Turbosmooth Modifier on top of stack and skin

#1 I am not aware of a way that the DTS exporter would read that information. You would have to write it into the exporter.

#2 Whenever you add the turbosmooth you are adding more verts to the mesh. The skin modifier assigns weights to each vert located in the vertice weight list/index. By adding new geomoetry you are throwing off the index.

One trick when adding new geometry to a skinned object is to CUT the skin modifier off the stack. Control-X on the skin modifer, make changes to the mesh, then paste the modifier back on. Try this with the turbosmooth by cutting the modifier off, using turbosmooth, then collapsing the stack and pasting the turbosmooth back on. good luck.

#3 Thanks Jeff. Was worth a shot, but no go. Like you said, when you add more verts to the skin, you are throwing off the index.

Control-X brings me to Expert mode, even with Keyboard Override toggle checked. Anyway.. So I Right clicked on skin, selected CUT, added a new turbosmooth, collapsed it, and and paste the skin back on. Bring up the same errors. Which does make sense for it to do that. The skin modifier has no idea what to do with the extra turbosmooth verts under itself in the stack. Likewise the same in the game engine.

Since I ain't to keen on writing it in the exporter, I guess tweaking the skin, using skin util, or skining those verts in some fashion is the only way to go.

#4 This question has been in the back of my mind for awhile. Recently, I looked into it and figured out a solution.

Follow these steps:

Select the rigged mesh with the skin modifier applied to it.

(remove any turbosmooth on it)

-Stack-
*Skin
*Editable Mesh


Go to "utilities" -> "more" -> "skin utilities"

Extract Skin Data to Mesh

Now you get a new mesh with the skin data baked in.
Apply a turbo smooth to THIS new 'skin mesh'.

Create a copy of your original mesh. Apply a turbosmooth to this as well. We'll call this 'high-res'.

Collapse the 'high res' stack.

Align the 'high-res' and the 'skin' mesh so they overlay each other.

They must be in the same pose. 1:1 identical in the overlay.
(So you may need to backtrack and start this with model in figure mode)

Apply a skin modifier to the high res. Add all the bones from the rig.

Select both the 'high res' mesh and the 'skin' mesh.

Go to the "skin utilities" once again and import mesh details.

This brings up an import dialgue, from which you can choose which bones to overwrite.

Tip: This is also useful for re-using pieces of other models you have rigged. You can frankenstien together other weights to save alot of time. If the models don't line up perfectly, you can move the verts around on the skin-mesh to match. Play with it and see.

Done deal.

You're new turbosmoothed-collapsed mesh now has the interpolated weighting from the turbosmooth applied onto the base mesh you started with and will be able to export for torque with the proper stack.

Granted, the mesh must be under 10k poly or you will get errors.

I'll put up screenies if need be.

#5 Why not just texture bake the smoothed model into a Normal map to place on a lower poly model? Same smooth look with better performance.

#6 Thanks Jeff!

Your instructions on using the Skin Utilities was straight forward and worked like a charm!

As you mentioned,
"Done Deal."


Hi Tomas. Good Advice!

We have baked normals for our low-shape objects. Our projects performance can afford the extra high geometry when the camera is up close to the object.