Lightwave Rigging For Torque
by Andy Hawkins · 04/04/2006 (11:09 am) · 32 comments
This resource shows you how to rigg a character in Lightwave and export to work in Torque. This goes some of the way to support Lightwave users in place of the Kork model which is not available in Lightwave format.
It also illustrates a pipeline for working from Lightwave to Torque for artists (and soon programmers / scripters).
I hope this helps people out. Let me know if you want the zip in a different format for Linux and Mac users. I suspect that PDF is cross-platform.
Grab the files here.
Lightwave to Torque Tut
NEW!
I've added some videos on unwrapping and weight mapping to suit Torque anims.
These were suggest by a GG member who I will announce if they want. Recommend using XVid codec and Media Player Classic to watch - sound is noisy so you may need head phones.
Unwrapping
Shows how to unwrap using endomorphs - better control over unwrap process.
Unwrapping. 90 meg ~21mins
Skelegon creation, weight mapping, bones, animation and export to Torque
Shows how to add skelegons, weight map, then rigg and animate quickly for Torque.
Skelegons Pt 1. 13 meg ~3.5 mins
Skelegons Pt 2. 33 meg ~9 mins
Skelegons Pt 3. 27 meg ~7 mins
Codecs and Video Players.
It's in XVid format... here's the download page -
XVid Downloads Page
Use Media Player Classic or VLC (Window Media Player doesn't work so well)
Media Player Classic at SourceForge
Video Lan(VLC)
It also illustrates a pipeline for working from Lightwave to Torque for artists (and soon programmers / scripters).
I hope this helps people out. Let me know if you want the zip in a different format for Linux and Mac users. I suspect that PDF is cross-platform.
Grab the files here.
Lightwave to Torque Tut
NEW!
I've added some videos on unwrapping and weight mapping to suit Torque anims.
These were suggest by a GG member who I will announce if they want. Recommend using XVid codec and Media Player Classic to watch - sound is noisy so you may need head phones.
Unwrapping
Shows how to unwrap using endomorphs - better control over unwrap process.
Unwrapping. 90 meg ~21mins
Skelegon creation, weight mapping, bones, animation and export to Torque
Shows how to add skelegons, weight map, then rigg and animate quickly for Torque.
Skelegons Pt 1. 13 meg ~3.5 mins
Skelegons Pt 2. 33 meg ~9 mins
Skelegons Pt 3. 27 meg ~7 mins
Codecs and Video Players.
It's in XVid format... here's the download page -
XVid Downloads Page
Use Media Player Classic or VLC (Window Media Player doesn't work so well)
Media Player Classic at SourceForge
Video Lan(VLC)
#2
04/04/2006 (1:01 pm)
Can this be used for converting static objects (like a building) to torque? 
#3
04/04/2006 (1:08 pm)
Alan, what sort of rigging are you looking to do for a building? I have done a load of static object and animated objects, like a windmill, and the setup is really easy. 
#4
04/04/2006 (4:48 pm)
Awesome, while i need no help rigging any longer, this could have saved me tons of time. I also have more information on some of the quirks with the DTS exporter if anyone is interested.
#5
I am going to do a "how to animate a dts", once I get a some spare time. I may also fold it into how to attach a sound to it and how to attach a particle emitter to it...once I actually figure those out.
04/04/2006 (5:32 pm)
Ramen, Any details you have would always be useful. It is my bread and butter as far as TGE is concerned.I am going to do a "how to animate a dts", once I get a some spare time. I may also fold it into how to attach a sound to it and how to attach a particle emitter to it...once I actually figure those out.
#6
@ Alan & Ramen & Todd - sounds like all the DTS quirks, tips tricks and animation should go into 1 doc. I'm going to do a Pipeline for static DTS's for my own records - much the same way as this resource was generated. Maybe we can collaborate on this one and just post one resource?
04/05/2006 (2:11 am)
@ Todd - I'll check my emails and see what we were talking about.@ Alan & Ramen & Todd - sounds like all the DTS quirks, tips tricks and animation should go into 1 doc. I'm going to do a Pipeline for static DTS's for my own records - much the same way as this resource was generated. Maybe we can collaborate on this one and just post one resource?
