RPG project (Ionic Blender) - asking for some workflow advices

[Chifret]

Hi folks,

I'm new to BabylonJS and well, also new to 3D...  I'm only an Angular developer fascinated by paper game designing and recent web browser capabilities.
So...  With a small bunch of friends, we're intending to build some kind of MMO-like with off-beat actions.  On our evening post-job time.
But none of us is from the 3D or game industry, and we're lacking knowledge on that point.  We know it's quite ambitious, we already accepted the fact the project may go wrong on every step...
Then I'm here, to ask some councils, guidance, or orientation to build a capable workflow.

Some context
Blender
Having a (very) little experience with Blender, we went for it.  The Blender export tool does the job.
Cell shading
We're using cell shading on the whole scene, applying only an ink effect as texture (black/white gif), highlighting the contrasts.  The output is really decent at our point of view, and rather costless.

Here are the point we can't deal with :

Ambient textures
StandardMaterial allows an ambiantResource.  CellMaterial does not.
I know we can't have it all, but we're looking for a soft "paper" effect on every single mesh, which that functionality does superbly.  
We can accomplish it by using that effect on the texture itself, but it has then a really higher weight, which is bad.
It's not a real drama if that could not, but maybe someone has an idea :)

Multi "multiply" textures
As I said, we're only using an ink layer as texture.  But that's not all.
Although we're not planning to use this functionality since the beginning, we would like to allow the possibility to add dye to pieces of stuff.  
Under Blender, that's simple : multiply would allow us to one or two layers UNDER the black ink highlight one.  But it is exported as one texture, resulting in the need of having a high quantity of textures (because having many dye colors) and more heavy (maving 4 colors instead of two).  
Any ideas how to accomplish that "the good way", keeping on low resource costs ?

Pieces of stuff
Here it becomes more complex.  Well, for us at least.  It may sounds trivial to someone used to that industry...
Of course, as in any RPG, we'll have stuff to equip.
Every piece of stuff should have its own texture, ideally apart from the main mesh.
And every piece of stuff should be rigged to the main skeleton, for animation purpose.
We have absolutely no idea how to have that done from Blender to BabylonJS...

Bone attachment
Deeper in the previous point ; weapons and shoulder pads could be totally independent pieces added to a given bone of the main mesh, I suppose that's no big deal.
However, we'll have four races of characters, but all of them would have the same body anatomy.  I'm thinking of using the same "headless" body, on which we'll attach a "racial head".
How about animations then ?  We'll have to instruct both the body and the head the required animations, right ?
I think that's nothing infeasible, but we're not far enough at this point to face the fact it is possible or not.  And having a anticipated confirmation of it would save us much time.

That's all I think about at the moment.
Thank you all in advance for your guidance !  It will be much welcome.

 

Chifret

[Guest]

Hello I guess you are on the wrong sub forum as this one is dedicated to announce released projects:)

I  moved it for you:)

[Guest]

Regarding your cell material: I think the best way will be to start from the cell shader and add the features you want. Perhaps people here may want to help

i recommend reading this in the meantime: https://www.eternalcoding.com/?p=113

for equipment, you can use the attachToBone api: https://www.babylonjs-playground.com/#11BH6Z#18

 

[Chifret]

Aye, sorry for the wrong place!

I currently use the CellMaterial as it is, having too little time to go deep into shaders (despite the fact I fint that quite attracting; priorities are elsewhere).  As it match the requirements perfectly, too bad for the cherry on the top (the ambiantResource that comes from StandardMaterial).

I already gave a look to the attachToBone, but I'm feeling insecure about items that could deform "with" the base body (such as pants, let's say). 
I later thought about storing them into the base body, and juste "activating" them when needed, but I don't know if that's a good idea/practice.
That may sound stupid I know, but I don't know nothing at all about a regular workflow

Thank you for the help, much appreciated !

[Guest]

With pleasure