Having Scaling issue after export from Milkshape

#1 You can't scale or do anything to an existing hierarchy in Ms3D.

All animation will be lost and so will the transforms/orientations of the hierarchy.

You'll need to...apply a 'Scale Factor' in the export process. The DTSPlus! exporter does this well. Or, scale outside the Milkshape3D environment...

Again, DON'T use native Milkshape 'tools' to scale!

#2 Thanks Rex. What is a negative Milkshape Tool?

#3 Opps - I been on T3D all night. I mean native Milkshape tools. Is that the built in tools?

#4 @Rex - What scale factor should I use? Thanks I thought I was using DTSPlus becasue it is a option to export in Milkshape. Should I update it? Is DTSPlus! diff than DTSPlus(No !)?

Please make that F.A.C.K pack for T3D 1.2 so I can buy it and spend more time on game design and learning TS than trying to export 3rd Party Toon(-:

I really appreciate your response. I been trying stuff all night.

Thanks

#5 Robert, the 'installed' version of DTSPlus! that comes with Ms3D is NOT the latest build. Look for the 'exclamation point' in the title and check it's 'properties'[of exporter] to see what actual version it is.

The most up-to-date build is v2.8.4. Go, here and download the latest. Replace the existing DTSPlus! exporter with the newer one.

Be careful, there is the 'old' very first version of the exporter in the Menu list as well. This was the first 'Garage Games' compiled exporter. It's got very limited functionality... Look for the DTSPlus! flavor, it was compiled by Chris Robertson, who did all the back end on the DAE loader and the Shape Editor; excellent work, both of them. Chris has a real handle on the formats and how to assemble them. So, in stock install of Milkshape, you get 2 DTS exporters that are 'old', one[from original Jeff T./GG] is totally worthless, the other[DTSPlus!]/Chris R is just out of date..I'm not sure if I actually remove the 'Jeff T/GG' version, don't need to; just don't USE it, lol.

Go into the 'Preferences' of Ms3D and change your 'Grid Size' to 1. This will put Ms3d and Torque in the same 'world space' for exporting. With a Grid Size of '1', KORK orc should 'stand'/root position, at about 2.4 'units'. These generic 'units' equate to a base10 structure or 'metric' equivalent, so stock SDK 'KORK' is around 2.4 meters tall, much larger than 'Real Life'. Somewhere between 1.5 and 1.9ish is more standard 'human' heights.

Hope this helps.

Also, before bringing in files with animation in them, check the FramesPerSecond it was recorded in and BEFORE opening the file, change Preference for FPS to match what the recorded speed of the sequence is. If not followed, when running the sequence in the Ms3D timeline, you'll get odd frame counts, etc...very ugly business, if mismatched FPS, I've never gotten in Torque what I expect. This is a 'milkshape' issue....mismatching FPS's, not in the exporter. The exporter gets what it gets from the UI...so comes into Torque, borked...

And, Robert, if you 'can' afford it, try looking at a program called, fragMOTION....it is, pound for pound a very heavy lifter of a program. It's a fair file converter, excellent animation program, and does 'tweaking' of shapes very easily. It has a strong handshake to ms3d for the final export to DTS. I really wish, fragMOTION, would read/write to DTS/DSQ, would make the pipeline just a tad quicker. You can do SO MUCH inside fragMOTION. If you're a coder and know LUA, you can produce exporters/importers, new tools for the UI, a ton of stuf, Milkshape3D, would love to do...never will come close to fragMOTION, imho.

#6 @Rex Thanks for the quick response. I went to the link you posted and it is not the DTSPlus flavor. Is there another link?

Thanks,

Robert

#7 @Rex it says DTSPlus ver 2.7.3 there is no !

Am I misunderstanding?

Thanks

#8 Go ahead and download the 'link', the 'page' hasn't been updated.... Then once on your HDD, unzip it and check it's 'properties' to see the version, that should be 'correct' in version number. As long as it has the name 'Chris Robertson' connected to it, should be his 'official' version. Dang lazy webAdmins...whoops, I'm one too! LOL

#9 Will Brokeass Games be offering M.A.C.K and F.A.C.K for T3D or something similar in the near future? I'm still going to struggle and learn Milkshape and exporting better but even after I get the DTSplus! working I eventually want to just use royalty free toons I can put in T3D so I ca nfocus on my TS learning and other aspects of making games.

Thanks

#10 Thanks it is the correct version.

#11 T3D compliance for that product is our goal, Robert, we've had to roll back some functionality to get it there. We did a big push to get it to 1.1 beta final, then are now having to merge it into the new, new 1.2 codeBase, I'm just 'Compliance Officer', not Lead Programmer on that project, so.....can't give a forward looking statement on it's release.

#12 Thanks - I registered at Borkeassgames.com I'll be patiently waating and enjoying the posting on the site in the mean time.

I checked the version of DTSPlus im replacing and it to is the 2.8.4 version)-: This means I just been doing something wrong. Gonna try all the settings you mentioned above.

Thanks

#13 ah, prolly just means Mete now includes the latest version of it with the install....? Just make sure it's DTSPlus! and v2.8.4, so my bad on the observations on version number with stock install.

...and read the CHM that accompanies it. The T3D Official documents has the documentation as well. There is a LOT that you can export with it, so read up, before setting up, hehehe! DSQ files, Ground Transforms, MultiRes LOD's, Triggers, Visibility, tons of functionality! There are also some example files for functionality, look for those in the unzipped folder.

#14 @Rex - Thanks, I finally got the .dae file to scale by just using the scaling in the T3D Object editor. When I export DTS using DTSPlus the animations still don't come over to T3D. I hope to get DTS working soon(-:

I included a picture

www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2741674295420&set=a.2711418659048.2136790.10...

Robert

#15 You have to add the sequence via the Exporter dialog, and then either check the 'export animation' with DTS box, or choose to export a DSQ file type instead. Have fun tinkering about!

#16 Thanks Rex, Do I have to add sequence when I export DTS and DSQ or one or the other?

Robert

#17 Where do I look to find the FPS for the original file?

#18 @Rex Thanks the DTS export worked after I followed your instructions. The .dae(Collada) finally worked also. I was able to scale the Collada import down close enough to the solider/orc size. The DTS/DSQ I could scale as small as I want in Milkshape or after the fact in T3D. I seems if you scale to much down in Milkshape the Collada loses the animations.

Been a fun day(-:

I added a video of the outcome.

youtu.be/WWolJOUwAyw

#19 I turns out my scaling success was short lived. When I scale in Torque the Character gets big again after I save and restart the game. I have had the worst time getting the Female Merc Character that I purchased to scale down. DTS nor Collada works.

I'm planning to buy some more assets from Arteria3D where I bought the Female Merc from. I really need to get a handle on this before I go further.

Also has anyone had to scale Models bought from Dexsoft? I like there stuff also.

i have been able to split animations out of Collada in the shape editor with no problem and I'm getting around in TS better than I thought I would at this point but scaling has become an obstacle.

Any advice please

Thanks

Robert

#20 Can't you just use %obj.setscale("1 1 1"); in the script where your player is created? i.e. scripts/server/player.cs I'm not a scripter but it seems like that's an easier method in some cases.