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The player model tutorial provided elsewhere on this website details the simplest method for creating new player models with Quake Modeller and Gwynflex. The main problem with the simplest approach is the lack of control over how the final skin of the model will look (since Gwynflex tries to figure it out automatically as you merge props). You are also limited to just one type of hand, instead of having open palms and closed fists. In this section I will outline the more advanced method I use now, which allows you to have two types of hands and gives you complete control over how the final skin will look (so that a standard Corvus skin will fit the model).
| The example I will use is the Ninja model. It is similar to the original Corvus model, except it carries a sword and has had the head modified (and that girly handbag has been removed!). Click on the thumbnail image to the left to download the completed model. |
| The original model was prepared using the same basic procedure set out in the basic modelling tutorial. The JUMP1 frame of the Corvus model was extracted using the FM2OBJ utility that comes with Gwynflex, converted into an object file called JUMP1FFFF.OBJ. The standard Corvus skeleton was used in Gwynflex, with the JUMP1 pose. The JUMP1 pose was saved as a new file (NINJA.SPZ). 'Trust normals' was selected from the 'model' menu, the OBJ file opened into Gwynflex, the entire model selected from the 'group' menu, and 'Reverse Normals' selected. The model was then bound entirely to the spine of the skeleton, and exported as an MD2 using the 'Export As...' option (with NINJA.SPZ selected as the pose to export to). This resulted in the JUMP1 frame of the original Corvus model having been converted into an MD2. |
The 'girly' handbag was deleted, along with all the weapons and armour, and the new file saved as NINJA.AQM in Quake Modeller. The closed hands were also deleted, leaving only fists. The original model was re-opened, and each prop was then saved to individual files. I now had the original JUMP1.MD2 file, NINJA.AQM (with no weapons or armour and just one set of hands), and separate files for each prop (NINJAHELL.AQM, NINJAARMOUR.AQM, NINJABOWS.AQM).
NINJA.AQM was modified so that the head looked like it was wearing a hood (hair and ears deleted, new polygons added to make the hood). The back of the head was re-skinned so that it used the same area of the Corvus skin as the hair once did. The inner groin was simplified to make it easier to select polygons in Gwynflex (inner groin polys deleted, vertices snapped to close the resulting hole in the model). This file was saved as NINJA1.AQM, incase I didn't like the changes and wanted to revert to the original (yes, even I make mistakes sometimes...)
The head and neck were selected, copied, deleted, then pasted back on (so it wasn't snapped to the torso). What Quake Modeller really needs is a function to detach a group of polygons so they are no longer snapped to unselected ones (like the skin editor has). Until some kind person adds that functionality, simply copying, deleting, and pasting back will also do the trick.
The open palms in the original JUMP1.MD2 model were copied, and pasted into NINJA1.AQM. They were moved back behind the model to keep them out of the way to make things easier in Gwynflex.
| This model was then exported as NINJA1.MD2. It had two sets of hands (one set apart from the rest of the model), and head and neck separate from the torso. This file was opened into Gwynflex and the polygons assigned to bones of the skeleton. Since the model is mostly identicle to the original Corvus, it wasn't necessary to alter the skeleton in any way. The attached hands were bound to the 'hand closed' bones, while the separate pair of palms were bound to the 'hand open' bones. The head and neck being separate, they wound up in a group all of their own, making it easier to bind the neck stump to the spine. The neck was manually selected and subtracted from the head/neck group. This file was exported as a Flex Model, and tested in Heretic II. It had no props, and the open hands were well behind the model, but otherwise I was happy with the bindings. Time to proceed to the next phase. |
NINJA1.AQM was opened into Quake Modeller, and the neck was welded back onto the torso. The open palms were moved forward and welded to the wrist. Quake Modeller allows you to weld vertices without altering the polygon numbers, so the bindings will still work in Gwynflex. Each prop was then merged with the model one at a time. The ninja-to sword was created by slightly altering the katana model I created for the Morrigan player model. I then opened JUMP1.MD2 as a reference file and aligned the new sword so that it lined up with the original blade-staff orientation form the JUMP1 frame. I saved the new sword, with the new orientation, as NINJATOJUMP1.AQM. It was then merged along with the other props, and the new complete file saved as NINJAALL.AQM
| The NINJAALL.AQM model contained the player model, the armour, and all the other props. In this way there was no need to merge props in Gwynflex, so each prop used the same part of the skin as the original Corvus model did. This allows you to determine exactly how the skin of the model will look, rather than relying on Gwynflex to determine how the merged prop skins will combine. It also prevents redundancies in the skin (two bows, separate shafts for blade-staff and hellstaff). This model was exported as NINJAALL.MD2. |
Quake Modeller allows you to add polygons to a model without altering the polygon numbers of the previous polygons. Therefore the original Gwynflex bindings will still work with the new file; there will just be a bunch of polygons (making up the props) that won't be bound to anything. Make sure you don't delete any polygons, or the remaining ones will be renumbered and the bindings you worked so hard to get right in Gwynflex will become meaningless.
Since none of the props are welded to the main body, they will occupy separate groups in Gwynflex. The order in which the new groups are automatically generated depends on the order in which you merged the props in Quake Modeller. Select each new group in turn until you have a complete prop selected, then bind the polygons to the correct bone of the skeleton.
You can now generate the final Flex Model in Gwynflex, knowing that the model will have a skin mapped exactly how you want. In this case, the Ninja model can use a standard Corvus skin - although the hair may look a bit weird. It will also have separate palms and fists rather than the same hands all the time.