[WF-Protocols] Wallaba's initial proposal

[Eason Choo]

Alan Kemp wrote:

>>>Shall we go on with the
>>>discussion on requirements for meshes / submeshes so we can see more or
>>>less which data structures are we going to serialize?
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>As an initial proposal: (very rough) how 'bout:
>>
>>    
>>
>
>I agree with you generally, but dont really see the value of seperate
>StandardModel/SkeletalModel types. 
>
The reason for separate skeletal/standard model types is that if its a 
skeletal model there will be a skeletel binding in the Model chunk, and 
bone wiehgts in the sub-mesh chunk. The requirements will get complex 
when you try and enforce boneweights in the submesh if a skeleton 
binding is present in the model chunk. It just seems sloppy to me to 
have a skeleton binding in the model imply that theres going to be bone 
assignments in the submesh. TH eimplication should be made by the type 
of chunk its in

> If a mesh is not boned, then simply
>don't include the bone id/bone weight chunks in the file.  So your submesh
>block becomes:
>
>      Submesh
>      - Texture/Material (per texture-unit)
>      - Vertex data
>      - Face data
>      - Texcoord data (per texture-unit)
>      - Bone ID's (optional)
>      - Bone Weights (optional)
>      - spring systems (optional)
>
>
>See also: Ogres file format, it specifies the vertex data, then has a
>seperate section for bone assignments.
>
>Just to throw in some more ideas I would really like to see:
>
>-Precomputed mesh lod's.  I prefer my lod done offline by an artist, rather
>than in realtime for both speed and apperance.
>
Sorry forgot to inlcude this, cal3d would need this 2 as it has its own 
LOD system too. but what type of lod system(s) is going to be supported?

>-Swapable body parts.  This is a feature of Cal3d that really appeals to me,
>I have not really looked into the cal3d file formats so dont know how this
>is implemented.  Are all the body parts stored in a single file?  Or are
>all, say, legs in one file, all bodies in another and stiched at load time?
>  
>
A cal3d a model is the character, and you have any number of meshes 
assigned to that model, you activate and deactivate any number of meshes 
as you please. To swap the characte'rs hat from one to another you just 
deactivate the first hat mesh and activate the next.

The model/mesh system isn't just for cal3d tho. This can be used for say 
a system like earth&beyond where you swap the hull of your ship to an 
"upgraded" hull, where you'd really just be swapping the mesh

>And some questions:
>
>-Quaternions or axis/angle pairs?
>
Quaternions would seem to be better (no gimble lock), just my opinnion

>-Left handed or right handed?
>
wallaba's vote : Right handed, (isn't that hows its done in conventional 
math?)

>-Should it be possible/legal to store several completly seperate models in a
>single file?
>
>Alan
>
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>  
>

wallaba

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