Creating Game play models from Hi Res models

#1

Hey everyone, i had been spending alot of time really trying to learn better and faster ways to produce game models in LW. While solving a problem i was having in LW i discovered a solution to creating cinimatic models and game play models together which saved an enormous amount of time! So i decided to write a short tutorial on this since, it is very simple and not a regular technique i have seen used before.

Creating Game play models from Hi Res models!

For game developers there has always been an over shadowing need for slick cinimatics and box art based on the same characters that are used for game play.

Using some basic techniques in LW 7.5 i have discovered a way to cut the modeling in half!

No longer will you need to make 2 seperate models, but rather only one high res model, then create a low poly model based on this model.

As you can see from the image, the cinimatic model is the exact same shape as the game play model, but the game play model is only ranging at 3k polys at this point. (before optimizing)

Since you will need to finish your high res model 1st, you should do so keeping in mind that the more subpatch sections you add the more polys will need to be cleaned from the low poly model, the amount of detail you put in will show in the low poly model but clean up time is far less compared to modeling a new low poly model based on the high poly model.

Once the hi res model is finish,all you need to do to create a low poly model based on the subpatch model is set your subpatch level to 1 or 2 segments. (Modeler>General options)

Then, simply freeze the model and take care to clean up uneeded polys. The clean up process will take far less time then modeling a fresh model and because both of your models are the exact same shape, you will be able to apply Normal maps easily to your low poly model based on the high res version!

This allows game developers using LW to apply and use Normal maps and create low poly models much much faster!

Thanks for reading and I hope this simple tut can help some of my fellow LW users. :slight_smile:

-George

#2

Hey that was a great little tip! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

#3

thanks :beer:

#4

Ok, I need to ask a really stupid question: What exactly is a normal map? I’ve heard of the term before, but I don’t know too much about game creation…is it like a UV map?

#5

You can get the normal map plugin here

Check out Dies-Irae’s post in this plugin here It is basically a new standard in game development :slight_smile:


#6

Interesting…thanks for the info! :beer:

#7

Bump, could the image links please be fixed?

#8

Good stuff, thanx man :cool:

#9

I think thats gotta be really usefull!!! But can i do it only in LW?? Isnt there an alternative for 3ds or maya?

Thanks

#10

well i think lightwave was the last of the software packages to get NormalMapping

#11

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