Importing Animations using Milkshape
by Sparkling · 11/26/2010 (6:48 pm) · 14 comments
I always feel like I'm the last person to learn anything. Whether it's news about relatives, or understanding the nuances of 3D animation, I always seem to be last in line. So I suspect that most of you have already figured this out. But just in case there is someone else listening who is struggling with the same frustration that I've been dealing with for months and years... I'm going to show you how I learned to import a mocap animation (that happens to be from the TrueBones T.O.M.B. pack recently offered) into a human avatar that is pre-rigged with a mocap skeleton (that happens to be the MACK avatar from Broke Ass Games) using Milkshape, my preferred 3D art tool.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEolFCpJYpA
Theoretically, this method will work with any 3D mesh avatar that is rigged with a compatible mocap skeleton. Mr. Bones even includes a compatible skeleton with his T.O.M.B. pack in case you need one. However, for Visions, we are using the MACK and FACK avatars with the hidden mesh clothing and armor mount points. So I needed the animations to work for this, and thankfully for us they did!
So now that you have your animation imported to your model, you need to get it out of Milkshape and into your game. I suspect this method will work for any format that Milkshape supports, but I only work with TGEA so I can't give any advice beyond what I know. This is how I get my animations out of Milkshape and into Visions.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFyTG_PBeGU
I hope this is helpful to someone. I can't give advice on how to write the scripts to make TGEA recognise the new animations, because I'm not a programmer. After I copy them to the art folder under the /data directory, I have to depend on programmers to write the proper lines of code to tell the game where to find the animations and when to call them.
Good luck! And God bless you. Thanks for watching.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEolFCpJYpA
Theoretically, this method will work with any 3D mesh avatar that is rigged with a compatible mocap skeleton. Mr. Bones even includes a compatible skeleton with his T.O.M.B. pack in case you need one. However, for Visions, we are using the MACK and FACK avatars with the hidden mesh clothing and armor mount points. So I needed the animations to work for this, and thankfully for us they did!
So now that you have your animation imported to your model, you need to get it out of Milkshape and into your game. I suspect this method will work for any format that Milkshape supports, but I only work with TGEA so I can't give any advice beyond what I know. This is how I get my animations out of Milkshape and into Visions.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFyTG_PBeGU
I hope this is helpful to someone. I can't give advice on how to write the scripts to make TGEA recognise the new animations, because I'm not a programmer. After I copy them to the art folder under the /data directory, I have to depend on programmers to write the proper lines of code to tell the game where to find the animations and when to call them.
Good luck! And God bless you. Thanks for watching.
About the author
Laurene Wells is the owner of Heaven's Blessings Tiny Zoo (HBTZ). She is Producer of Chariots (2008) and Visions (in production), leading a team of volunteers who collaborate online from around the world. Learn more about the company at http://tinyzoo.com
#2
Every bit of info about any software that is cheap or open source for the would be Indy Dev to use is priceless.
Well done. :)
11/26/2010 (8:59 pm)
And just to reiterate what Mack said ...Every bit of info about any software that is cheap or open source for the would be Indy Dev to use is priceless.
Well done. :)
#3
This is very very handy for me, Sparkling. Thank you so much!
11/26/2010 (9:33 pm)
I use Milkshape and I have almost all the Truebones animations and so far didn't even bother to get started importing those animations as I thought Milkshape's features were not up to the task and would have to find someone with a license and the know how of a more robust modeling solution.This is very very handy for me, Sparkling. Thank you so much!
#4
You're welcome. I'm glad to know it is helpful! Milkshape can do a lot more than people think it can. :) It can do more than I am able to make it do, I know that for sure! I'm always excited when I figure out how to do something that I wasn't able to do before.
God bless you,
-Laurene
11/26/2010 (10:39 pm)
Thanks guys!You're welcome. I'm glad to know it is helpful! Milkshape can do a lot more than people think it can. :) It can do more than I am able to make it do, I know that for sure! I'm always excited when I figure out how to do something that I wasn't able to do before.
