New Soldier model test pk3 / status of animation work

[Destructavator]

OK, I've spent about a whole day (had some time off) completing about two thirds of the animations for the new, more muscular soldier model.  Although they aren't all done, there's enough that I can upload a PK3 for people to try out for feedback.

Keep in mind that these aren't finalized or fully approved, I'll especially be seeking feedback from vedrit and eventually Winter, but I also value feedback from others as well.

The following list has a "D" after the ones I've done, all the others still need to be worked on.  (The "D" stands for "done.")

Code: [Select]

// character animations
// name start end fps

death1 63 69 5 // D
dead1 69 70 1 // D
death2 107 111 5 // D
dead2 111 112 1 // D
death3 119 124 5 // D
dead3 124 125 1 // D

stand0 17 18 1 // D
walk0 7 12 10 // D
cstand0 75 76 1 // D
cwalk0 212 227 15

stand1 20 21 1 // D
walk1 23 28 10 // D
cstand1 72 73 1 // D
cwalk1 118 133 15

move_rifle 35 40 1 // D
shoot_rifle 41 43 30 // D
cmove_rifle 127 130 1 // D
cshoot_rifle 78 80 30 // D

move_biggun 35 40 1
shoot_biggun 41 43 30
cmove_biggun 72 73 1
cshoot_biggun 78 80 30

move_melee 155 155 4
shoot_melee 156 160 10
cmove_melee 181 182 10
cshoot_melee 183 187 10

stand2 45 46 1 // D
walk2 48 53 10 // D
cstand2 82 83 1 // D
cwalk2 212 227 15

move_pistol 45 46 1
shoot_pistol 55 57 30 // D
cmove_pistol 82 83 1
cshoot_pistol 85 87 30 // D

move_pistol_d 240 240 4
shoot_pistol_d 241 249 10
cmove_pistol_d 280 281 10
cshoot_pistol_d 282 290 10

move_grenade 253 253 4
shoot_grenade 254 259 10
cmove_grenade 293 294 10
cshoot_grenade 295 300 10

move_item 30 33 1 // D
shoot_item 59 61 15 // D
cmove_item 75 76 1
cshoot_item 89 91 15 // D

stand3 93 94 1 // D
walk3 132 137 10 // D
cstand3 104 105 1 // D
cwalk3 334 349 15

move_rpg 93 94 1
shoot_rpg 96 98 30 // D
cmove_rpg 104 105 1
cshoot_rpg 100 102 30 // D

stand_menu 14 15 1 // D
panic0 114 117 1 // D

stand_still 2 2 1 // D


// "*move_*" is actually an "idle" animation and has nothing to do with moving around.
// 0=items, 1=rifles, 2=pistols, 3=over shoulder or big weapon
// D=Done (new animation completed, everything else is TODO)

A description of what the animation names are can be found here:
http://ufoai.ninex.info/wiki/index.php/Modelling/Character_Animation#Animation

I'm currently packaging the test PK3 and should have a link shortly.  (Stay tuned.)

The newest versions are now at:
http://www.destructavator.com/92dl/ufoai/models/?M=D

Edit:  I've also attached a copy in a .zip directly to this post, for those who might have issues downloading from a North American server.  (IIRC this forum is on a server in the EU somewhere.)

Edit (2): I have fixed some animation issues and added a few more animations, both the link and the attachment have been updated.

Edit (3): Added some more animations, fixed some of the ones I already started, a few tweaks here and there.  (Links have been updated.)

[Destructavator]

Note:  The texture is *temporary* and a placeholder on the mesh!

Note:  Yes, there will eventually be a female version as well, I'm doing these one at a time.

Known issues:

- Some menu screens display the wrong frame - Instead of a standing still frame in some equipment screens the game might display a different frame.

- The head of each soldier sometimes bobs up and down in a funny way when walking, I'm working on a fix.
Fixed!

- Some animations are a bit too fast or slow, this is a balancing issue with settings in the .anm file I'm still working on (not really a bug, just a need for fine-tuning the script).

