DSQ Animations chewing up my model
by Dave Calabrese · in Artist Corner · 08/08/2008 (5:38 pm) · 5 replies
I'm working with mocap files generated by the Arena software by an outside source, so I have a series of .BVH files. Then in Max, I have a character mesh. I have used a biped to rig my character mesh in Max, then exported it out to a .DTS
Now here's the tricky part - the BVH files were recorded with an odd scale - about 500 feet tall to be precise (literally - I'm using US Metrics Feet units in Max). So to get these to the correct scale, I'm doing the following:
1.) Open my skinned character, and save it as a seperate file.
2.) In the seperate files, delete my character mesh, leaving the biped.
3.) Import the .BVH onto the biped. This causes the biped to become 500 feet tall rather than 5'8".
4.) Change the Height of the biped in Figure Mode.
5.) Everything looks fine now, so create a Sequence object and prepare to export.
Here is where I begin to run into trouble..
If I use the snazzy, menu-driven exporter, I get this error:
Which is generated on this line of the MaxScript in the 'EditSequence' function:
When I then export my .DSQ through the menu driven exporter, it comes out to being 1k in size - making me think it did not really export. So I then use an older exporter, and it exports fine and at about 19k - a bit more like it!
Okay. So now I open up my rigged and skinned model in ShowToolPro, and it looks great. All the nodes are in the right places, I can see everything just fine. So then I load in my freshly exported .DSQ file - and my mesh suddenly gets turned on its side, crunched and generally looks like he got chewed up. All the nodes are now in practically random places, and the animation looks like something out of a Freddy Kruger film.
Could really use any help that anyone could offer here! Thanks in advance!
-Dave Calabrese
Gaslight Studios
Now here's the tricky part - the BVH files were recorded with an odd scale - about 500 feet tall to be precise (literally - I'm using US Metrics Feet units in Max). So to get these to the correct scale, I'm doing the following:
1.) Open my skinned character, and save it as a seperate file.
2.) In the seperate files, delete my character mesh, leaving the biped.
3.) Import the .BVH onto the biped. This causes the biped to become 500 feet tall rather than 5'8".
4.) Change the Height of the biped in Figure Mode.
5.) Everything looks fine now, so create a Sequence object and prepare to export.
Here is where I begin to run into trouble..
If I use the snazzy, menu-driven exporter, I get this error:
-- Unable to convert: undefined to type: Integer
Which is generated on this line of the MaxScript in the 'EditSequence' function:
startFrame_spn.value = getUserProp s "startFrame"
When I then export my .DSQ through the menu driven exporter, it comes out to being 1k in size - making me think it did not really export. So I then use an older exporter, and it exports fine and at about 19k - a bit more like it!
Okay. So now I open up my rigged and skinned model in ShowToolPro, and it looks great. All the nodes are in the right places, I can see everything just fine. So then I load in my freshly exported .DSQ file - and my mesh suddenly gets turned on its side, crunched and generally looks like he got chewed up. All the nodes are now in practically random places, and the animation looks like something out of a Freddy Kruger film.
Could really use any help that anyone could offer here! Thanks in advance!
-Dave Calabrese
Gaslight Studios
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#2
I have had the same problem with the Kork model and afx DSQ's (the banana peel spell)
The character turns to gooey spaghetti! -But not with new BVH animations I load into my model and make new DSQ's for.
Have you come up with a solution to this?
-Peter
08/10/2008 (2:22 am)
This sounds like the "Twisted Banana Syndrome"!I have had the same problem with the Kork model and afx DSQ's (the banana peel spell)
The character turns to gooey spaghetti! -But not with new BVH animations I load into my model and make new DSQ's for.
Have you come up with a solution to this?
-Peter
#3
- Dave Calabrese
Gaslight Studios
08/10/2008 (10:38 am)
Peter: The short explanation that we have found is that MAX and TGE both have a huge number of little, fiddly settings that have to be exactly right. Any one of these is off, and you get a splattered model. For example, in Max, you need to make sure things properly line up if you have Blend animation turned on, however Max likes to move around your center points even after you've set them. I'm going to see about writing a TDN article as I'm still wrapping my head around the details. It's very complex and very difficult to make this work, I can tell you that much - but we'll try and explain it in a straightforward manner. =)- Dave Calabrese
Gaslight Studios
#5
I didn't get to blends just yet, but only standard settings.
@Rubes: The model I made is turned to something that resembles a squashed bug, with arms wriggeling and things coming out of it when the "banana peel" spell from afx is cast on it. -It caused some pain in the side of the intire team, as we almost laughed our heads off... :-)
Peter
08/10/2008 (9:41 pm)
Thanks Dave, that sounds really nice, a lot of people will be happy I promise ;-)I didn't get to blends just yet, but only standard settings.
@Rubes: The model I made is turned to something that resembles a squashed bug, with arms wriggeling and things coming out of it when the "banana peel" spell from afx is cast on it. -It caused some pain in the side of the intire team, as we almost laughed our heads off... :-)
Peter
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perPixel Studios