Segmentation tutorial

[spacermonkey]

 

Note that all the Labels are in lowercase, this is because Raven have used all lowercase, probally to avoid any confusion as using upper case and lower case could get messy.

 

simple tutorial on the basic segementation of a model for jk2.

Each LOD - level of detail that you create for you model also require being segemented except you ad _1 to the end for the 1st LOD and so on. I'll explain about that in more detail soon.

 

For now however a quick description of LOD's and why they are used.

Well JK2 models have 4 LODS. The first being the highest detail should be under 3k polygons (I presume including the capping of all the segments but I will have to check). This Lod is what you see when your up close to someone or when you zoom in with your sniper rifle.

However other LODs are used when you see players that are farther away. LOD_1 is the next level of detail, the model still looks good but has had alot of polys stripped off it.

and you can see the pattern for LOD_2 and LOD_3.

 

:c3po:Hey wait - I thought you said there was four lods?

 

There is 4 LODS but the first Lod isnt named, you only need to add _1 to the second level of detail as your first level of detail uses the default segementation labels.

 

ok so how many polys should the second LOD be? ( LOD_1)

 

Well I'll list what all the LODS should be for polycount.

 

Primary LOD: 3k

LOD _1 : 2k

LOD _2 : 1k

LOD _3 : 500 polys.

 

Ok.

 

I'll post details of the naming of all the `caps`. After you've segmented your model into the appropraite parts you need to add caps for those parts - for when a limb is chopped off in game. The caps all have similair names but I'll post a list and some images to clearly demonstrate what I mean.

 

EnJOY:D

 

**edit changed image to correct segments - not all those segments where nessacary!!

[spacermonkey]

 

Ok the caps! Important as we know already so heres a little diagram to help explain them.

Basically there are 5 groups of caps. 5 because there are 5 area's which we are able to slice people into.

these groups are:

 

Head- to torso

torso_shoulder to arm

arm to wrist

torso to hips

hips to legs

 

but shouldnt a model have 2 legs and 2 arms? I can only see the labels for the caps on the left arm and left leg!

 

Ok I've only shown the labels for one arm and one leg in the tutorial it just happens to be the left. (YES, you've figured it out, l stands for left and r stands for right) Obviously you can use your newly acquired knowledge and apply it to your own model.

 

So whats the best way to make caps?

 

Well I use 3dsmax. what I recomend is that you select the edges of the part you need to create a cap for. ie the wrist. You've selected the outer edges and now you choose extrude (from your edit mesh options) you pull it out and then use the uniform scale tool to drag together those edges. (you could use the bevel tool to acheive the same affect obviously) Then you need to go into vertex mode (submode of edit mesh), you select the newly created vertices that you pulled together and you weld them all. Then you make sure you have them selected and you click detach. Rename them with the appropraite name and hey presto your first cap.

 

Alright I've capped my wrist but I noticed when I was playing with it that its visable from one side but not the other.. is this gonna be a problem?

 

No this is just what you want. Having polys on boths sides would be a waste as you would never get to see half of them. But since we selected the edges and extruded and out we have the polys that need to be visable on the right side. Basically when you chop off the wrist you need to have the l_hand_cap_l_arm_off cap visable. Make sure you've labelled each one correctly and not got any mixed up. Check my picture for reference and pay attention to the fact that I've specifically marked which edges the labels should be applied to.

 

HoPe this Helps

[spacermonkey]

 

Heres a close up pick of an example of a cap. In the picture I pulled the cap away from the arm, but on your model it should rest against the part of the body that its assocaited with.

 

Also dont make the same mistake 3po made and slice your model into pieces, name them and then try to get it in game like that. You need to have the model segmented but placed together before you can get it in game.

 

Hopefully soon I'll have an example of tags that JK2 uses and also the bones that you need to apply to your model.

[Madjai]

i can barely make 1 lod, now i gotta make 4!@

 

thanks for the info, this helps greatly in my understanding of the quake iii/jedi outcast models.

