Model Super-simple chain links

[The Asylum]

[EDITED! NEW SPEC IN BOLD]

So I'm in need of a really simple line of chain links.

You know, like this:

If possible (And not too much to ask), I'd like them to look a little slack, like this:

If not, then a simple straight line will do.

The length of entire chain I'll need is 240 Hammer Units (straight line- if you can do the slacked one, I'll need the total area spanned by the chain to be 240 Hammer Units), with each link about 4 Hammer Units wide. Or if you think everyone could benefit from smaller sections like 64 or 128 or whatever, that's cool, but I'd prefer just one long 240 HU chain. Also, please do not build in a collision mesh. I need players to be able to pass through this chain. <-- this is really important

Please and thanks in advance

 

[littleedge]

Fun Fact: If they built a collision mesh for it, you could TURN IT OFF with a couple clicks.

 

[Ida]

Just a tip - It might work with a custom texture and a move_rope.

 

[Penguin]

I think it probably could.

 

[The Asylum]

Just a tip - It might work with a custom texture and a move_rope.

You'd think so, but it doesn't. I've had many a headache trying to get a chain texture to work with move_rope. As soon as I run VRAD though, it screws up and looks horrible

 

[Ravidge]

Transparency and rope materials don't go well together. I was experimenting with that back in the swamp theme but it never worked out like you'd expect.

 

[Pc_Madness]

http://forums.tf2maps.net/geek/gars/images/4/4/artpassupdate1_reactor.jpg
Booj's artpass has a chainlink model. Pray that he'll share.

 

[Tapp]

I can make one, ridiculously easy, but to avoid overloading the file size of tf2 for everybody, I'd rather make more standard, usable sizes. Can you expand it to 256?
EDIT: Smacked this together in about 5 minutes. Is this about what you're looking for?

 

[The Asylum]

I suppose I could use it in 256, unless smaller units like 128 or 64 are somehow worse (I don't know a thing about modeling lol)

 

[Terr]

There are some times when you can make endcaps and have the center be repeated bit which is arbitrarily long... But I don't think this is one of those cases, because people will see that it doesn't "sag" enough and it will spoil the illusion.

 

[The Asylum]

I can make one, ridiculously easy, but to avoid overloading the file size of tf2 for everybody, I'd rather make more standard, usable sizes. Can you expand it to 256?
EDIT: Smacked this together in about 5 minutes. Is this about what you're looking for?

That's great, just without the posts.

 

[Tapp]

So, you're fine with 256 units?

 

[The Asylum]

So, you're fine with 256 units?

I can work with it, yeah. Whatever's best for you.

 

[The Asylum]

... I don't think he's coming back

 

[Tapp]

Oh yeah, this thing is as dead as workchoices. In fact, I'm suprised you necrobumped this. It's been a whole 4 days.

 

[Acumen]

imo that model is waaaaaayyyyyy too detailled for being a simple chain model in tf2.
these little bumps on every chain link does not edge tremendously to the polycount, it makes the chain look way to realistic combined with the texture, you're using.
i think you should get rid of all these bumps and make the texture very plain - similar to the railings - and add a similar shader then these railungs use. that way it'd be a simple, yet effective model.
that texture looks too blurry. again, a simple black/grey color choice would be perfect for such a prop.

 

[The Asylum]

imo that model is waaaaaayyyyyy too detailled for being a simple chain model in tf2.
these little bumps on every chain link does not edge tremendously to the polycount, it makes the chain look way to realistic combined with the texture, you're using.
i think you should get rid of all these bumps and make the texture very plain - similar to the railings - and add a similar shader then these railungs use. that way it'd be a simple, yet effective model.
that texture looks too blurry. again, a simple black/grey color choice would be perfect for such a prop.

This is what I was thinking. The chain links are only supposed to be 4 units wide, so putting that much detail in isn't neccesary. Sorry If this really screws you over Tapp, and I really appreciate you helping me out on this, but just simple rings will do for the links, and not those beautifully rendered ones.

 

[Terr]

You could always bake the details as bumpmaps to use on a much less-detailed mesh.

 

[Tapp]

I'm getting mixed opinions here. Is the detail screwing up the look of it, or do you think it's too costly?
EDIT:12920 without LODs and optimisation, rest assured significant culling WILL occur.

 

[The Asylum]

It's not the look per se I'm looking for, but if eliminating the ridges doesn't significantly whittle down the size, they'll be fine. What size am I looking at right now?