Project 4: Advanced Computer Graphics: Building models using MED

• Before starting the software, make a rough sketch of the model that you would like to create.  It is most important to sketch the three-dimensional details rather than the coloring or detaiils.  Roughly set the proportions of the head, torso, legs, and arms in the sketch.  Try to demarcate important joints such as the wrist, shoulder, neck, waist, hip, knee, and ankle.  It will be important to have extra polygons at these joints to allow for deformation in animations.  Also, try to keep the ehight of the model around 100 quants. 
  
• A sample sketch is below:

Figure 1.  Rough sketch of model.

Running the Model Editor MED

• Make a directory ~/video/project4 in your home directory
• Run the model editor MED from the MOSAIC menu:
  
• 3dGamestudio->ModelEditor
• From the menu bar just place a cube as shown below using:
• MenuBar::CubeButton

Figure 2.  Just a cube placed.

• Save the file at this point (otherwise the next step may not work)
  
• File->Save ~/video/project3/game3/myModel1.mdl
• For now it is probably safest to keep default preference settings in MED.  At some later time, you may wish to experiment with different preference settings.  It may be convenient in editing to set 2D grid lines using MenuBar::File::Preferences  with VideoOut set to DrawOrigin, 2DGrid, GridAutoSize, GridLow=4, GridHigh=8. The 3D view is more easily seen without a grid.
• If the 3D view is too dark, right-click the 3D View, select GXLProperties, and adjust the Default Sun and Ambient
• Next, press the MenuBar::PositionButton, and zoom in on the cube.   
• Press the MenuBar::SelectButton to select the cube with the mouse, and press the MenuBar::MoveButton to center the cube on the origin.
  
•  Finally, press the SideBar::FitAllButton to readjust all views.  
• Then, use the mouse and coordinate readouts on the BottomBar of the MED window to see that the cube extends +/- 16 quants from the origin on all three axes.  
• The shading of the 3D view can be set with MenuBar::View::3DView::FlatShaded, or whatever shading is preferred.

• Follow the steps outlined in chapter 4 to design the model from scratch. 
  
• Begin with a single cube as outlined in the chapter, and extrude the cube.
  
• It would be wise to save backups as you proceed (i.e., myModel1bak1.mdl, myModel1bak2.mdl, etc.)
  
• After extrusion, deform the shapes to look like your sketch. 
  
• When you are satisfied that your half-body is finished, delete the faces along the line of ymmetry.  Your half-body should look like the figure below when it is ready to be welded.  Optionally, your half-body may include the head and neck.
  

Figure 3.  Extruded and half-body with polygons deleted and prepared for welding.

• Save a backup of the extrusion as shown in the above figure before welding.  Save this in a specially named file so that you can open it at a later time when a picture of this is required for your final report!
  
• Copy and mirror the half-body.
• Make sure that the normals ar pointing out for the original and mirror-image half-bodies before any welding.  Some versions may not have the showNormals command, but may have View::3Dview::DrwaBackfaces
  
• Position the two halves 2 quants apart, and weld the model together. 
  
• Extrude shoulders and neck.  It should look like the figure below (perhaps with a head if you chose to include it.)

• Attach a head following the procedures of chapter 4, if a head was not already extruded.
• Rotate the model so that it is in the proper orientation and facing in the correct direction.
  
• The final model should look like the figure below:

Figure 5.  Final model in correct orientation facing proper direction.

• When you have your final model:
  

• Run MenuBar::Tool::MeshTester, and record and report:
  
• Q1 The 3 numbers given: AllMeshes, Opened, Closed.
•  Run MenuBar::View::ModelProperties, and record and report the folowing for your model
• Q2 Number of vertices
  
• Q3 Number of faces
  
• Q4 Number of frames
• Start all over and create a simple model that consists of a single cube.
  
• Run MenuBar::File::ModelProperties, and record and report the following:
  
• Q5 Number of vertices
  
• Q6 Number of faces
• Q7 Number of frames
• Q8  How many faces and vertices are on a cube?
• Q9  How many triangles comprise each side of a cube?
• Q10  How many triangles comprise a cube?

• Make a copy of the game (containing the three cubes of increasing size) from the previous project in your project 3 directory.
  
• Copy your new model into the game directory.
  
• Add your new model to the project near the cubes using MenuBar::Object::LoadEntity, and place your new model near the player and near the 3 cubes as shown below.
  

Figure 6.  Model in placed in level for testing.

• Build and test the level. 
  
• Because the model is not yet completed, you will only see a silhouete of the model as shown below. 
  
• Save the game in your project 3 directory.

Copyright © 2005-2007 by Thomas Paul Weldon