Hello all I was thinking have the functionality in my current project to be able to dyncamically change the armor represented on a 3D character. The problem I thought of though was that one way of doing it would require a different model for every char and armor variation. I was wondering if it was possible with skeletal animation to create one set of bones for the character with the base mesh and then whenever using armor map the armor model to the characters bones so they move the same. Hope this makes sense. Just want to know if its possible coz haven''t used skeletal animation yet. Thanks

Yeah, instead of just moving the vertices of one mesh according to the skeleton, you could just have a base mesh and then an armour mesh, and just apply the skinning to both. There could be a problem with your base mesh coming through the armour mesh when the skeleton is in certain positions, but in theory it should work. The best way really is just to try it and see if it looks ok.

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In theory, this really should work, but in practice it doesn't.

We think of things like plate mail armour as rigid, and it is, but it is attached to a human using a collection of straps, leather backings, and clasps. If you think of scale mail or chain mail it gets more confusing - it's a more like clothing then rigid plates.

That's not to say that what you want to do is impossible.

The process of creating art for this kind of system goes something like this:

1. Define a skeleton in max/maya. This is just the bone heirarchy with the bones placed correctly for the mesh you are going to rig to it.

2. Build the character mesh in max/maya wearing nothing but, say, a loin cloth. Weight that character to your skeleton.

3. Create the armour mesh in max/maya but create it as if it is the same character wearing the armour. Weight that to the skeleton.

4. Break the character mesh and the armour mesh into seperate geometries that represent the replaceable parts. Arms, legs, chest, head, hands, again in max.

5. When you go to draw the object, after you have posed your skeleton and created your animation matrices, draw your character using a combination of the base mesh and replace whichever parts with armour. So if you have one arm that has armour on it, when you go to draw the characters arm, draw the characters arm wearing armour instead. You might be able to do a system where you draw both of them if you have, say, a bracelet.

You want to make sure that all the geometry is weighted to your skeleton, and although you'll have the cost of having to render all your geometry as skinned mesh geometry, it is the only way to guarantee that it works with the animations provided, always.

This is what Star Wars Galaxies does as well as other games. We implemented this system for a sports title to let different hockey players have different kinds of helmets, skates and gloves based on who they were sponsored by.

Best of luck.

[edited by - Sphet on November 15, 2003 2:11:25 PM]

Cheers for the answers guys. Really helped

Hey guys I thought of one thing I needed to know. With what sphet wrote does this mean I only animate the bones and then when load it into the engine, I can map the armor and mesh to the bones to get the desired animation?

I think what I meant to ask was basically what the armor mesh consists of on creation. I think I gather from what you have said is that I need to create a mesh for all possible variations of the person. Eg

1) Person wearing loincloth
2) Same person mesh with armor on top
3) Person again with different armor , and so on

Then load up diff parts of mesh when need them. So if have helmet replace the loincloth head with armor head. Is this right?

Yeah that would be a bit of a piss off. Anyway thanks for your comments and help though. Really appreciated