how to know when a model of a weapon*from reach* is port (rip) or create by a person? thanks in advance =D

reach models have a PERFECT triangulation that almost no one can do, and are usually very high poly with no wasted faces.
And the unwrap matches the texture perfectly...
Why to ask this ? I think it's obvious

"reach models have a PERFECT triangulation that almost no one can do" - What?...

"usually very high poly with no wasted faces" - They are not really that highpoly... They are normal for current game engines and how do you know there are no wasted faces?

"unwrap matches the texture perfectly" - That is true, unless someone is sad enough to spend days replicating the exact same unwrap to the accuracy.

Just simply look for the persons other models, if there ain't any or they are not at the same quality, if of course someone is claiming they have made it.

No
Look for Halo Reach shotgun model (~11300 faces)


There are worse !

The reach engine can really handle polygons. Just looking at a scene in a game, could be millions of polygons. This is okay though, the engine was such an improvement from Halo 3, that they didn't have to worry about major optimization.

Yes, but that uses the resource.

Look for the cowl of magazine (reach shotgun model).
I économised 344 faces, just for the cowl of magazine.
Imagine for all weapons of the map, and the objects, the vehicle...

I believe that halo reach's models had those extra faces to make their smoothing groups pretty without bump maps, ala the image below:
top is optimized, bottom is extra triangulation

there could be other reasons for the extra triangles, but I think that smoothing groups is the most likely explanation for it. otherwise, bungie no care about crashes

in other words, if you can smooth the model by 180 degrees and it still looks good, than it is probably reach rips. there are probably exceptions and I could be totally wrong, but there is my hypothesis.
Edited by master noob on Nov 13, 2012 at 09:53 PM

That is exactly right. They depended less on normal maps and added in rounded edges.

I had not thought to smoothing groups. Thx.


The extruding is another hypothesis.

1. "Extrude".
2. Moves vertex to draw a shape.
3. The extruding create new edge.


I have optimized, my smoothing groups is good:


I remove all unused edge.
And just create contour line for perfect smooth.

Make it shine and we'll see... Anyways what I meant with perfect triangulation is that it doesnt affects the smoothing at all and is still coherent.

I dont need to spend time making nice drawings proving others people are wrong and I'm superior.

They have them extra edges for smoothing and to bake out better normal maps, long triangles should always be avoided.