God bless you,
-Laurene
#5
I see that you are enjoying the T.O.M.B. Motions
Thanks again and Cheers
Joe from Truebones Motions
http://www.truebones.com
11/27/2010 (12:39 pm)
Hi laurene,I see that you are enjoying the T.O.M.B. Motions
Thanks again and Cheers
Joe from Truebones Motions
http://www.truebones.com
#6
I figured out that when I select "Allow Morph" that it creates an error on export saying that the mesh topography is animated. When I UNselect that box, it exports fine. I don't understand why it does this, but at least I know how to avoid the error now. :)
God bless you,
-Laurene
11/27/2010 (4:31 pm)
Thanks Joe!I figured out that when I select "Allow Morph" that it creates an error on export saying that the mesh topography is animated. When I UNselect that box, it exports fine. I don't understand why it does this, but at least I know how to avoid the error now. :)
God bless you,
-Laurene
#7
Nice vids, thanks for making them!
You might want to check out Fragmotion, if you haven't already (and even then...) It rocks, its like Milkshape's big brother. Vastly better animation controls/management. It does so much- so well - its just a breeze to work with. Only pain is you have to bounce your files through Ms3D to export for Torque, but its worth it.
Jondo
11/27/2010 (5:38 pm)
Laurene,Nice vids, thanks for making them!
You might want to check out Fragmotion, if you haven't already (and even then...) It rocks, its like Milkshape's big brother. Vastly better animation controls/management. It does so much- so well - its just a breeze to work with. Only pain is you have to bounce your files through Ms3D to export for Torque, but its worth it.
Jondo
#8
Thanks for making the ACK packs! :) I'm very thankful for them.
11/27/2010 (5:51 pm)
I have a Fragmotion license. I just can't make heads or tails of it. I use it to convert files to Milkshape format where I can understand them. That's about the extent of the use I get out of it. I do know many people prefer it though and can do amazing things with it. I'm sure it isn't the software, it's the user. I just do not understand their interface.Thanks for making the ACK packs! :) I'm very thankful for them.
#9
On the topic of interface... Its better with a few layout tweaks (totally customizable).
PS. please check your FB. ;)
11/27/2010 (5:56 pm)
Without Ari giving me an introduction to it, and Rex's ongoing tips and tricks, I wouldn't be able to get as much out of it as I do... friends in low places FTW!On the topic of interface... Its better with a few layout tweaks (totally customizable).
PS. please check your FB. ;)
#10
fragMOTION is, pound for pound/dollar for dollar, the most powerful modeling/animation package around for the Indy Developer, shhhhhh.....
A real 'lever' for heavy lifting animations and meshes!
11/27/2010 (10:06 pm)
Something like this, perhaps?fragMOTION is, pound for pound/dollar for dollar, the most powerful modeling/animation package around for the Indy Developer, shhhhhh.....
A real 'lever' for heavy lifting animations and meshes!
#11
So is that why some of the animations have the legs flipping forward? Is it due to bone naming subleties? I didn't dig deep enough into it to figure it out. But like 99% of the Bellydance animations have legs flipping out weirdly. Would be nice if that was an easy fix. :)
Thanks for sharing the video!
God bless you!
-Laurene
11/27/2010 (11:09 pm)
Very nice! Thanks!So is that why some of the animations have the legs flipping forward? Is it due to bone naming subleties? I didn't dig deep enough into it to figure it out. But like 99% of the Bellydance animations have legs flipping out weirdly. Would be nice if that was an easy fix. :)
Thanks for sharing the video!
God bless you!
-Laurene
#12
12/08/2010 (1:16 am)
Yeaaaaaaaa!!!!!! Congrats!!!!!!!
#13
12/08/2010 (6:27 am)
With Jondo's excellent tutoring skills, and generous donation of his time to help me, for the first time EVER I'm able to use Fragmotion! And now that he has helped me understand it I'm making animations faster than ever before. I Am ***SO*** THANKFUL for that training! You are awesome Jondo! 
Torque Owner 000
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