Authentic Model Improvement

[Tea Monster]

If OSJ has fixed the old one to work, then I don't mind you using that one. If it would be better, I can use the original artwork skin.

EDIT: Like this:

[NightFright]

Ingame, the skin looks too blurry. It has to be 256x256, apparently - otherwise it's missing the pixellated look, even without texture filtering.

This is a totally new skin again, so OSJ needs to apply his magic once more.

[Tea Monster]

I redid the uv map on the wizard head to get a cleaner skin. hwizard2.zip

I've not messed with classic MDL's and PAK files since Q1 came out originally, otherwise I'd test it in game. I've got a pak explorer and copy of qME.

EDIT: So, does the game automatically upscale the texture to the original size?

[NightFright]

Not asked, but hoped for it. Yepp, that's pretty much it. Finally that missing part is done, too!
All this might just be enough to justify another release before the holidays.

[osjclatchford]

I know noone asked me to, but I gave it a shot at reskining this model: https://www.mediafire.com/file/bjoqg..._head.zip/file

pic: https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/8a...vg8mgzeizg.jpg

its not perfect, I know. I wanted a smoother transition between the gore and the flesh, but in my defence this model/skin is a bit of a bast to work on for some reason... I found adding more gore to 'edges' obscured too much face detail and was a nightmare to get it to match along the front/back "seam". its quite skewy and stretchy in there so I had to compromise a bit to get it to look anything at all...
I think its the odd skin size. with resizing and upscaling affecting the look of the resolution and consistancy of the whole thing.
why not just use a smaller skin? i dunno. I would have...

so I simply worked small and then 'cleanly' scaled it up.
this way, the res of skin on this head matches the res of the skin on the scrag model. to a fashion. which is much better.

so this is +/- the best I can manage on this'un.
model is still miles better than the vanilla model by a long shot... and Its got the classic bloody left-eye as it should have, thats got to count for something.

[NightFright]

It's better. However, it seems you are using a 64x64 image which is then upscaled to fit the 256x256 skin for the model, which makes it really blurry. I tried resizing the skin by myself in GIMP, but ended up with a texture that produces fullbright pixels all over the place when applied to the model. Maybe you can provide a native 256x256 skin with correct palette colors? (There's also a white pixel that probably shouldn't be there.)

(On a side note, the "Gib Blood" model flag is missing, but I can fix that with my tools.)

[Tea Monster]

I've fixed some flipped normals and included the Quake-pal as pcx and bmp h_wizard.zip

[NightFright]

I haven't tested it yet, but if the skin is external, it's indeed better, if not even needed, to embed it in the mdl. All Quake models work like that and we have to keep it that way, also since there are ports that don't support it. Skin must be 8-Bit BMP in the original Quake palette, no 24-/32-Bit stuff with PNG or other formats.

[osjclatchford]

good,
damn good but there's no skin in the mdl file. making it unusable in quakespasm.
...afaik anyway...

[Tea Monster]

I've cut of the wizard model's head. See if it works.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8s89sn6eo0...izard.zip?dl=0

[osjclatchford]

no worries man! thats the thing with long-term WIP mods. it just goes on forever and you never know whats gonna inspire you next.
in truth it was using the model in arcane dimensions and seeing it against the sock(?) ogres in foggy bog bottom and i knew i had to get the chainsaw to match a little more... hadn't even noticed till then!
but more than happy to call it on this one now...

...at least until we get the capnbubs one... (yeah I know, pipe dream. but I can dream on if I wanna...)

still cant get over that file compression ratio, its amazing!
guess it shows how much qme is showing its age these days...

[NightFright]

You do make a compelling argument here. Even if it's just for the chainsaw alone, it's worth including this already. As usual, I am deleting skin #3 and will compress the model with QuarK since it'll shrink from 2 MB to 0.6 MB that way. Other than that - great work (again)!

[osjclatchford]

sad ro hear theres more doe compatibility issues.
this is always the issue trying to get mission pack compatibiity with new models. its always gonna be a bit tricky. we'll get there eventually Im sure...
a bit like this ogre.

