What can Source handle in terms of dynamics?

[IronWhim]

I'm working on a small mod for Source. I'm using Maya for the models and animation. I'm also doing normal mapping, because that's just cool stuff.

What I'm wondering is how to handle hair and cloth for the Source engine. Can it do soft and rigid bodies? Can it do cloth simulation? Do I just rig it all and animate it by hand?

I've got the models and rigs, but I'm struggling with how to do the hair and cloth as well as how to do things like corrective blend shapes. What I'd love would be a website with all of this written down.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks,
B :cheese:

 

[crackhead]

well theres no website with all this written down lol. as far as i know source cant handle that sorta stuff but i dont know for sure.

 

[Dekstar]

Well you could probably hand animate the hair to look dynamic, but I really doubt it is possible to make it dynamic, since looking through the game, everyone has short hair. It's probably a coding problem in Source that VALVe can't work around, so they gave everyone short hair.

 

[crackhead]

yeah. i dont personaly thing its that important. id expect your best bet is to animate it if you really want it.

 

[mindless_moder]

it isnt a coding problem ... its just that we currently lack the technology to use physics in such an extensive way . however some of the newer titles and engines like the ones for ps3 and xbox360 do have hair , cloth and even fluid dynamics. you could fake a majority of it with animation and ragdoll meshes. the matress in hl2 is a good example.

 

[crackhead]

anyone remember the nice cloth effects in hitman the original.

 

[mindless_moder]

yeah those were pretty cool but like i said it isnt actuall cloth its just a rag doll.

 

[crackhead]

i must ask what do you mindlessly mode?

 

[Mess]

FarCry had some nice cloth effects too. I think you need a new shader for cloth renders though.

 

[hungryduck]

the splinter cell series had some great cloth effects too...

 

[RabidJester]

And man oh man, Old Navy.