Thank you for your excellent feedback regarding poles in the CheckMate Specifications. After listening to what you have to say on the issue, we reviewed common fail points for models being submitted to CheckMate, and we discussed the issues at-length with the CheckMate Advisory Board. As a result, we have elected to make the following modifications to the CheckMate Specification with regards to poles:
- Hemispherical tips resulting in triangular poles generated as part of primitive spheres are now allowed.
- Poles may now exist on flat surfaces as long as the vertex where the pole resides does not connect directly to the edge of a curved surface.
These new exceptions are added to the previous list of exceptions which included:
- An exception for very small, insignificant objects within the model/scene
- An exception for realtime models intended for game engines, realtime display, or background elements
Currently, our tools can identify whether or not a model might have poles, however our tools do not currently tell us whether or not these poles comply with these new, relaxed standards. As a result, inspectors are manually opening files to find and inspect poles for issues or compliance. While this is a manual process for now, we are discussing ways to automate and improve this process for both artists and inspectors. Based on the feedback from our community and the guidance of our Advisory Board, we believe these new exceptions will expedite the process in the long-run for everyone involved. This process can be as individually taxing on inspectors as a model is complex, so we appreciate your patience and value your continued feedback.
Please also understand that, based on the feedback from our Advisory Board, 6-sided+ poles are still not something you want to create because there is a high likelihood it will cause pinching if resized. This is especially true on curved surfaces, so continue to work to avoid these sorts of poles wherever possible. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions in our forums if you get stuck while trying to avoid a particularly difficult pole. We are happy to help!