RE: [Nel] multipart meshes, deforming, adding

[Martin Schlingmann]

Hi Andy.

It’s quite normal that you break up or just use several models.

You have one root part then joints between the other parts, when you move or rotate the root the others follow (push’n pop matrixes…).

Formats such as md3 (old q3 and hl) uses this solution, however they are old and do not use “real” skeletons, they just keyframe interpolate the meshes, but the meshes/shapes are connected with joints (3).

Anyway, the principle is the same, just as you have translations and rotations in your skeleton, you just have it too in between your shapes. So you have shapes which have skeletons and you have a model which have a kind of skeleton connecting your shapes.

Then you could for example have a walk animation on the lower part of the body and turn the head at the same time.

However this might get complicated for the animations if you split to much J.

Search for md3 and take alook at it on gamedev.net for more info.

 

I have not yet built something like this using Nel. I’ve just used shapes, applied “skins” and played around with animations.

 

Another way or a combination is just to switch the skins and apply multiple textures, so you could get tatoo’s and other “unique” looks etc.

 

/martin

 

-----Original Message-----
From: address@hidden [mailto:address@hidden On Behalf Of Andi 'Debug' Allen
Sent: den 13 mars 2004 15:05
To: Developer's list for the NeL platform
Subject: Re: [Nel] multipart meshes, deforming, adding

 

Heh,

 

thanks for your reply didn't touch on more than 1% of my questions or give any real

solutions and practices sounded cool though so ty

 

the main part of this questions where about mesh interfacing breaking up a mesh into

parts that is already bound to a skeleton then using mesh deformation or swap

in swap out to change them.

 

just after some step by step

some how to's

do's and don'ts

code samples

3ds advice for creating of them

process for building them

 

    Andi 'Debug' Allen

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.12
GCS d--- s-: a-- C++++ US++ P++ L+ E--- W+++ N o-- K++ w++++
O---- M-- V-- PS+++ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5++ X++ R-- tv+++ b++++ DI++ D++
G++ e* h++ r+++ y++++
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

Design Lead
Project Talaus Online
www.neverborn.net

----- Original Message -----

From: Ben Woodhead

To: Developer's list for the NeL platform

Sent: Friday, March 12, 2004 6:10 PM

Subject: Re: [Nel] multipart meshes, deforming, adding

 

Hello Andi,

 

If I am following what you are wanting to do then the way it is usually done is skeletal animation.

The idea is much like a human, bones have a certain effect on the skin. So instead of animating the mesh you create a skeleton for the person and then put a skin (or mesh) on top of the skeleton.

After you have created a skeleton you then have to assign weights (how much the joint effects this vertex) to the vertecies for each joint ( you don't want a knee joint effecting the arms ). Now you can animate the skeleton and change the skin as you feel the need.

This is quite useful for any human type of actions such as walking. You can us mathmatics to define how an impact such as taking a step would effect the bones and the skin automatically follows.

 

Later, Ben

----- Original Message -----

From: Andi

To: Developer's list for the NeL platform

Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2004 6:35 PM

Subject: [Nel] multipart meshes, deforming, adding

 

Hi,

 

ok we have been thinking seriously about this for some time

and as yet have failed to come up with even an iterim solution.

 

in games such as ryzom and anarchy online etc.

 

although this falls into game development theory i feel if

it has been done in ryzom or by someone who uses nel a

heads up on the methods would be very useful

 

a player can wear different pieces of armour hold different weapons

the armours can be differnt sizes and shapes.

 

the logical method that presented itself to me is to break a model

of a char into various parts head / neck / arm etc and hot swap

replacement meshes for those parts.

 

how then does the animation deal with these replacements

or even additions! to a mesh like a cape or over armour armours

 

im probably on the wrong track entirely.... arent i

 

and you want to tack a weapon mesh onto a char or shield

 

we are extremly lost on ways to proceed and dont want to make

to many meshes before we know the hoes and whys of proven

systems.

 

so to break it up we need some kind of reasonable idea of how to

do the following

 

link / unlink / rotate / scale - weapon / shield / con to a character

mesh without breaking animation

 

change / scale - armour parts to replace parts of a char mesh

without breaking animation.

 

is there a set system for doing this in NeL i dont want to reinvent the

wheel again.

 

thanks

 

 

    Andi 'Debug' Allen

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.12
GCS d--- s-: a-- C++++ US++ P++ L+ E--- W+++ N o-- K++ w++++
O---- M-- V-- PS+++ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5++ X++ R-- tv+++ b++++ DI++ D++
G++ e* h++ r+++ y++++
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

Design Lead
Project Talaus Online
www.neverborn.net

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