New version of ms2dtsPlus (2.8.1)

#1 Does this mean they[rigid meshes] no longer create a Node to represent themselves? Just wondering...I usually have to setup a CFG file carefully to cull the unneeded Nodes. Thanks, Chris for continued support!

#2 No - rigid meshes will still create a node for themselves. The new version just adds that node as a child of the bone the mesh is attached to, rather than at the top level of the shape hierarchy.

#3 Well that version didn't last long! I received a bug report about a long-standing bug almost as soon as 2.6.2 went out, so the link now points to 2.7.0.

Changes since the last version:
- Fixed error when exporting after adding sequences or the bounds mesh to the shape via the exporter dialog. If you have seen seemingly random crashes with the exporter, this may have been the problem. (thanks Gordon Marsh for the bug report)
- Added a progress bar
- Updated documentation

#4 Chris, Chris, Chris......LOL. Thanks again.

#5 With Rex's help - I have fixed another long-standing bug. This one causes seams to appear in the exported model, and also in the milkshape model view after exporting. The same link (above) points to the new version (2.7.1).

Changes since the last version:
- Fixed unwelding problem (seams appearing) in exported model and in milkshape after exporting (thanks Rex for helping track down the cause!).
- Updated documentation

#6 Tee-hee, I does what's I cans, boss! Thank You for the hard work! I been a hand on the Milkfarm for quite some time now...I seena thing 'er two.


Just exported my copy of BraveTree's "Jill" character....looks as good as the BT compiled copy that came with the Pack!

#7 Is this just me or...???What the hooHa?

I've just now tried to export Jill again, and then another shape to check[my seamTester], and I can't get my textures exporting correctly now? ie, showing up in STP. I get a totally black Jill and a green seamTester??? Even though I see the textures disaplayed in the STP.

I'm not certain if I checked texture with my above post, I was so quick to leave it in just shaded mode to look for the seam....very odd.

I went back and used v2.7.0 and got my textures appearing.
I then reinstalled v2.7.1 and seem to not get my texture mapping. Like all my UV's are smashed into the 0 space and stretched...??? Sorry I didn't look at textures earlier, I was in shaded Mode to look for my nasty seams...gad, I should've noticed this sooner. However; I was trying to get CoCDCOTE running again and had one ugly crash that almost sent my machine to Restart...but good ole XP pulled back at the brink and just had to Task it gone. Do I need to install Ms3d v1.7.10? I've been holding at v1.7.8.

...and I just now went ahead and installed Ms3dv1.7.10...and ran the 2.7.0/2.7.1 test and again got my UV's smashed into the 0 corner. It shows in the Materail Tab of ShowToolPro...I've renavigated the paths, reapplied the Material, all leaves zero UV mapping??

#8

Quote:Sorry I didn't look at textures earlier, I was in shaded Mode to look for my nasty seams

Me too! That's how this bug managed to slip past both of us.

The link now points to the fixed version (2.7.2).

Changes since the last version:
- Fixed a texture coordinate export bug introduced in the previous version.
- Updated documentation

#9 New version of the exporter is available! (see link in first post)

Version 2.8.0 - 06/11/08

- Bug fixes from Dale Harper:
- fixed last frame not being exported for cyclic sequences
- fixed sequence 'Overide Duration' field being stored as an integer rather than a float
- fixed reported number of ground frames in dump file
- fixed reported ground frame Z translation in dump file

- New functionality from Dale Harper (thanks Dale!):
- added auto-generation of ground transforms to Edit Sequence dialog

- Added flag to generate double-sided materials

- Fixed "assertion failed when stripifying (1)" bug when exporting geometry with no material attached

- Rebuilt with latest version of Milkshape SDK (v1.8.4). No functionality changes.

- Updated to use latest version of DTSSDKPlus. New features include:
- Multires (auto generate reduced-poly geometry on export)
- Autobillboards
- HTML dump file output

- General GUI tidyups:
- open Edit dialog automatically when adding new Trigger, Visibility or AutoDetail entry
- sort Trigger, Visibility and AutoDetail lists
- remove redundant 'Trigger' column from triggers list box

- Updated documentation

- Added example file demonstrating billboards that rotate around a joint (rather than the origin)

#10 You are the best, Chris...!

Thanks a lot. Many new features, some fixes....great work!!

#11 I agree, thanks a lot for all the hard work you've put in this.

I can't afford those high dollar programs, so Milkshape is what I use. Your exporter helps a lot.

#12 Wow! Great imrovements :-)

#13 I just tested MultiRes...and my results are: it works!

....hhhmm.....perhaps it's time again to crank up the 'ole Victrola and shoot another video!

Cheers all!


OH...and BTW: DoubleSidedMaterials works as well....milkshape3d by default doesn't have this feature and it doesn't close the backside of a plane. Export a material as marked double-sided, and your onesided planes can render from both sides, as long as you don't mind any mirrored text. but for generic plane use as in a window...magnificient!

...you the best, Chris, no doubt about it!

#14 Rex - I followed up on that bone-weights link you sent me yesterday, and have added support for the 4th weight to the exporter. New version (2.8.1) is available at the same link (above).

#15 Whoo hoo! I 'kinda' understood the answer I got; but the uber math was just beyond my reach. I could figure what a 4th number might be, but not what to do with the answer! lol

Thanks again for all your hard work, sifting thru obsure references...and getting things working great!

#16 Wow this is really neat. Thanks for the continued support of this.

I didn't see it mentioned in the bug fixes, but was the bug with exporter framerate fixed? In another thread we had discovered that if you export at a FPS other than 30, things go very bad. Thanks again!

#17

Quote:I didn't see it mentioned in the bug fixes, but was the bug with exporter framerate fixed?

Not yet. :-(

#18 New version of the exporter is available (see link in first post)

Version 2.8.2 - 25/11/08

- Fixed some entry fields in the exporter GUI not accepting non-numeric characters (- . etc)
- Fixed bone/weight support to use up to 4 weights per vertex

#19 @Jason, try using the 'duration' entry field and leave your FPS @ 30....this will force the engine to playback the dsq in this exact amount of time, rather than fidget with the FPS to get 'faster' playback at runtime....I've been doing extensive work on reproducing the SDK sequences in Milkshape3D, and exporting them using these new upgrades and I am matching the SDK Max produced DSQ sequences, to a very precise level. I am matching all the ShowToolPro parameters of the sequences; FPS, duration, GrndFrms[important!], and even the GrndFrm 'values' which the ShowToolPro does NOT show, but I happen to have a handy little Mp3 player hacked to readout the data from a DSQ file....hear that, Derek?!?, nice little 3rd Party Tool for the box!!! A DSQ'reader'.....it's been a very hand and invaluable tool, in getting my animations to match the SDK assets. All from the 'MilkFarm'.....nice!

Good luck with the FPS sorting, I've had very good luck with hitting my 'target' values....with what's provided in the dialog!

Thanks goes out to Pelgar/DaleHarper, whose great Mp3 player reads DSQ files.....!!