Spring RTS Engine

Finished Core Raider light tank with Animated tracks and wheels.

456 triangles on these renders, and the dimensions of the unit match up with the original OTA raider model.

Credits
Mr.D | Model & textures
Rattle | Editing & putting the Script together.

All ready for action, enjoy guys.

**Scripted and ready for in-game use**
http://rattle.from-hell.net/spring/mode ... orraid.zip

Doesn't have the same flare as last two

I like it. The turret makes up for lack of detail on the body.

im not sure if i like this.. i loved the other two models you have done.. mabye its a lack of change? or mabye a lack of detail on the body.. im not quite sure

It's a work in progress folks.

I agree; I also think there is more room for interest on the tracks.

Best mesh yet.

Or how about this?
better/worse?
488 triangles

This to me feels much more like a Core unit, and less of a racecar

why is the completely flat tank tread side made up of tons of unnecessary polys?

the wheels can just be part of the texture, and they will be round instead of octagons

It's either for easier skinning or simple animations, then I'd use squares and transparency instead.

Only track object.
10 edge cylinder w/ caps = 36 triangles per track x2 tracks (left/right)= 72 triangles.

Additional wheel cap objects.
8 edge cap = 6 triangles x2 (left/right) = 12 triangles x3 wheel positions = 36

10 edge cap = 8 triangles x2 (left/right) = 16 x2 wheel positions = 32

Flat side tracks with no wheels (only 4 frame texture animation which will be jerky for the wheels) = 72 trianglestriangles

Flat tracks with 10 wheel caps (smooth wheel animation / 4 frame tread animation) = 140 triangles

ok, so If I use the track model, and paint wheels which will have a maximum of 4 frames for the animation, it will be jerky and not smooth, costs 72 triangles total for animated tracks using a 10 sided cylinder per track.

If I use cylinder caps placed on the side, each wheel cap can then be smoothly animated and turned so they actually look like real wheels, it adds 68 triangles for wheel caps to the existing 72 for tracks which = 140 triangles total for the animated tracks with smooth rotating wheels.

I tried using flat sided Tracks with no wheels on the Instigator, and you couldn't even tell the wheels were turning at 4 frames per cycle on animation, and it totally negated adding in the animated tracks/wheels via texture, but it was necessary because its soposed to be lowest poly of the vehicles.

I'm just experimenting still to try and get the smoothest animation possible with animated wheels and tracks.

The idea of using squares actually sounds like a great idea, I can reduce a good # of triangles if I use that method, I'll give it a shot :D

*edit*
cool, using planes instead of cylinders brought the total cost from 68 down to 20 making a total of "92" instead of 140.

I'd recommend against cubes, maybe hexagons though. Players with reflectivity turned off also have alpha turned off, so they'll see the entirety of the square instead of the nice circle. If you use hexagons/octagons, you can still have the nice alpha wheel for higher-end users, but with a workable texture in the alpha-ed out zone, it won't look entirely bad for lower-end users.

I'm used to making models with thousands of Triangles, not hundreds though, and I tend to forget that a penny saved is a penny earned.. especially in the case of dozens of units on screen at 1 time.

Total is now 426 with tracks + wheel objects (square wheels )

I liked the First version you posted better

I think the asymmetrical chassis looks a little odd, but both tanks are very nice.

I think I prefer the first one's turret, though I do like it non-smoothed, seems more core-like.

Yeah the first turret base had something.

I liked the turret mounting piece on the first model alot better... I think the first model would have turned out better after texturing.

Also, asymetric chassis work well when the turret isn't symmetric either (IMO), your Instigator is the living proof.

Ok, well after all the comments, here is what I'm going to use for the final model, it should be a good compromise, so I'm going to start unwrapping it and working on the texture.
440 triangles, the collar and cutout turret added in a few triangles, I hid the wheels so they don't distract

here goes

thats looking good :) better than the first post.. still not quite as good as your other two models tho