Archangel35757

This thread will serve to document my modelling of the Raven's Claw cockpit for 1st (and 3rd person-- with modified camera position?) use. You can help by posting official cockpit layout reference images. Thanks!

Before you make that switch to windows 10: http://www.tweaktown.com/news/47070/windows-10-block-pirated-games-unauthorized-hardware/index.html

@@eezstreet et al, then let us all band together and make an SP demo map for OJK+Rend2 to showcase all the new features. Regarding heightmaps and large terrains-- it would be an improvement if we could break down the terrain textures into large sections ( I'm not talking about tiling one texture pattern over the entire terrain...). Think of Vue xStream or Vue Pioneer or Terragen, etc. Where the artist builds a huge terrain and then can render-to-texture all the texture maps (even normal maps) but they are sliced up into 2048 or 4096 squares.

@@UniqueOne -- using an exporter is simple! And using Assimilate/Carcass or Noesis is not complicated either.

@@DT85 -- you helped as well in getting that first Max6/8 dotXSI exporter working and proven out; and I'm grateful for your assistance... and you were an indispensable beta-tester for the later versions! We made a good team! Folks can also use the Max8+ dotXSI Import script to import the original dotXSI 3.x files ( ...and even Star Trek: Elite Forces dotXSI 1.x models/animations-- not even Softimage can do that ) I plan to make a v1.9 for Max6-2016 that uses @@Scooper's snippet to respect smoothing groups.

I don't think there is any need for any new model formats... but I would like to see code changes to allow bolting md3 models on to Ghoul2 models. I would also like to see better environments-- not sure that requires a new map compiler... I would also like to see better vehicles/vehicle flight dynamics & space maps (I.e. space battles & dog-fighting). I also like @@DT85's idea of bringing pod-racing in... I think there was already a mod like that.

I concur... @@Xycaleth -- your questions seem biased towards the MP community (I.e. get more MP players) But I for one could give a rat's arse about MP gameplay (unless there is a co-op mission with SP style objectives, or a JKG-style mode). I much more prefer SP gameplay. Why openJK? Because it should provide a clean, bug-free base for SP modders to start from. Is it not a pre-requisite enabler for rend2?

OpenJK + Rend2 for SP! I'm sure there are many who would like to make SP mods... updates of GtkRadaint for JKEnhanced. Make JKEnhanced... the best base for any modder to start from. * Make it much easier to add custom animations for main player. * Make it much easier to add new/custom NPCs * Better/updated tutorials to achieve the above. The 3dsMax pipeline (Max5 - Max2016) can easily make new models/animations now and export to dotXSI 3.0... and Carcass can compile them now (we just need the UV seam mesh splitting fixed-- although this can be worked around by re-exporting GLM from 3dsMax using @@Scooper's exporter. The GLA that Carcass makes is good). We also have noesis to go from FBX to Ghoul2. In 3dsMax, Animators can use CS Biped, CAT, or the custom bones FK/IK rig I'm working on... @@DT85 made a Maya rig. But not many Maya users. @@mrwonko - why can't Blender handle bolts & tags??? I think having a new ModView that supports all shaders, sounds, animevents, EFX, etc. would really jumpstart modding-- having to load models or assets in-game just to preview them is a real pain in the arse! A new EFX editor and new Shader editor would also help!

Hmmm... what else happened on Cloud City while Han was being tortured???

I don't know... I think you need to use a better lava Shader. The glow/light intensity should be emminating more from the cracks (from where the molten lava is revealed). The cooler tiles of rock should not have the same glow intensity.

Update on the lips (disregard the outer skin glitches around the lips because I've detached the lips from the rest of the head mesh): There's a few verts I need to smooth at the top of forehead and I still need to smooth in the outer sides of the lips-- but it's shaping up... still a WIP with much to do...

http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2013/05/drawing-a-head/ Maybe others will find this tutorial useful.

Ok... I believe I have the head proportions sorted out now. I've merged the working file of the inner mouth and teeth in with my latest head mesh... and now I need to tweak the lips. After I get the lips sorted out I will post new screenshots.

Pretty impressive screenshots... http://blog.digitaltutors.com/autodesk-drops-new-stingray-game-engine/?utm_source=Facebook

I contend that her mouth is not relaxed and she's pulling the corners of her mouth inward. The side picture of her putting on movie makeup shows hers lips are relaxed... and the mesh follows that. My mouth does the same slight downward arc when I completely relax all of my facial muscles.

