Just to let you know the Charger is progressing nicely although there is not a lot to show you until the UV mapping is complete and I start texturing the parts I've newly unwrapped. Therefore it is likely that there won't be any pictures for a while but i can assure you progress has resumed.
I have also been considering how many different variations it may be possible to put into one Dodge Charger model, I was helping Cookie to compile the 'Chevtiac' for the vehicle pack earlier and he had to split that model up into at least 3 parts in order to get it to compile. That model was about 35,000 polygons and the Dodge is at the moment 39,673.
I was always expecting to have to split my model up in order to get it to compile for the Source engine and I am still confident I will be able to do that but it makes me wonder how many extras I'll be able to fit in such as the alternate wheels. It may require me to cut down the number I use or drop that idea entirely. The Magnum 500's that are currently on the car use 11,312 polies which is 28.5% of the total current polycount.
If I added an extra 2 sets of wheels to the car (assuming they are similar in detail to the current ones) the total stored polycount would go up to 62,297 which is really pushing the source engine quite hard. Even though not all those polygons would be rendered at the same time they would still need to be compiled and loaded into the game engine and from previous examples I've seen that is the point where models start to crash the engine when they are spawned and even if they spawn successfully they would use a lot of resources when spawned multiple times.
I will experiment into this to see if it is still possible to do but if not then the alternate versions may have to be made into completely separate models which is a little annoying but still perfectly usable.
The only thing that really worries me is you said the driveshaft would be animated, that combined with the size of the model could cause a framerate drop on some machines which I think is why they droped the moving fan from the original jalopy.
actually whats the polly count on the interceptor?
[QUOTE=Kavinsky;25027232]actually whats the polly count on the interceptor?[/QUOTE]
16,183
[QUOTE=Kavinsky;25027232]The only thing that really worries me is you said the driveshaft would be animated, that combined with the size of the model could cause a framerate drop on some machines which I think is why they droped the moving fan from the original jalopy.[/quote]
I didn't really think that bone based animations were that expensive to render, the prop shaft isn't very detailed. However if it turns out that it does have negative performance impacts then I will remove it, it's mainly an experimental feature for me anyway, it poses a few interesting animation mixing problems which will be quite challenging to overcome which is why I did it but if it doesn't really live up to my expectations then the animation will be removed anyway.
It's making me re-consider how the animations could actually be made. For example: currently the suspension movement for all my vehicles is a simple 3 frame animation made in XSI with all 4 wheels moving from the highest position to the lowest, it is then split up during the model compiling process to allow all 4 wheels to move up and down independently but they still follow the path they were given in the group animation.
This is perfectly acceptable in most cases however if you know your suspension technology like I do then you know that a car with a [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_axle]live rear axle[/url], e.g. the Dodge Charger, receives camber changes on bumps that affect both wheels even though it may only be the right wheel that is going over the bump:
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Solid_Axle_Diagram.svg/500px-Solid_Axle_Diagram.svg.png[/img]
It is not possible to show this using the current animation system because all of the wheels are animated independently so when the wheel on the right goes up it does not affect the wheel on the left as it should, similar to this image:
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Swing_Axle_Diagram.svg/500px-Swing_Axle_Diagram.svg.png[/img]
This image shows the same sort of rear suspension the HL2 Jeep uses, each wheel moves independently from the other which does not look realistic when applied to a live rear axled car because the drive shaft ends up bending and morphing. To be honest I don't really think this is a big issue in normal gameplay but it would be interesting to find out if it's actually possible to give each wheel it's own animation instead of the current system where they all share one which is simply split up into 4.
The drive shaft itself also poses some interesting problems because each wheel rotates independently from every other wheel but the drive shaft would have to rotate at an average speed between the two rear wheels. However if it's animation is actually governed by the average rotation of the two rear wheels then it could end up trying to play half of the animation too soon which would cause it to rotate half way and then return to the start again before finishing which would create a jerky movement.
