Exporting Animation..help wanted

#1 Sure, I'll take a look at the scene. Send it my way and I'll get right back to you. Include a brief explanation of exactly what you need and I'll try to set it up for you.

Right off, I'd say this may be vertex animation, since I've not seen a bone structure import/open inside gS...we'll just have to take a lookie see...:)

Rex

#2 Rex is the man as far as I am concerned. If anyone can help you, he can

#3 Thanks Rex, Thanks Charlie.

I've sent an email to Rex with the model in question.

Hope you can show me the way!

#4 Hey, Paulo, send me your GameSpace.SCN you've setup...that exported and didn't include any of the sequences. These are the .X files...and my version of gS1.5 is corrupting the files. Head portion of mesh is centered on the origin. Looks like you may have to force morph animation on this object to get it as animated, thru it's .CFG file, as there are no bones deforming the mesh.

#5 From the sounds of it the model must be done using vertex animation. While the exporter does support this (morph animation) you should be advised that morph animation causes huge DTS file sizes and can be a huge performance killer. This is because morph animation uses snapshots of the meshes state at its given keyframes instead of using bone (node) translations and rotations.

#6 Rex,

Just sent you the email with my scene. Sorry about the size of it, it about 3MB.

Thanks.

#7 Matt,

I turned forceMorph to true and now I'm getting the following :

"Mesh topology is animated on mesh col-1"

and nothing is exporting anymore. Do you know what could be wrong?

Thanks

Here is the .dmp file :
Torque Game Engine (DTS) Exporter v2.0.0 Build 5
trueSpace v660.11

Preparing to export "C:\gameSpace\" to "C:\Torque\Modelos\dwarf_2.dts"
Setting up for full export (dts) -- turning on optimized meshes

Config file "C:\Torque\Modelos\dwarf_2.cfg" not found.

Config file "C:\Torque\Modelos\dwarf_.cfg" not found.

Config file "C:\Torque\Modelos\dtsScene.cfg" not found.
Preloaded TrueSpace Bones - # bones: 0, # joints: 0
First pass: enumerate scene...

Processing Node bounds with parent Scene Root
Bounding box found
Processing Node sequence::Attack01 with parent Scene Root
Processing Node base01 with parent Scene Root
Found subtree starting at Node "base01"
Processing Node collision-1 with parent base01
Processing Node detail01 with parent base01
Processing Node shape01 with parent start01
Processing Node col-1 with parent start01

Second pass: put shape structure together...

Adding detail named "collision-1" of size -1 to subtree "base01".
Adding detail named "detail01" of size 1 to subtree "base01".
Adding node "base01" with parent "base01" to subtree rooted on node "base01".
Adding node "start01" with parent "base01" to subtree rooted on node "base01".
Adding node "shape01" with parent "start01" to subtree rooted on node "base01".
Attaching object to node.
Adding object named "shape".
Adding mesh of size 1 to object "shape".
Adding node "col-1" with parent "start01" to subtree rooted on node "base01".
Attaching object to node.
Adding object named "col".
Adding mesh of size -1 to object "col".

Third pass: Collapsing unneeded nodes...

Removing node "base01"
Removing node "start01"
Adding material "unnamed" to bounds
Flags: SWrap TWrap NeverEnvMap
Reflection Map: -1 (0.000000)
Detail Map: -1 (1.000000)
Bump Map: -1
Adding material "dwarf2" to shape01
Flags: SWrap TWrap NeverEnvMap
Reflection Map: -1 (0.000000)
Detail Map: -1 (1.000000)
Bump Map: -1
Adding material "axe" to shape01
Flags: SWrap TWrap NeverEnvMap
Reflection Map: -1 (0.000000)
Detail Map: -1 (1.000000)
Bump Map: -1
Adding material "unnamed" to col-1
Flags: SWrap TWrap NeverEnvMap
Reflection Map: -1 (0.000000)
Detail Map: -1 (1.000000)
Bump Map: -1

Add default object states...

#8 Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "shape".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
Object offset transform for mesh dl=0:
scale: x=1.00000, y=1.00000, z=1.00000
stretch rotation: x=0.00000, y=0.00000, z=0.00000, w=1.00000
translation: x=0.00000, y=0.00000, z=0.00000
actual rotation: x=0.00000, y=0.00000, z=0.00000, w=1.00000
---------------------------------
Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "col".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
Object offset transform for mesh dl=0:
scale: x=2.03433, y=2.66992, z=2.94868
stretch rotation: x=0.00000, y=0.00000, z=0.00000, w=1.00000
translation: x=0.00000, y=0.00000, z=0.00000
actual rotation: x=0.00000, y=0.00000, z=0.00000, w=1.00000
---------------------------------

Add default node states...

