Quake 2 PPM WIP: Austavin

Creamy_Goodness · Oct 2015

> Anybody still play or even remember Quake 2? I'm working on a new model for the game of a character named Austavin, which is the alter-ego of my 15 year old nephew Austin. The mesh and skeleton are already completed, as is the stance animation, but I still have a long, long way to go before the model is completed. The model currently weighs in at 1230 patches, but I don't know yet how that translates into polys. Here's what I managed to get done so far...

> Mesh images...

> Solid images...

> Idle Spin animation...

http://creamyg.jdluke.com/Projects/Character_Models/Austin_Luke/Movies/Animation_Tests/Austavin_-_Idle_Spin.avi

> Stance animation...

http://creamyg.jdluke.com/Projects/Character_Models/Austin_Luke/Movies/Animation_Tests/Austavin_-_Standing_Stance.avi

> Austavin as drawn by Austin...

> Austin's Austavin YouTube channel...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT5yhkvu1HU5CKVT82_IXFA

> I'm not nearly as good a modeller as most of you guys, but I still think the Austavin model is looking rather good so far. Any feedback is welcome.

Creamy_Goodness · Nov 2015

> Here's a quick update on the progress of my Austavin Quake 2 model. The Run and Standing Attack animations are now completed.

> Run animation...

http://creamyg.jdluke.com/Projects/Character_Models/Austin_Luke/Movies/Animation_Tests/Austavin_-_Run.avi

> Attack animation...

http://creamyg.jdluke.com/Projects/Character_Models/Austin_Luke/Movies/Animation_Tests/Austavin_-_Standing_Attack.avi

> That is All.

Wendy de Boer · Nov 2015

I think some of the parts of your mesh may be too dense for a Quake 2 model. The md2 format has quite an inaccurate grid of possible vertex positions. Even on those extremely low polygon models from back in the day (around 600 triangles for a character), vertex swimming was very apparent. The original characters that came with Quake 2 were specifically animated with very big body movements, so that the vertex swimming was less noticeable. Custom characters with smaller features such as eyes and mouths modeled into the geometry often didn't hold up. Teeth and eyes would pop in and out of the main head geometry.

I think the fingers, ears and facial features you modeled have vertices that are way too close together, so they won't hold up at all once exported to md2. Many vertices would simply collapse together, and pop in and out of existence throughout the animation sequence. I suggest you do some exporting tests before you put a lot of effort into this.

mutatedjellyfish · Nov 2015

Oh man, I've always wanted to go back to Quake 2 and do a character and make some maps. I was so shit when I was mapping for it as a teenager, I feel like I need to make a pilgrimage back there.

Creamy_Goodness · Dec 2015

@Wendy de Boer

> Some of the issues you've brought up have come to mind, and I realize that Austavin is quite poly heavy, which is why I'm going to make an effort to lower the polycount before exporting the model to a series of md2s. Austavin is currently made up of 1230 patches, which will translate to many more polygons, but I will make effort that I can to lower that as far as I can. I know I can get the model below 1200, but if I get creative, I think I could possibly get it below 1100. The right hand could be converted into a permanent fist, and the eyeballs could be reshaped into simpler diamond shapes, but beyond that, I don't know how I can cut down the polycount. Thanks for your feedback though.

Creamy_Goodness · Dec 2015

> OK, next update. The three Standing Pain animations and the Jump animation are now completed.

> Pain animations...

http://creamyg.jdluke.com/Projects/Character_Models/Austin_Luke/Movies/Animation_Tests/Austavin_-_Standing_Pains.avi

> Jump animation...

http://creamyg.jdluke.com/Projects/Character_Models/Austin_Luke/Movies/Animation_Tests/Austavin_-_Jump.avi

> Expect the next update very soon.

Creamy_Goodness · Dec 2015

> Missing update from 12/17/2015. This post didn't get uploaded successfully for some reason.

> I wasn't kidding when I said that the next update would come very soon, so here it is. This is a preview of the five now completed gesture animations...

> Flipoff animation...

http://creamyg.jdluke.com/Projects/Character_Models/Austin_Luke/Movies/Animation_Tests/Austavin_-_Flipoff.avi

> Salute animation...

http://creamyg.jdluke.com/Projects/Character_Models/Austin_Luke/Movies/Animation_Tests/Austavin_-_Salute.avi

> Taunt animation...

http://creamyg.jdluke.com/Projects/Character_Models/Austin_Luke/Movies/Animation_Tests/Austavin_-_Taunt.avi

> Grenade Toss animation...

http://creamyg.jdluke.com/Projects/Character_Models/Austin_Luke/Movies/Animation_Tests/Austavin_-_Grenade_Toss.avi

> Point animation...

http://creamyg.jdluke.com/Projects/Character_Models/Austin_Luke/Movies/Animation_Tests/Austavin_-_Point.avi

> As always, any feedback is welcome.

Quake 2 PPM WIP: Austavin

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