Models in Serious Modeler

[rico]

I just finished a school for Maya 3 and am eager to try my models in Serious Sam, but haven't found a *.mb or *.ma format in the import section. If I had MAX I could convert them there, but I don't. PLease tell me IF, and if so, HOW I can insert my characters and models. I want so much to try them in the SeriousEngine!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Admir Elezovic]

Export object from Maya to .obj along material file .mtl which holds UV data. You can import it then in Serious Modeler.

Admir, 3d artist
admir@croteam.com

[verybad]

I ran out and bought the game after learning it can import OBJs directly. I'm interested in building an articulated mech in this game, be nice to see one from ground level as opposed to from the cockpit. As an aside, what are the polygon limitations for single scenes? At a high LOD, what would you reccomend NOT going over?

[Admir Elezovic]

Well there are no limitations, just note, more polygons in animated models eats more RAM, adding to many LOD also adds to memory usage, it depends on your target machine.
You can go up to 2000 if you dont have many animations (and fluid ones) with 3-4 LOD levels. Best way is to do testing and see what comes up.

Admir, 3d artist
admir@croteam.com

[verybad]

Since I don't have to aim for a large audience, I'm going high end for users with beefy machines. 2000 polies is more than enough to do what I want to do :) Still exploring the tools, but I am VERY impressed and pleased with the straightforwardnesss and ease of use. I have some models that I'll downres for use in the game. The current textures are already TGA, So I'm already ahead :) Thanks for the quick response. Here's a sample of what I want to get in there. Since this has only a specular and diffuse texture, I can replace a lot of geometry with bmp maps, the detail layer is already alone in photoshop, so with 2k polies, I can make it look similar to the original. Is Serious Sam able to do Blinn or is it Phong? This would enable me to best tweak my textures before exporting from Maya.

PS as you can see a lot of Polies I can cut and replace with textures.

http://verybad1.homestead.com/files/smallpmksharktooth.jpg

[rico]

Hey verybad, that mech ROCKS dude! Let me know when it's finished so I cand try it out. I can't WAIT to see that thing unload some missles N lasers!

[Sinistar]

Yeah it looks MUCH better than the ED-209 clones in the game. :)

[verybad]

Thanks, to be fair though, the current version is NOT realtime. I will need to make serious adjustments for it to do so. Fortuneately much of my efforts will be aided by the work already generated. (eg textures, etc.) Will aim to have something ready for import by next week. If it works well, I'll go from there and add more. I'd like a combined arms game myself...

[Admir Elezovic]

Cool mech ! Cant wait to see it in game. For shading use combination of specular and relfection textures. Make equilised greyscale texture as color map (so you can color it inside Serious Modeler) and add specular/reflection. If you keep bevels at the edges of model you can get some pretty cool results.

Admir

[rico]

here are some more cool mechs:
http://cwm.ragesofsanity.com/games/gundam/wingzero_walk.gifhttp://cwm.ragesofsanity.com/games/gundam/vayeate_breath.gifhttp://cwm.ragesofsanity.com/games/gundam/deathscythe_weakattack.gif

(Edited by rico at 7:45 am on April 6, 2001)