Type: 		Quake 3 Multiplayer Pluggin Model

Name: 		Spitfire
    
Release Date: 	23rd April 2000

Author:		Ian Waugh    

E-Mail:		gundam@btinternet.com or ian.waugh@virgin.net

Homepage: 	http://freespace.virgin.net/ian.waugh/index.htm  
		I will around to updating this at some point in the near future.

Files:		md3_spitfire.pk3 

Instructions:	Place the pk3 file into your Quake III Arena\baseq3 
                directory. If the model does not show up in the model selection
		page in the player setup, use Winzip to unpack the md3 file
		to  Quake III Arena\baseq3\models\players\spitfire.
		Or just bring the consol down in game and type \model spitfire
     		\model spitfire\blue or \model spitfire\red

		This model can be freely distributed on the net as long as this text file is included,
   		and the pk3 file is unmodified. If you wish to include it in a compilation, Mod or
		commerical product, please email me first.
 

Description:	In a universe, not quite like our own, the year is 
		1937, the power blocks of Europe are locked in 
		conflict. Knowing all out war would be to terrible 
		to even contimplate, they have, instead, engaged
		in a secret cold war for the last  30 years, 
		Espoinage is the prime weapon.

		During high speed trials of a new top secret 
		prototype fighter flying boat, the aircraft
		developed an instabilty. Unable to regain 
		control of the aircraft in time, its pilot, 
		Captin Sophie 'SPITFIRE' Butler-Henderson 
		of the Royal Flying Corps crashed into the 
		Solent at over 400 knots.

		Since she was a dashed fine pilot and an all round 
		jolly good egg, the chaps thought it would a 
		damm shame if she bought it. So using the very 
		latest electrical valve technology, super charged
		engine design and alloy monocoque construction,
		the boffins from the ministry of science rebuilt her 
		faster and stronger than ever before.

		Now she works as an agent of the Special
		Service, performing top secret missions for 
		King and Country in the clandestine war against
		the Kiaser and his dastardly Prussian Empire.

Influences:	Many, heres is a few in no particular order 
		The Dambusters, Schneider Trophy Air Racers,
                Porco Rosso, Jordan, Manx Norton, 
		Soph our departmental PA, Machine Spirits,
       		Vicy Butler-Henderson off Top Gear,
		Supermarine, DeHaviland, Morgan
		The 6 million dollar man, Jerry Anderson, 
		Masumune Shirow, James Bond,
		This and that. The model sort of evolved
		by itself and the tounge in cheek story 
		and character were created afterwords.

		Go http://pgts.decollage.org//cupeng/coupeeng.htm
		to find out more about the Schneider Trophy Air Racers

Model Info:	Polygons    		: 1089 tris
		Skin       		: 3x 256x256x24bit
			  		  in Default and ctf red and blue

Tools used:  	Mesh			: Inspire 3D 1.0  ('Cause I find it easier to use than Max)
		Mesh tweaking, 		: 3D Studio Max R2.5 and Character Studio 2.0 
		mapping and animation
		Skins			: Corel Photopaint 8.0 ( I better learn photoshop one of these days )
					  I used a picture of Jordan for the base for the face skin
					  (http://www.fhm.co.uk/img/covergirls/jordan/1b.jpg )
		MD3 Compiling		: q3data
		Viewing			: NPhernos MD3 compiler, Quake IIIA and the viewer config.

Sounds:		No custom sounds. 
		If it sounds like Sarge in game, export one of the female player sound sets out of the 
		pak0.pk3 into  Quake III arena\baseq3\sound\player\spitfire.
 
		If you are a) Female b) Have have a posh but sporty english accent or can do a damm good 
		impression of one, could you record some sound? I would love to get a sound pack together.

Model Notes:    Ok its my first Q3 model, don't be too rough on me. It is actually my fifth plugin player model,
		but the last one ai was for Q2 and the 3 before, MajorK, Etac and ASWAT where for Half-Life.
		I've made loads of model recently, but never seem to complete them. 
		So I decided to just get on with it and finish one. Plus doing one for Q3 was a new
		experience and I always need more practice at animation

		Its a bit poly heavy isn't it. There is a fair amount of detail there, but not enough to
   		justify all of those pollies. Still its under polycount's recommened 1200 limit and
    		Q3 seems to able to cope with pretty high poly models.

  		The skins, well 3 24 bit 256x256 skins is far too much. It gobbles twice a much
		texture memory as an average Q3 model. This wan't intended. I originally planned to use three
		skins, but have them 8 bit palletted, so using only as much ram as 1 24bit one. 
                But only when I first used the model in game I found out that Q3 doesn't support 
		palletted TGA's :( just RGB and Grey scale ones. Bugger. I wasn't prepared to go back and
		remap and redraw the lot, so I left it as is. Won't make that mistake again. There is no LOD.
		The base default skin doesn't look very good, use the blue or the red one. I haven't used 
		any shaders, its probably best not to on this model for perfomance reasons.

		If you want to do a skin for this model and are a good skinner ( i.e. better than me ) then email me, 
                and I'll help you out with the base skins. If you do make a skin there is a mapping issue around 
		the armpits, it overlaps and all goes a bit odd, keep this area pretty plain to prevent a mess.

		The animations are IMHO all right, but lack sparkle, especially the idles, they are 
		pretty nondiscript and shakey. The model doesn't deform that badly, apart from the wrists,
		making the skin faily plain where it covers the complex joints covers a multitude of sins though.
		
		The model doesn't hold its weapon level. This causes things like the rail gun trial to not look
		quite right if you view it closely. 

		After all is said, spitfire still works pretty (well IMHO again) well in game, 
		and doesn't seem to hit performance noticeably. I have a PII 450, 128mb ram and Vodoo II SLI 
		(Boy do I need to upgrade my graphics cards) and normally run Q3 in 640x480 with
		medium texture quality to get a good frame rate with ID's models and maps. 
		Setting the force player model on, so everyone appears to use my model and jumping into
		a very busy deathmatch, performance seemed the same as normal even with half a dozen 
		spitfires on the screen.

Other:  	I sometimes can be found as "Seburo", late at night on Wireplay, Barry's world and 
		other UK servers, usually playing Counterstrike at the mo, but sometimes Q3 deathmatch
		or UT CTF. I'm an LPB and play rough, but I'll go easy on you if you use one of my models or skins ;).
	
Thanks:		The contributors to the polycount message boards for their input and help with the md3 export
		The websites (polycount/Q2PMP, Cold Fusion) that have posted my models in the past.
                Everybody who emailed me previous work. Many thanks for the words of encouragment.
		Every one who has done a Player model before, thanks for the inspiration and now I 
		really appreciate the work you put in to bring them to life.
                And not forgettting ID Software for Quake3
               