don't even comment that often, but those upgrade procedural generations were top-grade!

[@ThinMatrix]

Thank you!

[@holly_hacker]

Those icons looks amazing, it's really surprising how much it does for how polished/ready the game looks

[@benpope10]

Love the progress on the procedural icons! I was wondering how you were going to make all the parts fit together nicely after each upgrade, I’m glad you explained that. Keep up the good work, the game is looking better and better each devlog!

[@MaXx0r_]

Your work is very inspiring! Please keep sharing the progress, I'm sure it'll will help alot of people.

[@marcely1199]

I didn't notice you switching to Intellij. You were always the last warrior to use Eclipse for me😀

[@morbuskobold4233]

Intellij is such an awesome IDE. Way worth switching to nowadays.

[@warmightydevlog]

Great idea, i was intending to make some upgradable in my game but got scared of make hand craft combinations, your video gave a good inspiration.

[@Datdus92]

The icons look great!!

[@paulturner7988]

That icon system is genuinely awesome!! Love it! 🤩

[@Daywalkr]

Lol I kinda love how ridiculous the upgrades look visually - it's fun. Liek the watering can just going off the rails just I think would make it satisfying to upgrade.

[@leocrabe2253]

I love the watering can upgrades

[@rungeon83]

I really loved this episode, as someone who mostly ended up being a software tools programmer, this is fantastic to watch your process! I really liked how you solved the position/size issue! Looking forward to the next one!

[@qexat]

the upgrade system is so neat

[@pfannkuchengesicht42]

Throughout the video I was thinking "but have you considered X?" a couple of times and every time I was relieved to find out a couple moments later: yes, you did. I like how well thought through this system turned out to be!

[@progress_games]

I always look forward to these devlogs! Something about your workflow is just so chill and organised in a way that mine probably never will be. Keep it up :)

[@hensou]

That was amazing! Loved the way you used procedural generation, seeing this makes me want to jump into game dev as well.

[@kanebrady2228]

you are a straight up inspiration to those of us who are lowley part time hobbyist devs, always wait for your vids with anticipation - great job!

[@lucbloom]

Upgrade 4: bulge Upgrade 5: slightly more shaded bulge Upgrade 6: 2 bulges. Don’t sweat the minimal change. It’s the effect we’re after! Visual impressiveness is a bonus! Ask old Facebook games what lengths we go through to get a pixel in gfx change.

[@VirtuallyRetro]

Very nice. I love the new UI and Icons..

[@vyzymz]

i admire your workflow. so disciplined.

[@akalex770]

Youre saving my day with this video right now.

[@Keimoj]

"Diggy bit" is my new favorite for spade :D love the content, both digital and irl planting!

[@halfgrape8696]

I like how he's actually showing development footage. Other devlogs I watch only show the result for what they built without much of the process.

[@jamesbaconreid]

wow you've come a long way, awesome work. these icons look great. and the post processing too! :)

[@ThinMatrix]

Thank you!

[@drewdt3445]

Great devlog! This and the UI updates have made the game feel a lot more polished. Excited to see what comes next!

[@ThinMatrix]

Thanks!

[@MrOmega-cz9yo]

Another nice video. Thanks for sharing ThinMatrix!

[@CurtisDoesADig]

This is coming along insanely well! Congrats!

[@ThinMatrix]

Thank you!

[@catnapsandramen9435]

Spelling Colors as Colours is crazy to me LOL. Can't wait for this to come out!

[@TheEnthusiasticCoder]

Another great video by ThinMatrix, keep up the great work!

[@lukesnyder4183]

Honestly, I could see that little icon generation program being something useful to release on its own. Really nice stuff!

[@Onepiece0752]

wow, loved the way u solve these problems, keep growing , keep uploading

[@b-vance]

Very nice! Very peaceful vibes as always. 🌱

[@ElianeGameDev]

That was so cool! I'm impressed by your capacity to design such complex systems and to explain it so well to us :)

[@ThinMatrix]

Thank you :)

[@joeldesante]

This game would be an awesome mobile game. The mobile space needs more high quality games like this one. Please consider releasing it on mobile!

[@SaraTalefe]

UI revamp looking amaziiiiing! great job 👏

[@wolfieboy09]

This is the evry video that got me into Java game development, thank you for getting me into it :D

[@dandymcgee]

The icons are awesome, great work! Thanks for sharing. :)

[@alexeyl22]

Awesome work!

[@kylemason01]

Great work as always! For the watering can upgrades, why not make the watering can shorter to begin with, so half height and then get taller and wider as you upgrade(ie more capacity). Would give you more "room" haha to play with. Also what about borrowing the curved handle idea from your spades in the watering cans, so you get curved spouts as well.

[@FarSam25]

I'm addicted to your Devlogs please don't stop 😁🙌

[@wilk1nson277]

the transition at 3:30 was so satisfying

[@CESTLEDU]

I love how crazy the watering can gets after a few upgrades 😂 Also I'm very impressed by your icon generator it looks great!

[@KarimHamdallah-gc2el]

Amazing work 💚

[@andygeers]

Your videos are always delightful but this was next level- really fun looking project and great to get that little glimpse into the technical challenges behind it. And congrats on your night to day transition in the vid- you nailed that one!

[@LiamKarlMitchell]

Looking great!

