Skinned Model Documentation

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This document describes how to create skinned (Character) model with proper collisions and export it to the Cry engine (for example forge bag, bow etc.)


Basic setup

Create geometry mesh, bones hierarchy and skin modifier as usual. Apply material as usual. Create dummy or point helper and link highest hierarchy bone to it. Collision primitives are not supported, so build proxy collision mesh using as low polycount as possible. Exporting node is not needed. See example of bow bellow.

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Here you can see hierarchy:

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Putting bones and collisions together

In order to make collisions work in engine, we need to attach collision meshes to the appropriate bones. Select bone, apply Edit poly modifier, choose Attach and attach collision mesh(es) to it. Then delete faces of the bone (conical mesh representing bone). Repeat until all the collision meshes are attached to proper bones.

 

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Duplicating hierarchy

Select complete bones hierarchy (maybe only bones with collision are enough) and duplicate it (and move somewhere next to the original hierarchy). Pick all the bones with collisions attached and change their name with suffix " phys". This is how we tell  the engine we need to physicalise these bones, i.e. turn them into collisions. 

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Exporting

We need to export model as character *.chr. For this purpose we use default CryENGINE exporter (not Warhorse exporter). In 3ds Max go to the Utilities tab, open CryENGINE3 Exporter and change export format to Character (*.chr). Pick bow mesh. By default, filename is inherited from the mesh name. Click Export Nodes to export.

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Check in engine

Run editor and open Character Editor (View -> Open view Pane -> Character Editor or via button at the top toolbar). In Character Editor, choose File -> Open and open your exported *.chr file. Make sure to check Display Physics in order to show collision proxies.

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Bounding box

In case of skinned character, bounding box is determined from the bounding box of all the bones together, not from the visual mesh! It might happend the bounding box of the bones is smaller than the bounding box of the visual mesh and in editor you can experience dissapearing of the model. To fix this, add "blank" bones to the opposite corners of the visual mesh bounding box (see small red bones bellow).

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