----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2002 4:24
PM
Subject: [Nel] Need for a guideline to
create sets of clothes
Hello NeL apostles
Is there a guideline to create sets of clothes
for the characters ?
Say I want to be able to change parts of the
Gnu's clothes in Snowballs. What will I have to do ?
I suppose that, in 3DSMax, I have to split the
Gnu mesh into different parts, say { head, shirt,
hands, trousers, feet }.
I should assign to each of them the same modifier
skin or physique.
=====================================================
You can use several skin/physique modifiers
provided the weights remains the same, too.
=====================================================
Let's call them original parts, or first set of
clothes.
Now I create new objects, like trousers, shirts,
and so on, assign them a modifier skin or physique with the same list of bones
and setup the influences.
I suppose that the new parts must have the same
open edges as the original ones, for the vertices to be welded when we swap
clothes.
I think there must be NeL properties to be set,
like the 'Mesh interfaces' group in the "Misc" tab, and maybe 'Instance name'
or 'Instance group name' in the "Instance" tab. These properties don't speak
by themselves.
What does the magic button 'Test
Interface mesh' ?
========================================
Indeed the 'Mesh interfaces' group has been
created to address that issue.
Let's say you want to join the torso and the arm
of your character. If they are separate objects, the normals won't have the
correct
directions.
First solution:
-------------------
In a separate .max file, create a spline object
that describes the 'interfaces' between the 2 meshes. It should be a single
closed spline. Its vertices should be at the same positions than those of the
arm and the torso openings. It is used to compute common normals for the 2
parts.
For both the torso and the arm, in the node
properties, fill the 'Interface. max file' field with the name of the .max
file you just created.
Note that several 'mesh interface' can be put
together in the same file.
In the node properties select a weld thershold
(in meters).
You can then check the results in the object
viewer, or export it.
If you want to check which vertices are modified,
just convert your object to an editable mesh, and use 'Test mesh interface'.
This will select the vertices that are below the threshold. They can be seen
then by editing the mesh.
Second solution :
-------------------------
Just check 'Get interface normals from scene
objects' in your node properties. If you make set of consistent cloths, the
normals will be computed has if they where a single mesh. The threshold is
used here to select vertices of adjacent meshs. Then the smoothing groups
are tested to see which faces should add a contribution to the
normal.
========================================
The only things to export are the skeleton
animations and the parts (shapes) ? Is there a need for a .ig file
?
Are there additional data to be added to
the Max objects ? Are there additional data to be added to the
exported objects ?
========================================
You need to export the skeleton, its animations,
and the parts. The .ig are instance group files, they contains instances
positions, the name of their shape, and clusters & lights when presents.
You don't need them here.
========================================
Now what should a (kind)
programmer modify in the snowballs sources to get the Gnu
change a part or the full set of his clothes at the press of a key
?
=======================================
To sum up, you need to call
UScene::createInstance to create each parts. You create a single skeleton, and
bind all your instances to the same skeleton, instead of binding only one
mesh.
=======================================
Thanks in advance
phlam
=======================================
Hope it helps,
Nicolas Vizerie
NeL Team