   How to properly plan a game model
  Hi there,I'm just working on some models for my game, which is meant to be a strategy game with quite high detail. Camera from above. Setting is the crusades.So... I've created most of my templar as a high detail version in ZBrush. Some besic mesh in Maya, too.At the moment, it looks like this: http://fux-media.com/3d/enw/templar.pngNow my question is how I will go on?Which is the best way to plan my character. The possibilities I can think of are:Create a low poly model, consisting of one piece of architecture and try to project the geometry of my actual model on it?Or shall I create low poly models of every single piece of equipment (pants, body/arms, gloves, shoes, belt, helmet, etc.)What makes more sense? Divide my model into many parts? Is it easy to rig them onto a bone-skeleton afterwards? Or make one single piece of 3d-architecture of it?Thanks for help in advance,cheers,Felix   
  Make one rigged lowPoly charchter with all equipments (items can overlap).Use vertex/texture alpha to control visibility of optional equipment sets./edithmm... now that I have read your question...If you asked should you make charachter with one mesh or constructed from multible meshes. Let`s calculate rendering scenario (200 creatures * 7 meshparts = 1400 meshes == not good) too meny little objects to render.One lowPoly mesh with all parts combined is best for rendering, but if you do littlebit of Maya magic you can leave combining of parts to last operation, and work in Maya with separate parts./Tyrian[Edited by - TyrianFin on May 20, 2009 2:19:44 AM];  Okay, thanks for the quick reply, that makes me think further.I think it's important what kind of a game I want to create. As I'm doing a strategy game, where the units are NOT modular, so I can't change clothing and stuff, so I think it's better to do it out of one single mesh, right?That's what I'm doing right now.If I'd develop a role playing game, where I could switch items it would not make sense to create dozens of characters for all clothing combinations ;)Well, but I think I will do it in one piece. I think I can manage to build the whole model including shield and sword out of 2000-2500 polygong (triangles) which is quite okay, as it still leaves space for very high detail....Do you comply?   ;  Yes.It makes sense. :)/Tyrian   ;  This isn't pertinent to the question you asked, but your Templar model's proportions look a bit off to me. It looks a bit like you made a naked mesh, applied armor textures to the limbs, and put a tunic and helmet on. The thing is, the armor on the limbs takes up quite a bit of space; his arms and legs should be thicker. Either that, or the helmet should be smaller; compared to the rest of his body, it looks huge. A rough estimate puts him at 5 heads tall. Looks like a nice model, though.   ;  Yeah it was kind of so... I constructed the arm armor from a naked mesh, but I inflated it a bit.. but you were right, the great helm was definitely too large. I already found that out when applying a real head to the model.Therefor, I changed the size of the great helm and it looks better.I mean, those great helms WERE really huge, but not that huge... here, look at how it looks now:http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs44/i/2009/141/c/8/Turntable___Templar_I_by_Ephiarsis.jpgThanks for the hint though.   