3ds max
by arteria3d · in Torque Game Engine · 12/22/2004 (4:08 pm) · 8 replies
Having a change in direction for a few days, to chill from the learning of tge! i thought i would do some simple animation for my trees in 3ds max. I no how to use max quite well now.. but....as ever in the TGE documentation, things are never explained well.
It says.... 'In create tabe, select helpers'
OKay well i did that from the main menu, and a whole load of options come up - i.e. Make Dummy, etc etc.
I thought it would be make dummy so i did this - but no detils came up so i can make a sequence helper to store the details for my animation.
Please could someone guide me through how i exactly export my simple tree animation from a simple point of view.
Thanks
It says.... 'In create tabe, select helpers'
OKay well i did that from the main menu, and a whole load of options come up - i.e. Make Dummy, etc etc.
I thought it would be make dummy so i did this - but no detils came up so i can make a sequence helper to store the details for my animation.
Please could someone guide me through how i exactly export my simple tree animation from a simple point of view.
Thanks
About the author
Owner of uk based Ltd company ArteriaMediaLtd. with a trading name of Arteria3d Website;arteria3d.com
#2
12/22/2004 (4:28 pm)
Hi - thankyou for helping me.. I have pressed the sequence button, and underneath i see Name and Color. When i try to type in a name it wont let me - i presume this is the way u should name the sequence and hence the reason it isnt showing up
#3
If you mean its not showing up in max then you need to take your cursor over to the scene and drag a helper object out.
If you mean its not showing up after you have created it try hitting "H" the selection tool and see if you can find it it in the list. The actuall helper objects has a very small default size and once the scene is opened then closed and reopened the sequence shrinks to its actual size.
To name the sequence goto your MODIFY PANEL (the little blue bent bar) and edit the sequenences properties while a sequence is selected.
Or try to explain a little better.
Matt
12/22/2004 (7:15 pm)
I am not following you. If you adda sequence helper to the scene and keyframe it in the graph editor then export your shape the animation should show up at least in the showtool.If you mean its not showing up in max then you need to take your cursor over to the scene and drag a helper object out.
If you mean its not showing up after you have created it try hitting "H" the selection tool and see if you can find it it in the list. The actuall helper objects has a very small default size and once the scene is opened then closed and reopened the sequence shrinks to its actual size.
To name the sequence goto your MODIFY PANEL (the little blue bent bar) and edit the sequenences properties while a sequence is selected.
Or try to explain a little better.
Matt
#4
What i mean, is that - on the toolbar, i press the helper icon, then select DTS object from the rollout. So in effect i have now made the sequence. I then try to name it in usual space where u name object under the modify icon - but it wont let me. Pressing H, i think would at least reveal - Unamed Item, for the just created sequence - but nothing shows - so i presume i have not done the process correct.
Firstly, i made my animation, by moving the object in the perspective window - then made it neat in the curve editor - then tried to do this process. Have i got to make the sequence identifier, before making my animation.
Boy.... sometimes it is difficult to explain things!!! even though in essence they are simple
Thanks for your help Matt
12/23/2004 (1:51 am)
Hi,What i mean, is that - on the toolbar, i press the helper icon, then select DTS object from the rollout. So in effect i have now made the sequence. I then try to name it in usual space where u name object under the modify icon - but it wont let me. Pressing H, i think would at least reveal - Unamed Item, for the just created sequence - but nothing shows - so i presume i have not done the process correct.
Firstly, i made my animation, by moving the object in the perspective window - then made it neat in the curve editor - then tried to do this process. Have i got to make the sequence identifier, before making my animation.
Boy.... sometimes it is difficult to explain things!!! even though in essence they are simple
Thanks for your help Matt
#5
Right ive sorted all that and now i have my sequence in, with start/stop. Right, now remember i did say i was new to this process, so just bare with me a tad further. I thought to make the scene markers i simply go onto the curve editor/dope sheet, and make a key at the beginning, then at the end and it would work - but it doesnt. Is this the incorrect way to insert the start/end of animation?
12/23/2004 (2:21 am)
Hi mate,Right ive sorted all that and now i have my sequence in, with start/stop. Right, now remember i did say i was new to this process, so just bare with me a tad further. I thought to make the scene markers i simply go onto the curve editor/dope sheet, and make a key at the beginning, then at the end and it would work - but it doesnt. Is this the incorrect way to insert the start/end of animation?
#6
Matt
12/23/2004 (2:40 am)
Nope you wanna use the Dope sheet. Make sure when you do it "AutoKey" is turned off. And make sure you have "ADD KEY" turned on. then set the keyframe at the begining and end. If your not sure how to add a key still just look up the DopeSHeet in your helpfiles.Matt
#7
I then went into into Dope editor and found the sequence begin_end, and placed one marker at each end.
I then exported - written a script to play the thread, but the animation didnt happen?
i notice in the textshape 5 that comes with the max filepack - that there seem to be two sequencers there - sequence01 and animate
Steve
12/23/2004 (5:29 am)
Right, i have made a simple shape - just to test this out. I recorded a few simple movements, and then create a sequence. I called it move_shape.I then went into into Dope editor and found the sequence begin_end, and placed one marker at each end.
I then exported - written a script to play the thread, but the animation didnt happen?
i notice in the textshape 5 that comes with the max filepack - that there seem to be two sequencers there - sequence01 and animate
Steve
#8
12/23/2004 (6:29 am)
Check the file in Showtool (its included in most TGE applications) to ensure that the art and animation sequences are AOK. If they are then its a problem with your code/script. If they don't play or display correctly you will need to look back at the dump.dmp file that was generated when you export and see what went wrong and then track down and solve the problem from there. 
Torque Owner Matthew Jones
Next open the Graph Editor and find your DTS sequence helper. Open it in the graph editor (maybe 2 opens , or + signs) . Find the line that says Begin/End. Make sure your in "Create KeyFrame mode" then add a key to the begining and end of your animation for your object. Then export. You don't need to link the helper to anything or do anyhting elde just add the key frames.
You can also select the sequence helper and goto the Modify Panel and set the sequence to the desired paremeters. IE visibility animation, Morph anim, tranformation, anim...... ect..
Or later on if your exporting somthing like a character animation you can export just the animation data by using export sequence in the DTS panel.
If that still not clear make sure to let me know so I can try a little harder to simplify it.
Good luck
Matt