I keep hearing all these complaints about having to remove a model to add any more, so I got curious and got to sniffing around the zombie models a bit with various chUmbaLum sOft software, and a good, old-fashioned text editor to look at the decompiled files.

I noticed that all the actual model geometry (and the animations I looked over, I wasn't exhaustive in my comparison) appears to be identical, among all six zombies.

The only differences look to be the (badly sized, there's a good 185k of wasted space since those textures aren't power-of-two) texture maps, unless I'm missing something subtle somewhere?

If this is so, you should be able to combine all the existing models into a single model using multiple skin families, instead of chewing up six model slots for what is, in the end, retextures. Or is there some reason skin families wouldn't work in combination with the numerous sub-models approach being taken so far to handle visual damage feedback?

The two systems seem to work quite well together on the FireArms mod, as they use skin families to handle the ethnicity and face-paint of the models, while using sub-models to display helmets and arm and leg armor.

Just asking, as with all the bemoaning of lack of model slots, I realized this might free up some much-needed room for other things, like zombies other than just the shambling ones on two legs, four-leggers of various types would be interesting too. :-)

I agree... I would like to see a greater variety of skins on the zombies, if possible. I've only noticed one difference, modelwise, among the zombies, and that's a dislocated foot. If it would provide for another model, drop it, as it is a really tiny detail and you ignore it when you're firing into a squirming mass of undead.

Actually, my point wasn't the lack of skins.

It was that, while the higher-ups have said a few times that a lack of model slots available was an obstacle currently, they're using up 6 models, 1 per skin, instead of using the built-in support for multiple skins on a single model.

The obvious side-effect of being able to have ten or twenty more skins at that point would be nice, but this thread is more that there seems to be a waste of models, and my query as to why that is, and possibly removing that 'waste' to free up slots for more unique zombie types. :-)

I could be wrong, but I think it only loads the one model into your memory and just swaps the skins... Kind of like how a lot of the weapons w model is the same cardboard box, with a different skin on it.

Quite true, wings, it is a bit of a waste. They all look pretty much identical and it is a waste, but the side effect to using 1 zombie model obviously leaves more room for other, more unique models, and a skin is all you need for zombie differentiality...

... Unless those 6 models are a part of their decapitation system. Just a guess, but the BB team did some wierd stuff with the code to get some of the nifty effects in BB.

Nope, I checked that possibility, King.

All the models use the same sub-model components for the missing-limbs stuff. They all have three 'head' components, one 'right arm' component, two 'left arm' components, one 'belly' component, and one 'shoulders' component.

And to be honest, even if all six zombie models were unique, they could still be combined into a single model by assigning more than just 'there' and 'blown off' to each sub-model. "T-Shit", "Suit&Tie", "Apron", and "Blown Off" would work, for one example. Perhaps even allow for more variety by mixing and matching unique component geometry, instead of using numerous specific skins.

And as a couple of side-notes...

It appears that the 'dislocated left foot' on five of the six zombies is actually a mistake. The hitbox attached to those zombies is positioned as if the foot wasn't dislocated. Mesh export glitch?

Second, and this is abusing my knowledge of the HL model format, they could use the 'twist' adjusters on the models to allow for wrenching either foot around randomly, or abuse the 'twist' modifiers with some extra bones on the skeleton itself to allow for things like bloating or shrinking-out the bellies, and adding a random degree of hunchback to each of the zombies would be effectively free then. :-)

And since I own a copy of MilkShape3D, and had nothing else to do today...

...a 'merged' Zombie model.

You'll need the Half-Life Model Viewer to play with the model, it is not a direct replacement for those in the game.

The model is fully interchangable among all 5 tops, 3 pants, bloody or clean hands (seperately per side) and all 6 head types currently in the game, and new tops (the most noticable part) can be added easilly to the model.

Just tinker with the settings under the 'Body' tab on the HLMV. To change the shirt, change the 'Skin' setting, for all the other parts of the zombie and to 'remove' or 'show' parts, change the 'Submodel' setting once you pick the appropriate part of the zombie model.