Blender Q3 player tutorial
polycounter lvl 14
I know how to make models, but the whole writing part is another story. I'm not very good at explaining technical art and methods to get the model in-game.
The steps, are basically this:
-2. Conception of the model, ideas on what would make it a suitable model for the game (size, proportions, finding ideal splittability)
-1. Making the model, unwrapping the model, skinning the model
0. Preparing your copy of Blender to export to the MD3 format (involving the export plugin from the TremX repository, or newer)
1. Preparing the model into 3 sections - lower, upper, head, with '0 0 0' origin for each. Creation of tags. (empties with names of "tag_weapon", "tag_torso", "tag_head"). Naming of surfaces (u_torso, l_legs, h_head, h_hair, etc). Putting the sections into seperate layers, for easy sorting.
2. Creating two skeletons - lower, and upper. Rigging the model to the skeletons.
3. Animating the model - explaining independent sequences and shared frames (the first 3 death animations), temporarily parenting the upper skeleton to tag_torso for animating that, etc.
4. Writing the animation.cfg (The REALLY SCARY part of writing the tutorial, as you would have to cleverly word on how to start the LOWER frames sequences in there.)
5. Exporting the model - selecting mesh and tags, applying modifiers (important), checking for excessive vertices on a surface. (>1000)
6. Testing your model in the game for any problems. If the animation looks stupid, go back to step 3.
7. EXTRA: adding sound effects to the model
8. EXTRA: Writing/using a bot file
9. EXTRA: LOD mesh creation
I'm hoping this tutorial will lead to a new generation of creative force making models for most of the Q3 source-derived games out there (World of Padman, OpenArena, QuakeLive, Elite Force, etc). Feeling alone kind of sucks.
The steps, are basically this:
-2. Conception of the model, ideas on what would make it a suitable model for the game (size, proportions, finding ideal splittability)
-1. Making the model, unwrapping the model, skinning the model
0. Preparing your copy of Blender to export to the MD3 format (involving the export plugin from the TremX repository, or newer)
1. Preparing the model into 3 sections - lower, upper, head, with '0 0 0' origin for each. Creation of tags. (empties with names of "tag_weapon", "tag_torso", "tag_head"). Naming of surfaces (u_torso, l_legs, h_head, h_hair, etc). Putting the sections into seperate layers, for easy sorting.
2. Creating two skeletons - lower, and upper. Rigging the model to the skeletons.
3. Animating the model - explaining independent sequences and shared frames (the first 3 death animations), temporarily parenting the upper skeleton to tag_torso for animating that, etc.
4. Writing the animation.cfg (The REALLY SCARY part of writing the tutorial, as you would have to cleverly word on how to start the LOWER frames sequences in there.)
5. Exporting the model - selecting mesh and tags, applying modifiers (important), checking for excessive vertices on a surface. (>1000)
6. Testing your model in the game for any problems. If the animation looks stupid, go back to step 3.
7. EXTRA: adding sound effects to the model
8. EXTRA: Writing/using a bot file
9. EXTRA: LOD mesh creation
I'm hoping this tutorial will lead to a new generation of creative force making models for most of the Q3 source-derived games out there (World of Padman, OpenArena, QuakeLive, Elite Force, etc). Feeling alone kind of sucks.
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