Animation pointers?
by Tim "Zear" Hammock · in Artist Corner · 08/13/2001 (4:54 pm) · 6 replies
Preamble:
OK. I am a coder. I'm not an animator or a modeler or even an artist. I have no illusions about that. I have spent endless hours in worldcraft, and even played in 3dmax a bit, but I have never created an animated object. I do have significant experience with the script engine, and my C++ is not so rusty as to be useless yet.
The problem is that in looking at what I would like to do with this wonderful engine, I have come to the conclusion that I need some animated objects before I can do any meaningful coding. Even if they are rudumentary and butt-ugly. Despite the obvious talent lurking around here, I am sure there are others in a similar boat. There must be others with $112 to spend on a hobby like this...
Meat of the issue:
Does anybody know of a website with a tutorial, tips, or any information at all about creating a new animated object?
I honestly do not expect much, but I thought I should at least ask. I have looked at the various packages recommended here. I have even looked into some tutorials targetted at other game engines. I can follow the concepts just fine, but I have no idea where the process might diverge for this engine.
Even more distressing is that while some features of v12 are:
- Supports, bone, mesh, texture bitmap, texture coor. and visibilty animation
- Mesh vertex deformation animation
- Multi-bone mesh skeletal animation
and I feel I understand what that means, the initial object I have in mind would most definitely involve a very simple, but distinctly custom skeleton; egads. I wouldn't be so intimidated by this if there was any info at hand.
I realize everybody is busy with their own projects, and you folks at GG have a plate that is full to the extreme. Any ideas/pointers/web sites?
This is the part where I stop rambling. -->
OK. I am a coder. I'm not an animator or a modeler or even an artist. I have no illusions about that. I have spent endless hours in worldcraft, and even played in 3dmax a bit, but I have never created an animated object. I do have significant experience with the script engine, and my C++ is not so rusty as to be useless yet.
The problem is that in looking at what I would like to do with this wonderful engine, I have come to the conclusion that I need some animated objects before I can do any meaningful coding. Even if they are rudumentary and butt-ugly. Despite the obvious talent lurking around here, I am sure there are others in a similar boat. There must be others with $112 to spend on a hobby like this...
Meat of the issue:
Does anybody know of a website with a tutorial, tips, or any information at all about creating a new animated object?
I honestly do not expect much, but I thought I should at least ask. I have looked at the various packages recommended here. I have even looked into some tutorials targetted at other game engines. I can follow the concepts just fine, but I have no idea where the process might diverge for this engine.
Even more distressing is that while some features of v12 are:
- Supports, bone, mesh, texture bitmap, texture coor. and visibilty animation
- Mesh vertex deformation animation
- Multi-bone mesh skeletal animation
and I feel I understand what that means, the initial object I have in mind would most definitely involve a very simple, but distinctly custom skeleton; egads. I wouldn't be so intimidated by this if there was any info at hand.
I realize everybody is busy with their own projects, and you folks at GG have a plate that is full to the extreme. Any ideas/pointers/web sites?
This is the part where I stop rambling. -->
#2
08/13/2001 (5:18 pm)
Well then... thanks. Guess I could look into some of the more esoteric ideas I've had. Hrmm...
#3
whats the point of releasing an engine that cant export animations into it.
Im still waiting to get some example files to test it out. (dont have sdk)
But from what i have heard, the animation will can use character studio with position keys/rotations.
If you have a look at http://www.tribes2centraldownload.com/?section=download&f_filesectiontype=17
you can download the tribes2 models in .max format.
There is no animation apart from the linked x-formed jets.
08/13/2001 (6:46 pm)
The dts exporter should export animation i would think.whats the point of releasing an engine that cant export animations into it.
Im still waiting to get some example files to test it out. (dont have sdk)
But from what i have heard, the animation will can use character studio with position keys/rotations.
If you have a look at http://www.tribes2centraldownload.com/?section=download&f_filesectiontype=17
you can download the tribes2 models in .max format.