[@FM-kl7oc]

16:02 Me: "I'm totally not compensating for anything."

[@DinoStudio901]

Loving this game keep up the good work

[@Hoody803]

This is great! You don't need to change the icon after every upgrade click. Doing so might lead to a constant need for new designs, potentially diminishing the impact of upgrades. However, having occasional model changes occurring with every few "upgrade bars" could also keep the player intrigued, wondering if any visual changes will appear with the next click or later, while still providing the sense of progression you mentioned. Good job!

[@360McCarthy]

This is an awesome feature, I'd be interested in seeing where else you may find an opportunity to use procedural generation in the game! Keep it up can't wait to play 😊

[@evanrobison567]

The procedural icon system is absolutely brilliant!!

[@bonnwolff1890]

I hope that you keep the crooked stick upgrade as an inside joke for us dev log watchers!

[@LeBogo]

Ohhh yes! I was waiting for this!

[@LeBogo]

This was probably already available for patrons, right? I don't check it that often 😅

[@ThinMatrix]

Not this time - I just finished editing it a few minutes ago :P It's only when I finish the video before the planned upload date that I share it early with the patreon supporters.

[@Matojeje]

This reminds me so much of the monkey icons / models in Bloons TD 6, which also change when upgraded!

[@xheptc9612]

You should do a Upgrade type "Reach" for the shovel, which increases the length of the shovel for further reach

[@floral1474]

Nice transitions!

[@masterloic7180]

Love your work !

[@NoVIcE_Source]

this is awesome!

[@Dean_Irwin]

I just downloaded & started playing Homegrown. One of the problems I had initially is not knowing when my plants were harvestable or not. When having the harvest tool selected, it would be nice if the cursor had a little "x" or something when I am hovering over a plant to show that it's not quite ready yet. Or maybe an overview map view when the tool is selected like in some games such as Cities Skylines or the likes. I also am having a few performance issues. I posted this on Patreon already, but I found out there's some issue on my 4K display where it gets super super laggy in full screen. When I downscale the window down to be about half the size of my sreen (in windowed mode), then it runs smooth. Not sure if this is a limitation on my computer, but it might be an optimization that needs to be made at some point. Great work. Looking forward to seeing the progress going forward :)

[@gower1973]

Wow this guy is going all in, most people would just download an icon pack and be done with it, but he procedurally generates his own 👍

[@Oeuvre-Bramon]

And he's not using a game engine. So even bigger props to him

[@InvaderMik]

I love your office! Could you make a video on how you care for all those plants / what kind they are? (And the desk! What a great desk. I want one!)

[@Nick_Cutin]

Hey! I don't know if you'll read this as it's already 2 weeks since it was published but I'm really interested in this game and this series, hoping you will keep it up (of course no pressure)! I have an idea that may work as it may not: for the shop instead of using the icon keep the 3d model of the tools and let the player rotate horizontally to make it feel more real, the icon are still in the hotbar so the (amazing!) work you already done will not be lost

[@ajyauchler7678]

I can imagine the frustration a decompiler or someone trying to find the asset for the in-game icons in a future release, just to find out they're all custom rendered hah

[@kaaf9840]

Make the icons spin when selecting/viewing its stats, I think this would make it pop a bit 😄

[@assafcohen3173]

Really nice update and great work! Coming up with 10 different upgrade graphics is really hard and as you mentioned - at some point it starts looking a bit off. Maybe consider the following: during the first X upgrades you get to see a physical upgrade, just like you showed in the video. However, after X number of upgrades the item doesn't change anymore physically but you add a "basic" --> "magic" --> "rare" --> "unique" --> "epic" type of upgrades? Obviously you don't have to use these names, it can be a star system where just like with army ranks every upgrade promotes the item. This way you don't have to come up with unrealistic physical designs and the player still gets to experience an upgrade rush.

[@SpektrixGamingEdits]

bro we need more food prep, tbh it was the main reason i subbed to ur channel 😂

[@simoncodrington]

When you're upgrading your tools, it would be good if the "stats" icons e.g. capacity, area, speed etc ALSO upgraded, since there's only a few of those stats you could make little images with the capacity growing or the area icon getting more filled in etc. Little things like that are nice

[@Jplaysterraria]

Having the lowest tier items be a "joke" would be fun (e.g. the lvl0 spade is just a spoon)

[@lachee3055]

Should try out a sketch effect for the items in a store, like they are in a catalogue or something. Bunning Warehouse like advert, all just newspaper drawings :3

[@Ferdii256]

It's looking so lovely! 🥕

[@lucbloom]

You could add some extra space around the borders for low-tier items, so it’s more obvious they get larger.

[@Avandale0]

Amazing work as always :) I just want to mention that the icons are generated programmatically, and not procedurally (procedural generation usually involves randomness, and it seems like everything is predetermined). But I love the approach, and you're definitely saving yourself a massive amount of time in the long run !

[@zerosypher0114]

Very cool idea.

[@Maetschll]

What a good video!

[@maxsomers1992]

you should make something with starting plants in little germinating trays. these plants would be super high maintenance and you could have a feature where you'd like sprinkle the seeds into the pods and then there would be issues like overcrowding with the seedlings making the soil too wet or too dry and stuff like that. just an idea