The alternative which is the only truly viable solution is to actually just map it's animation to one wheel which will work fine in 99% of cases except for if the wheel it is mapped to stops rotating but the other continues, for example if the car flips over and leaves the unmapped wheel spinning but stops the wheel the driveshaft is mapped to. Again not a common issue but it could happen. This is all just theory here, pure speculation.
I would stay with what you know and go with the standerd HL2 buggy suspension...
Also, may i suggest scrapping the idea of a driveshaft and make rumbling exhausts instead?
I know that a moveable driveshaft would be pretty awesome but you would never really see it being it is under the car...
Yeah you wouldnt really see the driveshaft in action unless it was on something like a hopped up off roader that sits 3 feet off the ground that has its wheels sticking out from underneath its body like a monster truck with all of its suspension parts sticking out.
so I think the best thing to do in this case would be what madmax is saying atleast until v2 is out, when most of the bugs with the standard version are probably going to be worked out, after all you still have the headlight covers to contend with yet althought I do like the idea of a rummbling exhaust system on it but first things first.
[QUOTE=madmax678;25072999]I would stay with what you know and go with the standerd HL2 buggy suspension...
Also, may i suggest scrapping the idea of a driveshaft and make rumbling exhausts instead?
I know that a moveable driveshaft would be pretty awesome but you would never really see it being it is under the car...[/QUOTE]
i agree with max, but i would suggest doing the drive shaft animation on the Rigs. there, the shafts are mor visible, especially when your not pulling a trailer. perhaps this may be something to look at when you work on that "triple axel" rig someone suggested... you suprised me when you said you'd look into it. i didnt think youd agree to it. XD but thats my 2 cents on the idea. i definatly like the "rumbling exhausts" rather than drive shaft... on a car atleast. on the semi trucks, or the vigilante truck id say go for it.
Sorry for the dumb question but is the charger done?
[QUOTE=Awakened;25101379]Sorry for the dumb question but is the charger done?[/QUOTE]
Clearly not. Please refrain from asking again.
[QUOTE=Memobot;25104649]Clearly not. Please refrain from asking again.[/QUOTE]This.
The more you ask, the less is getting done by reading dumb comments on this thread...
Edit:
Just watched the brand Brand BRAND new trailer for NFS: Hot Pursuit...
...i cryed, i'll let you figure out why...
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpX6WbtscfE[/media]
the dodge challenger being able to keep up AND OUTRUN with a carrera 918, the outrageiness of the cops having a 230 + K sports car and the general outrageness of the entire game?
and the fact that any car chase with such an exotic would probably look like this in the us with the cop cars being able to barely keep up
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad52RbO-BEc[/url]
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH_N8IVRNq8[/url]
sorry I'm just so tired of that kind of car game, I'd rather be playing the original driver or driver sf just because it has some semblance of reality when it comes to that kind of a chase.
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0GFlT4g2kM[/url]
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJBlxBuSWto[/url]
hell the only place that kind of chase could realistically take place would be in either germany or italy with the autobauhn/ autostrada and police using porsches and bmws which is probably why I liked porsche unleashed and hot pursuit 2 a hell of a lot beter than that and the games that followed those.
Kavinsky, its a game...
...and the video was done for promo purposes, they have to put a spin on things...
I know I just felt like ranting over it and the fact that there just coppying the old one and modernizing it rather than what there doing with the driver series.
[QUOTE=Kavinsky;25163061]I know I just felt like ranting over it and the fact that there just coppying the old one and modernizing it rather than what there doing with the driver series.[/QUOTE]I want to shoot you... :colbert:
It's just a game.
Don't rant about it.
Max, your Challenger's taken down by a hybrid sports, which made you sad.
And, how's the progress?
[QUOTE=madmax678;25171438]I want to shoot you... :colbert:[/QUOTE]
Ehh, I'm looking forward to the shooting games.
