2 quick questions

[Rekmar]

hi there, I just re-registered on the new boards, but I doubt anyone remembers me
anyway, I have 2 quick questions

1. I have seen the normalmap threads but I never found any info about this (sorry if this was already answered).
is it possible to use normalmaps on a model whose UWV's use mirrored parts?
if the answer is no, then it will mean that all parts have to be unique, which takes up alot of texture space, and therefore reduces the quality of the texture, hmmm.

2. I've always seen models done with the arms forming a T, others with the arms pointing down, others with the arms at 45 degrees. what's better to use?
I've done models with arms T and some others with the arms pointing down, so I'm not sure which to stick with.

thanks!

edit: ok here comes another question
how can I make multiple animaitons in the same .max file? whenever I try this, I finish the first one and then the second one gets some weird rotations that go back and forth (between two keyframes, without any keyframes in-between) for the bones that I moved on the previous animation

[JKMakowka]

1. Yes possible but has to be supported by the game-engine you are useing.
2. basicly it is just done to get the minimal amount of texture streching when animated. So if you know that the character will never really lift its arms above 90° then the middel between low and 90° would be 45°. This is true for most FPS models, since they don't really lift their weapons above head level. The most flexible is the T pose though, since it is right in between the maximum up and the maximum low.
3.sorry can't answer that one since I don't work with 3dsmax.

[Rekmar]

JKMakowka, thanks for the reply...

1. ok thanks, I'll have to test it directly in the engine
2. well I need animations with medieval weapons (swords, bows, axes, etc) and magic spell casting, so I'm guessing I should be doing my models in the T form, is that right?

[JKMakowka]

2. I guess so, yes.
But to be sure have a look at a few swordfighting movies or something like that, and pay special attention to the position of the shoulder (that is where the texture streching will appear)