I'll tell you:
Read it all. It'll benefit you, I think.
I have handled anim8or also (man what I have not handled, lol... ;) )
first...about animation, but u can't export animation other than isolated frames that u can convert later on as full piece keyframes into md2 or md3 (with npherno compiler and other tools...) , so u can load in blitz.
oh, milkshape...no weights, that is only 100% or 0% weight...but extra bones can tweak it , doing accomodation, specially as this is low , low poly...and there u have b3dexport. Yep, I suppose that's what u do.
anyway, anin 0.9 beta2 you have weights per vertex I think.
(for the , for exaple, md2 route. Can't remeber now if importing simple 3ds files in quake modeller, and compiling to md2, and do the uv mapping and texturing in NTS mapper,would do the job...maybe yes.Seems, md2 is a way to go with rts games in blitz, anyway.)
oops, smooth groups...forgetting..
well, u just double click in the object, and in properties that appear, u have "smooth angle" .Usually a value of 60, 75, 80 will do the deal. For sharpy objects, maybe 45.
Anywaysm the smooth info is killed a bit once compiled the md2: that is...you need later on to plane VERY well the uv mapping...md2 and md3 CAN't deal a vertex with two UV coords, and that happens in every uv vertex in the contour of an uv mapping area (ie, the face) .So, what it does, is it break there the mesh, duplicating the vertices there.
The result is like an unwanted smooth groups sharp edge. A cut in smoothing. Like if u had an edge in the middle of the face or something.
Only deal for this, is hid well the uv borders.How you do this? In lithunwrap, or whatever you use (NTS mapper is quite good, too, just people don't know such an ancient tool) you make theuv island (chunk) so that the selection you make for , for example , the human face, have its limits in somewhere:
-a) not seen. (like below the head, just in the union neck-head)
-b ) coincident witha real border: ie, where the hair starts and joins the face ;)
-c ) wehre due to nature of texture would be less noticed, like in back of head.
or all together ;)
Anyway, if u can rebuild normals inside of blitz, but FOR AN MD2, then, don't mess with it...only that Anim8or's normals will (smooth angle) will let you expect WAY better how it's gonna be seen once smooth.It's essential in games. U model an dedit depending totally on that.
Anyway, for an md2, is yet important this what i tell you of hiding UV borders, as I expect any engine will output the problem, as is a format limit.
md3 also. (anyway, for rts, md3 is surely much more slower.seems md2 is the perfect for your game)
Also, *.3ds files DO have this problem too. So, if conversions are to be done in 3ds, take in consideration mor elikely the smoothing info will have anyway those cuts...That is, probably it will unweld already in export.U can fix for example in Milkshape with menu Vertex/"weld together". I suppose Milkshape has md2 export. If so, u could tweak it there, as though not having goood weights, u can bone animate, and probably tweak the vertices, and then export the animation: I think if I remeber well in a mod I was the guys used to tweak vertices once bone animated, as the UT format *.3d (yep, without the s) is vertes animation, like md2. Surely allows this, avoiding the non weights weirdiness of milkshape.
Perhaps that one is ur easier (by far!) route. If possible what I am telling in milkshape. And if u prefer to model in anim8or, just export the model in whatever the format, (OBJ is WAY better, and the milkshape importer is very good) , uv map the obj in lithunwrap 1.3 (is quite better than Milkshape uv mapping) , export again as OBJ , import the obj into Milkshape. You can do there the vertex weld if see some cuts. I use to do even(in whatever the package) if I don't see them, for security.(milkshape does it only with coincident vertices, REALLY good feature...as then joins only the duplicated in 3ds or md2 export)
You can add smooth groups in Milskhape. In Anim8or (haven't digged much the latest beta2 of 0.9, and downloading now -out of curiosity- the beta 3) the smooth angle is just autosmooth value: It just puts the hard edges for you there where an angle is more narrow than the value you did set: very angled faces will have the crease. So when u u want face smooth, don't make sharp angles.
The other way gives much more control.In Wings3d is hard edges.But OBJ wings exporter seems not to export well those.But luckily you have some for of this in Milkshape. You make smooth groups: groups of faces that are continuous and smooth.It only puts a sharp edge in the contours of the selection you make :)
Is now being discused to add this feature to Blender.
So, your path Anim8or-lith-milkshape (I'm 99% sure it exports nice md2) should find not a single problem :)
PS: models are very good fo rthat count :)
Read it all. It'll benefit you, I think.
