Splitting Ai Into Sub-meshes

[Springheel]

Continued from animation thread:

 

6. How do we go about splitting the AI in sub-meshes so that we can separate the textures into different materials? How does this affect the existing animations?

Background: http://forums.thedarkmod.com/index.php?showtopic=4063

[Springheel]

It seems like doing this would also require re-exporting the animations.

 

How hard is it to split the AI into sub-meshes? I assume it's going to require opening up the original models and redoing the UVmaps. Sounds like a pretty big job, but something that definitely needs to be done for our damage collision system.

 

Again, I guess what I want to know is if we're shooting ourselves in the foot by not doing this sooner rather than later.

[oDDity]

it's not hard. All you have to do it select the polygons you want to be a spearate surface and rename them, then cut and paste them into a spearate layer. Also you have to temporarily point them to a separate image as well, just make some tiny ones for the purpose. Once you export it to md5mesh you can point it back to the proper image. It's just that maya uses the image names when exporting, so if two surfaces are pointing to the same image they will be mergred into a single surface on export.

 

Of course, you will have to set up the character in maya again and reapply the animations. I really don't think there's a way to change the surfaces on a rigged character in maya so as they will all export as separate shader entries in the md5mesh file.

[Domarius]

This should definetly be moved to the modelling thread.

 

The only issue with animations is they have to be re-exported.

[Springheel]

This should definetly be moved to the modelling thread.

 

It is in the modelling thread.

[Domarius]

Ah sorry... Models AND Animations, I see it now. Side effect of madly trying to post during lunch break, using the "view new posts" page...

 

Just delete these last 3 posts :/

[Springheel]

Of course, you will have to set up the character in maya again and reapply the animations. I really don't think there's a way to change the surfaces on a rigged character in maya

 

Do you mean just re-export the animations, or actually having to re-rig the model? If the latter, then this also becomes something that we should do before any more animations are done.

[Domarius]

Yeah definetly re-rigging. Splitting the mesh, is changing the mesh.