Just as textures are a highly important part of most video games, models are an aspect that few video games can go without. A “model” in this case is the image or 2D/3D representation of the player, other NPCs (Non Playable Characters), or objects such as rocks or trees.
Models require certain aspects, such as collision (the ability for the model to interact with the defined space within the game), animations (the ability for the model to move), and/or physics (allowing the model to move and interact in a semi- or completely realistic way).
Because of those aspects, glitches with models are fairly commonplace. The more aspects that are required for something, the more chances that something will fail.
One of the many different bugs that can arise with models is model offset. That happens when the engine (the program that is actually running the game that your computer/console uses to play the game) can’t figure out where to place a model.
This can occur for several reasons. The engine being unable to find a valid location to put the model and/or the engine running into an issue with the coordinates of the model are some of the most common reasons these bugs happen.
In the image above, the model for the female NPC is sitting inside the model for the bench. When two models are inside each other like this, it is called clipping. Clipping is another glitch that I will be showcasing in a later blog, but for now, think of it as two physical objects phasing through each other in an unnatural manner.
The reason that this specific glitch is occurring can be for any number of reasons. However, the most likely reason is that the engine couldn’t quite figure out where to place her model. Somewhere behind the scenes, some numbers went awry and the engine couldn’t find the exact coordinates to place the model.
Thus, the engine placed the model slightly too far away from the bench, leading to the NPC clipping into it.
In this image, the model for “Fuuka” is hovering above the ground. It is almost guaranteed that the cause of this bug is the same as for the last image.
Somewhere behind the scenes, the engine lost track of Fuuka’s model or some number got lost/corrupted and the game didn’t know where to place her. However, there does seem to be something else happening here that isn’t as apparent.
I have only run into this bug (in this specific game) with Fuuka and her model, and each time she loads in right here. This leads me to believe that this specific location is either where her model is stored when it isn’t needed (models for NPCs can be stored below the game map to save on space/resources), or this is 0 0 in the coordinates (the “center” of the map, in other words).
If this is where her model is stored, then the game is failing to turn her model invisible or unable to take it out of its stored state, leading to a weird in-between state where she is visible and stored at the same time. If this is 0 0 in the coordinates, then this is the center of the map and theoretically every model should appear here when this bug occurs (because when the engine can’t find a valid location, it either defaults to an error code or to 0 0).
This last image is just for fun. The flower that is in the sky is technically a model, but it is a model made up of textures. What this means is that it isn’t physical, nor is it something that is procedurally placed by the engine.
One of the developers placed it there. Somehow, when they were painting in the flowers (placing the flowers where they appear in-game), they managed to put one in the sky.
I don’t know about you, but this is one of the reasons that I enjoy running into these bugs and mishaps. You never know what you will find.
