hi people,
I want ask you some questions to modelling new weapons for Deus Ex.

I've created a new weapon model as you can see the image below:


Now, I've seen DeusEx use three types of mesh for a single weapon: 1st Person View (classic FPS visual), but between "pickup" and "3rd visual" model, what is the exact difference?

And.... how I do animate this model in such a way that NPCs use the correct animations?

The 3rd person should have a lower polycount and texture size. But both should at least look like the same gun.

Also you need to get rid of the centre edge where you used the symmetry modifier.

Actually the 3rd person model and the pickup model don't need to be different. 3rd person is used for the weapon in the hands of NPC's, pickup is used when you find the weapon lying around in the world. In DX, I think Dave is right that the 3rd person model usually has lower polycount, but it's not really necessary - I think HDTP uses the same model for both.

You don't need to animate the weapon for NPC's, the animations are in the NPC meshes. You'll need to define some sort of node though, I think, to position it right in their hands. Somebody else will have to help you with that, as I know jack about it.

Oops, sorry I read that as the difference between 1st and 3rd. Um, well pickup and third don't need to be different - it's just how old engines used to do it. Half Life did the same, but in Source it's just one "World" model.

And HDTP is using different models for 1st/3rd Jonas. The first person models aren't complete (backfaces deleted and such to save texture space) so those can't be used. Problem is matching them up...the 3rd person sawed off shotgun looks nothing like the 1st person one I made

Yeah I know that. I was talking about 3rd person and pickup.

The only difference between 3rd and pickup is angle:

they're actually the same mesh, only imported using different parameters. The 3rd person is usually slightly angled upward, and also of course rotated 90 in 'roll' so it's not held as if it were lying flat on the ground.

It depends on what the weapon is. Check out the import classes for the original weapons for guidance.

And DaveW: we often DO use the same base mesh for first and third/pickup for the HDTP weapons, as in "make a weapon (3rd/pickup), then just add some hands and delete backfacing polys (first)" so what you see on the floor is the same as what you see in your hand.