Final Examination    Up Before You Start Create Background Create Shark Mesh Create Texture Map Paint the Shark Test LOD0 Reduce Polygons Final Examination

 

Before you submit your model to There, we need to perform some final sanity checks on the model and create a catalog picture for it.

  • Make sure you use Remove Isolated Vertices in the Modify Pane to remove isolated vertices, if you haven't done so earlier.

  • For each level of detail, examine the wireframe of the shark in Face subobject selection mode.  Rotate the shark to examine every face.  Make sure edges created by gmax to divide polygons into triangles are created correctly.  If needed, use Turn in Edge subobject selection to rotate these edges within their bounding polygon.
  • Unhide LOD0 and LOD1.  Select LOD1.  In Vertex subobject selection, examine LOD1 to make sure it occupies roughly the same volume as LOD0.  Optimization sometimes reduces object volume slightly.  Also check LOD2 against LOD0.

  • Temporarily translate LOD0 and LOD2 in x-axis to show all three levels of details.  Compare textures of all three to make sure that you have mapped all three LODs consistently.  Remember to undo after you are done.

  • Go to the Display pane and uncheck Hide By Category | Helpers so that all objects are shown.  Then hide everything in viewport.  Now unhide the entire tree under mhc001hb_lightning (all three LODs).  Convince yourself that everything else is hidden using the Select By Name dialog.  Make sure that you only 'perceive' one root helper object, one driver object, etc.  Helper objects of all three LODs should overlap perfectly, so you shouldn't be able to see more than one copy.

  • File | Export this scene to Shark Model.model.

  • Load the model file into There Previewer.  You can switch back and forth between the three LODs in the previewer.  Use File | Properties to check the vertex count and the polygon count.  The previewer generates "Shark Texture 512_256.jpg.dds" from the jpeg file we painted.

  • Test your model in-world and take a few screenshots.  It is not easy to maneuver the hoverboard into a position that shows your avatar's face.  You need to jump and unlock trick mode, then turn to the side in mid air.  Then you press alt-print-screen to take a snapshot.  Go back to Paint Shop Pro and paste the clipboard content as an image and save it.

  • If you are tired of going back and forth between There and Paint Shop Pro, you can download Mad_Dugan's There_Capture utility. You can download it here.  It allows you to have a worry-free screen capturing spree.  You just keep pressing print-screen, and the utility saves pictures with serial numbers to a directory you specify beforehand.

  • Now we need to create a catalog picture for your hoverboard.  While you can use Previewer | File | Snapshot to create a catalog picture, I have found this to be sub-optimal.  I mean, who wants a generic grey background for a catalog?  Also we want to depict the shark slave board in action with its avatar master, lest customers mistake the hoverboard for a piece of garden decoration.

  • Select the best screenshot and use Photo Shop Pro to crop it to exactly 190 pixels wide and 135 pixels high.  You can also use resize to reduce an image to this size. This is the size There expects, when you submit your model.

  • You need to take time to think of a good name for your hoverboard.  This name, once submitted, will be forever associated with your model.  When you sell your model, this name is shown in the auction list.  You cannot change it, once your model is submitted.  The name should be brief yet descriptive.  Don't call the model 'Shark'.  Is it a whale shark?  Is it a hammer shark?  Don't just call it Great White Shark either.  If it is a hoverboard, let your users know.  I called my model 'Great White Shark Hoverboard'.

  • Think of a good description within the 200-character limit.  Again, this description will stick with your model forever.  Also include an URL, if you have a website.  The 190x135 catalog doesn't really do justice to the hoverboard you spent dozens of hours brewing.  You really want to direct potential customers to a website that contains more screenshots of your model from different angles.

Well, that's it.  Good luck with your submission!