Models

[Guest Obi]

Has anyone created any models around 3000 polys for Jedi Outcast yet? Especially jedi ones? I'm not yet experienced in model-making outside of JK. I'm a good texture artist though, and I can probably figure out how to edit a pre-made model. I just need one of sufficient detail to be worthy of Jedi Outcast.

[Guest Jolts]

you should post some of your work for people to see.

[Dorvo]

I don't think you'd want to start making models to use in Jedi Outcast. That is, IF you want them to be playable characters... you won't have the tags that the game uses for the models, nor will you have the animations.

 

It would be best if you hold off on making models for Outcast until a plugin's been made for some modelling software.

[Guest Obi]

Hmm.....Yes, you are right.

[Major Clod]

You can still create your meshes and perhaps even test their animation integrity with a standard biped and then texture them. I've already created a number of meshes that I hope to use with JK2.

[Dorvo]

But they won't work as playable or even non-playable characters because there isn't a way to transfer the animations onto your meshes.

[Guest Jolts]

you can still model your character and wait for the sdk. Animation tests he was talking is a good idea to see if you built your character the right way to be animated(see if the shoulder and knees bend well). Then when you get your sdk or plugins that you need for exporting out model with animation you can do the final work

[Dorvo]

The thing is, with the MD3 models, the animations are built directly onto the model, so you can't take the animations from the MD3s and put them into another mesh.... you would have to edit the basic mesh itself. The only way I can think of for importing the animations themselves onto other meshes is if someone wrote a plugin for MDRs, which contain the bones for the animations. But, the thing is, noone has.

 

It would save you a WHOLE lot of time in the long run if you just waited for the game to be released before you begin creating models for the game.

[Anakin]

We have an animation team in Poland that are creating models for us in 3000+ polys, they look good from initial designs and we shall be including them in the TC.

[Major Clod]

The thing is, with the MD3 models, the animations are built directly onto the model, so you can't take the animations from the MD3s and put them into another mesh.... you would have to edit the basic mesh itself. The only way I can think of for importing the animations themselves onto other meshes is if someone wrote a plugin for MDRs, which contain the bones for the animations. But, the thing is, noone has.

 

What do the animations have to do with a mesh? The mesh is something that you create before you animate, it does not change once the animations are availiable. Besides, Jedi Outcast uses the Ghoul2 modelling system, which is a skeletal animation based system.

 

Another big new feature is the GHOUL2™ modeling and animation system. We took all the best features of the original GHOUL™ technology from the original Soldier of Fortune® and took the Carcass™ system from Elite Force® and merged them together for GHOUL2 to make a fully hierarchical skeletal animation system. It features (among other things) per poly hit detection, smooth skin models and animation overrides on any bone.

James Monroe - Lead Programmer Raven Software.

 

...

 

It would save you a WHOLE lot of time in the long run if you just waited for the game to be released before you begin creating models for the game.

 

You create the mesh first, attach it to a generic biped to test its animation integrity, and then you can assign UVW's and skin it. Once the standard biped format is released with all the animations, all one has to do is attach the biped. Not one single step before that has to be redone because of this. That is how I can make the same model for Half-Life, Quake 3, EF, or anything else, because the mesh does not change, only the way in which it is animated. You would actually be able to release a model for JK2 quicker if you had already created the mesh and skin.

[Dorvo]

How did you get the animations onto your mesh from the EF files?

With the MD3 files, there isn't any skeletal information, and unless there's been an MDR plugin released in the last month and a half, it would be a long process of reanimating your mesh to use the EF animations. Unless you used the base models for EF...

[Major Clod]

Heh, I haven't actually made any models for EF, I was just using that as an example of being able to use the same mesh for many different games without having to redo them. It was one of the first games that came to mind since the CD was sitting on my desk.