GH2: Graphics Content and New Experiment

[Phil Munoz]

Quoting: Daemonward

I just had a thought. Once the base unit mesh is complete, how difficult would it be to make the variants?

What kind of variants do you mean?

If you mean something like the Buru Buru with different load outs, there's a lot of work that needs to be done before we can get to that stage.

Right now, the models are just static meshes.  It has no skeleton, so it can't animate yet.  From how I understand the way it works, the game first needs to be able to recognize a skeleton.  Then, weapons and other equipment attachments can be a separate mesh that is attached to the skeleton in the appropriate place.

Once the framework for loading models with skeletons is in place and the base models are available, Making the variants would be trivial in comparison.

[Erathoniel]

Quoting: Frumple

As a side note: Gearhead in the Spring engine? Is this sort of monstrosity even possible?

Very much so. There was/is even a Gundam mod. However, you'd probably have to break some canon/standard gameplay conventions, and factions would be nigh-impossible (all general mecha, their faction mecha, potentially allied faction mecha?) and canon statistics would be hard to use in terms of balance, so you'd have to weaken certain attacks and strengthen certain armor. And, to top it off, it'd play nothing like GearHead.

[Phil Munoz]

The Fenris.  Mostly inspired by Zoids' Gojulas.



Based on the design file.  Big head with jaws.  No arms.  Missile Launcher in Torso (that's why it has a 'hump' on the back').  Legs with mount points, (equips MAC-4), and claws.  Tail.

The guns are separate meshes from the main body.  I think we should do weapons like this for now.

[Daemonward]

Quoting: Phil Munoz

The guns are separate meshes from the main body. I think we should do weapons like this for now.

Maybe the same thing should be done with limbs/modules, for mostly the same reasons.

[xpace]

Quoting: Daemonward

Maybe the same thing should be done with limbs/modules, for mostly the same reasons.

Yes.
After all, it is possible to add or remove arms, legs, etc. If we wanted (or from battle damage) we could have mecha with one or no arms. Or even extra arms or legs.

[Frumple]

How would both the individual gun mesh and individual module mesh deal with players that decide a dozen heads and 20+ guns are a good idea? Wouldn't the body mesh (if individual modules, the whole bloody mech if just talking about guns) run out of room or somethin'?

Read: How would it handle grade A frankenmechs?

[Phil Munoz]

Quoting: Frumple

How would it handle grade A frankenmechs?

The answer to that question would depend on how JH codes the meshes.

I think, what would happen is multiple extra modules would result in the meshes appearing in the same space and a lot of clipping.

[Snakebit STI]

There could be a hard coded limit to how many of each type of model can be displayed. Not an ideal solution, but it prevents headaches.

[Joseph Hewitt]

For now I'm not going to worry about that- it should be easy enough to export a version of any model with all the objects combined into a single mesh, shouldn't it?

I'm going to do something I don't really like doing- I'm going to scan and upload my rough mecha sketches. The reason I hate doing this is because most of them are really, really rough. I'll also upload some of the sketches that I rescued from the soon-to-be-gone Geocities site.

The Fenris looks good- it's pretty close to the sketches, which I guess is to be expected considering that both are modeled after a T-Rex. The guns are much different on mine. The head-mounted cockpit was originally meant to look like a WW2-era fighter canopy occupying the top of the head. Somewhere I have an unfinished GearHead comic strip featuring an arena battle between a Fenris and a Petrach; I have no idea where that is now.

[SharkD]

Where are you uploading them to? The wiki or photobucket?

[Phil Munoz]

I've updated the fenris to have guns similar to JH's old sketches.

[Joseph Hewitt]

Looking good!

[SharkD]

Quoting: Phil Munoz

I've updated the fenris to have guns similar to JH's old sketches.

Looks like it has a few too many polys.

[Phil Munoz]

Quoting: SharkD

Looks like it has a few too many polys.

Indeed, it does.  The mecha itself is about a dozen polys below 1000.   The guns are about 300 polys each, I think.  It can still be reduced, though I'm waiting for JH to post a new sketch of the fenris so I can try to match it up.

[SharkD]

I created this wiki page to keep track of 1) who created what and 2) what needs to be replaced (such as LDraw models if JH is going the mesh instead of sprite route).

http://gearheadrpg.com/wiki/index.php?title=Model_   credits

There's some info that needs to be filled in regarding JH's lost LDraw models.

I sent a message to Piotr Leszczynski asking him to upload his models, but I'm not sure he checks his Yahoo account.