How to Create a 3D Real-Time Character [WME Resource Center]

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====== How to Create a 3D Real-Time Character ======

Hi there, a while ago I started making a tutorial on doing 3D toons for wintermute for the community. As i was doing it the and project grew I decided to try and make a definitive guide about the creation and utilising of a 3D character resource. I was going to post the entire thing in one go but due to time constraints, with work and my own project, I have been convinced to release each section as I it is completed.

I hope that these video tutorials may be useful to others and is my way of trying to thank Mnemonic for the crazy amounts of time he puts into making this free engine for hobby game developers, and commercial developers alike.






==== Quickdownloads ====

[[http://files.filefront.com/1of8+3DtoonWME+Tutrar/;9705549;/fileinfo.html|1.of.8_3DtoonWME_Tut.rar - 34.4 Meg]]
[[http://files.filefront.com/2of8+3DtoonWME+Tutrar/;10160994;/fileinfo.html|2.of.8_3DtoonWME_Tut.rar - 122.6 Meg]]
[[http://files.filefront.com/3of8+3DtoonWME+Tutrar/;10161326;/fileinfo.html|3.of.8_3DtoonWME_Tut.rar - 121.68 Meg]]
[[http://files.filefront.com/4of8+3DtoonWME+Tutrar/;10161969;/fileinfo.html|4of.8_3DtoonWME_Tut.rar - 110.1meg]]

==== Stream Video Versions ====

Tutorial 01 - [[http://www.veoh.com/videos/v6441925DB5Da8K7?c=tutorials3D|Stream]]
Tutorial 02 - [[http://www.veoh.com/videos/v6446428XY3m5rbx?c=tutorials3D|Stream]] (full version)
    * [[http://www.veoh.com/videos/v6446429MDGcyDNx?c=tutorials3D|Stream]] Part 1
    * [[http://www.veoh.com/videos/v6446427yC4faNeb?c=tutorials3D|Stream]] Part 2
Tutorial 03 - [[http://www.veoh.com/videos/v6441924YjdZz242?c=tutorials3D|Stream]]
Tutorial 04 - [[http://www.veoh.com/videos/v6441922W9DKWNB6?c=tutorials3D|Stream]]

===== Video Tutorial Series =====


==== Creating Symmetrical Design Plates ====

This tutorial talks about how to prepare your design documents for use in your 3D app of choice as Design Plates. (images used to model off).

  * How to ensure your design is Symmetrical to aid in Symmetrical Modelling
  * How to ensure your front / side views are aligned to each other.
  * How to ensure you Symmetrical Drawing aligns to your Zero World space in your 3D application

== Download == 
[[http://files.filefront.com/1of8+3DtoonWME+Tutrar/;9705549;/fileinfo.html|1.of.8_3DtoonWME_Tut.rar - 34.4 Meg]]


==== Modelling your Character off your Design Plates ====

This tutorial will discuss the modelling process to build your model off your design plates. Rather than simply record my making of a model, I decided to try and discuss conceptual ideas of model creation. With luck i hope to have introduced novice modellers to procedures and techniques that will enable you to build a 3D model that is easy to set up for animation and game content.

This tutorial will discuss

  * Symmetrical Modelling
    * To speed up the modelling process
    * Aid in the easy creation of a UV Layout
  * Choice of Polygons
    * Do i use Tris or Quads, or polygons with more than 4 sides?
  * Joints Setups
    * How to make a joint that will be easy to skin and produce decent deformation
  * Use of the Model T-Pose
    * A discussion of what pose to model your toon in to aid skinning and produce decent deformation
  * Easy way to build mouths and eye blink topology


**NOTE:-** This tutorial is a little long due to modeling being a large topic. Still I feel I have included some good information here, even though I got real board towards the end and the ending is a little rushed. I may need to redo the end of this but I will wait to see comments (if anyone watches it lol)

== Download == 
[[http://files.filefront.com/2of8+3DtoonWME+Tutrar/;10160994;/fileinfo.html|2.of.8_3DtoonWME_Tut.rar - 122.6 Meg]]




==== Building Symmetrical UV Layouts ====

This tutorial is about how to do a more advanced UV layout to achieve two things. 1) create a uvlayout that can be easily read and thus painted on in a 2D packadge, and 2) Arrangment of UV layout so you use the space of your bitmap to full effect.

==Download==
[[http://files.filefront.com/3of8+3DtoonWME+Tutrar/;10161326;/fileinfo.html|3.of.8_3DtoonWME_Tut.rar - 121.68Meg]]



==== Texturing ====
This tutorial is in a way an extension of the first.. it outlines some methods of workflow for painting your textures as well as how to streamline your UV layout during the texture process as you find small things you need to tweak.

Have fun.. hope you like it

==Download==
[[http://files.filefront.com/4of8+3DtoonWME+Tutrar/;10161969;/fileinfo.html|4of.8_3DtoonWME_Tut.rar - 110.1meg]]


==== Rigging ====
This topic is pretty large so I am doing it in a few sections.

Part 1 - Introduction + WME Setup.

    * This is a introduction to rigging in general. You can if you wish skip this tutorial completely. It just focus on some very general stuff about 3DsMax and WME pipeline procedures.
    * How to Zero out your model (yes again.. but it is so important)
    * Installing and How to use the Panda Export Plugin for 3dsMax
    * Setting up a "Test" WME project to view your model in the game engine.
    * Fixing some common errors in viewing your models in WME
    * Getting your mesh perfectly setup and ready to start Rigging and Skinning

== Download == 
[[http://files.filefront.com/5of8+3DtoonWME+Tutp1rar/;10248227;/fileinfo.html|5.of.8_3DtoonWME_Tut_part1.rar - 100 Meg]]

--==MORE COMEING SOON==--

==== Animation ====

--==COMMING SOON==--

==== Exporting ====

--==COMMING SOON==--

==== Utilising finished resource in Wintermute Engine ====

--==COMMING SOON==--

===== FAQ =====

==== I can not seam to download the file? ====

These files are stored at filefront, a free file hosting site that gives you unlimited storage space and up to a gigabyte for each individual file. Due to this being a free service the servers are sometimes lagged out. When you click on the download link, it should automatically take you to the downloads page at filefront. If the file dose not download immediately then simply do not touch your browser, just leave it open on the download page and it should start in a short amount of time.

If filefront gives you a error message, just leave the window open, if you read the entire error message it will also say to leave the page open and it should automatically resend the download request, and soon start to download.

==== Ok I have downloaded one of the videos but i can not seam to play it? ====

These video files are built using the XviD codec. (A free open source video codec) If you try to watch the videos and only get sound and no picture then you will need to download and install the XviD binnary.

http://nic.dnsalias.com/xvid.html

==== Why did you use XviD? ====

I used Xvid as I am very familiar with this codec form other projects i have worked on and by using it I am able to reduce the file size of the final video and still retain a acceptable level of quality. If to many people are finding trouble seeing these videos I will add to this post the same files encoded in a different format, though the final file sizes may be larger. I will most probably use OGG as almost all wme developers will be using his video codec in there games.

==== I downloaded the file but i can not play this RAR file? ====

The videos are compressed even more using a archiving program similar to winzip. Winrar is a very good archiver and has shaved off 10-20 or so meg from each file at least. If you do not have the winrar program installed you will need to install it to unrar the AVI file from the rar container.

http://www.rarlab.com/

===== Goodbye =====

Well that is it I will update this page as needed and I hope you guys like it. I would appreciate any comments and constructive criticism.

Be excellent to each other and Party on Dudes
--Jyujinkai