Low-poly modular equipment for multiple body types — pipeline advice
Hey everyone,
Thanks!
I'm building a low-poly RPG and need a modular equipment systemn different body types (dwarf, elf, human), and when the player equips gear, it shows on the character.
I'm targeting Three.js for rendering, modeling in Blender. Low-poly stylized, not realistic.
My current plan: one skeleton, skinned base bodies per race, equipment meshes attached to the same skeleton, hide/show body parts per slot. But I have a few questions before I commit to this approach:
- Body type variation, do you model equipment once and deform it to fit each race, or model per-race variants? For extremes (dwarf vs. tall elf) I can't imagine a single chest piece working for both without serious distortion. What's the standard approach?
- Slot mask / skin hiding, what's the cleanest way to handle the "hide the body under the armor"? Alpha masks on the base body texture, separate mesh per body zone, or a vertex group approach? I want to avoid the base body clipping through equipment.
- Asset volume trapsn 6 slots × N items × 5 body types = a lot of meshes. What tricks do you use to keep this manageable? Modular kit pieces that combine? Shared accessories across body types? At what point do you just accept per-race variants as the cost of doing business?
Appreciate any wisdom, especially from people who've shipped something like this.
Happy to read existing breakdowns if there are threads or GDC talks you'd point me to.
Thanks!
Replies
http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/SkankerzeroModularCharacterSystem