Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 11. Skeleton Setup
CD Files
Kila_LOD_Prep.mb
Kila_Skeleton.mb
KilaChestTest.mb
Grae_LOD_Prep.mb
Grae_Skeleton.mb
KilaBody.tga
KilaHair.tga
KilaHead.tga
GraeBody.tga
GraeMisc.tga
GraeWing.tga
GraeBody_Bump.tga
GraeMisc_Bump.tga
It's not just a character's look in the game that makes that character appealing; a lot has to
dowiththewayitmoves.Tobringourcharacterstolife,wegivethema
skeleton
.Thisskel-
eton then drives the geometry just as our human skeletons drive our muscles and, in turn,
our skin.
Over the next two chapters we will explore the process of creating an “intuitive” skeletal
structure that will make our characters move and emote realistically and with ease. We will
begin by inserting basic joints into Kila and Grae, before adjusting the rotational axes to get
the results we require.
The Base Skeletons
Creating the base skeletal structure is pretty straightforward—it's simply a matter of build-
ing up half the character and then mirroring it to create the opposite side.
As with many aspects of game artwork, we do have technical limits to adhere to. These lim-
its vary dramatically depending on the format for which you are developing and the game
engineyouareusing,buttobesafeit'sbesttocreatetheskeletonusingasfewjointsaspos-
