few technical questions abot drow

Dumdumbinny

hello
im making a set for drow ranger. im using modo for the modeling uv and texturing.

just before I ask, know that I saw tutorials about creation and understand most of it.

some technical stuff I don't know:

1)why do i need to decompile the smd file if i have the maya scene file from valve?

2) How do i export the cloak ? I know animating in modo and I can export FBX with skin + bones, what is the right way to do it?

3) what I shuold do about the bow string?

4) every part have an area where it touch the body, this area is unseen, can I leave it open to save polycount? or that kind of stuff makes models not submited by valve...?

thanks !!

Snowstorm

1. You don't have to decompile the smd file if you have the maya scene file. People just do it because the smds are the most up to date. In this case I believe Drow's cape bones are still incorrectly named.

2. What about it do you want to know? You just rig it up to the provided cape bones and export it. What version of Modo are you using btw? I'm still on 601 (I think) and the fbx importer screws up the bones, though I hear it's fixed in 701.

3. Valve will put that in for you if the items are accepted.

4. Yup you can leave those open, and you can even leave other areas open to save polygons if you can make sure they're well hidden.

Dumdumbinny

thanks for the reply.

2) I just skin the existing bones to my cloak as I see best?

for now i imported the mesh as reference,dident care for the bones, I will update to SP3 and check it for you. if modo can import bones correctly i don't need maya.


4) 100% sure?

thanks !

KatArt

4) That is the most powerfull weapon for all lowpolymodellers) if something is unseen , you should not model and texture it(Its Unseen) , also you should think and test , would that be good in case of character animations .