Hello again, comrades! Thank you much for your feedback and constructive criticism!
I had a long break from work on the model, and then I gradually resumed work on it — and now, finally, the model is ready for release. It remains to colorize textures in a team colors and create additional options for common color schemes (skins for an AT-DP driver, hovertank driver etc), prescribe shaders and dash off a long and boring readme ( ) — and it can be released.
Since the last major break in the work model has received a lot of new fixes and improvements — both a pre-planned as well as not planned specially and came in the my head already during work.
Also I learned to work with weights — so that, there should not be any significant conflicts of animation with objects that have different origins or with heavily reworked elements of objects.
Yes, I almost immediately wanted to make a version with an open face and glasses, like original AT-ST driver by Monsoontide — but with a more authentic design of glasses and with an option where the glasses are pulled to trooper's forehead. The result looks like this:
Some limited release is occured, apparently. I kept an archive dated the end of 2005, in which the model contains separately. In the readme file was mentioned that the relevant siege map at that time still was in the development.