I have handled anim8or also (man what I have not handled, lol... ;) )
first...about animation, but u can't export animation other than isolated frames that u can convert later on as full piece keyframes into md2 or md3 (with npherno compiler and other tools...) , so u can load in blitz.
oh, milkshape...no weights, that is only 100% or 0% weight...but extra bones can tweak it , doing accomodation, specially as this is low , low poly...and there u have b3dexport. Yep, I suppose that's what u do.
anyway, anin 0.9 beta2 you have weights per vertex I think.
(for the , for exaple, md2 route. Can't remeber now if importing simple 3ds files in quake modeller, and compiling to md2, and do the uv mapping and texturing in NTS mapper,would do the job...maybe yes.Seems, md2 is a way to go with rts games in blitz, anyway.)
oops, smooth groups...forgetting..
well, u just double click in the object, and in properties that appear, u have "smooth angle" .Usually a value of 60, 75, 80 will do the deal. For sharpy objects, maybe 45.
Anywaysm the smooth info is killed a bit once compiled the md2: that is...you need later on to plane VERY well the uv mapping...md2 and md3 CAN't deal a vertex with two UV coords, and that happens in every uv vertex in the contour of an uv mapping area (ie, the face) .So, what it does, is it break there the mesh, duplicating the vertices there.
The result is like an unwanted smooth groups sharp edge. A cut in smoothing. Like if u had an edge in the middle of the face or something.
Only deal for this, is hid well the uv borders.How you do this? In lithunwrap, or whatever you use (NTS mapper is quite good, too, just people don't know such an ancient tool) you make theuv island (chunk) so that the selection you make for , for example , the human face, have its limits in somewhere:
-a) not seen. (like below the head, just in the union neck-head)
-b ) coincident witha real border: ie, where the hair starts and joins the face ;)
-c ) wehre due to nature of texture would be less noticed, like in back of head.
or all together ;)
Anyway, if u can rebuild normals inside of blitz, but FOR AN MD2, then, don't mess with it...only that Anim8or's normals will (smooth angle) will let you expect WAY better how it's gonna be seen once smooth.It's essential in games. U model an dedit depending totally on that.
Anyway, for an md2, is yet important this what i tell you of hiding UV borders, as I expect any engine will output the problem, as is a format limit.
md3 also. (anyway, for rts, md3 is surely much more slower.seems md2 is the perfect for your game)
Also, *.3ds files DO have this problem too. So, if conversions are to be done in 3ds, take in consideration mor elikely the smoothing info will have anyway those cuts...That is, probably it will unweld already in export.U can fix for example in Milkshape with menu Vertex/"weld together". I suppose Milkshape has md2 export. If so, u could tweak it there, as though not having goood weights, u can bone animate, and probably tweak the vertices, and then export the animation: I think if I remeber well in a mod I was the guys used to tweak vertices once bone animated, as the UT format *.3d (yep, without the s) is vertes animation, like md2. Surely allows this, avoiding the non weights weirdiness of milkshape.
Perhaps that one is ur easier (by far!) route. If possible what I am telling in milkshape. And if u prefer to model in anim8or, just export the model in whatever the format, (OBJ is WAY better, and the milkshape importer is very good) , uv map the obj in lithunwrap 1.3 (is quite better than Milkshape uv mapping) , export again as OBJ , import the obj into Milkshape. You can do there the vertex weld if see some cuts. I use to do even(in whatever the package) if I don't see them, for security.(milkshape does it only with coincident vertices, REALLY good feature...as then joins only the duplicated in 3ds or md2 export)
You can add smooth groups in Milskhape. In Anim8or (haven't digged much the latest beta2 of 0.9, and downloading now -out of curiosity- the beta 3) the smooth angle is just autosmooth value: It just puts the hard edges for you there where an angle is more narrow than the value you did set: very angled faces will have the crease. So when u u want face smooth, don't make sharp angles.
The other way gives much more control.In Wings3d is hard edges.But OBJ wings exporter seems not to export well those.But luckily you have some for of this in Milkshape. You make smooth groups: groups of faces that are continuous and smooth.It only puts a sharp edge in the contours of the selection you make :)
Is now being discused to add this feature to Blender.
So, your path Anim8or-lith-milkshape (I'm 99% sure it exports nice md2) should find not a single problem :)
PS: models are very good fo rthat count :)