PhysIt! - "T3D/PhysX Powertools", for 3dsMax
by TheGasMan · in Artist Corner · 10/02/2009 (3:14 am) · 29 replies
Hey guys and gals,
- I have started to develop an automated processing tool, similar to my Doit! tool, but for PhysX(and perhaps other phys. libs) and T3D! As you may already know; T3D comes with PhysX functionality...but creating and sorting PhysX information on objects can be a time consuming process. ..and who wants to spend their precious time setting up export information when it can be something almost painless, automatic and near instantaneous ?!
Ok, enough of me sounding like an infomercial.
- The reason why I am posting this is not only to inform you guys that I am working on this, but also to ask you guys if you want any special/extra features added.
- Here's two example ideas to help get the thoughts flowing through your heads:
"I would like to see the actor types have assigned colors." or "I would like to see a 'divide feature' where the chosen object is automatically broken into "N" number of pieces and the rest is done atomatically for me so that I have a breakable PhysX object for my game!"
- ok, ok, those 2 ideas are already in, but I want to know if you guys have any requests. - I have alot of plans that I need to start working further-on, but the base functionality, is already well underway.
Also, I don't really have a solid name for this product yet. So expect "PhysX Powertools" to change to something, well, err...to something good. ;)
Cheers,
-eb
//Edit: Nvidia plans to support Max 2008, 2009, 2010 (and 2011 when available) support, including 64-bit. People are pleading with them for Max 8 and 9. We'll see where all of this is headed, sometime soon.
- I have started to develop an automated processing tool, similar to my Doit! tool, but for PhysX(and perhaps other phys. libs) and T3D! As you may already know; T3D comes with PhysX functionality...but creating and sorting PhysX information on objects can be a time consuming process. ..and who wants to spend their precious time setting up export information when it can be something almost painless, automatic and near instantaneous ?!
Ok, enough of me sounding like an infomercial.
- The reason why I am posting this is not only to inform you guys that I am working on this, but also to ask you guys if you want any special/extra features added.
- Here's two example ideas to help get the thoughts flowing through your heads:
"I would like to see the actor types have assigned colors." or "I would like to see a 'divide feature' where the chosen object is automatically broken into "N" number of pieces and the rest is done atomatically for me so that I have a breakable PhysX object for my game!"
- ok, ok, those 2 ideas are already in, but I want to know if you guys have any requests. - I have alot of plans that I need to start working further-on, but the base functionality, is already well underway.
Also, I don't really have a solid name for this product yet. So expect "PhysX Powertools" to change to something, well, err...to something good. ;)
Cheers,
-eb
//Edit: Nvidia plans to support Max 2008, 2009, 2010 (and 2011 when available) support, including 64-bit. People are pleading with them for Max 8 and 9. We'll see where all of this is headed, sometime soon.
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#2
Knowing absolutely nothing about Physx in any useful sense my feature request (if this is even possible in the lib) is prioritising.
Can it (and could you subsequently include) stack the pieces so set A reacts first then set B etc?
Like a building that would lose its roof first then the supports on future damage?
Just flying blind out there with a thought.
10/02/2009 (7:20 am)
While not fiddling with Physx yet I know my team will relish all the assistance/tools that come up so well done eb.Knowing absolutely nothing about Physx in any useful sense my feature request (if this is even possible in the lib) is prioritising.
Can it (and could you subsequently include) stack the pieces so set A reacts first then set B etc?
Like a building that would lose its roof first then the supports on future damage?
Just flying blind out there with a thought.
#4
1) A point-and-click process allowing you to assign PhysX actors to their corresponding meshes, create a name for the set and automatically assign the correct name to each actor, and help assign the User Data properties to those actors that govern which actors are shown or hidden.
2) A point-and-click process allowing you to link a joint to two PhysX actors, and assign User Data properties to that joint, telling it which actors to swap out when necessary, and set max torque and max force properties. (actually, it would be great to have all relevant joint properties here: Body0/1, Breakable, Max Force/Torque, Collision, Swing and Twist settings). This process should also include the automatic naming of corresponding actors. Sometimes the User Properties of one joint could govern a dozen actors, so the process should accommodate for that.
