Author Topic: Low poly model for rocket explosion... (Read 4761 times)

Whirlingdervish · « **on:** June 28, 2007, 04:08:39 PM »

I made my first .md2 today, to replace the stock rocket explosion with a much simpler one in hopes of increasing my clients performance during heated deathmatch play..
(it's a small round blast based on the positron from WOD/LOX)

It seems to have increased my FPS a bit during times when a bunch of shit is blowing up all around, so I think it worked.
I was getting pretty sick of that lame little mushroom cloud making my fps drop by like 10 every time there were 2+ rockets exploding simultaneously anywhere near me..

if anyone would like to try it out (test it to see if you can make it fuck up..) you can download it here:

http://dervish.tastyspleen.net/files/rocketpak.zip

..and please, let me know if you think it's gayer than the original, even if it isnt buggy.
I'm still pretty new at modelling stuff and any input would be appreciated.

peewee_RotA · « **Reply #1 on:** June 28, 2007, 05:36:22 PM »

I really like the fact that Quake 2 replaced the sprites from quake 1 with actual 3d models. At the time the hip thing to do with new 3d engines was to make EVERYTHING 3d. Bullet puffs, blaster splashes, and rocket/grenade explosions. So I really respected them for that.

Games like Unreal and Chasm: The Rift also tried to compete in similar ways. So for the time period I respect it. However in todays world it's not necissary. People today are more worried about "texture power" than attention to actual detail. But anyway for the sake of performance I'm glad people like you are out there to care.

AS a note:
Inside the standard .pak's there are sprites of bubbles, explosions, and other sprites not used in the normal game. So they really did put an effort towards 3d. One of the best aspects of Chaos mod was that they replaced the BFG sprite with a 3d model of the BFG.

peewee_RotA · « **Reply #2 on:** August 27, 2007, 04:20:59 PM »

What modeling program do you use? I'm having issues with quake2 modeler 0.91

Whirlingdervish · « **Reply #3 on:** August 27, 2007, 04:34:01 PM »

quake2 modeler v 0.91b I think.

probably the same one you use.

I haven't found anything else that makes a usable .md2 file.
My first attempts with other modeling programs yielded models that wouldn't load in-game.

I did find that if I was going to replace a model, it definitely looked much better to make the replacement have the exact same number of frames for each of it's varied actions..

example:

the rocket explosion model has 3 slightly different animations which the game uses, so I made 3 of the same animation with slightly differing frame counts to match the original, and stuck em together in the new .md2.

otherwise 1 in 2 rockets would have an explosion that started at the wrong frame, or didn't show at all..

peewee_RotA · « **Reply #4 on:** August 27, 2007, 04:48:50 PM »

The problem I'm having is when I start the skin mapping process, when I try to update from model to set the polygons onto the mesh it draws the skin with a black background. It also draws the outlines of the faces with black. Meaning my mesh is invisible.

Was this the case with you?

Whirlingdervish · « **Reply #5 on:** August 27, 2007, 04:58:11 PM »

hrm I had some problems getting the skinning figured out, but I never had it go completely black on me.

Are you sure the skin is a .pcx file with the q2 palette applied?

You might want to run it through Wally and apply the pallette to make sure.
a lot of the .pcx files just look black and white without the q2 palette applied over them..

I've attached the right .pal file to this post

you can get Wally here:

http://dervish.tastyspleen.net/files/wally_155b.exe

peewee_RotA · « **Reply #6 on:** August 27, 2007, 07:06:31 PM »

O.k. i see what's going on.

I'm a CS guy, not an art guy so I wasn't aware you needed a skin before you mapped the faces onto the mesh. I mean obvioulsy i can use a generic skin first and refine it later. But anyway thanks

Whirlingdervish · « **Reply #7 on:** August 27, 2007, 08:17:40 PM »

ah yes. on a new model you have to define the skin it's gonna use first, even if it's blank, before you can view the model in 3d effectively.

good luck to you.

Q2 needs every modeller, mapper, and programmer that we can get!

X'tyfe · « **Reply #8 on:** August 29, 2007, 07:01:48 PM »

i like this alot

are the "twitches" just before it finishes intentional?
other than that, it might benefit from a better skin too than that lox one

Whirlingdervish · « **Reply #9 on:** August 29, 2007, 08:37:13 PM »

its kinda a hack job, but the model does twist a bit as the fireball contracts..
and I'm not exactly sure why I made it do that now, after some months of looking at it while playing..
at the time I thought it added character, but it is a bit distracting.

I'll see if I can find a better looking skin for it this week, when I'm bored at work.
I think I may take out the spin too and try to clean the animation up a bit.

peewee_RotA · « **Reply #10 on:** August 29, 2007, 08:50:42 PM »

It'd be interesting to go all out with the model and create a distance chart..

Have it shoot out forward, right, and up lines with approx. damage at that distance drawn onto the skin. It'd be a good training tool.

...oh almost forgot.

The T_DamageRadius() function displays a blood effect in the center of an explosion if anything was damaged within the radius. The current explosion model mostly hides this blood splash but it is still visible. If you're looking for functionality you could work on making this little blood splatter always visible.

Whirlingdervish · « **Reply #11 on:** August 30, 2007, 05:26:32 PM »

http://dervish.tastyspleen.net/files/rocketpak.zip

UPDATED!

I couldn't find a better skin on short notice, but I managed to take out a lot of the "twitch" and the "spin" in the animation and I made the splash radius slightly smaller, so you might be able to see the playermodel when a rocket hits 'em in the face.

X'tyfe · « **Reply #12 on:** August 30, 2007, 08:26:53 PM »

fear not!! X'tyfe is here

with a skin in hand
http://xtyfe.tastyspleen.net/skin0.zip

theres a high quality png version and a shitty pcx version

Whirlingdervish · « **Reply #13 on:** August 31, 2007, 08:46:24 AM »

looks good!

added it to the pak. same link should work.

Thank you Sir!

peewee_RotA · « **Reply #14 on:** September 01, 2007, 07:58:57 PM »

Hey Dervish, your low poly model will work perfectly for the megaman syle explosions I'm going to implement. Would it be o.k. I I use your model to replace the explode model and distribute it in my mod?

Author Topic: Low poly model for rocket explosion... (Read 4761 times)

El Box de Shoutamente