Jump to content
The Dark Mod Forums

Needed for Standalone: Animated Zombie


Springheel

Recommended Posts

This is my first attempt at a specific brief describing what we need to replace our existing zombie.

If you are interested in helping with some or all of these tasks, please contact me. If you know of someone who might be willing to help out, feel free to repost this.

 

We now have a weighted mesh replacement thanks to greebo. We still need animations for the zombie character (using the existing humanoid animations would not be very satisfactory).

 

This zombie is meant to replace the existing one which uses Doom3 assets. In order to stay consistent with existing missions, the replacement zombie must look relatively similar to the D3 one--that means a naked, emaciated corpse with dead eyeballs and a gaping mouth.

 

zombie_ref1.jpg1281692463KB56AM.jpg

 

 

 

Mesh: The number of polys is one place where we don't have to mimick the original. The visible zombie mesh should be between 3000 and 6000 polys, with a simplified shadowmesh that makes up approximately 25% of the overall number of polys. For example, a 4500 poly mesh with a 1200 poly shadowmesh would be ideal.

 

Although the D3 zombie had "mitten hands" the replacement zombie should have fully articulated fingers.

 

The zombie mesh will have a separated head that is rigged to a different skeleton; the engine attaches them at run time. It is important to make the seam as inobtrusive as possible--either at the bottom of the neck in the clavicle area (preferred), or at the top of the neck under the jawline.

 

Adding scraps of old clothing as a separate submesh (which can be set invisible for variety) would be nice but not necessary.

 

The zombie skin will be weighted to the same skeleton we use for our other humanoid characters. The joint names must remain the same. Contact Springheel about the skeleton for the body and head.

 

The final mesh needs to be in md5mesh format.

 

Textures: The zombie needs to have a diffuse, normalmap and (possibly) specular. Size should be 1024x1024 max and format should be .tga.

 

Our existing zombie had three different textures—a dry corpse with smooth, brownish skin, a dirty, rotted corpse with bits of bone sticking through, and a bloody corpse with carvings and necromantic symbols (see top right corner in image above). Only one is technically needed, although more variety is desirable. The rotted corpse skin is not a D3 asset, so it could be copied exactly, though it’s unlikely it would fit the new mesh.

 

Zombie-2-350.jpgzombie_ref2.jpg

 

Animations: There are certain animations that must be created in order for the zombie entity to properly function in game. The animations with a star beside them MUST be included. The others were present in our current zombie but are not strictly necessary. Once the zombie is rigged to our existing humanoid skeleton, I could probably cobble together animations that would be decent enough to use. It would be much better to get someone with more animation experience, however.

 

Zombie movements should be awkward and loose.

 

*anim walk // a basic, lumbering walk. [frames per step?]

*anim run // a faster, lurching ‘run’ when zombie spots player (one foot always on ground); arms reaching forward [frames per step?]

 

* anim search // slow, careful walk, looking for hiding prey

 

*anim idle // ‘relaxed’ zombie just standing in place

 

*anim pain // small flinch from impact (zombies don’t get hurt much)

 

anim pain_head1 // as above, but impact is in specific region

anim pain_head2 // as above, but impact is in specific region

anim pain_head3 // as above, but impact is in specific region

anim pain_chest1 // as above, but impact is in specific region

anim pain_chest2 // as above, but impact is in specific region

anim pain_left_arm1 // as above, but impact is in specific region

anim pain_left_arm2 // as above, but impact is in specific region

anim pain_right_arm1 // as above, but impact is in specific region

anim pain_right_arm2 // as above, but impact is in specific region

 

*anim melee_attack // zombie swings arm in an arc with grabbing hand

anim melee_attack2 // alternate version of above

anim melee_attack3 // alternate version of above

 

// alternate attack animations for zombies with weapons

 

* anim melee_attack_weapon1 // zombie clumsily swings a weapon

 

*anim use_righthand // zombie reaches out and clumsily opens door

 

// These allow for zombies to lie on the ground and get up when disturbed

*anim sleep_2_sit_rgt // zombie starts out lying on ground on back; quickly rises to standing idle

*anim sleep_idle_rgt // the lying on ground pose. No movement (at least 30 frames for blending)

*anim sit_2_sleep_rgt // starts in standing idle; quickly lies down backwards

 

// Animations with ? may not be needed unless specifically called by existing maps.

 

?anim crawl_n_getup models/md5/monsters/zombies/zcrawl_n_getup.md5anim {

?anim crawl_n_getup_idle models/md5/monsters/zombies/zcrawl_n_getup_idle.md5anim

 

//laying on seating, then get up

?anim benchpose models/md5/monsters/zombies/keycardgetupidle.md5anim {

?anim benchgetup models/md5/monsters/zombies/keycardgetup.md5anim {

 

// second get up from seating

?anim benchgetup2 models/md5/monsters/zombies/getup_from_bench.md5anim {

?anim benchidle models/md5/monsters/zombies/getup_from_bench_idle.md5anim {

 

//eating loops

anim zjump_eats_zsci_loop models/md5/monsters/zombies/deskeatloop.md5anim {

anim zjump_eats_zsci_getup models/md5/monsters/zombies/deskeatgetup.md5anim {

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very nice, a thoroughly detailed description that any future contributor can refer to (without really needing profound knowledge of the mod's inner workings). Very good initiative!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very nice, a thoroughly detailed description that any future contributor can refer to (without really needing profound knowledge of the mod's inner workings). Very good initiative!

 

:huh:

"Einen giftigen Trank aus Kräutern und Wurzeln für die närrischen Städter wollen wir brauen." - Text aus einem verlassenen Heidenlager

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Just to avoid duplicate work, a zombie is in progress here: http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/13978-my-take-on-a-zombie/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll take a look. Might be possible to convert the clothing to something less modern if everything else is really good. The animations wouldn't be any use though, unless someone volunteered to work with the existing rig to come up with all the other ones that would be needed. And rigging it to our skeleton would be a fair amount of work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thats what I thought. In fact, for "recent" civilian zombies, one might even stick to editting the existing guard and peasants models and making those zombified, perhaps... Anyway, was worth a shot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In fact, for "recent" civilian zombies, one might even stick to editting the existing guard and peasants models and making those zombified, perhap

 

Yes, since the new zombie will use the same skeleton as the other humanoids, it will now be easy to do that, as they can share animations.

 

I looked at the zombie package, but all that's in it are 3 fbx animation files and the textures. I can't open .fbx files. There doesn't appear to be a default mesh.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Petike the Taffer

      I've finally managed to log in to The Dark Mod Wiki. I'm back in the saddle and before the holidays start in full, I'll be adding a few new FM articles and doing other updates. Written in Stone is already done.
      · 4 replies
    • nbohr1more

      TDM 15th Anniversary Contest is now active! Please declare your participation: https://forums.thedarkmod.com/index.php?/topic/22413-the-dark-mod-15th-anniversary-contest-entry-thread/
       
      · 0 replies
    • JackFarmer

      @TheUnbeholden
      You cannot receive PMs. Could you please be so kind and check your mailbox if it is full (or maybe you switched off the function)?
      · 1 reply
    • OrbWeaver

      I like the new frob highlight but it would nice if it was less "flickery" while moving over objects (especially barred metal doors).
      · 4 replies
    • nbohr1more

      Please vote in the 15th Anniversary Contest Theme Poll
       
      · 0 replies
×
×
  • Create New...