COLLADA Skeletal Animation (Independent of Mesh)
by Chad Spence · in Torque 3D Beginner · 02/06/2013 (5:31 am) · 6 replies
Hello! So, I've been exploring some of the things Torque has to offer, and I've come across the COLLADA format that's being used for the meshes and animations.
I've only looked at the "Soldier" one from the FPS tutorial, but it's all a little muddy to me right now.
When I've opened the animation files, they seem to be a collection of vertices, rather than a skeleton, as I'd expected.
Now I'm just wondering, with this format, or any format supported by Torque3D(Given it supports others), would it be possible to have a set of standard character animations, with interchangeable meshes?
Ideally, I would have several humanoid meshes for different characters, races, etc., with the ability to reuse animations/skeletons.
It seems like an awful waste of time/effort/disk space to have a complete set of animations for every single aspect of the game. I'd like to have the equipment/armour be customizable as well.
Thanks for any input!
I've only looked at the "Soldier" one from the FPS tutorial, but it's all a little muddy to me right now.
When I've opened the animation files, they seem to be a collection of vertices, rather than a skeleton, as I'd expected.
Now I'm just wondering, with this format, or any format supported by Torque3D(Given it supports others), would it be possible to have a set of standard character animations, with interchangeable meshes?
Ideally, I would have several humanoid meshes for different characters, races, etc., with the ability to reuse animations/skeletons.
It seems like an awful waste of time/effort/disk space to have a complete set of animations for every single aspect of the game. I'd like to have the equipment/armour be customizable as well.
Thanks for any input!
About the author
I've had a keen interest in Game Design since I was very young. I've always love drawing on paper and on the computer, and have spent most of my time doing graphic art and pixel art for members of the Game Maker Community.
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#2
But, what you're saying, if you can export the skeleton separately, and apply it to whatever mesh you'd like? (Given that they're set up to be used with the same skeleton, of course.)
Sorry if I sound a little slow or anything. These formats are all new to me, and I'm only beginning to understand how skeletal animation is supposed to work.
Edit: Thanks for the help, by the way. I definitely appreciate it.
02/06/2013 (7:28 am)
I don't want to use any of the T3D animations, I'd just like to have all my own in the game.But, what you're saying, if you can export the skeleton separately, and apply it to whatever mesh you'd like? (Given that they're set up to be used with the same skeleton, of course.)
Sorry if I sound a little slow or anything. These formats are all new to me, and I'm only beginning to understand how skeletal animation is supposed to work.
Edit: Thanks for the help, by the way. I definitely appreciate it.
#3
He talks about LOD's, but there's a lot more under the hood.
http://www.garagegames.com/community/blogs/view/22114
02/06/2013 (9:24 am)
Here is something that might be helpfulHe talks about LOD's, but there's a lot more under the hood.
http://www.garagegames.com/community/blogs/view/22114
#4
Are you able to get models made in Blender to use the soldier animations?
I can import the soldier DAE, and export a DAE from Blender, but all the animations do not work with the new DAE from Blender. It is like rotations or something are all wrong. You end up with a deformed blob. This is using Blender 2.65. If I don't use the soldier animations the model looks great.
02/06/2013 (10:39 am)
@Simon,Are you able to get models made in Blender to use the soldier animations?
I can import the soldier DAE, and export a DAE from Blender, but all the animations do not work with the new DAE from Blender. It is like rotations or something are all wrong. You end up with a deformed blob. This is using Blender 2.65. If I don't use the soldier animations the model looks great.
#5
If you manage to export an animation which you have made, using a bone structure that you have created, then you can use it on any other model which has the same bone names and same number of bones.
@Frank : I haven't managed to do so myself, no.
02/06/2013 (5:03 pm)
@Chad : I am by no means an expert on the subject. I fiddled with it when T3D MIT first came out, nothing too serious.If you manage to export an animation which you have made, using a bone structure that you have created, then you can use it on any other model which has the same bone names and same number of bones.
@Frank : I haven't managed to do so myself, no.
#6
As I'd said, I'm just diving in now, so I don't know the limitations at all.
This gave me all the info I need for now, thanks so much!
02/07/2013 (2:30 pm)
Ahh, thanks a lot, Simon. You seem to know a lot more about the skeletal animation systems than I do.As I'd said, I'm just diving in now, so I don't know the limitations at all.
This gave me all the info I need for now, thanks so much!
Associate Simon Love
However, if you want to be compatible with the provided T3D animations (crouch, walk, run, etc.) your armature will have to match the one used by the engine : the bones will need to have the same names as the ones in Soldier.dae/.dts.
An 'easy' way to figure it out is to load the soldier in the engine's shape editor, the interface tells you exactly what nodes and bones you need.