A Dragon torn apart

Jacecr

I'm working on a project and the engine requires the body parts of my model to be split apart for animation.Supposedly like Final Fantasy was in the old days.

I've never done this before,so i modeled it as one piece,then seperated it,and then I unwrapped it by element.

I want to add more detail to it in zbrush but i don't know if I should
1) export the pieces one by one.
2) export it all as one object with multiple elements
3)Or export a previous copy where everything is still joined.Create a low poly based on the hipoly from zbrush.Unwrap the low poly, bake the hi detail, then split the low poly apart after I have my maps.

I hope I explained what I'm trying to do appropriately.Thanks in Advance.

Psyk0

I would wait until the very end to chop him up. Also keeping in mind that segmenting after normal maps are generated will change vertex normals at the seam...which might cause unwanted results, if that's the case, bake normals after segmenting.

MoreDread

if you're doing this because the parts will be animated individually(in a '1 bone per part' way), then you should also make sure you can't see through the models cracks when the parts move. don't leave openings like you have right now. if my assumption was right then you might as well do each part individually.

Jacecr

MoreDread wrote: »

if you're doing this because the parts will be animated individually(in a '1 bone per part' way), then you should also make sure you can't see through the models cracks when the parts move.

-That is the plan.

@Psyk0-I didn't think about the vertex normals being altered, I'll split it apart before baking the normals.

@MoreDread -I'll cap the holes and export each piece into Zbrush.Then I'll create a new Low poly based on the Zbrush high polys, unwrap my low and bake.

On a side note-Would it matter if I had everything share a smoothing group during the bake? Or should all the seperate parts have seperate smoothing groups?Is it true that the later might cause gaps in the normals? (sorry, i'm still trying to understand that)


-Thanks