Skin support
Draco_2k
Evil Genius Join Date: 2009-12-09 Member: 69546Members
Evil Genius Join Date: 2009-12-09 Member: 69546Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Not racist</div>Assuming it's not already in. To be more precise, assuming because currently differently-coloured chairs have entire different models on them (can't be too good for performance, can it?).
Basically, people *will* want to re-texture default props. Per se, I already do. It would be neat to allow for such process via the available tools, i.e. the Builder. Can we have it, pretty please?..
My wild guess would be that the most user-friendly way to implement it - keeping integration with current model management system in mind - is to make the engine, when it's checking for model's material file, to also check out any material file with certain appendage on it. For example: we've got model "Chair_1.model", and the attached material "Chair_1.material"; when loading the material file, do a check if there's also anything named "Chair_1_skin_(name).material" - if there is, load it as separate model in the editor... And so on.<!--coloro:#696969--><span style="color:#696969"><!--/coloro-->
Or you could make it so the engine treats two models with identical checksums as one.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
Basically, people *will* want to re-texture default props. Per se, I already do. It would be neat to allow for such process via the available tools, i.e. the Builder. Can we have it, pretty please?..
My wild guess would be that the most user-friendly way to implement it - keeping integration with current model management system in mind - is to make the engine, when it's checking for model's material file, to also check out any material file with certain appendage on it. For example: we've got model "Chair_1.model", and the attached material "Chair_1.material"; when loading the material file, do a check if there's also anything named "Chair_1_skin_(name).material" - if there is, load it as separate model in the editor... And so on.<!--coloro:#696969--><span style="color:#696969"><!--/coloro-->
Or you could make it so the engine treats two models with identical checksums as one.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
Comments
I did that with one of the textures and it works just fine.
The main two concerns here are performance (loading same model numerous times) and Builder support (much easier that way). Albeit, assuming the latter would simply copy any .model files, that's not an issue (won't do it for me).
I believe it could be possible with something like UltraEdit to change the path inside the model file without altering the file. I haven't tried.
Well, damn, figured this much. Then we really do need skin support.