Detail dummies
by Sam Guffey · in Artist Corner · 09/08/2003 (1:25 am) · 11 replies
I have a bullet that I am trying to get working, however the details dont seem to be working.
Here is my heirarchy.
Now at very close distances I can see the bullet, but like any further than like 0.5m it disapears. Does anyone know why this happens? I've exported with and without multires, using the same cfg file that I use on my weapons and the weapons work fine but no simple bullet.
Here is my heirarchy.
Bounds
Shape----
| |
| Detail100
| Detail75
| Detail50
| Detail25
|
Start---
|
Bullet100I also have my collision meshes and such but I can pull them out and it still have problems, so I didnt post them due to irrelevance.Now at very close distances I can see the bullet, but like any further than like 0.5m it disapears. Does anyone know why this happens? I've exported with and without multires, using the same cfg file that I use on my weapons and the weapons work fine but no simple bullet.
About the author
#2
09/08/2003 (6:04 am)
Or (this is in Studio Max 4) apply multires to the mesh and set some details in the User Defined properties (righ-click) the model will work too. (check the player.max file for the text to use, or the dts docs)
#3
Lets say I use multires, do I need to place the detail dummies in then?
09/08/2003 (8:19 am)
Ahh, so I need seperate meshes for the different detail levels. I wouldnt image "just" cloning the object will set its detail in game, I will need to optimize the mesh for each level in max correct?Lets say I use multires, do I need to place the detail dummies in then?
#4
for bullets that are generally very low poly you wont need many levels either.
09/08/2003 (9:15 am)
Yes and yes. the best bet is to only use one detail level (ie 100 in your case) and just go with that until the model is complete. Otherwise redoing the detail stuff every export becomes a pain in the butt (multires needs to press the 'rebuild mesh' button each time you do something, cloning meshes means you need to build them by hand each time you make a major change etc)for bullets that are generally very low poly you wont need many levels either.
#5
if works to !
Apply a multires modifier to you mesh
put some detail dummys
apply the adjustlod info on the mesh
for the multires snapshot
this one you only need when you have a skel on the mesh !
09/09/2003 (5:43 am)
If you use max do this !if works to !
Apply a multires modifier to you mesh
put some detail dummys
apply the adjustlod info on the mesh
for the multires snapshot
this one you only need when you have a skel on the mesh !
#6
So far I've been doing the multi-mesh thang with AdjustLODs for boned models where you have one snapshot(clone) of the mesh. The detail dummies are just included without specific meshes linked to them.
What I'm asking is that the proper hierarchy? If you want to physically create your levels of detail you would then link them to the detail dummies?
09/09/2003 (7:51 am)
Let's say I got a mesh that looks peculiar from a distance or disappears as in Sam's case and want to specify the exact shape of the mesh at a lower detail level. Would it be proper to create a mesh that looks the way I want then link it as a child to the appropriate detail dummy?. So far I've been doing the multi-mesh thang with AdjustLODs for boned models where you have one snapshot(clone) of the mesh. The detail dummies are just included without specific meshes linked to them.
What I'm asking is that the proper hierarchy? If you want to physically create your levels of detail you would then link them to the detail dummies?
#7
and to get the shape look right in differnt distances
change the detail levels only.
I have a catapult stone flying from my catapult
i only use details to get the shape look right from differnt
distances !
09/09/2003 (8:42 am)
The detail dummys only need to be linked to the base01 or shape01and to get the shape look right in differnt distances
change the detail levels only.
I have a catapult stone flying from my catapult
i only use details to get the shape look right from differnt
distances !
#8
09/09/2003 (10:39 am)
Understood,, but the polygons shown at say detail 25 are chosen by the multi res operation. let's say I want to determine myself exactly what polygons are shown at detail level 25
#9
09/09/2003 (5:29 pm)
You don't like the mesh to the detail dummy, link to start or unlink it, I forget - its in the docs.
#10
In the end it doesn't seem like a way to accomplish what I was after.
As an example I want to have tree made of two flat planes(orig. mesh modeled with this in mind) that intersect perpendicular at their centers or from top view look like a cross. the planes would use the 3d tree's texture with an alpha channel for transparancy. I dont want a billboard the always faces the camera but just an object that at a distance looks like tree from any direction. (old archtectural trick)Then that level of detail would be held until player moves pretty darn close at which point the 3D tree would appear . It was a way to allow more trees or have a forest without less of a hit to fps. Or at least that's what I was thinking , heh.
09/10/2003 (10:18 am)
In max 3 from what I understand you had to take a snapshot of your mesh and add the multi res to the copy. In max4 you can get away with just adding the multires modifier to the original mesh without a copy but it's not recommended. At any rate,ya the multires is linked to the main mesh or is the main mesh. What i had tried was to add a multires to both the main mesh and a snapshot of it. The main mesh had 3 levels of details and one level of detail assigned to the copy but the exporter didn't like trying to figure out 2 multires operations on meshes occupying the same coordinates. Which is why I thought there might be a chance at linking meshes to the dummies which might allow export . In the end it doesn't seem like a way to accomplish what I was after.
As an example I want to have tree made of two flat planes(orig. mesh modeled with this in mind) that intersect perpendicular at their centers or from top view look like a cross. the planes would use the 3d tree's texture with an alpha channel for transparancy. I dont want a billboard the always faces the camera but just an object that at a distance looks like tree from any direction. (old archtectural trick)Then that level of detail would be held until player moves pretty darn close at which point the 3D tree would appear . It was a way to allow more trees or have a forest without less of a hit to fps. Or at least that's what I was thinking , heh.
#11
That said, I seem to recall reading in the exporter docs that you can manually model each of the detail levels if you're so inclined, so you could use the two planes shape for all detail levels except the closest one.
If this is not true, I bet one of the resident exporting gurus will chime in with more info :)
09/10/2003 (10:41 am)
Note : Not a modeller.That said, I seem to recall reading in the exporter docs that you can manually model each of the detail levels if you're so inclined, so you could use the two planes shape for all detail levels except the closest one.
If this is not true, I bet one of the resident exporting gurus will chime in with more info :)
Associate Matt Mitman