I took on what you said. the current one is great. (I put quite a bit of work into getting it great too LOL) but the lure of the nostalgic id1 details is definately strong. as such ive made a final(?) edit to the the current skin to get the chainsaw to look MUCH more faithful:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/zv8vn...FINAL.zip/file
this pic: https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/7e...larttwr4zg.jpg shows what Ive done to get the chainsaw to look right. using parts from the original and arcane dimensions skins Ive managed to get that brown grip and fleshy/bloody brown blade colourscheme from the original. tricky to get to look good on the chillo saw model as its obviously higher poly than the id model and even the ad model. as such its a good compromise between the two. all the colour and detail but with the increased poly-form...
shant be doing more to this now...

wasnt going too before, but its like what you said about that ssg edit. once you see it you cant understand how you did without it! funy how some details stick in some memories more than other details in other's memories...
it creates an almost rigid, unshakable need for specific details to make it faithfull for some but is easily overlooked by others... funny thing but not unexpected. nor easy to please all...

[NightFright]

Well, the ogre that's in the pack is really good, so it's hard to top it off. You can still try, but I am not sure if the chances are high for it to make it into the pack. After all, skin deviations are possible without losing faithfulness, as demonstrated impressively with Skiffy's Shambler. But yeah, nothing would beat that Capnbubs model still, after all these years...

I have found that DoE has a cloned zombie.mdl. At first I thought it's identical with the id1 model, but then I realized they added about 10 frames to the cruc_ animation (to add a case where crucified zombies turn themselves loose from their crosses). If we had those extra frames on the Chillo model, it could also be used in DoE. Also, the mummy uses the same mesh as zombie.mdl, but with edited skin (bandages). Chillo's skin is very different from the id1 model, otherwise the original DoE skin could have been used.
Then, the Minotaur statue and its head. Both use the Death Knight model, just different skin. Also still a replacement candidate since it's a pure reskin job. Sadly again, Chillo made an entirely different skin for that knight, so the one from the DoE statue won't fit.

[osjclatchford]

hes only released a few induvidual voxels for blood, but i dont own, nor have ever played blood so ive no first hand experiance of the sprites to be a fair judge.
the doom ones are great but I still prefer the sprites. cant say why...

Anyway

SO, good/rather intersting news. I managed to find an old copy of chillo's beta version of the ogre model off and old external HDD I was perusing.

I felt sure I'd DL-ed this back before I was properly into the 'authentic' and 'faithfull' stuff.
back then I was all dewy-eyed for the DP engine and highres content like reforged etc...
(funny I now find that stuff abhorrent, LOL)
I had seen it in a vid someone had forwarded me and DL-ed it and stored it as it was 'rather interesting' but not highres so I simply dismissed it at the time!
the machine I previously owned burned out about 7/8 years ago now but thankfully I DID have a backup!
anyway, I digress.

its the same model we are currently using in the pack.
However, THIS beta skin is +/- about as faithfull as it can get as it actually uses, like, over 80 or 90% of the original skin!
https://www.mediafire.com/file/mnkgh..._plus.zip/file
this file has the model with lots of skins in the file so you can see them all together when viewing as usual.

however, if you're feeling impatient here is a screenie for you...
https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/aa...kmqpsqutzg.jpg
top pic is the 100% beta one, bottom pic is the current skin we use, with the chainsaw blade from the beta one...

looking again at the beta one against the one we use now, theres a hell of a seam front-to-back when looking side on on this beta. I could probably iron this out if wanted though...
just let me know and i can give it a shot

I WAS personally using my 'compromise' skin (+/- the one currently in the pack) for regular quake one play/maps, because it is better quality but I was using this beta skin when playing arcane dimensions as it helps the ogre model bled-in with the armoured/hammer/fishing ogres in AD better as they too use variants on the original id1 skin, but you know that...
then, I did have to nick the classic coloured saw-blade and put it on my 'compromise' skin though. as once Id seen it on the beta one I then felt that was sorely missing on my one...
thats now what Im using...

I've no idea what you'll think of this, better or not, as I do know you're getting a bit bored/burnt-out with this project, but I just knew you'd have to see this and I would feel remiss if I did not share it with you...

its kinda like the capnbubs one really, better model but same old skin.
just as it is with the soldier.mdl an lunerans knight.mdl!
in truth,, even though its a bit blurry, its a better match for the original specification of this project but I'll leave it up to you to discern whether this supercedes the one we currently use...

*edit*
oh and I found an animation of capnbubs model: https://i.warosu.org/data/vr/img/002...2318964663.gif
god that still looks so good...

if only eh?