how do i get animations exporting properly???
by Daniel 'Dufus' Rogers · in Torque Game Engine · 09/02/2001 (9:05 pm) · 7 replies
Hi Peoples.
Ive read the tuts and cannot get the 3.x exporters to work (ive had them rebuilt also and max just crashes, exits and gives virtual memory errors still.), so i used the beta 4's and it exported my shape fine. then i tried to export an animation and load the sequence in the shape viewer, however, nothing happens.
My shape is physiqued to a biped, with a simple 30 frame walk animation. I get no erros on exporting with the shape or with the sequence. Does anyone know why the sequence wouldnt load properly or something i might be doing wrong ? thanks in advance,
- Dufus (thats my real nick too =)
Ive read the tuts and cannot get the 3.x exporters to work (ive had them rebuilt also and max just crashes, exits and gives virtual memory errors still.), so i used the beta 4's and it exported my shape fine. then i tried to export an animation and load the sequence in the shape viewer, however, nothing happens.
My shape is physiqued to a biped, with a simple 30 frame walk animation. I get no erros on exporting with the shape or with the sequence. Does anyone know why the sequence wouldnt load properly or something i might be doing wrong ? thanks in advance,
- Dufus (thats my real nick too =)
#2
I have gotten it to export the animations pretty easy, but only if they are compiled into the model.
09/03/2001 (10:31 am)
Phil,I have gotten it to export the animations pretty easy, but only if they are compiled into the model.
#3
I think I can explain the exporter for the most part. Of course their is the heirarchy . . . once you understand that doing animations is rather simple and easy. Let's say you got a scene with 100 frames but you are only using 30 to make an mesh transform/scale/rotate (ie walk).
A) Make sure frames 1-30 contain all and ONLY the tranformations for a walking sequence . . .this could be many keyframes, oh and be sure to link mesh to dummy objects and USE THE DUMMY objects to move/scale/rotate the mesh. Lable everything nice.
B)NOW in the create/helpers tab go to dropdown list and find the dts exporter stuff. . . make a sequence object (looks like a dummy but is white) lable the seqence object the variable you would use for a command like "deploy, walk, or door_open".
C)OK, the last part OPEN TRACK VIEW from the windows menus on top in "Graphic editors". You'll see a nice heirarchy list on the left and a graph type thing on the right.The bottom of the list will be the objects in the world. Open it up. If the heirarchy is set up right the transformed dummy objects which are moving your mesh will be linked to the dummy Start. So when you see the dummy objects their keyframes and a line between them will be displayed on the graph on the right. notice how all the keyframes are between 1 and 30 (that is to say if you havn't added other animations).
D)Now find the sequence object you just made. Within it's levels you should see one that says "sequence begin/end" select it, then selct the "add keys" button on top it "looks like a lemon". Click on the graph at that level and make keys at 0 and 30. and there you have it.
It is saying to the exporter, as I understand it, that anything animated between the sequence object's "sequence begin/end" keyframes will become a animation track and could later be activated. . .
I'm really NOT sure about this one but. If you made a plane whose wings moved back and forward you could make one animation, calling the sequence objects "wings" and then while in the game (this only works for vehicles NOT Static objects with default code) you could open the console, ~ and type
"%vehicle.playThread(0,"wing");"
to open the wing
IF THE ANIMATION IS NON-CYCLIC
and then type
"%vehicle.setThreadDir(0,false);"
to close the wing
I havn't had enough experience to do anything more than modling and animating . . . would love it if someone could verify it any way I hope it helped it is a lot to take in for referance on the heirarchy visit v12 powered at
http://gameznet.com/v12/
and look at their beginers' guide to v12 exporter most of all have fun and help whoever you can
Athony
09/03/2001 (11:18 am)
ALL RIGHTY I'll give it a tryI think I can explain the exporter for the most part. Of course their is the heirarchy . . . once you understand that doing animations is rather simple and easy. Let's say you got a scene with 100 frames but you are only using 30 to make an mesh transform/scale/rotate (ie walk).
