Player.max file
by Brian Carter · in Torque Game Engine · 04/14/2008 (2:35 pm) · 8 replies
I'm trying to extract a skeleton used on the kork model so that I can get my characters to work with the Torque Motion pack. When I look in C:\Torque\TGE_1_5_2\example\tutorial.base\data\shapes\player there is a file named player.max; however, no matter when application I try to import this into it isnt a recognised format. Unfortunately I dont have access to 3D Studio Max, so I couldnt try that program. I have tried Maya and Milkshape.
Is there anybody that can open that file and maybe convert it to a different format for me?
Is there anybody that can open that file and maybe convert it to a different format for me?
#2
If I loaded up Kork in ShowTool Pro, and created a new skeleton from the ground up on my character making sure that I included all of the listed bone joints, and linked them in the same order, then skinned the model to that skeleton - would that then be compatible with Torque Motion. Or do you need the exact skeleton - I'm kinda new at all of this so I'm trying to understand how it all links together.
04/14/2008 (3:46 pm)
Oh well, back to the drawing board I guess - don't know why this has to be so hard. The reason I purchased the Torque Motion pack in the first place was because it said: "Torque-Motion will work with Kork, Space Kork, Adam, and Ava out of the box as well as any other model that uses these animation rigs." I guess I made a bad assumption that a kork rig would be easy to come by in a format I could use.If I loaded up Kork in ShowTool Pro, and created a new skeleton from the ground up on my character making sure that I included all of the listed bone joints, and linked them in the same order, then skinned the model to that skeleton - would that then be compatible with Torque Motion. Or do you need the exact skeleton - I'm kinda new at all of this so I'm trying to understand how it all links together.
#3
The example skeleton in Chris Robertson's DTSPlus! exporter, here, comes with a Milkshape compatible rig that, once exported from Ms3d, will load the SDK existing .dsq's. And from that point, you could begin to produce new .dsq's for this dts shape. I do not believe that new .dsq's will work with the old SDK .dts shape, I could be wrong.
That should be a rig to get you going, without needing the license for Max.
I've got a version of KORK bound to this rig...:), as well as a few other geometries, works great for quick testing of things. I'm using it for the Houdini exporter, Chris is working on. I think that rig will work in both directions. It will accept old .dsq's from the SDK as well as being able to produce new ones for the existing SDK KORK.
...try asking the authors of the Motion Pack to perhaps generate a few other source files?
04/15/2008 (6:12 am)
You will need a skeleton with the exact node transforms as the original to have existing SDK .dsq sequences load correctly into your new version of the skeleton and vice verse. If both name and transform don't have an exact match, your resulting .dts shape or .dsq sequence will produce a horrid mess; much like a bad transporter accident....The example skeleton in Chris Robertson's DTSPlus! exporter, here, comes with a Milkshape compatible rig that, once exported from Ms3d, will load the SDK existing .dsq's. And from that point, you could begin to produce new .dsq's for this dts shape. I do not believe that new .dsq's will work with the old SDK .dts shape, I could be wrong.
That should be a rig to get you going, without needing the license for Max.
I've got a version of KORK bound to this rig...:), as well as a few other geometries, works great for quick testing of things. I'm using it for the Houdini exporter, Chris is working on. I think that rig will work in both directions. It will accept old .dsq's from the SDK as well as being able to produce new ones for the existing SDK KORK.
...try asking the authors of the Motion Pack to perhaps generate a few other source files?