3) Some sort of general pre-export flight-checking option that would a) check that all nodes with the _pxactor designation are primitive shapes, b) check that all nodes with the _pxactor designation have been made physical, and possibly c) check that all actors have a mesh or potential mesh counterpart.
4) Easy to use (and look at) GUI. Graphic artists are your friends. Have one comp up a toolbox UI for you. They spend a lot of their time in those... they know what works. ;)
Again, having worked extensively with the PhysX plugin for Max, I can say the biggest problem at the moment is the dozens of tiny errors that can be made by trying to coordinate actors, meshes, and joints by naming convention. I would strongly urge you to avoid feature creep. Get something out now that makes PhysX creation more effortless, then focus on the crazy stuff like the divide feature for a 2.0 release. Please, please, read that sentence again.
I'm excited about this tool set. Hopefully it will make creating destructible objects a snap.
10/02/2009 (9:30 am)
Having used PhysX extensively on the destructible props and buildings in the South Pacific demo (coming soon to a theater near you), I have what I consider a priority list of features. :)1) A point-and-click process allowing you to assign PhysX actors to their corresponding meshes, create a name for the set and automatically assign the correct name to each actor, and help assign the User Data properties to those actors that govern which actors are shown or hidden.
2) A point-and-click process allowing you to link a joint to two PhysX actors, and assign User Data properties to that joint, telling it which actors to swap out when necessary, and set max torque and max force properties. (actually, it would be great to have all relevant joint properties here: Body0/1, Breakable, Max Force/Torque, Collision, Swing and Twist settings). This process should also include the automatic naming of corresponding actors. Sometimes the User Properties of one joint could govern a dozen actors, so the process should accommodate for that.
3) Some sort of general pre-export flight-checking option that would a) check that all nodes with the _pxactor designation are primitive shapes, b) check that all nodes with the _pxactor designation have been made physical, and possibly c) check that all actors have a mesh or potential mesh counterpart.
4) Easy to use (and look at) GUI. Graphic artists are your friends. Have one comp up a toolbox UI for you. They spend a lot of their time in those... they know what works. ;)
Again, having worked extensively with the PhysX plugin for Max, I can say the biggest problem at the moment is the dozens of tiny errors that can be made by trying to coordinate actors, meshes, and joints by naming convention. I would strongly urge you to avoid feature creep. Get something out now that makes PhysX creation more effortless, then focus on the crazy stuff like the divide feature for a 2.0 release. Please, please, read that sentence again.
I'm excited about this tool set. Hopefully it will make creating destructible objects a snap.
#5
10/02/2009 (10:27 am)
Oh, and on the name of the tool... For legal reasons you probably don't want to sell something with PhysX's name in the title. Probably some trademarking violations there. But if you were considering including other physics libraries in the future, then putting PhysX in the title wouldn't make much sense anyway.
#6
David, there are a few ways of achieving that scenario and I suppose I should add a few example scenes to the tool's package. I think I will make that one of the advanced-scene-examples. Any more ideas of complex scene structures you would like to see, let me know and I will see what I can do for you.
Russell, need I say that the suggestions are great ?
..Also, I understand that getting the tool out ASAP is important. I don't plan to get most, if even some of the frivolous features into the first release since I plan to do an 'EarlyAdopter' anyways. So...no kw-oms there.
- I had most of the thoughts/concepts your stating, but I will carefully compare the theories against mine to look for discrepancies. Much appreciated, of course.
On a lighter side thread:
As for a name, I am leaning towards "Physit!" or "Doit!X!".
10/02/2009 (10:50 pm)
Good stuff so far guys. Thx!David, there are a few ways of achieving that scenario and I suppose I should add a few example scenes to the tool's package. I think I will make that one of the advanced-scene-examples. Any more ideas of complex scene structures you would like to see, let me know and I will see what I can do for you.
Russell, need I say that the suggestions are great ?
..Also, I understand that getting the tool out ASAP is important. I don't plan to get most, if even some of the frivolous features into the first release since I plan to do an 'EarlyAdopter' anyways. So...no kw-oms there.
- I had most of the thoughts/concepts your stating, but I will carefully compare the theories against mine to look for discrepancies. Much appreciated, of course.
On a lighter side thread:
As for a name, I am leaning towards "Physit!" or "Doit!X!".
