Constructor smoothing groups?
by Gareth Fouche · in Torque Game Engine · 11/28/2005 (12:16 am) · 7 replies
I was wondering, will Constructor include the ability to create "smoothing groups"? Anyone who uses a 3D modeling tool should know what I'm talking about, the ability to set the normals of a polygon to blend with the polygons next to them, so that, for example, you can make an octagonal cylinder look "curved".
I especially noticed this lack using Quark. I know BSP modelling is different to polygon modeling, but surely this is possible, I'm pretty sure alot of the buildings in games such as World of Warcraft are BSP, yet they have curved towers,walls etc.
Does any other BSP editor allow you to do this? Perhaps Quark DOES let you do this, I just never found the option?
Any info would be appreciated.
I especially noticed this lack using Quark. I know BSP modelling is different to polygon modeling, but surely this is possible, I'm pretty sure alot of the buildings in games such as World of Warcraft are BSP, yet they have curved towers,walls etc.
Does any other BSP editor allow you to do this? Perhaps Quark DOES let you do this, I just never found the option?
Any info would be appreciated.
#2
It has little to do with poly count, but how lighting normals are set up.
An example of the effect : www.ece.eps.hw.ac.uk/~dml/cgonline/hyper00/polypipe/render/shading.html
A "curved" tower in WoW :
Now, if I go into something like Quark and create a cylinder, it looks like the 1st ball in that link, ie each plane flat shaded. I would like to make it so that the light blends smoothly around the cylinder. My question is : Is this possible for BSP, and if so will Constructor included that functionality?
11/28/2005 (2:28 am)
I think you're not quite understanding what I mean. I know the buildings are not curved. However, because of the way the normals have been set up, the lighting is blended seemlessly to create a "curved" look. Now, as far as I'm aware, most of the buildings in WoW are BSP?It has little to do with poly count, but how lighting normals are set up.
An example of the effect : www.ece.eps.hw.ac.uk/~dml/cgonline/hyper00/polypipe/render/shading.html
A "curved" tower in WoW :
Now, if I go into something like Quark and create a cylinder, it looks like the 1st ball in that link, ie each plane flat shaded. I would like to make it so that the light blends smoothly around the cylinder. My question is : Is this possible for BSP, and if so will Constructor included that functionality?
#3
11/28/2005 (2:36 am)
I believe 3D World Studio is planning on implementing this, but it's not in yet. 
#4
11/28/2005 (3:12 am)
We do plan to support smoothing groups in Constructor. 
#6
11/29/2005 (9:23 pm)
Sorry about that, look like i learnt something new today :) that'll be really cool to see implimented in constructor.
Torque Owner George
As for the question, I'm pretty sure BSP's dont have anything such as Smoothing Groups, and I've never seen it in any BSP editor I've used. So I doubt it'll be in Constructor. Thats just not how BSP was designed to be used.
Tho I could be wrong and hopefully someone can correct me if I am.