Character DTS Export from Max Overview and Issues
by Brad Strong · in Artist Corner · 12/06/2006 (10:32 am) · 6 replies
Thanks, Thak and Joe -
I just got my first import using biped. It's all worth it again.
These ideas helped:
1. I should let the root bone be the parent
2. detail2 should be a child of the root bone
3. the mesh/skin stays unlinked
4. we do not want to use embed shape on a skinned mesh
I just got my first import using biped. It's all worth it again.
These ideas helped:
1. I should let the root bone be the parent
2. detail2 should be a child of the root bone
3. the mesh/skin stays unlinked
4. we do not want to use embed shape on a skinned mesh
#2
there is not a comprehensive tutorial on making a complex character because the limitations are not that many. The node structure for the character (the skeleton) has to be the 'shape'. This is different from a normal DTS 'shape' where the mesh transform exists inside the shapetree. The skin modifier does not allow the mesh to be linked inside the node heirarchy, so it is a special case.
so long as the heirarchy is based off of one parent node, you can rig pretty much anything.
these easiest example of a bone character that will demonstrate it all is the Girl Pack. It has a custom 3dsmax skeleton and a complete animation set.
12/06/2006 (10:45 am)
Brad, there is not a comprehensive tutorial on making a complex character because the limitations are not that many. The node structure for the character (the skeleton) has to be the 'shape'. This is different from a normal DTS 'shape' where the mesh transform exists inside the shapetree. The skin modifier does not allow the mesh to be linked inside the node heirarchy, so it is a special case.
so long as the heirarchy is based off of one parent node, you can rig pretty much anything.
these easiest example of a bone character that will demonstrate it all is the Girl Pack. It has a custom 3dsmax skeleton and a complete animation set.
#3
12/06/2006 (5:01 pm)
Great. :) Admittedly there are starting diffculties, but now you should be able te export any model. No matter the complexity. ;)
#4
Please help with complex character DTS export:
First, here is a great little tutorial on how to export a very simple character:
tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/DTS/3dsmax/Creating_a_Simple_Character
This works well but, still, it is just a sphere and a box. Any reasonable character is going to need biped or bones to look and move right, so this tutorial is only good for the most basic overview. One thing you learn here is that you need to use the Embed Shape feature of the exporter to create a hierarchy, which creates nodes called Base01, Start01, and Detail2.
There is no good solid tutorial on how to export a simple bones character, so I tried setting up 17 simple bones and a very simple mesh - converted the mesh to an editable mesh - skinned it - ran Embed Shape on my Mesh to create my hierarchy - built the Eye, Cam, Mount01, etc, - made a series of simple animations per the tutorial listed above - ran Export > Whole Shape, and got this : Error: Bone Missing from Shape.
This seems to be caused by bones that have no verts attached, or bones that are not being used, or bones that are called out as Never Export in the cfg file. None of which is true in my case. I have 17 basic bones, all being used by the Mesh via the Skin modifier. They bones hierarchy is a different hierarchy than the Base01, Start01, etc, so maybe I screwed that up. I tried making my base bone01 the root of the system and that didn't work either. I got the error Skin Found On Linked Node Body2. Skin Must Be Unlinked. So I selected the Skin, and clicked Unlink, and Reran the Export. This generated the following error - No Data To Export.
So I thought I'd try Biped out.
There is an older article on how to export a more complex character here:
tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/DTS/OldDoc/Section2
This article suggests using the player.max file that comes with TGE to start with since it can be tricky. One troubling thing is that once you open up this file and take a good look, there is no Base01, no Start01, in fact the whole hierarchy is different than the simple example described above.
I opened that file, deleted the 2 meshes, put my merged editable mesh on the existing rig, made a snapshot of the mesh for the Multires copy, and then selected and linked the Multires as a child of the main mesh.
When I exported, I had a new kind of error, "Cannot collapse node Bip01 L Finger02". So I tried A) making sure the bone had verts assigned to it, B) making sure it had no verts assigned to it, and C) finally, got rid of the fingers and toes using the Biped Motion menu and then removing the bones from the Bones list in the Skin modifier.
It doesn't make sense that I'd get an error from the fingers and toes on this since the original player.max does not produce errors like this. It did export after removing the toes and fingers, but the model itself is invisible in the game, and does not even cast a shadow.
Here is a link to the FAQs for Max DTS Exporting:
tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/DTS/FAQ/3ds_Max_FAQ
Here is some info about a new Max DTS exporters from Dark Industries:
tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/3DSMax/ProExporters#Installation
I have found this exporter a little tricky to use so I am putting it off until I understand the basic process better. I uninstalled it as I have read having both exporters installed can create problems.
Summary:
Ulitimately, I am finding that exporting a character from max using bones or biped is tricky, because there is not a proper tutorial to be found. What does a proper bones character structure look like? How would one go about putting their own mesh into the player max file and using the existing rig?
Note: This message should be first in this series of posts.
