Model Smoothing Methods

posted on October 19th, 2010, 8:10 pm

How do you apply smoothing to your models without having a mis-placed smooth group?  What programs do you use?

I'm using gmax, and with my experience with converting the model over from there, I just micro-smooth the edges with extra polygons and assign the entire model to the same smooth group.  It takes up some extra polygons, but it seems to be working.  I'm not sure if it will actually work because I have never placed a model in-game using this smoothing method.  Here's the results of my smoothing method.  All of the polygons are assigned to the same smoothing group.

PS:  My starbase model currently has 1,126 polygons using this method.  If I remember correctly, the maximum recommended polygon count for models are 4,500, right?

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posted on October 19th, 2010, 8:14 pm

I think it looks quite good.   Maybe you should leave it as is, but add some docking ports to it or something.

posted on October 19th, 2010, 8:32 pm

I'm not sure what you mean by "add docking ports".

posted on October 19th, 2010, 9:07 pm

kinda like arms or something.  like on current fed starbases, or ds9.  some kind of thing sticking out that ships could dock to I guess.

Really what I"m saying is that what you have so far is great, it just needs some other detail.  I think the smoothing is fine.

posted on October 19th, 2010, 9:34 pm

A starbase that repairs.  Thanks for the idea.  I'll implement it into my mod.  How many extra ODFs will that require?

posted on October 19th, 2010, 10:12 pm

extra?  none.   all you need is the line in a shipyard like canrepair = 1 and repairhardpoint, ect.  there are a few of them you need, but you shouldn't need any extra odf's.  only additions to the single odf itself.

posted on October 19th, 2010, 10:51 pm

Okay.  I'm in the progress of finishing up the model geometry.  Then I'll add the textures.

posted on October 20th, 2010, 12:13 am

Most of the "recommended polygon counts" are about a decade old now, where Armada was forced to do software rendering for most stuff. Drawing polygones is not a problem for a modern graphics card. So as long as you develop for Fleet Operations, you can safely add a 0 to deliver more detial for a starbase

posted on October 20th, 2010, 1:02 pm

Okay.  Thanks.

By the way, I've figured out how I'm going to add the trans warp gate without getting a footprint problem.  I'll make it so it's built like a stock armada research pod.  You will be required to research trans warp technology though before adding the gate to the starbase.  How is this?

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posted on October 20th, 2010, 2:05 pm

looken good

Maybe some antenna on the top of that yellow thing, like on the fed starbase? 

I like the arms too.

posted on October 20th, 2010, 2:22 pm

I thought about adding antenna, but I'm not sure about that.  I'm wanting to start on the textures now and that would be one more thing I would have to texture.