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Exporting LOD for a rigged character

by Daniel Buckmaster · in Artist Corner · 07/10/2007 (3:29 am) · 7 replies

I'm good with exporting static shapes, but now I want to create a full character in Blender. I've creaed a character (cube man...) and armature, set it all up properly for Torque... but how do I set it up to export multiple LODs? I assume that since under the DetailX node you have an armature, then under that armature you have the character object, correct? So I have three Detail nodes (64, 128, 256), three armatures, and three characters. My organisation looks something like:
--Shape
----Detail64
------Armature64
--------Mesh64
----Detail128
------Armature128
--------Mesh128
----Detail256
------Armature256
--------Mesh256
However, when I've exported it, only the highest level of detail is visible - when I move further away, the model becomes invisible. I'm using the exporter version 0.91.
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Torque Owner Daniel Buckmaster
T3D Steering Committee

About the author

Studying mechatronic engineering and computer science at the University of Sydney. Game development is probably my most time-consuming hobby!

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    Torque Owner Gustavo Munoz
    #1
    07/10/2007 (3:38 am)
    You need to use the same Armature for all the LODs, use the Armature modifier. And better install the last exporter version, there were changes in Blender animation a few versions ago.

    Torque Owner Daniel Buckmaster
    T3D Steering Committee
    #2
    07/10/2007 (5:55 am)
    Thanks for the tip - and yeah, I'm working on a computer that doesn't have the internet - I just need to be bothered taking the latest release over there and installing it.

    EDIT: Doesn't seem to be working. What should my hierarchy look like? I've tried two ways-
    --Shape (empty)
    ----Detail256 (empty)
    ------Armature (bones)
    --------Mesh256 (mesh/object)
    ------Mesh128 (mesh/object with Armature modifier to Armature)
    ------Mesh64 (as Mesh128)
    ----Detail128 (empty)
    ----Detail64 (empty)
    and
    --Shape
    ----Detail256
    ------Armature
    --------All three meshes as children
    ----Detail 128
    ----Detail 64

    Both times I get the same result.

    Torque Owner Redacted
    #3
    07/10/2007 (7:23 am)
    ...

    Torque Owner Redacted
    #4
    07/10/2007 (7:28 am)
    ...

    Torque Owner Daniel Buckmaster
    T3D Steering Committee
    #5
    07/10/2007 (8:55 am)
    Huh. Okay, that was stupid. Thanks for pointing out the obvious (not being sarcastic here, even though it sounds like it :P).
    One more question - on LOD in general. What do th numbers represent? I am led to believe it's the character's height on screen, but I have to get ridiculously close to my test man to see the 256 detail level - he's much taller than 256 pixels by then.

    Torque Owner Redacted
    #6
    07/10/2007 (9:29 am)
    ...

    Torque Owner Daniel Buckmaster
    T3D Steering Committee
    #7
    07/10/2007 (11:07 am)
    Hmm. Thanks for the info. :)