LOD and Collision?
by FruitBatInShades · in Artist Corner · 03/21/2005 (7:27 am) · 8 replies
I have a character I've made in blender with basic animations. I need to be able to do a few things I've not found an answer for so far so I thought I'd ask :)
I need to export the animations with multiple meshes but I have no idea how to do this! I have 3 meshes at different detail levels. The largest is the one that has the skeleton. How would I link the the other 2 meshes to the animation? Or does the exporter create LODs automatically for animated characters?
Is it possible to animate the collision mesh? The character drops to all 4 limbs and runs like a dog as well as bi-pedal. If I make the collsion mesh big enough to cover all the movement range it won't be able to operate interactive objects in game!
I need to export the animations with multiple meshes but I have no idea how to do this! I have 3 meshes at different detail levels. The largest is the one that has the skeleton. How would I link the the other 2 meshes to the animation? Or does the exporter create LODs automatically for animated characters?
Is it possible to animate the collision mesh? The character drops to all 4 limbs and runs like a dog as well as bi-pedal. If I make the collsion mesh big enough to cover all the movement range it won't be able to operate interactive objects in game!
#2
1) Unfortunately, i know of no way of easily linking a single armature object to multiple Detail objects; Unless you can clone linked armatures like you can objects...
The barebones of an automagic detailing system is there in code, but as of yet it is non-functional.
2) No, you cannot animate the collision mesh, as it is considered static by torque. Besides, player objects use their own collision box defined in the player code, not by a collision mesh in the model.
03/29/2005 (11:04 am)
Fruitbat:1) Unfortunately, i know of no way of easily linking a single armature object to multiple Detail objects; Unless you can clone linked armatures like you can objects...
The barebones of an automagic detailing system is there in code, but as of yet it is non-functional.
2) No, you cannot animate the collision mesh, as it is considered static by torque. Besides, player objects use their own collision box defined in the player code, not by a collision mesh in the model.
#3
1) Is this likely to be done anytime soon?
2) Thanks for that info, I think I'll just the get the high poly version done first and then worry about the LOD later.
03/30/2005 (8:53 am)
Thanks James1) Is this likely to be done anytime soon?
2) Thanks for that info, I think I'll just the get the high poly version done first and then worry about the LOD later.
#4
jmsoler.free.fr/didacticiel/blender/tutor/cpl_LOD_en.htm
04/04/2005 (2:37 pm)
Hi James, don't know if you've found this or how useful it is but its called LOD-matic for blenderjmsoler.free.fr/didacticiel/blender/tutor/cpl_LOD_en.htm
#6
First of all, by detail levels do you mean subdivision? I thought that the Blender DTS Exporter didn't support subdivision? If it does then I just wasted a bunch of time doing detail by hand. Or rather, the Torque game engine doesn't support subdivision, therefore the export script doesn't even bother checking it.
Secondly, I agree with you that the collision map needs to be deformable. I have objects that get acted on, and they play animations. I have this annoying problem right now for game play I want an Item to grow in size to twice what it was while bending. I can't just transform using TGE, so I needed to create an animation. Now I'm stuck with a larger Item in the right position, but the collision map is still small and I can't walk on it like I want.
Has anyone looked at this?
11/03/2005 (10:00 am)
Well, I don't have any ideas; but I do have questions! : )First of all, by detail levels do you mean subdivision? I thought that the Blender DTS Exporter didn't support subdivision? If it does then I just wasted a bunch of time doing detail by hand. Or rather, the Torque game engine doesn't support subdivision, therefore the export script doesn't even bother checking it.
Secondly, I agree with you that the collision map needs to be deformable. I have objects that get acted on, and they play animations. I have this annoying problem right now for game play I want an Item to grow in size to twice what it was while bending. I can't just transform using TGE, so I needed to create an animation. Now I'm stuck with a larger Item in the right position, but the collision map is still small and I can't walk on it like I want.
Has anyone looked at this?
#7
11/03/2005 (12:07 pm)
No it happens to everyone. Make sure you don't refresh right after posting.
#8
By LOD i mean the amount of tris in the animated mesh. So a full mesh would be about 1500, next one about 700, last about 350. The mesh is swapped out by the engine depending on the pixel height on screen (no sense drawing 1500 tri when 350 will do).
It seems that we can only produce 1 in blender at the mo, although the new blender animation features are fantastic, I hope james can find some time to extend the exporter.
11/04/2005 (10:06 am)
@Kyle: theres a picture of a little bin on the top of your post, click it and get rid of one of the above postsBy LOD i mean the amount of tris in the animated mesh. So a full mesh would be about 1500, next one about 700, last about 350. The mesh is swapped out by the engine depending on the pixel height on screen (no sense drawing 1500 tri when 350 will do).
It seems that we can only produce 1 in blender at the mo, although the new blender animation features are fantastic, I hope james can find some time to extend the exporter.
Torque Owner FruitBatInShades