A Quick Question about LOD
by Joshua Hull · in Artist Corner · 10/15/2001 (7:26 pm) · 7 replies
Im going to describe how I'm currently going about doing LOD. The Question is.. Will it work?
1: One Finished Model, Skined, animated all that good stuff. Ready for Export. Named "HK91 100" the acording "Detail 100" both are linked to Start.
2: I clone/duplicate "Hk91 100" and rename it "Hk91 50", add the Optimize modifier in Max. Cull polys until happy. I collape this back to a Editable Mesh. "HK91 50" and its "Detail 50" are both linked to start. (linking the LODs back to Start is something im not sure about.
3: Step 2 is repeated for Detail's 25 and 10.
4: Export as .dts
I'd test this in Engine my self but currently Im modeling in software rendering. Yes really, My GTS blew up last week :).
So would it Work? If not what do I need to change/Do Differently?
Thanks in Advance.
1: One Finished Model, Skined, animated all that good stuff. Ready for Export. Named "HK91 100" the acording "Detail 100" both are linked to Start.
2: I clone/duplicate "Hk91 100" and rename it "Hk91 50", add the Optimize modifier in Max. Cull polys until happy. I collape this back to a Editable Mesh. "HK91 50" and its "Detail 50" are both linked to start. (linking the LODs back to Start is something im not sure about.
3: Step 2 is repeated for Detail's 25 and 10.
4: Export as .dts
I'd test this in Engine my self but currently Im modeling in software rendering. Yes really, My GTS blew up last week :).
So would it Work? If not what do I need to change/Do Differently?
Thanks in Advance.
About the author
#2
If the model is not skinned ( not a mesh deformation model) then the mesh needs to be in the tree at the appropriate place, but it's details do not need to be linked (they actually shouldbe unlinked). The transform of the detail meshes are discarded and the transofrm of the topmost mesh is used.
If you set it up the way you are doing it, it will work, but you ae needlessly adding duplicate transforms into the shape.
If you send me a copy of the shape I can take a look at it and let you know if it is set up correctly.
If you do send it, please let me know what software you are using.
10/16/2001 (7:49 am)
I don't quite understand exactly what you are trying to do. If the model is skinned (as in it is a mesh being deformed by bones) it needs to be unlinked. The detail markers need to be linked to the topmost node in the tree.If the model is not skinned ( not a mesh deformation model) then the mesh needs to be in the tree at the appropriate place, but it's details do not need to be linked (they actually shouldbe unlinked). The transform of the detail meshes are discarded and the transofrm of the topmost mesh is used.
If you set it up the way you are doing it, it will work, but you ae needlessly adding duplicate transforms into the shape.
If you send me a copy of the shape I can take a look at it and let you know if it is set up correctly.
If you do send it, please let me know what software you are using.
#3
When I say Skinned I mean textured, not an Animated Deformable Mesh.
Im only working on Weapons at the moment until I get into tune with the exported and that V12 expects of a model. So as far as Animation at the moment its only Position Transforms and some Scaling for Muzzle Flash.
10/16/2001 (9:08 am)
Bit of a lingo mix up here.When I say Skinned I mean textured, not an Animated Deformable Mesh.
Im only working on Weapons at the moment until I get into tune with the exported and that V12 expects of a model. So as far as Animation at the moment its only Position Transforms and some Scaling for Muzzle Flash.
#4
10/16/2001 (9:14 am)
Then the first mesh (highest detail level) should be in the tree where it makes sense for the animation, the detail markers off the root of the shape tree, and the rest of the detail levels (the meshes) can float, just make sure they are named correctly. On export, they are collected and added to the shape in the appropriate place, minus their transform.
#5
I'd appreciate to know for sure since that would mean I have to work my models again.
10/17/2001 (11:22 am)
sorry guys but i was asking myself whether LODs are needed after all. Didn't somebody tell me that the engine creates Lod's automatically- or does that only apply to reducing the architectures polycount?I'd appreciate to know for sure since that would mean I have to work my models again.
#6
=params::T2AutoDetail
with somenumber controlling the detail levels in the shape. If you have 1000 polys in the shape and
somenumber = 200, you will have 5 detail levels (1000/200 = 5)
OR
You can do it manually for finer control. To do this, you enter the following into the user properties of the mesh you are detailing.
MULTIRES::DETAILS = 1.0, 0.88, etc...
MULTIRES::SIZES = 100, 50, etc...
with the DETAILS number being a normalized percentage of the output of the multires modifier. 1.0 is 100%, 0.88 is 88%, etc... and the SIZES corresponding to the numbers in your detail markers.
10/17/2001 (1:00 pm)
It is not quite automatic. You need to put a Multires modifier on the top of the stack in MAX and then you can set up up how the detail levels work in two ways. You can either put this in the .cfg file for the shape:=params::T2AutoDetail
with somenumber controlling the detail levels in the shape. If you have 1000 polys in the shape and
somenumber = 200, you will have 5 detail levels (1000/200 = 5)
OR
You can do it manually for finer control. To do this, you enter the following into the user properties of the mesh you are detailing.
MULTIRES::DETAILS = 1.0, 0.88, etc...
MULTIRES::SIZES = 100, 50, etc...
with the DETAILS number being a normalized percentage of the output of the multires modifier. 1.0 is 100%, 0.88 is 88%, etc... and the SIZES corresponding to the numbers in your detail markers.
#7
10/17/2001 (11:43 pm)
Will the Exporter accept Max4's Mutlires? Mind you I cant open Multires on the orginal models. 
Torque Owner Karsten "Clocks" Viese
The models should be linked to start.
I have exported almost everything else at this point but not LODs.
And will try/test this today and see if it works.
// Clocks out