[VEGETA2K1]

hey this is great! but i dont quite understand..

is this for adding tags and what not?

or only for lods?

and for the lod.. do we need to make 3 or 4 different models? and do u plan to relase a seperate html doc for this?( would be alot weasier to add to favs adn save on hd..)

[spacermonkey]

thanks guys,

 

Vegeta, The game engine requires you to segment your models. this is for several reasons, the main is so that it can identify parts of the mesh and use them to determine where a person is hit - ie which body part will fall off. So before we can have our models in game and working just like the raven models we need to follow the same route that they did, by segmenting the models.

 

- On a side note I have not included any information about facial segmentation or the naming of eyes. For the moment this tutoiral assumes that you have 'built in eyes' and mouth and that you dont want them animated in game.

*This is the easiest method of segementation*

I will write up further info for the face as I find the time.

 

And yes I do expect to get this tutorial up on a website asap.

 

 

*/Pimps his model in need of skinners*

http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=47627

 

**EDIT: the Lods are simply lower poly versions of your model. You can use any method you like to reduce the polcount - I recomend controlled welding of vertices. Your LOD 1 should require some thought as you want that one to look quite good, but LOD 2 and LOD 3 obviously dont require much attention - simply set your weld modifers range much larger so that it pulls together vertices that are near each other.

[VEGETA2K1]

i knwo segmentation is required, but, is it same thing as adding tags to a model?(i think so?)

also, is a LOD really needed? does lod mena i make 4 models? or just "segment" them and the engine does it ,it self? this tutorial will be great,a nd wil lbe pointing many here ^_^

again thanks for this great info!

[Madjai]

im guessing LOD is required because each model is different with different names that the game looks for at certain distances and such. But im also guessing you could simply copy your model 4 times and leave the level of detail the same and give them each a different name.

[spacermonkey]

 

Ok Lods,

 

yes I'm still confused.

 

LODs are required because they help to make the game perform better. Any model worth making is worth doing well. I'm not going to explain things deeply but Lods reduce some of the strain off peoples 3d cards - why? because they allow the game engine to use a lower poly version of your model when the model isnt seen up close. This means your 3d card doesnt scream at you and refuse to play.

 

couldnt I just copy my model 3 times and use them as my LOD's?

 

yes you could but that would be missing the point completely. I'm sure its possible to get a model into game without the Lods - but they are crucial for running these high end games because they do lighten the load on our graphics cards.

LOD's are quick and easy to do.

 

Check out my image above. It shows 4 versions of the same model. It shows from the highest detail version down to the lowest detail version.

 

They are all copies from the original model but modified - having various degree's of reduction in polycount.

 

For the moment you dont have to worry about LOD's !! There are TAG's and BONES to come yet before you even have to think about doing the lods for your model. But I thought I'd include the info because they are very easy to make.

 

The Tags and bones on the other hand will require alot more explanation.

[VEGETA2K1]

OoOOOOo i understand lods now,thanx! basicaly i could just get my, "good" model, then add the optimize modifer in max, and do tht a few times, and save it, then again, till i get low enough ply counts.. i understadn this now ^_^ its not much work.. if u ahve a good poly reducer..

[CheshireKat]

Monkey, I sent you an Email. But just incase you don't get it, I was proposing a deal.

 

If you can do the dirty work (you know get my model in game) I'll do your skinning.

 

I'll be posting an update on my Skin in a couple of hours so you can see if you think I'm worthy to skin your model.

 

Cheshire.

[spacermonkey]

yeah thats its Vegeta, and You got mail Cheshire:D

[A101]

Thanks... I wonder if this is what I'm missing. I've got all the bones and tags (I think :/ )... I'll try this later tonight.

 

Hi Veg! I see you've found your way here from BFP ^_^ (I'm toothrot BTW)

[spacermonkey]

Edited the segmentation diagram!! Obviously this whole tutorial is a Wip (work in progress) so thing swill change as and when I find out about them.

