Stupid ideas are my specialty. Here's one.

I write a lot of things I want to do. Some of them are ideas, some other are just assumptions, but I always share those with the only person I know who is very knowledgeable in both Source Engine and 3D stuff in general: LordAardvark.

In one of my latest stupid ideas, I was trying to find a way to connect help SFM users who got caught into the whole Windows 7 EOL thing (which personally, is surprising since it was announced like, 2 years prior) and were unable to install Windows 10.

My idea was simple:

If you can't install Win10, Win7 isn't just reliable for web browsing, so the choice is, to either install as much shit you can in Win7 and HOPE you don't get infected or a big vulnerability shows up. Or, you could install a Linux distro.

I did a real fast test which unfortunately I was unable to post because it was on the now dead drive, in which the render is the same, and there were only differences in lighting, which is only an issue if you use collab works.

This is a very long idea, so I will just point out what LordAardvark told me, even though I tried really hard for him to tell me it was a stupid idea: it's useful **only** if Linux is your daily driver.

Note: If you guys want to hear more about this stupid idea, let me know! I can share this dumb idea!

Now. This idea is not the one this whole post is about.

This post is about a particular command for the QC compilation: $maxverts x (where x is less or equal than 64000)

Oh my god a technical post... really?

Alright, hear me out. A lot of issues on Source Engine comes because of Model Culling. Model Culling happens when your model has +20,000 vertices. If it does, then the model is automatically cut in 20k vert pieces. This is so it can be compiled, however, this comes with a vast amount of issues, here's some of the most important:

- If the eyes are part of the main model, big chance Source Eyes will get borked.

- If a bodygroup has more than 20k verts, it also needs to get culled, however, this will cause an error and the model won't compile.

What $maxverts 64000 does is it won't cull any model UNDER 64000 vertices.

This should be good, right? Well. More or less.

More often than I'd like to admit... well, actually, if the model is not high poly (SFV or Spider-man, for example), I would artificially increase the poly number by using Subdivision Surface, which is a Mesh Modifier in Blender.

Subdivision Surface greatly increases the poly number at the price of losing some mesh details. Most of those details however, are not mesh related, are bump map related, so the subdivision doesn't take a big price on the models. This however, translates on almost <30k vert models (or more specific, heads.)

Clarification

What Subdivision Surface does, in very raw terms, is subdivide, and then smooth. If a model has rough edges, like a square, that square is going to look more round, losing roughness detail, however, if the model has round edges (or in this matter, round areas), that roundness is going to look more round, making round details, like abs, buttocks, or chest, look better because they are already round.

So, this is where my stupid idea begins.

Daz Figures + Genitalia mesh have a relatively high poly number. There's one issue though: this is not 100% truth. When you are designing your Figure in Daz Studio, by default, the software has a Subdivision Surface, which makes the model looks more rounder, thus making chest, buttocks, and even some muscle details look really, really good. But then you export it and you realize it's not close to that number.

If you use Subdivision Surface (SubSurf from now on) on the model while in Blender, I will get a more closer-to-Daz-looking Figure, but the poly count will spike up.

Using SubSurf on a Daz Figure will increase the poly model to more than 64k verts, or at least really close to that number.

So, here's when the stupidity hits:

I remembered the genitalia is stupidly high poly. You really don't need high poly in something you can barely see. I mean, you can't even make inside-shots on SFM with them.

I also remembered Daz's mouth is really detailed. They are high poly. And we don't need them.

I then remembered Daz's figure have fingernails and toenail meshes. While they are needed, what they don't need, is SubSurf.

Here's the issue though, if you were to use SubSurf in everything but the nails, there's a fat chance you are going to end up with nails out of place, and placing them in the right location is going to be a bitch.

This means, I would need to NOT apply SubSurf to the fingers. An issue still remains: the poly number is still high. So if I were to reduce it even further, I would need to reduce the areas it is going to get used on.

So I thought why not just using only on the area that covers neck, forearms and thighs?

If I where to make those changes, the model's details on her buttocks, thighs, chest and torso would make the model look better, but the poly price is going to be very high.

Now, before even someone asks, No. I am not adapting this method to future models. This idea is really bad because such poly increase is just unjustified.  

HOWEVER.

I know you guys very well. I truly do, and I know some of you guys want to see pics at the very least. So I decided to give you guys something better.

As I mentioned, the whole Practice Models thing is kinda over. Or so I thought, because of the current events, I don't want to push you guys to keep paying me for models, because currently, you really do need the money in more important things.

So, I thought I would use a Practice Model of someone I truly would love to see a model with, but it's kinda impossible because that part of the SFM scene is kinda ded, so... instead of giving you text and pics, I'm going to build a Practice Model with this fucking stupid idea. Why do I do this to myself lmao

Anyway, that's it for now. Please stay safe guys!