$bodygroup
$bodygroup
is a QC command available in all Source games. It defines a group of meshes that can be turned on or off, or changed entirely. Server code can change their state.
Example
This body group allows a weapon to have iron sights, laser sights, or no sights at all:
$bodygroup sights
{
studio "ironsights"
studio "laser_dot"
blank
}
This body group defines the entire chest region of the model, which spans multiple bones:
$bodygroup chest
{
studio "chest_with_no_armor"
studio "chest_with_light_armor"
studio "chest_with_heavy_armor"
studio "chest_with_super_armor"
}
Bodygroups in Level of Detail Meshes
Using Level of Detail meshes - especially for high-poly geometry - is highly recommended. Body groups can be used in $lod
strings in the same method as normal geometry meshes:
$lod 12
{
replacemodel "chest_with_no_armor" "chest_with_no_armor_lod1"
replacemodel "chest_with_light_armor" "chest_with_light_armor_lod1"
replacemodel "chest_with_heavy_armor" "chest_with_heavy_armor_lod1"
replacemodel "chest_with_super_armor" "chest_with_super_armor_lod1"
}
$lod 18
{
replacemodel "chest_with_no_armor" "chest_with_no_armor_lod2"
replacemodel "chest_with_light_armor" "chest_with_light_armor_lod2"
replacemodel "chest_with_heavy_armor" "chest_with_heavy_armor_lod2"
replacemodel "chest_with_super_armor" "chest_with_super_armor_lod2"
}
$shadowlod
{
replacemodel "chest_with_no_armor" "chest_with_no_armor_lod2"
replacemodel "chest_with_light_armor" "chest_with_light_armor_lod2"
replacemodel "chest_with_heavy_armor" "chest_with_heavy_armor_lod2"
replacemodel "chest_with_super_armor" "chest_with_super_armor_lod2"
}
Programming
To change a body group's state:
int BodyGroup_Sights = FindBodygroupByName("sights"); // calculate this value once
SetBodygroup( BodyGroup_Sights , 1 ); // laser dot
By default, CBaseAnimating
supports 4,294,967,296 combinations (32 bits), and CBaseViewModel
supports 256 (8 bits). You can raise either of these by editing the relevant SendProp for m_nBody
.
To calculate how many combinations you need, multiply the size of all your bodygroups together. The examples on this page total 3 * 4 = 12...but add two more groups the same size and you're up at 144. The figure grows exponentially.
Switching bodygroup via $Sequence
It is possible to swap bodygroups during sequences, using the following event:
- AE_CL_BODYGROUP_SET_VALUE <frame> "<bodyGroupName> <body>"
- AE_CL_ENABLE_BODYGROUP <frame> "<bodyGroupName>"
- AE_CL_DISABLE_BODYGROUP <frame> "<bodyGroupName>"
Examples:
$bodygroup "travel" { studio "delorean_Notravel" studio "Delorean_Yestravel" studio "Delorean_brokentravel" } $sequence "charger_escape_b" { "racecar_anims/charger_escape_b" { event AE_CL_BODYGROUP_SET_VALUE 0 "travel 0" } // On frame 0 Sets model to show body 0 (first variant) of the "Travel" Bodygroup. Being "delorean_Notravel.smd" { event AE_CL_BODYGROUP_SET_VALUE 50 "travel 1" } // On frame 50 Sets model to show body 1 of the same bodygroup. Being "Delorean_Yestravel.smd" { event AE_CL_BODYGROUP_SET_VALUE 220 "travel 2" } // On frame 220 Sets model to show body 2 of the same bodygroup. Being "Delorean_brokentravel" }
$bodygroup "Bodygroup_1" { blank // Disabled state studio "myBodyGroup" // Enabled state } $sequence "Sequence_1" { "anims/Thing_1" { event AE_CL_ENABLE_BODYGROUP 10 "Bodygroup_1" } // On Frame 10 Enables bodygroup_1 } $sequence "Sequence_2" { "anims/Thing_2" { event AE_CL_DISABLE_BODYGROUP 50 "Bodygroup_1" } // On Frame 50 Disables bodygroup_1 }