Common DTS FAQ 4 maya
by Mark Pilkington · in Artist Corner · 08/30/2006 (6:49 am) · 10 replies
I see the same similar questions floating around and I think a lot of this can be sorted by an old Torque user or GG person as theres sweet FA on TDN to do with maya.
I know I have a few questions here and I know this will most likely help other people out.
My questions are:
Player collision models: DSQ files are just pure animation data I take it?....bone rotation and curve tangents yes? So theres no mesh or collision data? (I could be well off here) So if you build a collision model for your DTS character shape do you simple create cubes to encase the player models limbs and body, combine them into 1 shape, rename it Col_1 and rig it to the characters skeleton?
Run/Walk cycles: Do player models run on the spot when animating them or do they run from point A to B?
Items and Mounts: Ok...you have your character and his mount nodes set up. Now its time to make an item. Do items also have Mount nodes or do you just have a bone with a prefixed name that then gets attached to a mount node?
DTSscene.cfg: I think my problems are at this point as my exporter isn't exporting everything thats under AlwaysExport: ei. Cam, eye and mount nodes (its skipping these) I've looked at the Stock Orc's cfg file and don't really see any difference so some more info on this might be good - my problem may be something in ma maya file.
I know this will help me out no end as I'm now trying to get characters to work...well atleast export so I can pass them onto someone else. If people have other questions it might be cool to throw your general DTS questions on this thread?
All the help is appreciated.
Cheers
I know I have a few questions here and I know this will most likely help other people out.
My questions are:
Player collision models: DSQ files are just pure animation data I take it?....bone rotation and curve tangents yes? So theres no mesh or collision data? (I could be well off here) So if you build a collision model for your DTS character shape do you simple create cubes to encase the player models limbs and body, combine them into 1 shape, rename it Col_1 and rig it to the characters skeleton?
Run/Walk cycles: Do player models run on the spot when animating them or do they run from point A to B?
Items and Mounts: Ok...you have your character and his mount nodes set up. Now its time to make an item. Do items also have Mount nodes or do you just have a bone with a prefixed name that then gets attached to a mount node?
DTSscene.cfg: I think my problems are at this point as my exporter isn't exporting everything thats under AlwaysExport: ei. Cam, eye and mount nodes (its skipping these) I've looked at the Stock Orc's cfg file and don't really see any difference so some more info on this might be good - my problem may be something in ma maya file.
I know this will help me out no end as I'm now trying to get characters to work...well atleast export so I can pass them onto someone else. If people have other questions it might be cool to throw your general DTS questions on this thread?
All the help is appreciated.
Cheers
About the author
#2
So for collision player models its just a cube that covers the characters body...so arms and legs gave no collision. cool. - I'm already familiar with collision models with my static DTS shapes.
I will probably animate characters running from point A to B - I'm not too sure what you mean by overlapping keys but I'll try and keep the anims as clean as possible.
'Mountpoint' - CheersI've not read anything or seen anyone mention mount points, not even on Danny's site unless I just missed it, theres alot of info there.
I've already set my FPS and Z-up in my properties window. Cheers
Well Dave, this has really helped me out and I'm sure its helped alot of other people out.
Thanks again.
08/31/2006 (1:37 am)
Ah cheers Dave, I am a pretty old Maya user when it comes to games, I'm just trying to get my head round it with Torque haha. I think my own problem with it missing the nodes out was I hadn't included -Param::CollapseTransforms in my cfg file.So for collision player models its just a cube that covers the characters body...so arms and legs gave no collision. cool. - I'm already familiar with collision models with my static DTS shapes.
I will probably animate characters running from point A to B - I'm not too sure what you mean by overlapping keys but I'll try and keep the anims as clean as possible.
'Mountpoint' - CheersI've not read anything or seen anyone mention mount points, not even on Danny's site unless I just missed it, theres alot of info there.
I've already set my FPS and Z-up in my properties window. Cheers
Well Dave, this has really helped me out and I'm sure its helped alot of other people out.
Thanks again.
#3
Is this the same for the eye node aswell? or is this simply just parented to a bone like the Mount nodes?
Cheers
08/31/2006 (1:44 am)
I've read you parent the cam node to an 'Unlink' node which is in turn parented to the root bone.Is this the same for the eye node aswell? or is this simply just parented to a bone like the Mount nodes?
Cheers
#4
export or each as a dsq. Animation needs a Sequence_ node with the name of the set like Sequence_walk
after making five with the DTS utility click on it outliner edit it in the channel bar setting the frames .
1: walk keys 0 to 30
2: run keys 31 to 50
3: sit keys 51 to 55
4: die keys 56 to 65
5: wive keys 66 to 79
Keys not overlapping
Cam eye nodes move it from 0.0.0 and place them in the final position don't freeze any nodes but you will need to rotate Z_up parent to a Reference node as long as it moves with your model all the engine wants is its X.Y.Z placement
08/31/2006 (9:35 am)
Lets say you need to make five animations for a player "example below" you can export all your sets in one export or each as a dsq. Animation needs a Sequence_ node with the name of the set like Sequence_walk
after making five with the DTS utility click on it outliner edit it in the channel bar setting the frames .
1: walk keys 0 to 30
2: run keys 31 to 50
3: sit keys 51 to 55
4: die keys 56 to 65
5: wive keys 66 to 79
Keys not overlapping
Cam eye nodes move it from 0.0.0 and place them in the final position don't freeze any nodes but you will need to rotate Z_up parent to a Reference node as long as it moves with your model all the engine wants is its X.Y.Z placement
#5
Unknown bool parameter "Param::CollapseTransforms"
So could someone kindly list the REAL syntax of the maya exporter flags so those of us who don't have or know MAX can actually make art assets?