- I made the idle up-down breathing of each soldier subtle, the old models exaggerated it too much IMO and made them look like they were dancing, although I may have made it too subtle, as the breathing can only be noticed very close up and in high resolution.
(This is rather easy to adjust, actually.)

- Some shooting animations are a bit clunky, I'm working on it.

[Mattn]

will give it a try in the evening. thanks a lot for your work

[MCR]

Hey Destructavator !
    
I have a decapitation death for soldiers already 
- Somehow the heads disappear when dead soldiers are almost out of view... (see screenshots)
My comment: Great to see new animations & great to see a talented new animator working for this project !!!

[Mattn]

the bounding box of a model is used for fast culling checks - make sure that the head is aligned to the world origin (the position where the tag of the model is the 0,0,0 point for the head)

[Destructavator]

the bounding box of a model is used for fast culling checks - make sure that the head is aligned to the world origin (the position where the tag of the model is the 0,0,0 point for the head)

I think I know what the problem is here - some of the death animations end with the head model slightly overlapping the ground sometimes, this was done to make it look like the soldier's face is "buried" in the ground.

If the head mesh ends up going into the ground I suspect the game's engine sometimes decides the head shouldn't be visible.

If I'm right then there are at least two solutions:

1) I can change the death animations, although it might not look as good, but I could insure the head stays above the "tag_floor."

2) The code could be adjusted so that if the body is visible, then go ahead and render the head as well, rather than checking twice for the body then the head.

It would mean a little work for one of us, depending on which choice is made.  What do you think?

[Mattn]

the origin should maybe stay above the tag_floor - but as long as the bbox is visible (use the cvar r_showbox to check that) the head model should be visible, too

[Destructavator]

I did a little more work, and also started learning some more advanced texturing techniques.  I still don't have a final texture, but this is now what the skin looks like (attachment).

The latest version of the test pk3 is at:
http://www.destructavator.com/92dl/9models4.pk3

[Destructavator]

From now on, I'm putting any new test PK3 files here:

http://www.destructavator.com/92dl/ufoai/models/?M=D

Just download the most recent by time and date.

I've also put together a new version (which is there) that has four texture skins, so you can select "urban" "jungle" "desert" or "arctic" skins as you normally would in the equipment screen.

[Destructavator]

Alright, I just built a new one, after a long while, and this one has both un-armored and a "light armor" version of the male soldier:

http://ufoai.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/ufoai?view=rev&revision=29264

Both models have more animations now - not all of them are done, but most of them - and they both also have several skins for the usual camo color types chosen from the menu (urban, jungle, desert, arctic).

Please tell me what you think, what seems to work and what doesn't (aside from a few missing animations).

I put this one right in the SVN so it would be easier for many of you to download, as opposed to my own website which is on an American server that can sometimes be temperamental.

A female version is also in the works, and should come soon - after that, and the regular animations get done, it might just come time to start discussing the new animations that the current old models can't do.

Of course, it might take longer if the new models end up needing a lot more work.

Note:  These models do not replace any of the heads, armored or otherwise.

[MCR]

  Great to see you are working hard  .
Will try those out soon & report here.

[Destructavator]

I forgot to mention, a few issues I'm already aware of:

- The camo colors look a bit too saturated on my system, I think I might need to "fade" them a little bit.

- When moving while crouched, the head bobs up and down in a funny way, I need to fix that.

- I didn't change the head positions lately, although I can't reproduce the "disappearing head" issue on my system.  I use a widescreen 1920x1080 display, don't know if that makes a difference or not.

[Destructavator]

I also goofed on the boot texture for the armored version, I've now fixed this as well as de-saturated some colors (but haven't updated the SVN PK3 file yet).

[MCR]

Seems that your new Corei7 is speeding up the workflow a lot, these look like maximum action pictures 
Just a joke, but it seems your new machine is doing a good job in assisting you lately, Destructavator !

[Mattn]

what exactly is missing until we can add this to trunk?