Models composed from seperate blocks
by Nate "Nateholio" Watson · in Artist Corner · 12/27/2003 (11:12 pm) · 5 replies
Before I ask the question, I will make it known that I have looked at many modelling tuts, and none of them have answered this question.
Can a model be composed of multiple objects, obviously a model can have wheels that are seperate, but I am talking about other things on the model. For example, can I model a windscreen, undercarriage, bumpers, shocks, doors, the "hull" or body, etc. as seperate objects within the same file; then place them where they belong relative to each other, and not weld their common verticies together? Or does each object/face need to share at least one common vert with another, who shares one with another, etc. to act like a rigid model?
While I'm posting a modelling thread, I am also wondering how to make things like doors hinged so they can be opened. Do I use bones to do this, or is there another "proper" way to do it.
Hopefully I have been relatively clear in my question, and thanks in advance for any help anyone may post in response.
Can a model be composed of multiple objects, obviously a model can have wheels that are seperate, but I am talking about other things on the model. For example, can I model a windscreen, undercarriage, bumpers, shocks, doors, the "hull" or body, etc. as seperate objects within the same file; then place them where they belong relative to each other, and not weld their common verticies together? Or does each object/face need to share at least one common vert with another, who shares one with another, etc. to act like a rigid model?
While I'm posting a modelling thread, I am also wondering how to make things like doors hinged so they can be opened. Do I use bones to do this, or is there another "proper" way to do it.
Hopefully I have been relatively clear in my question, and thanks in advance for any help anyone may post in response.
#2
Just another question, he he. Can a collision mesh be as complex as the model its used for? (i.e. not just a simple bounding box)
12/28/2003 (12:36 am)
DOOOOOOH!! Thanks for the post. Looks like I spent half the night building a model vert by vert when I could have done it in half the time. But, now I know for future models, and to reduce the poly count on my current models.Just another question, he he. Can a collision mesh be as complex as the model its used for? (i.e. not just a simple bounding box)
#3
As far as i know, this is how it works.
The collision mesh is drawn all the time as long as the model it belongs to is in the scene, collision with other things will only run once the bounding box intersects the others box, then the collision code kicks in and tests each vertice on each model for intersection/collision.
And so its a good idea to keep the polycount of a coll mesh down as low as possible to reduce render strain and calculations for coll.
*someone can corrsct me if im wrong, i dont know the engine all that well.
12/28/2003 (1:18 am)
Its a good thing to keep the collision polycount down as far as possible.As far as i know, this is how it works.
The collision mesh is drawn all the time as long as the model it belongs to is in the scene, collision with other things will only run once the bounding box intersects the others box, then the collision code kicks in and tests each vertice on each model for intersection/collision.
And so its a good idea to keep the polycount of a coll mesh down as low as possible to reduce render strain and calculations for coll.
*someone can corrsct me if im wrong, i dont know the engine all that well.
#4
12/28/2003 (7:03 am)
The collision mesh is never drawn, and edges are checked as well as vertices when it's that time, but beyond that you're right. 
#5
12/28/2003 (8:48 am)
Collision mesh should also be convex, never concave.
Torque Owner Ben Swanson