Ive been at this for more than 8 hours now trying different combinations of where the nodes are, changing that param that doesnt work, etc and frankly Im fed up with having half baked tools. IM about ready to just say to hell with torque and chalk it up as a learning experience of you get what you pay for.
08/31/2006 (1:21 pm)
Guys, -Param::CollapseTranforms doesnt work with the maya exporter, at least not version 7. Dump file confirmsUnknown bool parameter "Param::CollapseTransforms"
So could someone kindly list the REAL syntax of the maya exporter flags so those of us who don't have or know MAX can actually make art assets?
Ive been at this for more than 8 hours now trying different combinations of where the nodes are, changing that param that doesnt work, etc and frankly Im fed up with having half baked tools. IM about ready to just say to hell with torque and chalk it up as a learning experience of you get what you pay for.
#6
that floating around here mines bin tweaked and recompiled by a programmer i know my dump says Param::CollapseTransforms disabled. and my nodes export just fine!!
If you explain what you dealing with mite be able to help
08/31/2006 (1:57 pm)
Chill man relax getting all worked up is not going to solve your issues and i had nodes being removed from my models till i put the :CollapseTransforms in my CFG's but then again I'm not using the maya7 plug in that floating around here mines bin tweaked and recompiled by a programmer i know my dump says Param::CollapseTransforms disabled. and my nodes export just fine!!
If you explain what you dealing with mite be able to help
#7
I have a simple skeletal mesh. Put in the eye and cam nodes generated through dtsUtility, moved them to where I want, link them to Start01, base01, the skeleton itself, or even a mesh skinned to the skeleton, and they still dont export.
I've gone back to maya 6.5. made a cylinder, set up for dts export, added eye cam and mount nodes, just as a test. They still dont export. I have the collapse Transofrms set, I have eye and cam nodes set in always export in every possible textual permutation and every single time I get
Though As Im writing this I FINALLY found a solution, that is to place some form of polygonal geometry grouped under the utility node with the same name as the utility node.
So one day wasted and one problem solved.
08/31/2006 (8:20 pm)
Sorry to be worked up, but every single time I try to do ANYTHING with this engine its like pulling teeth. I spend more time tracking down undocumented bugs, and fighting issues between the max and maya exporter (working on a team) than I do actually producing art. I have a simple skeletal mesh. Put in the eye and cam nodes generated through dtsUtility, moved them to where I want, link them to Start01, base01, the skeleton itself, or even a mesh skinned to the skeleton, and they still dont export.
I've gone back to maya 6.5. made a cylinder, set up for dts export, added eye cam and mount nodes, just as a test. They still dont export. I have the collapse Transofrms set, I have eye and cam nodes set in always export in every possible textual permutation and every single time I get
Third pass: Collapsing unneeded nodes... Removing node "base01" Removing node "start01" Removing node "EYE" Removing node "CAM" Removing node "mount0"In the dump file, and no other nodes in my dts shape.
Though As Im writing this I FINALLY found a solution, that is to place some form of polygonal geometry grouped under the utility node with the same name as the utility node.
So one day wasted and one problem solved.
#8
my plugin i will email .?
08/31/2006 (9:48 pm)
Like i said had the same isue just added the CollapseTransforms worked for me if you wood like to try my plugin i will email .?
#9
Would it be possible to get the sourcecode of your tweeked exporter? It would be nice to see the difference between it and the default one.
09/01/2006 (5:01 am)
Sure. Email me Vailias @ yahoo.com, Though I seem to have found a workaround.Would it be possible to get the sourcecode of your tweeked exporter? It would be nice to see the difference between it and the default one.
#10
09/01/2006 (7:29 am)
Sent ...not my code sorry..but the software engineer that fixed them sent the fixs along to GG 
Torque Owner Dave MacIsaac
TDN is for the most part is user contributed and yes there is more max junk then maya there
Player collision ...Make a box around the core of the player keep it in the bounds call it col_1 plus you need a Collision_1 node just copy and rename a details node for that freeze transforms/delete history/triangulate
the shape parent constraint to your root bone so it moves/rotates with the player do the same with Bounds.
Run/Walk cycles:you can do it both ways as long as each animation starts at 0.0.0 "Dont overlap keys"
you need a Sequence for each animation and there start/end frames DTS utility will make them.
Items and Mounts: mounts are just a node can be a locater or wire shape start it at 0.0.0 freeze transforms
so there is no X.Y.Z info in the channel bar then move to its place for a gun it wood be "players hand"
parent it to a hand bone call it mount0 that's it for the player.. If your working in mayas default Y_up
you will need to rotate the node to "Z_up" or the gun will mount pointing at the ground don't freeze the node
after you move it!! or the engine will place it at the ground center .0.0.0
your gun needs a node as well called "mountpoint" also rotated "Z_up" were the hand wood hold it
DTSscene.cfg: example below... Make sure all bones are named under AlwaysExport:
you can also do a NeverExport: that wood be all the control parts of you rig
AlwaysExport:
eye
cam
mount0
mount1
mount2
jetpack
MountPoint
MuzzlePoint
ejectionPoint
ejectPoint
-Param::CollapseTransforms <--mayas CFG needs this here
Last and the most important is to setup you scene right use the DTS utility set you units "meters" and FPS to 30 the rig and player cant have any X.Y.Z scale info or you asking for trouble freeze transforms on the mesh before you rig for reference the ork is like just over two meters tall.