Adding node rotation at time 0.000000 for node "shape01".
rotation: x=0.00000, y=0.00000, z=0.00000, w=1.00000
---------------------------------
Adding node translation at time 0.000000 for node "shape01".
translation: x=0.07184, y=1.66992, z=-2.94995
---------------------------------
Adding node rotation at time 0.000000 for node "col-1".
rotation: x=0.00000, y=0.00000, z=0.00000, w=1.00000
---------------------------------
Adding node translation at time 0.000000 for node "col-1".
translation: x=0.00000, y=0.00000, z=0.00000
---------------------------------

Adding 1 sequences...

Adding sequence 0 named "Attack01"
Enabled animation: MVTUAIM , Forced animation: Duration = 0.50000, secPerFrame = 0.03333, # frames = 15
Sequence includes 0 nodes, 2 objects, and 0 ifl materials
0 rotations, 0 translations, 0 scales

Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "shape".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
---------------------------------
Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "shape".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
---------------------------------
Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "shape".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
---------------------------------
Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "shape".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
---------------------------------
Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "shape".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
---------------------------------
Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "shape".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
---------------------------------
Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "shape".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
---------------------------------
Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "shape".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
---------------------------------
Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "shape".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
---------------------------------
Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "shape".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
---------------------------------
Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "shape".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
---------------------------------
Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "shape".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
---------------------------------
Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "shape".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
---------------------------------
Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "shape".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
---------------------------------
Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "shape".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
---------------------------------
Adding object state to 1 detail level(s) of mesh "col".
Adding frame.
Object is visible.
---------------------------------

#9 Where did you add the forceMorph setting it should only be on the animated mesh object(s) in your scene. The error you posted would lead my to believe that you are either vertex animating your collision object or that there is a bug in the exporter that is causing this error.

Remove the colision object from your scene and try to export it again.

#10 Hm......
I got a dts shape with the attack01 sequence embedded...I'll include the shape here;

MorphDwarfDTS


yes, what Matt, said, remove the col-marker object and rename the mesh collision object to _dummy...I got this working...scale is huge and orientation is wrong but it exported...I had to pass thru an assertion error in a Microsoff library...didn't abort and ignored and it passed to completion...

had to try this out, never forced Morph animation before...;), Thanks, Paulo. I've got your original scene, a bit doctored...but I got it to export. The axe needs texture reapplied...I painted it with the dwarf1.jpg.

time for some lunch now, I'll be back later....there were quite a few things going on in the scene that may need correcting....

#11 Back from a steamy bowl of Pho'......


I'm not certain how feasible Morph animation is for a player character...so I went ahead, Paulo, and scaled the dwarf mesh to fit the rig I built for the elfMesh guide I published. I then have gone and re-rigged my ELFped...to a DWFped....a slight jizzle of the DOF's[most were nearly as before...big hint, move limbs as much as possible with Ctrl+branch grab], could be ready for some movement soon. I'm willing to setup a rig for you, since it seems likely you'll need to reanimate the sequences....I would just need to know a targe height of the dwarf, and I could really take off. Right at the moment; the dwarf 'stands' about 3 meters high to top of horns.

#12 Hey Rex...

Thanks for the info!
If you could setup the rig so i could learn by it, i would really appreciate it!
You guys are amazing.... the community really is alive!
I'll go over and read your tutorial.

Just a question... if I remove the collision objetc, I'll lose collision in the game, right?

Any pointers for a newbie in 3D anim? I'm a programmer at heart, but I gotta double work as an artist for this 3 man project we're working on.
Thanks again for the help Rex.

Matt :
I put the forceMorph on the _sequence:: mesh... isn't there where it's supposed to be?

If not, is it on the geometry I want to export?

Gonna try removing the collision object and export it again... i'll post here the results.

All :

Thank you all!

#13 Matt / Rex :

Followed you advice and renamed my collision-1 mesh to _dummy.
Gave ans assertion like Rex, ignored, and it exported ok.

My question is this: Will my object still have collision in-game?
If not, how can I achieve this?

Thanks!

#14 If the shape in question is a Player Class, yes, collision will be automagically assigned via the player.cs script. Simple Shapes and statics, need to have a geometric mesh as a collision, and it's appropriate marker within the shape. Check your mail, there is a rigged dwarf on the way...:). Might need small amount of vertex weighting adjustment necessary....I did it all fairly quickly. Looks pretty darn good, if I have to say so myself, give a review back, ;). Notice how the massive belt is fairly rigid as the torso/legs rotate in relation...;). I would also suggest utilizing a plugin animation controller to do the sequences...I've found the IK a bit dodgy and not able to get a good cycle from them...first/last frame same...

#15 Rex :

Thanks. I got the mail and gave a breif look at it.... man, it's great!
Way better than anything I've ever done.... gonna go through it and see if I can learne anything.

So, if i create it as a PlayerDTS class, it'll make the collision by itself? No need for Collision mesh? Uhmmm.. I'm getting to like Torque more every day : ) .....