Hello,
i have another question :
If i try to model, e.g. a big T (it´s just an example):
Should i combine two cubes:
aaaaaaaa&aaaaaaaaa
________&_________
________&_________
________&_________
________&_________
________&_________
________&_________

or should i use exstrusion modelling like that:
|aaaaaa|a|aaaaaaa|
_______|a|_______
_______|a|_______
_______|a|_______
_______|a|_______
_______|a|_______
_______|a|_______
_______|a|_______

I think the first version with two combined cubes has less polygons and is easier to skin if you want different olors for each part, but i don´t know wether there is a lack of performance by this way.

I know the example is not ver good, but i come to the same question e.g. when i´m modelling a sword and i think about seperating the blade from the shaft.

So, thanks (again ),
Thracian

i would do the second way because it has less dodgy gouraud shading.

julz

Thanks for the answer. Do you know whether it is a performance question?

there would be a change in performance, you are right, but only on a very small scale (even if you use lots of objects like this). as usual, it's a balance between performance and aesthetics. if you're using a normal mapping shader anyway, then you wouldn't have to worry about gouraud artifacts.

julz

OK, thank you very much for your answers

FYI-
This is how I deal with the gouraud shading "issue" when I want faces in
my models to appear more "hard edged"
I use 3ds Max to create models, so I'm not sure if you can do this in MED.
Since MED doesn't seem to accept smoothing groups set in Max, I will
create the model, unwrap it and apply the texture map. Then I collpase the
Unwrap UVW modifier and detach the faces from the model that I want to
appear hard edged. When I'm finished, I reattach all of the faces to
the mesh as elements. This will retain the mapping coordinates, and will
work like smothing groups. This will however, increase the vert count,
so I try to keep an eye on that.

I should also add that I only use this technique with static meshes,
or animated meshes where there is no mesh deformation (e.g. machine parts,
robots). Any mesh deformation may result in a "tearing" of adjacent faces.