Lightwave 10 and the Collada Exporter

#1 It was a simple mistake of not renaming my surface when I brought the object back in to LightWave 10.1 before exporting it back out.

Collada exporter works great!

#2 What does the torque game engine use out of the DAe exporter for lightwave?

I haven't used torque sense 1.3. So i am quite fuzzy on the pipeline for T3D. Can you do animations and such? Is there any documentation? TDN looks abandoned.

#3 When I would create a character before for TGEA, I would create the character and export it as a .dts file. The animation would have to be a .dsq file.

With the Collada exporter, I can now animate my character in my 3D package of choice and export the character and animation in the same file. So, Yes you can do animations. I hope this helps.

Glen

#4 Currently trying to export a fully rigged object out of LW 10. For some reason the mesh object will not show in Torque.

I get this error in the console. Also, while the bones are present, and my goal objects move, very few of the shapes animations play, I even baked all the keyframes thinking this was an issue.

All Verts are weighted, all bones use Wightmaps only, all animations use baked keyframes. This is also true when I export the object out of 9.6 however the mesh shows.)

I get this error in T3D:

WARNING: The DOM was unable to create an element named float at line -1, probably a schema violation


PS: Also when exporting, relative to the Torque-orc what do you find is a good setting for scale scene?

#5 For reference

#6 Can you post the .lws and .lwo file or send it to glen@debellostudios.com? By looking at the screen shot, the Rig looks fine. Not sure what could be happening. Thanks!

Glen

#7 You have mail.

#8 Ok. I exported it out of Lightwave 9.6 ad into Torque3D. I exported it out using the Collada exporter with 9.6 32 Bit. When I exported it, I had to make sure I put .dae at the end of the file. As long as the texture and the .dae file are in the same folder the mesh should show up.

I e-mailed the file back after I exported it out here.

Glen

#9 I also sent you the file in LW10 format as well. Good Luck!

Torque won't recognize the Goal Objects. The Key Frames that are for the leg movements were set with the Goal Objects. Since Torque3D does not recognize the Goal Objects associated with the corresponding bones, it will animate the Goal Objects and nothing else. This is because the Goal Objects are being recognized in Layout but not in Torque3D. You have to essentially animate the legs bones (Rotation and Translation) in order for there to be a key framed associated with it.

Good Luck!

Glen

#10 Right, I am using IK on the legs, baking them ( IE: Converting to FK ), then ignoring the goals on import ( Not needed ).

So I'm not sure what the issue is there.

Thanks for the help.

#11 When using Goal Objects, Layout will animate the Goal Objects and any Bone that is attached to it. The Key frames for that animation will be associated with the Goal Object. Since Torque3D doesn't recognize the goal objects as being associated with the Bone you have to animate the bones.

That's what looks like is happening with the Spider. Just before you export the Character out, you should see in Scene Editor the Keyframes associated with the Bones. If they are not there, then Torque3D won't recognize it.

Good Luck!

#12 Right, they are. However the file I sent you does not include the baked key frames, as its the last thing I do before export, I should have specified that. If you bake the frames and import, you should get the same results.

I'll try again and go over the scene editor with a fine tooth comb, but i am about 89% sure i had it set up correctly.

Thanks for the extra eyes on this.

#13 As you can see from this image. Baking the key frames should pass all movement motion to the bones. However the animations still do not show in T3d.

I am at a loss.

PS: Ignore nodes also, do not ignore nodes. They are still present when the object is loaded in. Red X and everything in the list on import, however they are present in the shape editor.

#14 For Posterity!

Using BakeIKtoKey Plugin, I have been able to transfer all the motions built with IK, over to the bones. Turning my IK animated areas/chains to FK animations.

So. Issue solved. My only question is, what does this Plugin do that the build in key frame baker does not. But I suppose that is a question for Newtek.

#15 Thanks for the Plug-in! This will help out a lot! The only problem with Japanese Plug-ins is finding out information about the Plug-ins. Have you tried www.pictrix.jp/?page_id=81? Good site fro Plug-ins but information is hard to come by.

Glad you solved your issue!

#16 Thankfully, that plugin is really straight forward. You really can't mess up.


TBH, I am kicking myself, I have had the plugin installed for a while. Only advice is, use it as the very last thing you do before export, and don't save the scene "baked", so you may edit later if necessary.

#17 what is this

Object mesh "Polygonal_Geometry" has no matching detail ("detail2" has been added automatically)
Error: daeStandardURIResolver::resolveElement() - Failed to resolve art/shapes/weapons/axe2/axe2.dae#handle%20

#18 I'm using the trial version of Lightwave 2015 and I'm using the BakeIKToKey plugin which I think is working but my issue is that The character is coming out all deformed. Basically he bends over and puts his head between his crotch and is head gets deformed in the process. I'm exporting it to Collada. Any clues what could be happening? Also he is being rigged using Genoma 2 Biped. I'll post a pic ASAP.

#19 You need to re-weight the bones(all of them if needed) in Layout in the scene editor. You do that in with the r key :O)

Click on the bone under the item area and then hit "r" when the bone is selected and then keep on like that. It will look freaked and weird but then when done with the bone(s) click on the back to start button in the animation menu in the bottom right corner of the Layout screen. It should then look normal again.

Now test out the model by clicking play animation and see if it worked out. You might have to try doing this a few times before you find out which bone needs to be re weighted. Their might be faster methods but this works for me 99 procent of the time.


It will not always work but for most it does the job :O)

Note:
I use Lightwave 11.6 :O)

#20 I was able to fix my weird bent over player by exporting to FBX first and then exporting to Collada from there. The straight export to Collada seemed to be messing with the hierarchy of the model for some reason.