Collada Import from Blender
by Matthew Genge · in Torque 3D Beginner · 01/29/2012 (12:16 pm) · 5 replies
I am trying to import a rigged character from a Blender exported collada file into T3D. Doesn't work...
The mesh and rig are imported correctly, the nodes have the right names, but when I attach a stock animation legs go flaying in the wrong direction, the body turns over 90 degrees. It is very strange, I can't see how if the nodes and rig are the same why the animations won't work unless there is some strange transform is applied to the nodes. I've tried setting the nodes' rotations to those of the dts soldier and it distorts the model significantly suggesting their is a difference in rotations. The rotations of all my imported nodes is around zero, however those of the soldier DTS model seem to have values that don't relate to their orientation on the screen.
Has anyone managed to import a rigged, skinned model from Blender (2.5 ) into T3D? Is there some work around/trick that I am missing? If you know, please let me know...and please explain in simple language (i.e. wihout cryptic comments and with links to out of date webpages). I've seen quite a few posts on this subject but no indication that their is a solution.
Cheers, M
The mesh and rig are imported correctly, the nodes have the right names, but when I attach a stock animation legs go flaying in the wrong direction, the body turns over 90 degrees. It is very strange, I can't see how if the nodes and rig are the same why the animations won't work unless there is some strange transform is applied to the nodes. I've tried setting the nodes' rotations to those of the dts soldier and it distorts the model significantly suggesting their is a difference in rotations. The rotations of all my imported nodes is around zero, however those of the soldier DTS model seem to have values that don't relate to their orientation on the screen.
Has anyone managed to import a rigged, skinned model from Blender (2.5 ) into T3D? Is there some work around/trick that I am missing? If you know, please let me know...and please explain in simple language (i.e. wihout cryptic comments and with links to out of date webpages). I've seen quite a few posts on this subject but no indication that their is a solution.
Cheers, M
About the author
I am an Earth Scientist who likes writing games for fun.
#2
Thanks, not sure that I understood what action to take, except ensuring my mesh is located at the origin, turning of IK's and whatever baking is.
I've just been comparing the soldier-rigged.dae to my blender produced dae. The major difference in the node definition is that the soldier-rigged file uses a transformation matrix, the blender file separate translation, rotation and scale statements. Out of interest I copied and pasted the node definition from soldier-rigged into my collada file. It imported into t3d and the stock animation kinda worked, but of course the mesh was a mess.
Best,
Matt
01/29/2012 (2:19 pm)
Steve,Thanks, not sure that I understood what action to take, except ensuring my mesh is located at the origin, turning of IK's and whatever baking is.
I've just been comparing the soldier-rigged.dae to my blender produced dae. The major difference in the node definition is that the soldier-rigged file uses a transformation matrix, the blender file separate translation, rotation and scale statements. Out of interest I copied and pasted the node definition from soldier-rigged into my collada file. It imported into t3d and the stock animation kinda worked, but of course the mesh was a mess.
Best,
Matt
#3
I take back what I said about cryptic replies. Partial success. By baking the animation as an action (for noobs like me: press space in blender to find bake action to generate every frame as a key frame...I presume) I can now import a dae with an animation into T3D. I still can't apply any of the stock animations...but as long as I can create my own I can live with this. Now I only have all the complexities of LOD's and Collision boxes to worry about.
Thanks,
Matt
01/29/2012 (4:29 pm)
Steve,I take back what I said about cryptic replies. Partial success. By baking the animation as an action (for noobs like me: press space in blender to find bake action to generate every frame as a key frame...I presume) I can now import a dae with an animation into T3D. I still can't apply any of the stock animations...but as long as I can create my own I can live with this. Now I only have all the complexities of LOD's and Collision boxes to worry about.
Thanks,
Matt
#4
dae2dts --dsq-only filename.dae
Then you can add those animation sequences to the dts imported from blender dae files with the same rig in the shape editor just like the stock torque animations. So the only thing in the way of my development now is my appalling animation skills. Stick figure, awkwardly moving, robot men here I come.
Matt
01/29/2012 (5:11 pm)
Just discovered you can extract animation sequences from dae files and save them as dsq's using dae2dts.exe (in the tools directory) using the command line:dae2dts --dsq-only filename.dae
Then you can add those animation sequences to the dts imported from blender dae files with the same rig in the shape editor just like the stock torque animations. So the only thing in the way of my development now is my appalling animation skills. Stick figure, awkwardly moving, robot men here I come.
Matt
#5
01/29/2012 (7:39 pm)
Good to know that you sorted it all out. :) 
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