Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 6. Deformation Testing
CD Files
Kila_DeformTest.mb
Kila_Optimized.mb
Weare nowclose tofinishing sculpting the Kila model; onlythis chapter remains before the
base model is compete. If you are like me, you could easily spend another week refining
and fine-tuning the mesh to perfection, but time is
not
a luxury you can afford in the games
industry, so we will push on.
In this chapter we will briefly introduce the use of joints and binding while we test that our
model will deform correctly. For a game character to perform convincingly, it must deform
convincingly. Using the correct topology around areas that bend, such as elbows and knees,
will result in a believable character that the player can relate to. Testing Kila's deformation
at this stage—with the mesh completely sculpted—will save headaches later on. Suppose
the character hasn't been tested, and we go on to texture and rig her. If we then realize that
she needs extra polygons in a certain place or has an area that needs altering, that will mean
retexturing and possibly rerigging her. It's important to test the deformation now.
In Kila's current condition, her torso will initially deform quite well because it is essentially
cylindrical in shape and does not need to bend dramatically. The arms and legs, however,
will bend quite considerably at the elbows and knees and so must be checked.
The Arms and Legs
Two of the main areas on a model that need to be tested are the arms and legs, in particular
the elbows, shoulders, and knees. These areas are important because they bend the most as
the character moves around the game world and interacts with the environment and with
other characters.
Setting Up the Arm Skeleton
Let's start by loading the file called Kila_Optimized.mb and focusing in on her left elbow.
You can see the elbow in
Figure 6.1
,
and up to now there are no major problems with it.
Let's put a basic skeleton in and see how it bends.