12/10/2006 (11:31 am)
This was the first post, I am sorry I accidentally deleted it, but I had a copy in my notes so here it is again!Please help with complex character DTS export:
First, here is a great little tutorial on how to export a very simple character:
tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/DTS/3dsmax/Creating_a_Simple_Character
This works well but, still, it is just a sphere and a box. Any reasonable character is going to need biped or bones to look and move right, so this tutorial is only good for the most basic overview. One thing you learn here is that you need to use the Embed Shape feature of the exporter to create a hierarchy, which creates nodes called Base01, Start01, and Detail2.
There is no good solid tutorial on how to export a simple bones character, so I tried setting up 17 simple bones and a very simple mesh - converted the mesh to an editable mesh - skinned it - ran Embed Shape on my Mesh to create my hierarchy - built the Eye, Cam, Mount01, etc, - made a series of simple animations per the tutorial listed above - ran Export > Whole Shape, and got this : Error: Bone Missing from Shape.
This seems to be caused by bones that have no verts attached, or bones that are not being used, or bones that are called out as Never Export in the cfg file. None of which is true in my case. I have 17 basic bones, all being used by the Mesh via the Skin modifier. They bones hierarchy is a different hierarchy than the Base01, Start01, etc, so maybe I screwed that up. I tried making my base bone01 the root of the system and that didn't work either. I got the error Skin Found On Linked Node Body2. Skin Must Be Unlinked. So I selected the Skin, and clicked Unlink, and Reran the Export. This generated the following error - No Data To Export.
So I thought I'd try Biped out.
There is an older article on how to export a more complex character here:
tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/DTS/OldDoc/Section2
This article suggests using the player.max file that comes with TGE to start with since it can be tricky. One troubling thing is that once you open up this file and take a good look, there is no Base01, no Start01, in fact the whole hierarchy is different than the simple example described above.
I opened that file, deleted the 2 meshes, put my merged editable mesh on the existing rig, made a snapshot of the mesh for the Multires copy, and then selected and linked the Multires as a child of the main mesh.
When I exported, I had a new kind of error, "Cannot collapse node Bip01 L Finger02". So I tried A) making sure the bone had verts assigned to it, B) making sure it had no verts assigned to it, and C) finally, got rid of the fingers and toes using the Biped Motion menu and then removing the bones from the Bones list in the Skin modifier.
It doesn't make sense that I'd get an error from the fingers and toes on this since the original player.max does not produce errors like this. It did export after removing the toes and fingers, but the model itself is invisible in the game, and does not even cast a shadow.
Here is a link to the FAQs for Max DTS Exporting:
tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/DTS/FAQ/3ds_Max_FAQ
Here is some info about a new Max DTS exporters from Dark Industries:
tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/3DSMax/ProExporters#Installation
I have found this exporter a little tricky to use so I am putting it off until I understand the basic process better. I uninstalled it as I have read having both exporters installed can create problems.
Summary:
Ulitimately, I am finding that exporting a character from max using bones or biped is tricky, because there is not a proper tutorial to be found. What does a proper bones character structure look like? How would one go about putting their own mesh into the player max file and using the existing rig?
Note: This message should be first in this series of posts.
#5
12/11/2006 (12:11 pm)
Hey Brad, i agree with you. There's not a proper tutorial for that even for the new exporter.
#6
I agree, it took a long time for me to understand and be comfortable with max skinned dts. Althought there are few tutorials I found this one that is very good...
http://torque.smdlabs.com/3dsmaxAnimationSetup.htm
One thing that you should be careful aoout exporting skinned dts it's to don't leave any bones with numbers in their names, because the exporter may think that its a mesh instead of a bone...
The exporter has so many tricky parts and problems that everyday I find a new surprise...
Did you know that if you export a object with two-sided material it will not be properly illuminated by the lighting, having only ambient illumination? Yes, I only discored it today...
01/22/2007 (6:36 pm)
Hi Guys!I agree, it took a long time for me to understand and be comfortable with max skinned dts. Althought there are few tutorials I found this one that is very good...
http://torque.smdlabs.com/3dsmaxAnimationSetup.htm
One thing that you should be careful aoout exporting skinned dts it's to don't leave any bones with numbers in their names, because the exporter may think that its a mesh instead of a bone...
The exporter has so many tricky parts and problems that everyday I find a new surprise...
Did you know that if you export a object with two-sided material it will not be properly illuminated by the lighting, having only ambient illumination? Yes, I only discored it today...
Torque Owner Thak
Brad do not under any circumstance run embed shape on a skinned character. Thats most likely the problem there.
So what you need is this:
the skeleton
The Mesh
the detail2 node
Link the detail 2 node to the Root of your skeleton
Skin the mesh (name it whatever2) to the skeleton but do not use the rootbone of your skeleton in Bipeds case thats Bip01. Make the cfg file to Never Export Bip01 or its conterpart in your skeleton.
Click export whole shape.
Do NOT use "embed shape" or "register details".
Hope this helps.