Hello !
I've finally found a quick way to simulate cartoon outlines in FPSC. Surely this method does have its pros and cons, but still, it's a pretty versatile and effective method, I think.
I'm assuming that you know how to do import/export actions with Fragmotion and Milkshape 3D. Therefore, I will not detailing how to do it so in this tutorial.
Let's get started, shall we ?
This tutorial will allow you to apply black outlines to your weapons. At the end, you will obtain the same result than games like
Wrack,
Warsow or
Borderlands.
What you will need is :
Small knowledge about UVMapping
Milkshape 3D/any other 3D editing tool (I guess)
Fragmotion for export
First step, choose any weapon you would like to see "cartoonized" (I've chosen the Autoslug for this example ). Import its HUD.X into Fragmotion and then export it in the .MS3D format WITH THE ANIMATIONS.
Now open your brand new MS3D file with Milkshape 3D, then duplicate ALL groups that makes your weapon. Once you've done with that, scale it to 1,02 in the three dimensions (X, Y and Z ).
Why a value of 1,02, you may ask ?
That's because a value of 1,02 seems to be a pretty correct one, greater values will make your outlines to look enormous and lower ones will makes them too thin and barely visible.
Maybe it's dependent of the weapon but it's a perfect value for the Autoslug.
Now to the "funny" part.
Take your model's first duplicate group, and redefine its UV coords, you can put it anywhere on your texture layout but IT MUST BE a black zone of the texture.
Now do the same thing for the remaining duplicates.
You're done ? Good.
Now select all of your duplicates. Go to Face > Reverse Vertex Order. Enjoy the result. But we ain't totally done, yet.
Save your .MS3D file, then open Fragmotion and export it in the .X format and name it HUD.X. Just remember to keep the animations, genius. Then copy/paste it into your weapon folder.
Profit.
As I said earlier, while it's a decent method, it does have its flaws :
It seems that you can't use shader on weapons, the outline will make the weapon totally black.
It will only draw an outline at the edges of the model, the weapon's surface will require to do some texture editing.
The most dramatic : It doubles the polycount
I haven't tried for characters, but it should work fine, the contrary would be surprising.
EDIT, it works too.
Utinni !