Tach' ..?? 'good day!
When I'm modeling characters for a game, should I create it in one mesh or a lot of meshs?
( all ) or ( head - body - arms - legs ) ?
The arms and the rest of the body dont look like one unit..
what do you think, how the game-companies (no idea wether this word exitsts ^^ ) do that? Neeeed heeelp ^^ [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Well, it depends on the game.

In Quake 3, the models were usually in 3 parts (legs+waist, torso+arms, head).
In Unreal Tournament, they're all one mesh connected and animated with bones.

So you can do it either way, it just depends on what game you're aiming for, and what limitations that engine has.

MoP

I'm aiming for an egoshooter game, enemys are zombies..
But they arent the real problem, you wont get them come to close to see model-mistakes [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
You'll be able to visit a gunshop for doing some shopping, you know ^^ , and the guy who sells the weapons, should look nice and be withut mistakes [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
I want to model my models just like the models in GTA.
And I'm using the BlitzBasic3D engine.

BlitzBasic3D is pretty bothersome, since it doesnt pick up on bone animation...at least, we couldnt really get it to work with the exporter, directly from Max.

First I also wasn't able to do use ,max exported, boneanimations in BB3D. But I used the blitz-board and other boards to find out more and to learn how to do.
Dont give up the fight, but stop complainig, either!
I used an german-speking board.. so a link won't help you (your english's to good for being a german ^^)
...
But back to MY questions..
-> are GTA characters divided into bodyparts or are they one mesh?
-> where are advantages, -or disadvantiges, of dividing a character?

(your english's to good for being a german ^^)

Pfft, the worst English by far is produced by Americans. Generally when a word is misspelt in a way that would still sound the same when spoken you're talking to an American (their<->there<->they're, its<->it's, allot<->a lot, etc).

I'd assume the GTA cvhars are a single model because there's no reason for them not to be. Generally you split up a model if you want to make those parts interchangeable (e.g. you have a bunch of NPC templates that get combined randomly to form a greater variety of NPCs) or removable (e.g. dismemberment). Quake 3 Arena uses vertex animation and needs the model split because it can't use bones to blend animations or make the model aim.

BTW, your nick got anything to do with Discordianism?

GTA models are single meshes.

well, in fact, i was just to lazy to look up the link ^^
what means "Discordianism?"
"Wiedersprechend" etwa? [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

what means "Discordianism?"

Discordianism means worshipping the goddes of discord, Eris, and the balance of order and disorder. Its sign is the golden apple inscribed with the word "kallisti" that is said to have caused the Trojan war. Wait, that is a lie.

Discordianism is a joke religion founded by Omar Ravenhurst and Malaclypse the Younger that contradicts itself. Wait, that is a lie.

FIVE TONS OF FLAX. That is the truth.


Overall I'd say you should make your zombies have interchangeable parts (though that will work without much real segmentation, just split the parts along an edgeloop) to make them more varied and all unique characters be a single mesh.

what ever..
"golden apple" means as much as "golden apple".
I ate an apple, played counterstrike and was searching for a player-name.."golden apple" I thought, because the apples taste so good that year!

..but how was that meant?:
"(though that will work without much real segmentation, just split the parts along an edgeloop)"

Model the object in one piece then split off the polies belonging to e.g. the arm. hat wouldn't work in Q3A because the segments have to be capped since they move around but when all parts are on one skeleton you can just split them off at an adgeloop. Just make sure all the parts you're going to attach there have these edges in the same place.

off topic- ah a fellow Robert Anton Wilson reader