What software did you use for the model?

[quote name="evolutional" timestamp="1473583738"]What software did you use for the model?[/quote] That's my own 3D model editor. It's called Charm (CHARacter Modeller) written with Qt and Direct3D 9. Supports modelling, skeleton rigging and key frame animation. Quite a complex project really. Still adding bits and pieces.

Wow, that's cool! Looks like something that I'd like to use :D

[b]@[member='Aardvajk'][/b], the fact you made your own 3d modeler is very cool. Even more so that you used it for a model in one of your own games!

Thanks guys. It's not really complete (no texturing, only some hardcoded exports to my own file formats, very limited import for X and OBJ) but its a good tool. Was sort of designed to be a modern, more pretty Milkshape.

One of the nicest features is the auto-mirror which you can see in the screenshot. You can see from the wireframe views that I have only modelled half of the model but the preview window has the Mirror (X, Y or Z) option enabled on the X axis so you can see what the symmetrical version will look like. You can then just click a button to generate the other half, including mirroring the skeleton and assigning bone weights automatically. Almost every model I ever made is symmetrical down one axis so this saves loads of time.

Maybe I should look at releasing it. But then I'd have to a) finish it and b) write documentation. Noooo! :)

write documentation

I can understand the lack of will to document all of the cool functions of how the program works and I am sure there are some cool shortcuts that would talk a bit of explaining or a minor walkthru for others to get.

write documentation

I can understand the lack of will to document all of the cool functions of how the program works and I am sure there are some cool shortcuts that would talk a bit of explaining or a minor walkthru for others to get.

Yeah, might actually be a good exercise to write something up and give me an idea of what needs finishing.

Could anyone who would be interested in giving it a try let me know here? Might motivate me a bit.

The results from the modeller look good aardvajk! :) I'd try it and I'm sure others will.

I found making a manual for my similar size app took around a day making a pdf with the word processor in libreoffice, and taking some screenshots. Or maybe you could make it html.

The biggest challenge however is probably getting people to use it or even try it when there are so many options out there, there is a bit of a choice overload problem:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overchoice

The results from the modeller look good aardvajk! :) I'd try it and I'm sure others will.

I found making a manual for my similar size app took around a day making a pdf with the word processor in libreoffice, and taking some screenshots. Or maybe you could make it html.

The biggest challenge however is probably getting people to use it or even try it when there are so many options out there, there is a bit of a choice overload problem:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overchoice

Yes, I agree and thanks for the input.

I'm not really that bothered about other people using it. I got quite into Milkshape as a 3D editor, then I found some issues and bugs with it that brought my modelling process to a halt so I wrote Charm as a way to take control of it myself, and as a fun exploration. Had I been concerned about other users, I'd have probably learned OpenGL for the rendering as using DX9 is a bit of a limitation, although suits me as the editor is then using the same rendering as the games that the models will be used in.

But equally if others would get some use from it, I'd like to make it available too.

I see Charm as being to 3DSMax etc what Notepad is to Word. The skeleton animation stuff is quite complex but otherwise it is a very simple vertex and face editor (although my Extrude Edges function wipes the floor with what Milkshape offered if I do say so myself :)). I don't know if people realised I had been using this for my last project with the animated human character or not. Certainly didn't provoke this much interest in the comments but the rigging and keyframe animating of a human character was a lot more work that Charm dealt with pretty comfortably.

But at the moment I'd really rather focus on games and develop Charm to support whatever I need to make the games to be honest.