Chapter6.Deformation Testing

Chapter 6. Deformation Testing

CD Files

Kila_DeformTest.mb

Kila_Optimized.mb

WE ARE NOW CLOSE to finishing sculpting the Kila model; only this chapter remains before the base model is compete. If you are like me, you could easily spend another week refining and fine-tuning the mesh to perfection, but time is not a luxury you can afford in the games industry, so we will push on.

In this chapter we will briefly introduce the use of joints and binding while we test that our model will deform correctly. For a game character to perform convincingly, it must deform convincingly. Using the correct topology around areas that bend, such as elbows and knees, will result in a believable character that the player can relate to. Testing Kila's deformation at this stagewith the mesh completely sculptedwill save headaches later on. Suppose the character hasn't been tested, and we go on to texture and rig her. If we then realize that she needs extra polygons in a certain place or has an area that needs altering, that will mean retexturing and possibly rerigging her. It's important to test the deformation now.

In Kila's current condition, her torso will initially deform quite well because it is essentially cylindrical in shape and does not need to bend dramatically. The arms and legs, however, will bend quite considerably at the elbows and knees and so must be checked.