@@AshuraDX: It's ALL quads-- Not a single triangle anywhere. Max8 does have paint deformation. I also have the plugin for Max8 of what became known as "Graphite Modeling Tools" (after Autodesk bought the plugin and incorporated natively). I also have Mudbox and 3D Coat... I will have to use one of these tools to retopologize eventually. I also have the shrinkwrap/wrapIt scripts. Except for some minor tweaking the relaxed state of one's mouth muscles has a slight downward arc... to raise the corners means you are flexing your mouth & cheek muscles... the "bones" would be placed along this arc ...but I'll research it a bit more.

Do you not post with image tags? I just mostly see links.

@@Cerez -- post the table of dimensions for your A, B, C, etc. Chart above... Otherwise the letters are meaningless.

Ok... so @@Cerez started a private chat with me regarding the proportions of the Mandy Amano/Jan Ors head mesh... in regards to the proportions of the current mesh versus the "Golden Ratio" (denoted by Phi = 1.618) as related to the perfect proportions for the head and facial features (thanks to Euclid of Alexandria circa 300 B.C.). While I was aware of this rule... I was going from photos-- and unfortunately I couldn't convince Mandy Amano to shave her head for me and take front and side profile headshots... So I used other bald reference photos from the web. Namely this one: So after much back-and-forth... I decided to take a diversion from hair modeling and tweak the head mesh to achieve the "Golden Ratio" for the height of the head versus the width... so if: height / width = 1.618 you're "Golden" The original sideview measures 5.302 units from the center of the eye to the top of the head ( which results in Phi = 1.52 )... so I used the Edit Poly Soft Selection feature to carefully elongate the head as shown in the screenshot below: So given the measurements above, 12.329 / 7.62 = 1.618 But what do you think of this elongated head? Too much? Just right? It still needs a few tweaks at the back & side of the head, but I would like y'alls opinion on this [ @@DT85, @@Psyk0Sith, @@eezstreet, etc. ]... all are welcomed to comment. Feel free to markup screenshots to convey your thoughts... Anyone feel like a homework assignment? http://www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/PhoenixHS/math/grade10/Unit04/Unit%204-task5.pdf

So here's an update on the hair... keep in mind this is still heavily a work-in-progress.

http://www.tweaktown.com/news/46895/autodesk-unveils-stingray-game-engine-oculus-rift-support/index.html I wonder if they will offer a free version for modders?

@ -- I've cleaned up the head mesh in a few places since those screenshots... but I'll post new updates when I finish this first hairstyle.

Well, I didn't like my first attempt on the hair so I deleted it and started over... here's what I have so far (not much but it's a start):

There are specific cutscene.gla files that cover the whole of cutscene actors for each given cutscene, IIRC, no? Well, not to break the _humanoid.gla into too many sub GLA files... I would think you'd only be able to remove 10% or less out to a different GLA. As the player character would need all the animations-- I don't think the _humanoid.gla contains any cutscene specific animations that you wouldn't want the player character to have as well... if there are some they are few (maybe some related to cockpit cutscenes). We'd have to go thru the list to see what should be removed to go into another GLA.

Ok... I understand now. So I agree with @@DT85... there should be an "animations" folder on same tier as "models" folder. The "animations" folder would have subfolders for "_humanoid" and each NPC, etc. ...and coding changes should be made to load multiple GLA files found within a folder. Example: ../animations/_humanoid/*.GLA Where *.GLA would be the list: _humanoid.GLA facial_lipSync.GLA cockpits.GLA etc. ------------------------ Also, I would like to create a Trooper.GLA specific to troopers and elite soldiers-- which would be for non-force user NPCs and include new hand-to-hand combat (Krav Maga) moves (a la Jason Bourne style). These could all be made into a new _humanoid GLA for the player character-- but Trooper.GLA would be the subset for non-force user soldiers. @@eezstreet -- I'm not sure how memory is handled for the GLA files. But if one _humanoid.gla file serves every humanoid model that is actively in a level... then we'd want to conserve memory and just manage what animations an NPC gets via an "animations.cfg" file, correct (e.g.-- we would not need another Trooper.GLA file... but only the trooper_anim.cfg file that would point to the correct animations in _humanoid.gla). ...and we'd want to make sure there are no duplicate animations (for a particular skeleton) across all the GLAs for that skeleton., yeah?