DeepOmega

Know how that is. Just got my new room all straightened out - sorta. Been trying my damnedest to figure out how to fit in a 32" TV, and I think I've got it.

Using one skeleton for multiple differently proportioned models is essentially impossible. The number of changes that body shape forces on the skeleton is so big that it can't be done automatedly. Then different skeletons can't have the same animations..... Yeah. Not really feasible. An interesting idea, however, would be to use blending more than is really done. I've got something percolating in my head... will post if it ever makes sense.

I'm setting up the city watch model, and was wondering how we've been rigging the weapon. Is it a separate object which is attached (or detached) from the hand bone, or is it part of the model? Also, are there any standards for bone setup? I'd hate to get a fancy rig all set and then find out there's a 10 bone limit.

Correct. This is the problem. This robot I made has no hips - because hips are a fancy joint, and having working hips takes a lot more than a ball-and-socket. It's where a lot of complicated balancing and center-of-gravity control happens. This is why I made sure our boilerbot is hipless. Hips are too damn fancy for this kind of robot. Instead, the center-of-gravity manipulation will happen at the ankle. Giving it an extremely weird gait, I hope. But for now, am rigging the citywatch guard.

I could rig it. Character animation has come easy to me for a while, so I can rig it, show it, then do it again with the legs flipped.

Well, the ankle is a ball and socket joint. Honestly, the issue is at the hips, not the knees or ankle. It has no hips, so it can't adjust its center of gravity to be closer or farther from one foot. So when it moves, it will be in short, stumbly steps - sorta like the old combot in T2.

So are we good with this model? If so, I'm going to start texturing it. Let me know tonight if there are any further crits.

I'll see if I can't wrangle up BT to hook me up. I'll probably redo a big chunk of the flashbomb. I made it kinda nastily, so it could use some cleanup work. But otherwise we should be good. BT, are you reading this? Up for some ASE to LWO conversion?

Since I'm working with 3DS Max here, all of my models are coming out as ASE files. This is fine for me, but I know we want all models to be LWOs in the CVS. Thus, I think we should set up some way to get ASEs to LWOs quickly and easily without having to track someone down to do it every time. Maybe set up a folder on FTP called ASEtoLWO, where any files that need converting can be uploaded, for people with Lightwave to convert once a week.

Lowpoly done. Do we want this normaled, or just textured? I'm thinking normal map as it has lots of carvings and bumps in the velvet.

Spring, that's got instructions on setting up the textures, but not where to put them (so to speak). FTP? CVS? Something else? If you'd rather take this onto IRC, I'll be there.

As you can see, they are normal mapped and textured. I'm going to do curtainrods separately. I think it makes more sense to be able to swap out the rods, as I can certainly imagine a few different styles thereof (especially since end-pieces will look different from middle-pieces in a wall of curtains). So. Can anyone give me a little guidance for what to do next? I have a feeling the way I'd been doing it (putting it on FTP) is a bit out of date. If anyone can toss a link or just give an explanation of what the best way to set this up is, let me know. I can give an ASE and two TGAS though.

Scholarships everywhere, man, if you have a high enough high school GPA and write good essays. That's how I'm doing it. Full ride scholarship from the good state of Maryland, plus a stipend from the National Merit Scholarship people.

Bamf.

To get the best results out of dynamic cloth, you need to make sure it's gridded properly. There shouldn't be any strips that suddenly collapse, or any unevenness to it horizontally. (This is for curtains.) You can get away with only a few rows of polys - that's what this is. But it's really important that it's an even grid. So, what's AF then?