Might have something on tags later. Also theres linking to be considered since there is a heirarchy between the segments and caps.

 

Edit: also changed the caps image.

[spacermonkey]

 

Once your model is segmented and capped it should look like this. (see above)

so some of your are wondering how can you segment your model and still have it look as if its solid? well thats because you dont move it when your working with it.

 

For example, its easy to segment your model, select the faces and detach them. Now you've got your model segmented and you need to cap it right? so you select 'head' - right click in 3dsmax and choose the hide unselected option. Everything else in your scene disappears except the head. Now you can rotate your view, select the edges of head (where the cap will be) extrude and use the collapse option (scroll down the editmesh menu). Collapse will automatically collapse those edges together - hey what did you expect it to do? meaning that you dont have to weld the points together. (thx to vermillion for the tip)

Once you've collapsed the edges selecft the newly created faces and detach! rename them to the appropraite label and right click again. Unhide all ! viola your model is all back and you've made a cap without moving anything. Isnt this fun

[Madjai]

when you make a tutorial plz plz do step by step pictures, they help a lot.

 

thanks for the info!

[spacermonkey]

yup I will, when Its ready to go up on a website I'll include images of exactly what you need to do along each step of the way.

[sk_boogerfett]

hey man, lots of helpful info. hope to see ur tuts on a page soon. anyway, ive never modeled before jk2 came out, and im using gmax right now. the funny part is that im going to be modeling for a mod for jk2. id like to not give out too much info yet, but it will be very remeniscent of tenchu. well, im a huge n00b modeler and i just cant get the unwrap deal working so i can make skin meshes. was just wondering if u wanted to make a dope tutorial on it like u did this. thanks for the time.

[CheshireKat]

Cool Monkey! Looking good. I'm so glad someone is doing this from the ground up. When I was trying to learn about Q3 I found lots of Tuts, but all were in different stages instead of the "If you've never done this then here you go" from the get go.

 

Very cool!

 

I got you're mail, and wrote a general idea of how we should tackle the colaboration, but feel free to to ask me of anything you need. I'm pretty open to anything. I just want to get these baby's ingame!!!

 

P.S. I'm half tempted to go spam these boards until id doesnt' say Ewok under my name...

 

[Guest seantree]

man, it would be nice if the segmentation wasn't needed as I've yet to play on a MP server where cutting of body parts was enabled. I'd rather put time into doin facial anims than bustin out all of those segments. They are my primary reason for not doin Q3 models, but ol' George Lucas has made me his bitch, so i guess i'll push through it :/

[VEGETA2K1]

q3 models are only in 3 parts, its jk2 models, that are in billions hehe, but the real question is:

what would you rather do, animatethe whole model, make it NOT get cut up into peices witht he cool ffect,

or, just take half the time of animating, split up your model, and no animation to worry about!

i'd rather do this over animating.. sayu can only anoimate/model, now u dsont have to worry about begging people to animte it for u... only prob is.. i dont think you ca have custome taunts, and other cutome htings.. but it all evens out,

 

btw heyo a101, i have made my way here and as have u heheh:D

[spacermonkey]

seantree - dont worry about the segmentation, just build your model as a single mesh. Once you've finished building it then you can slice it into segments.

[A101]

GOD DAMN IT!

 

I think I've managed to get everthing... I've just gotta add weights to the LODs, then it should be game worthy... and as max is crashing more than Mirai lately I won't be weighing them tonight...

 

Hopefully, it'll work...

 

BTW: here's what my model looks like: http://www.alsdesigns.co.uk/images/renders/Jedi/froggy01.jpg

it's a crap render, but I couldn't get a good one at the time. It's also a crap model

[Madjai]

whats "weighting" ?

[A101]

Basically attaching vertices to bones. You give them a "weight" to say how much they're effected by each bone's movement.