A) Make sure frames 1-30 contain all and ONLY the tranformations for a walking sequence . . .this could be many keyframes, oh and be sure to link mesh to dummy objects and USE THE DUMMY objects to move/scale/rotate the mesh. Lable everything nice.
B)NOW in the create/helpers tab go to dropdown list and find the dts exporter stuff. . . make a sequence object (looks like a dummy but is white) lable the seqence object the variable you would use for a command like "deploy, walk, or door_open".
C)OK, the last part OPEN TRACK VIEW from the windows menus on top in "Graphic editors". You'll see a nice heirarchy list on the left and a graph type thing on the right.The bottom of the list will be the objects in the world. Open it up. If the heirarchy is set up right the transformed dummy objects which are moving your mesh will be linked to the dummy Start. So when you see the dummy objects their keyframes and a line between them will be displayed on the graph on the right. notice how all the keyframes are between 1 and 30 (that is to say if you havn't added other animations).
D)Now find the sequence object you just made. Within it's levels you should see one that says "sequence begin/end" select it, then selct the "add keys" button on top it "looks like a lemon". Click on the graph at that level and make keys at 0 and 30. and there you have it.
It is saying to the exporter, as I understand it, that anything animated between the sequence object's "sequence begin/end" keyframes will become a animation track and could later be activated. . .
I'm really NOT sure about this one but. If you made a plane whose wings moved back and forward you could make one animation, calling the sequence objects "wings" and then while in the game (this only works for vehicles NOT Static objects with default code) you could open the console, ~ and type
"%vehicle.playThread(0,"wing");"
to open the wing
IF THE ANIMATION IS NON-CYCLIC
and then type
"%vehicle.setThreadDir(0,false);"
to close the wing
I havn't had enough experience to do anything more than modling and animating . . . would love it if someone could verify it any way I hope it helped it is a lot to take in for referance on the heirarchy visit v12 powered at
http://gameznet.com/v12/
and look at their beginers' guide to v12 exporter most of all have fun and help whoever you can
Athony
#4
I guess it might be something with the heirarchy.
Anyway, I'll let someone else decypher it and let me know what was wrong. Ive got other fish to fry :))
Phil.
09/03/2001 (12:31 pm)
Thanks for trying to help guys.. Unfortuntely Ive done all of the steps mentioned so far. Ive placed the begin/end sequence markers into my dummy sequence track and it didnt seem to do any animations.I guess it might be something with the heirarchy.
Anyway, I'll let someone else decypher it and let me know what was wrong. Ive got other fish to fry :))
Phil.
#5
09/03/2001 (8:52 pm)
Phil, email me your .max file - wrolm@hotmail.com -and I'll get it going for you. All I've been doing is working on the animation export stuff.
#6
09/04/2001 (12:02 pm)
I had problems too and it was resolved by resaving max scene file (don't ask me why it makes a difference) and exporting shape right before exporting animation. Otherwise I would be able to see shape but not any animations even tho animation got exported no prob.
#7
I made a simple cube with bounding box, texture, collision, and animation.
The textured box shows in the show tool pro, and the collision works fine
within the game engine, but the animations are not present within either.
I followed the tutorial and created keys for the sequence helper at
frame 0 and 100 within the track view. (which is also the total frames
for making the box simply rotate 360 degrees) It's all in a nice little package
centered at the origin, but the animation will not export.
If any of you can help and have the time, please do.
10/06/2008 (4:19 pm)
I have a similar problem getting the animation to work.I made a simple cube with bounding box, texture, collision, and animation.
The textured box shows in the show tool pro, and the collision works fine
within the game engine, but the animations are not present within either.
I followed the tutorial and created keys for the sequence helper at
frame 0 and 100 within the track view. (which is also the total frames
for making the box simply rotate 360 degrees) It's all in a nice little package
centered at the origin, but the animation will not export.
If any of you can help and have the time, please do.
Torque 3D Owner Phil Carlisle
Phil.