There is no animation apart from the linked x-formed jets.
#4
08/13/2001 (7:14 pm)
Well, I think they are TRYING to get animation to work with the plugin, I dont know how successfull they have been so far (dont have MAX... :(
#5
First go to http://www.swissquake.ch/chumbalum-soft/ and get MilkShape. You can try it for 30 days, but I just registered my copy...its only $20.
Then go to http://www.planetquake.com/polycount/cottages/blackboard/tutorials.htm and get each one of the AVI tutorials. Watch them, they are very quick and will give you a good idea of the basics.
Anyway, I did this and after about an hour and a half I made this:
http://64.129.122.189/images/orbatt1.jpeg
http://64.129.122.189/images/orbatt2.jpeg
I know its no biggie to you pro 3d artists, but I was pretty pleased, I never touched a 3d modeler in my life, though I did used to do site plans for my dad when I was a kid, but that was with paper and pencil.....
Anyway, I hope this isnt too novice for you, but if you are a total newb like me, it seems like a good place to start. Also, I have seen other threads here where people are working on some sort of tool to import MilkShape models in v12.
08/18/2001 (7:54 pm)
Hey I am in the exact same boat as you Zear. I decided to teach myself some modeling, so I can only give you a total newbie perspective.....First go to http://www.swissquake.ch/chumbalum-soft/ and get MilkShape. You can try it for 30 days, but I just registered my copy...its only $20.
Then go to http://www.planetquake.com/polycount/cottages/blackboard/tutorials.htm and get each one of the AVI tutorials. Watch them, they are very quick and will give you a good idea of the basics.
Anyway, I did this and after about an hour and a half I made this:
http://64.129.122.189/images/orbatt1.jpeg
http://64.129.122.189/images/orbatt2.jpeg
I know its no biggie to you pro 3d artists, but I was pretty pleased, I never touched a 3d modeler in my life, though I did used to do site plans for my dad when I was a kid, but that was with paper and pencil.....
Anyway, I hope this isnt too novice for you, but if you are a total newb like me, it seems like a good place to start. Also, I have seen other threads here where people are working on some sort of tool to import MilkShape models in v12.
#6
I hope GarageGames gives us precise times for actions, and file naming for the animation cycles when we import/export animation, or at least cycle-duration, in a perticular order (stand, walk, run, jump, etc...) in one file (ala Quake).
One more thing, Iges (or .igs) import/export is very well supported in the 3D industry because it moves the model and the animation together in one file. You'd probably be able to get people at AVID (Softimage|XSI), SGI (MAYA) and DISCREET (3D STUDIO MAX) to help write your SDK import/export (for their package).
-Longfang
08/20/2001 (6:52 pm)
I am a Pro 3D Aniamtor, and I do use MAX, although I prefer to use Maya and Softimage|XSI for Character Animation... they're just better. I hope GarageGames gives us precise times for actions, and file naming for the animation cycles when we import/export animation, or at least cycle-duration, in a perticular order (stand, walk, run, jump, etc...) in one file (ala Quake).
One more thing, Iges (or .igs) import/export is very well supported in the 3D industry because it moves the model and the animation together in one file. You'd probably be able to get people at AVID (Softimage|XSI), SGI (MAYA) and DISCREET (3D STUDIO MAX) to help write your SDK import/export (for their package).
-Longfang
Torque Owner Josh Albrecht
Currently, the only way to import models/animations/meshes is with the exporter for 3d studio max.
So, if you dont have 3d studio max, you are screwed. For now. The good guys at garage games (some nice illiteration :) are currently working on some way to import models and animations from other programs, like Milkshape (my personal favorite).
If you happen to have spent many hundreds of dollars on 3d studio max, you can use the exporter. But the exporter is still very buggy, and I am not sure if it supports animations yet.
So, to sum it up: be patient. Perhaps you could work on something else while you wait.