9

The Model Skeleton and Skin

Welcome to Chapter 9! In the previous chapter, we examined the glTF file format, its elements, and the relations between these elements. We also added a simple C++ class for reading data from an example file and displaying the character model on the screen.

In this chapter, we will explore the glTF format in more depth. Every character model has a skeleton, like a human. The skeleton is required to animate the parts of the character independently. You will learn how to extract the model’s skeleton and store the skeleton data in a tree structure.

Next, we will look at how to apply a skin to a character – the triangles that define the model. For the animations in the next chapter to appear correctly, the skin must follow the motion of the skeleton. Special attention must be paid to the joints between the bones of the model to ensure that the model’s skin behaves like human skin.

At the end of the chapter, we will look at...