As long as there are old muscle cars, I will destroy everyone! Only reason I liked nfs Carbon.
[QUOTE=Cookie;25185329]As long as there are old muscle cars, I will destroy everyone! Only reason I liked nfs Carbon.[/QUOTE]Fucking this, loved tricking out the Charger on there (as cheesey as it sounds in this thread...)
I was sad you couldn't modify the Chevelle at all :C let alone get it without cheating. Oh and the roadrunner too.
Alright I'm sorry for scorning it so badly I did love the hell out of hot pursuit 2 after all and if this games as fun as that one was all is forgiven in my book, its just that I take one look at this one and it just looks downright silly.
Now we've got the speculative game reviews out of the way...
How's the charger coming on? How close is the model to being complete?
is it finished?
[QUOTE=Tommy Emmanuel;25345893]is it finished?[/QUOTE]No, stop asking...
Relax and come back in 3 - 4 weeks and it'll probably be ready by then, the model is finished and now its just the texturing and a bunch of minor stuff thats holding him up.
[QUOTE=Kavinsky;25356380]its just the texturing and a bunch of minor stuff thats holding him up.[/QUOTE]
I would hardly say Uni is minor, basically I just haven't had the time to work on the Charger because of the homework. There's a lot to do but i'm hoping that after the main project is done on November the 1st I may be able to get more time, I may be able to start sooner than that depending on when I actually finish the work, Novemeber the 1st is just the deadline.
[QUOTE=madmax678;25345908]No, stop asking...[/QUOTE]
I just asked once. are you angry all the time. jeez
[QUOTE=Tommy Emmanuel;25382916]I just asked once. are you angry all the time. jeez[/QUOTE]Gee, i wonder why, i wonder why i am so angry with all these people asking about when the charger will be released...
...sorry, but thats just me...
Woo, managed to get a bit of free time to work on the Charger!
To be honest since I'm still doing the underside (which is almost finished now, just the engine to do) I wouldn't normally post any pictures of it but recently I decided to get the education version of Autodesk Softimage 2011 and I'm happy to report that transferring the Dodge Charger to it has been a complete success:
Look no annoying watermarks:
[URL=http://img183.imageshack.us/i/dodgechargerfront1.jpg/][IMG]http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/4273/dodgechargerfront1.th.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://img686.imageshack.us/i/dodgechargerfront21.jpg/][IMG]http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/2805/dodgechargerfront21.th.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://img148.imageshack.us/i/dodgechargerfront31.jpg/][IMG]http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/8039/dodgechargerfront31.th.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://img266.imageshack.us/i/dodgechargerside11.jpg/][IMG]http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/5590/dodgechargerside11.th.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
I still haven't tested SMD exporting using the ValveSource addon but it seemed to install correctly and all the menus and dialogue boxes work so it looks promising, more news on that later.
I'm also going to try experimenting with new rendering techniques instead of just using Ambient Occlusion.
Fuck yeah, i should of stayed up a bit longer, im in bed now though... (laptop)
[QUOTE=Master Chris;25474859]Woo, managed to get a bit of free time to work on the Charger!
To be honest since I'm still doing the underside (which is almost finished now, just the engine to do) I wouldn't normally post any pictures of it but recently I decided to get the education version of Autodesk Softimage 2011 and I'm happy to report that transferring the Dodge Charger to it has been a complete success:
Look no annoying watermarks:
[URL="http://img183.imageshack.us/i/dodgechargerfront1.jpg/"][img_thumb]http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/4273/dodgechargerfront1.th.jpg[/img_thumb][/URL]
I still haven't tested SMD exporting using the ValveSource addon but it seemed to install correctly and all the menus and dialogue boxes work so it looks promising, more news on that later.
I'm also going to try experimenting with new rendering techniques instead of just using Ambient Occlusion.[/QUOTE]
Looking really nice there.
Everything about the body looks right on it, all of the proportions match and it looks great.
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