Comprehensive Guide to Character Modeling and Animation in 3D Game Programming

1. 3D Game Programming All in One • By Kenneth C. Finney

2. Chapter 14Making a Character Model

3. Making a Character Model • Modeling Techniques • Using shape primitives • Incremental Polygon Construction • Axial Extrusion • Arbitrary Extrusion • Topographical Shape Mapping • Hybrids

4. Making a Character Model • Mesh Types • Segmented mesh • model comprises several meshes (objects) • Continuous mesh • one mesh for entire model

5. Making a Character Model • Base Hero Model • Shape primitive technique • Segmented mesh • Six mesh segments: head, torso, legs, & arms

6. Making a Character Model • Lab 1: Creating a Hero Model • Create meshes using primitives • Modify meshes by moving vertices • Saving and loading models • Integrate models into larger models

7. Making a Character Model • Lab 2: Skinning the Hero • Use skin created in Chapter 9 • Use UVMapper • More details to manage than previous skinning • Manipulate faces and vertices in UVMapper

8. Making a Character Model • Character Animation • Manual animation is low-cost alternative to motion capture • Stop-motion photography sequences are useful • Posable dolls or action figures can help • Live models (friends) are very useful

9. Making a Character Model • Character Animation • Create a skeleton • Attach model components to the skeleton (called rigging) • Create an animation sequence for each character movement

10. Making a Character Model • Character Animation • Torque has 21 named animations, plus 10 extra 'death' animations • Torque will animate sequences that have Torque names

11. Making a Character Model • Creating and Rigging a Skeleton • Milkshape joints are nodes • Bones extend between joints • Create skeleton in a neutral pose • Rotate a joint to rotate the attached joints and bones

12. Making a Character Model • Lab 3:Making a Skeleton • Practice creating joints and bones • Learn rigging techniques • Practice rotating joints and bones

13. Making a Character Model • Lab 4:Making an Idle Animation • Practice manipulating joints and bones • Learn that subtle movements accomplish a great deal • Practice using the Keyframer

14. Making a Character Model • Lab 5:Making a Run Animation • Practice manipulating joints and bones • Learn that subtle movements accomplish a great deal • Practice using the Keyframer

15. Making a Character Model • Lab 6:Making a Head Animation • Practice manipulating joints and bones • Learn that subtle movements accomplish a great deal • Practice using the Keyframer

16. Making a Character Model • Lab 7:Making Other Animations • Practice manipulating joints and bones • Learn that subtle movements accomplish a great deal • Practice using the Keyframer

17. Making a Character Model • Animation Sequence Materials • Special materials describe animation sequences to Torque • Specify sequence start & stop frames • Specify animation types • Specify animation speeds (frame rates)

18. Making a Character Model • Lab 8: Exporting for Torque • Learn how to use the ms2dtsExporter • Create a Torque .dts model file • Test your character model in Torque

19. Making a Character Model • DTS Exporter • Export models in Torque's DTS format • Specify collision meshes • Specify global animation settings • Specify material and scale settings

20. Making a Character Model • Special Materials Options • Global Export: scale, size, fps, cycle mode • Material: Transparency, illumination, mipmapping • Mesh: Billboard, Normals • Sequence Material: sequence name and start/stop, fps, cycle mode

21. Summary • Segmented modeling technique is best for Torque • Rigging = attaching a skeleton to a model's vertices • Animate by moving the skeleton one frame at a time • Use ms2dtsExporter to create Torque models from Milkshape • Special materials for animation control