#7
We could take this into email until we have a combined list of content for the resource, that way we don't create a needless bloated thread that people erroneously search while looking for info.
By the way, I think it was something about animated textures or some such, which we were talking about before.
04/05/2006 (7:41 am)
Andy, good idea. We could take this into email until we have a combined list of content for the resource, that way we don't create a needless bloated thread that people erroneously search while looking for info.
By the way, I think it was something about animated textures or some such, which we were talking about before.
#8
04/05/2006 (8:36 am)
@Todd - I review my posts, then did searched on posts with yours and my name, the used the word animate as well but I can't find the thread. Hopefully you can remember what it was about. Maybe animated UV's???
#9
04/05/2006 (8:50 am)
I'll see if I can dig up and email notification on it or something, thanks for looking.
#10
04/05/2006 (8:55 am)
I looked for about 20mins. Gotta sleep - will look again tomorrow.
#11
I am a bonehead, it was Allyn "Mr_Bloodworth" Mcelrath who was talking with me about an IFL's tutorial he did, during a thread about animating .dts, not you.
Here is the thread if you are interested. www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=41655
Sorry about that.
04/07/2006 (3:55 pm)
Andy,I am a bonehead, it was Allyn "Mr_Bloodworth" Mcelrath who was talking with me about an IFL's tutorial he did, during a thread about animating .dts, not you.
Here is the thread if you are interested. www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=41655
Sorry about that.
#12
Hmm ok some details as far as animation. Lets see. for starters you can't manually move a bone that's in an IK chain. Even if it's not controlled by IK, it doesn't properly export. It results in twisted joints and other things to that effect.
Math Goal Orientation does NOT work. so you will be wasting your time if you use it.....
However, i found a great plugin that converts all IK to FK. Doing this before exporting will allow you to us any other tricks like Match Goal orientation and what not.
www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=37009
So i use that before i export. But don't save after applying that plugin.
OK, here's more, Don't use negative weight maps. I used them for eyelids, and guess what, it doesn't work. So make sure all weight map values are positive.
I'll think up a few more later.
04/07/2006 (4:29 pm)
@Todd Hmm ok some details as far as animation. Lets see. for starters you can't manually move a bone that's in an IK chain. Even if it's not controlled by IK, it doesn't properly export. It results in twisted joints and other things to that effect.
Math Goal Orientation does NOT work. so you will be wasting your time if you use it.....
However, i found a great plugin that converts all IK to FK. Doing this before exporting will allow you to us any other tricks like Match Goal orientation and what not.
www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=37009
So i use that before i export. But don't save after applying that plugin.
OK, here's more, Don't use negative weight maps. I used them for eyelids, and guess what, it doesn't work. So make sure all weight map values are positive.
I'll think up a few more later.
#13
Nice addition, I should add your tips to the doc. The goal direction mod should fix the eyes problem I was having.
Also I did mention the negative weights in the doc - maybe it should be highlighted so it stands out more with a TIP's icon or something?
04/07/2006 (4:53 pm)
@Ramen - was that meant for me? Nice addition, I should add your tips to the doc. The goal direction mod should fix the eyes problem I was having.
Also I did mention the negative weights in the doc - maybe it should be highlighted so it stands out more with a TIP's icon or something?
#14
04/07/2006 (5:01 pm)
I haven't read you document. perhaps you can give a link?
#15
04/07/2006 (5:11 pm)
@erm... the link is in this resource (above)... it's this resource! :)
#16
04/07/2006 (5:13 pm)
haha, ok i'm dumb :) My brain is being fried writing this MIS exporter for Layout.
#17
04/10/2006 (4:04 am)
@Ramen - what does MIS stand for?
#18
04/10/2006 (3:27 pm)
MIS is the .MIS files torque uses... stands for Mission. So the mission files is what it's exporting.
#19
04/10/2006 (3:51 pm)
Oh yeah! I want that - start a blog please so we can see your progress Ramen.
#20
www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=10188
Would be nice if i could get my rotational issue solved.
04/10/2006 (4:50 pm)
I actually did one about a week back.www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=10188
Would be nice if i could get my rotational issue solved.
Torque 3D Owner Todd Pickens