#7
10/02/2009 (10:59 pm)
Oh, don't get me wrong, the Divide feature sounds awesome, I just died a little inside thinking about how it might extend development time. This tool will really help bring down the learning (and frustration!) curve of creating destructible stuff for T3D. And every awesome new feature means more delay. When did I get so impatient? Kinda liking Physit, btw. :)
#8
- I'd like to add on features to work with your soonishly-released Forest Kit as well...if possible ..and that will definitely have to wait for the third or fourth or tenth release of Physit!.
- Then on to my next tool, after Physit!, this will blow your minds away! ..but let's not get ahead of ourselves here. ;)
10/04/2009 (7:23 am)
I think Physit! sums up the tool quite well. Doit!X! ..is a bit harsh on the tongue.- I'd like to add on features to work with your soonishly-released Forest Kit as well...if possible ..and that will definitely have to wait for the third or fourth or tenth release of Physit!.
- Then on to my next tool, after Physit!, this will blow your minds away! ..but let's not get ahead of ourselves here. ;)
#9
I am working on finalizing the code and the panel layout for the beta testing. Sorry for the mild lateness, but there was a bunch of things that needed to be fine-tuned and verified before I was satisfied. I'm near satisfied for the first beta. Expect emails to be sent out this weekend!
PhysIt! is on it's way!
10/16/2009 (6:48 pm)
**to my beta testers: I am working on finalizing the code and the panel layout for the beta testing. Sorry for the mild lateness, but there was a bunch of things that needed to be fine-tuned and verified before I was satisfied. I'm near satisfied for the first beta. Expect emails to be sent out this weekend!
PhysIt! is on it's way!
#11
10/16/2009 (7:06 pm)
Boy, that was fast! I'm moving some destructible buildings up on my schedule just to give PhysIt some testing. Will start on Monday. :) 
#12
11/04/2009 (1:17 pm)
Is there anyway I can get in on beta testing this? We had to get max for doing PhysX stuff. Finding it to be a bit of a tedious process so anything that could streamline this since I have a few hundred unique objects to do.
#13
11/04/2009 (1:31 pm)
Devs want beta! ;)
#14
a sudden-ish death in the family and 2 other wakes all in 11 days. I am just catching up on my regular work load. I also spent 2 days installing windows7, all my developer apps and creating drive backups on my systems.. blah blah blah. So in short...yeah, I lost time.
Physit has been moving slowly along during all of this..I just need to knock a few more kinks out of the way and you guys can haff b3ta.
I'll keep you guys informed. ..believe me, I want it done!
11/04/2009 (3:29 pm)
James, I am not into an acceptable beta test stage with Physit!, just yet. My time line was bombarded last month:a sudden-ish death in the family and 2 other wakes all in 11 days. I am just catching up on my regular work load. I also spent 2 days installing windows7, all my developer apps and creating drive backups on my systems.. blah blah blah. So in short...yeah, I lost time.
Physit has been moving slowly along during all of this..I just need to knock a few more kinks out of the way and you guys can haff b3ta.
I'll keep you guys informed. ..believe me, I want it done!
#15
11/04/2009 (3:55 pm)
My condolences for you losses. Just having a horrible time getting some pretty simple shapes out and physX"ed". Prolly a lot of this is because I have not used max in years. I mean my shapes are pretty simple but the whole physX export process is not very well documented. The only thing that Tis really covered in the docs are damage and breakables. I just need to dynamic boxes and stuff.
#16
11/04/2009 (4:22 pm)
@James: I more or less put those docs together myself. I thought they covered the simple stuff pretty well. If you'd like to take your PhysX problems to their own post, I'd be glad to see what I can do to help. Trust me, I know very well how tricky it is. :)
#17
11/04/2009 (4:41 pm)
oops just emailed you then saw this pop up man sorry
#18
Hopefully it will work out in a few hours. ;)
11/10/2009 (2:29 am)
I can't sleep tonight..so I'll get a few hours of this work in right now.Hopefully it will work out in a few hours. ;)
#20
11/10/2009 (9:48 pm)
What do make Physx max file? 
Associate OmegaDog
PhysX Doit
PhysDoit
DoitX
XDoit
Apexit
Doplex
Cheers, Man great knowing your looking out for us!