exporting animations to dts

#1 You need to have a sequence helper in the scene. This will be in

Create>Helpers>GeneralDTSObjects

You need to have keyframes for the beginning and end of the animation in the proper track in the track view. Then check the appropriate check boxes for the type of animation you are exporting in the Export Control rollout of the Sequence helper.

#2 ok i just spent about 5 hours trying this, i finaly figureout the keys but lost them som how after doing the sequence stuff or should i do the sequence s first i take it i have to export a dsq then add the sequence lines in the cbow cs some wheres which will be no problem i think, but i realy dont under stand the exact steps of doing the keys and the sequences cuz when i think im ready to export i am missing one or the other for some reason.

would you give me more of a step by step?

thanks

#3 You are overcomplexifying the whole process. For now, just put the sequence in the main file (the DTS) and don't make a .dsq or a .cs for it.

Get the animation exporting first, test it in -show, and then worry about setting up the .dsq files and getting a working .cs for it.

I don't quite understand some of what you wrote. Setting keys is covered in the MAX help file, everything else I wrote above is about as simple as it gets.

It would be helpful if you could be more specific about how you are animating the object in MAX.

#4 what ineed more specifics on are the sequence proceedures the animations and keys are fine they export, now how do i get them to work ingame? i found the create/helpers/generaldts objects/sequence

what exactly doi click or un click after sequence?

i have no idea what you mean by

For now, just put the sequence in the main file (the DTS) and don't make a .dsq or a .cs for it.

i never used the show feature ijust will set up the cs,s
show is just another thing i would have to learn

thanks

#5 How do you use the -show option? Is this a command line argument for the executable? Or something from the console?

#6 Command line for executable.

#7 Gary,

I am confused as you are being really unclear about what the nature of the problem is.

I need a better frame a reference about where the breakdown is occuring on your end.

I can give you a step by step, but where do I start? I mean, there is a button in the lower left hand corner called "Start". Some of the questions you are asking are very, very basic in nature.

If you want me to help, I need you to go step by step on what you are trying to do, and then maybe I can see which steps you are missing or getting wrong. It would be much easier for me if you could do that then me try to explain it and miss a step that I consider to be totally obvious.

After you export, launch the showtool.

From the command line

.exe -show

Press the 'load shape' button and load the shape.
If the sequence exported you can view and and play with it under "Thread control"

check the shapeout in the showtool first. If it works in the showtool, then the animation is getting exported and the problem is not in the shape or with the way you exported it.

#8 Thanks joe for wanting to help, i lost my inet connection (excite@home getting transfered to att) last saturday, (posting from work) and want to wait to give you an exact step by step of what i am doing so i can run through the process at the time i type it out.

im still triying to figger it out, i can do the show thing, and i have the tribes2 sdk (max files) and tring to do all the keys and fire and reload sequences ,but nothing works ingame or show so im missing something.

i should be back on line by the weekend hopefully, then i can show you just what i do,

#9 Take you time. I got hit by the @home fiasco as well, and I am a little behind in my correspondence.

#10 yeah the @home thing kinda sucks, but i did get a call to of an electronic voice saying that i should have mine back on line tommarrow (wed) but while im waiting ill do a web page of the step by step exporting to dts with the max and screenshots then hopefully i can be told whats rong,

heck it may be in the way i animated it (so i just may do a stepxstep on the actual animation with scrshots to)

this is important to me cuz next i want to learn how to animate the playerdts for a sword slice and dice :)

#11 Yea! although i dont have my cable back YET, i have a link to show ya all how i am animating and exporting the weapon and animation to dts ,,,(itll export but the animate dont work ingame)
http://www.planetquake.com/noescape/exportanimation.HTM
this is how i animated it

and this is how i tried to export it

can any one see what im doing rong?
(im not much of a webmaster )

Thanks

#12 In your sequence helper, open the 'export control' rollout.

Under "Enable" check the "morph animation' checkbox.

Re-export. Try that and tell me if it works.

#13 this may or may not help but I had the understanding that vertecies cannot be animated as a suboject without having an "linked x form" modifier. . . ie attaching the vertecies to a dummy object and animating the dummy object . . . I think if you render that scene instead of previewing it, you will not see the bow moving at all. Anthony

#14 I noticed in your screenshot that you have Use N frames checked under ground transform and have that set to 2. Can you post a screenshot of your General panel? Because if you have it set like the ground transform, the exporter is only outputting 2 frames of the sequence which would explain why you can't see it - it would simply be moving too quickly to notice. You should set to N=20 (which is the frame length of each of your sequences) or Use Framerate = 15 under General.

#15 yup it was the morph thing , i checked it only and bamm! the animations worked ingame :)

I knew it had to be somthing simple i just was over looking (seems to always work that way)heh well all the time i spent on this crossbow ,will make me remember for the next animation.
I ll have to do something about those pages when i get back on line. thanks for all your help.