An idea for modelling aircraft and other models.

[first-things-first]

Hi all

Not sure if this has been said before. Sorry if it has :oops:

When modelling aircraft or any other object, I understand that you need to create the LODs and then the damage models, amongst others.

My idea would be to just have one very high fidelity model - maybe even better than the specs (for future proofing - see later in post).

You would set up all the actions - gears, flaps, etc. plus set up the materials, etc. - canvas, wood, metal, etc. for each part. Plus all the other bits needed - fuel, hydraulic systems, etc.

The game/simulation engine would then take care of the damage modelling (as it knows the material that has been hit or broken, etc.) as well as scaling the model for viewing distance.

The modellers work would then be reduced as there is just one model not multiple ones (I would hope it would mean less work - am not a modeller).

The extra burden would be on the game/simulation engine to do the extra "physics" work. If course this extra work would then apply to all models not just this one.

A benefit would be in future when you upgrade effects for damage modelling, etc. the model does not need to change as this is dynamic. The model then takes advantage of the new effects without change.

Having the model at higher than needed fidelity would mean they would scale as the engine scales - more polygons, etc.

What do you think?

Regards

Andrew

[Dano]

I think I want to play something that runs at more than .05 fps.

[AndyJWest]

What do you think?
I think anyone who could create software to do all that would be working in a more lucrative field than PC air-combat simulation.

It isn't a totally ridiculous idea, as far as producing multiple LODs goes - it wouldn't need to be done in real time, and in fact needn't be part of the game engine at all. Modelling the DM real-time to the level of detail described looks just impossible though. Maybe the hardware to do this will arrive someday, but I wouldn't hold your breath...

[first-things-first]

Thanks for your thoughts.

Maybe getting carried away with the power of GPU's and CPU's.

Not quite at the point where we all have server farms :)

And Gmax realtime v99 - coming in 2100!

@AndyJWest - You are right - I suppose the idea came from thinking what an effort to produce the same model (I know the complexity is different in each case) multiple times when you would hope you could just scale the original to a degree.

Cheers

Andrew

[Mysticpuma]

Saying that, I do hope that in BoB the LOD will be increased so that there is much-less of the LOD popping effect, where one minute you see an aircraft, then it 'pops' into a blocky version as it moves to the lower LOD level. If the distance was doubled from it's current version, I think that would more than suffice, but currently....it's nasty!

[K_Freddie]

I sent Oleg (Well! I think he got the email) of a very simple damage system where you can scale the damage resolution down to 1cm with no cpu load increase compared to 10cm, or larger scales.
Not only that, if a shell hits a hole in the a/c, it passes through...

Hope he got the email
:grin: