Skeleton Pack Support

#1 I don't know the skeleton pack, but do you know the consequences of this "fix", right?

I don't remember the exact cause of the death crash, but I am almost sure it has to do with a missing node on the model or something.

When you setActionThread a player to a sequence with "death" on it's name, the player code activates a bunch of stuff to handle dead players. The most notable is that it will align the player's dead body with the geometry under it, so if the player dies on a slope/stair or even an edge, it'll be properly slanted. The body will even slide a bit on slopes and fall from edges.

By not using death-named animations for your deaths, you're missing that functionality, so be ware of that.

#2 REMOVED

#3 As a couple of others have mentioned, the only error in the death animation is not containing ground transform information (which is relatively easy to re-export)...as Manoel mentioned, the ground transform information is what allows the engine to have the body conform to the terrain.

If you have your skeleton die on the side of a hill for example, and use the technique above to fix the crash, you'll see that he doesn't conform...IMO would be something worth getting fixed properly :)

#4 Andy, all you need to do is animate the bounding box. It doesnt actually need to move, but it needs to have keyframes added. Can you please fix those 2 issues and upload a fixed version for everyone?

Thanks

#5 Will do. Thanks for the info. I'll post the fixes here, when complete.

#6 REMOVED SEE TOP NOTE

#7 Patch available - see top note.

#8 @Peter Simard

I have the same problem with death animations with no ground transform, I cant add that, because the LW exporter doesnt support the feature in a DSQ file :S

But you say that if I animate the bounding box in the death animation, to match the character movement will it work?.


Thanks!

#9 BTw:

I just cant animate the bounding box in Lightwave :S....

#10 BTw:

I just cant animate the bounding box in Lightwave :S....

#11 @Korpos - This cannot be done using Lightwave. The latest version of the LW2DTS which will be released soon I believe resolves this issue by saving the ground transform to the DSQ files. Look out for the update.

Also as I've noted above the latest version of the Skeleton pack is now avaialable solving the death anim crash issue, and refines the slashing animation.

#12 New version of a LW2DTS? :)

Dave tell you this in your chats with him the other day?

Any other information you can share about it?

#13 Any chance of getting 3ds-max sources for IK/animation?
The .obj and .3ds are just a models.. Nothing else in it.. I've purchased the pack, but I don't have LW. I've never seen it actualy :)
actualy, we need to re-do most of animations to suit our project...

#14 @Bank: If there's enough demand for it I can generate 3dmax versions of the animations. What sort of time line are you looking at to need the 3dmax versions?

@Ramen: Yep he provided a new LW2DTS plugin which I believe will be available very soon. It added the ground transformation to DSQ files, not just the DTS file.

#15 @Andy: let me say it like "it's not urgent". A few weeks is okay, if it will be available in 3dsmax at the end :) It's not breaking anything in our project development, but it could be a good addition for a game-play.

#16 @Bank: Looking at my schedule, and the time taken to produce the animation I would say it will be ready in about 4 weeks. This should allow you to schedule something in for your project.

Everyone else will get the Max upgrade as well. Say 1st week of August to allow for testing.

#17 Andy, thanks a lot. This is perfecly suits our plans even with some delays.
And, as a note to all "pack-makers", it could be a good idea to make source file in different formats from the beginning.
As for me - I just didn't purchase some packs just because they were not suited for our requirements on "Source distribution". The sceleton pack was looking nice and gives a lot for a project - so I picked it up.

Good work anyway, I like this. Thanks.

edit: spl

#18 Is there a need for Milkshape as well?

I can imagine some Torque owners haven't got the budget for Lighwave, Max or Maya.

Of course providing all the formats does delay the release dates. I'd say I could do the Max version by August and the Milkshape (or popular equivalent 3d package) version by September.

#19 My personal thoughts are: if you provide this pack with max and milkshape sources you will get much more sales.
As you said "some tge owners haven't got the budget for...", so milkshape is a good deal.. And as far as I know there is a ways to transfer animation from milkshape to 3dsmax.. may be mistaken.
But anyway, it's a good idea to make the pack in the way you do! Thanks!

#20 So Milkshape for the low budget alternative then? Or is there another budget editor people always use?