#4
I might try and contact the Torque Motion Pack developers and see what they say. Other than that it looks like my only option left is to either fork out the money for 3D Studio (which I dont want to do given that I prefer Maya) or just build my own custom rig and make my own animations - I prefer to be lazy and use the ones that exists if I can though :)
04/15/2008 (12:14 pm)
Thanks for the post Rex - I already had that version of the exporter, but for some reason didnt have the skeleton example installed - which I have installed now. When I export MrBox to a .dts (having created the appropriate config file) it loads into ShowTool Pro just fine; however, when I try and load in a SDK dsq file (for example C:\Torque\TGE_1_5_2\example\tutorial.base\data\shapes\player\player_jump.dsq) the rig just explodes - although the animation does run, so its closer than I have gotten with anything else so far - but still no good. It could be that I did something wrong, just not sure what that could be. I might try and contact the Torque Motion Pack developers and see what they say. Other than that it looks like my only option left is to either fork out the money for 3D Studio (which I dont want to do given that I prefer Maya) or just build my own custom rig and make my own animations - I prefer to be lazy and use the ones that exists if I can though :)
#5
04/15/2008 (7:27 pm)
I just looked at the 'tutorial.player.dts' shape...and noticed that indeed they are close to the same rig, but not the same. Looked more like the very first skeleton for tgev1.1, what I term the "Blue Guy" geometry; what basically looked like a Tribes II shape that didn't make it to the release. It contains the extra 'light' nodes that I haven't seen in a player avatar in tge in quite some time. This is why the DTSplus! dts shape 'explodes' when loading the sequences made for this shape, as I explained about 'transporter accident'. This is the first indicator that you do not have matching rigs in dts and dsq....now the demo or starter.fps player dsq should be fine to load the exporter's skeleton. The 'tutorial' mod is a really stripped down version, I usually remove it from the tree and don't use any of the assets. I can see what I can do to get a 'tutorial' rig like Chris's...perhaps I can hammer one together, I haven't touched the SDK rig in some time, :).
#6
I figured something was off, but couldn't pinpoint what it was. I also just tried the dsq's from the starter.fps and demo directories and it still blows MrBox apart - the root, cam, and unlink nodes stay close to the ground but the rest of the skeleton is way up in the air. However, when you run the animation dsq the animation plays, even though its all blown up.
Appreciate you looking at this Rex, I'm learning as we go :)
04/15/2008 (8:10 pm)
I would appreciate any help I can get on this - I will be OK once I can get a skeleton that will work, but getting to that point in terms of making it compatible with TGE/TGEA is quite honestly beyond my skillset right now :) Still learning, but I'm picking things up as I go. I figured something was off, but couldn't pinpoint what it was. I also just tried the dsq's from the starter.fps and demo directories and it still blows MrBox apart - the root, cam, and unlink nodes stay close to the ground but the rest of the skeleton is way up in the air. However, when you run the animation dsq the animation plays, even though its all blown up.
Appreciate you looking at this Rex, I'm learning as we go :)
#7
The 'tutorial' skeleton was a bit perplexing, as some of the important and needed nodes were parented to a node produced by a piece of geometry during export?? Slightlly odd, but I got them back into the chain proper, parented to what I knew as their 'parent' and off I went. Seems fine enough for a 'tutorial' source file. I don't know why a budget source file is not included, only the expensive platform version...didn't take me long to rig this up, neighbor, ;).
I'm on MSN, look me up in my profile for chat and I'll get this source to you somehow; today, I'm stepping away from my computer and doing some manual labor, be more free tomorrow for sure.
Good luck!
Oh, btw...perhaps you're exporting some bogus nodes produced during export....I use a .cfg file to cull out nodes I know do not need to exist in the rig. Most of the time, __mainTree, __meshes, start01, base01, & Root can be the culprits. I have the .cfg file that makes it work as well....Chris Robertson's "Mr.Box.ms3d" should work....I know it does. Shape needs a little clean up when exporting....
04/16/2008 (7:20 am)
The 'Doktor' has rigged a skeleton in a source file that seems to load the 'tutorial' player dsq's fine enough. It's based off the current 'tutorial' blue player shape, which is not the 'Blue Guy' geometry I refered to earlier...this rig is definitely different than the standard SDK rig I know...looks like the very first version I remember, includes 'light' nodes, unusual to find those in KORK.dts.....The 'tutorial' skeleton was a bit perplexing, as some of the important and needed nodes were parented to a node produced by a piece of geometry during export?? Slightlly odd, but I got them back into the chain proper, parented to what I knew as their 'parent' and off I went. Seems fine enough for a 'tutorial' source file. I don't know why a budget source file is not included, only the expensive platform version...didn't take me long to rig this up, neighbor, ;).
I'm on MSN, look me up in my profile for chat and I'll get this source to you somehow; today, I'm stepping away from my computer and doing some manual labor, be more free tomorrow for sure.
Good luck!
Oh, btw...perhaps you're exporting some bogus nodes produced during export....I use a .cfg file to cull out nodes I know do not need to exist in the rig. Most of the time, __mainTree, __meshes, start01, base01, & Root can be the culprits. I have the .cfg file that makes it work as well....Chris Robertson's "Mr.Box.ms3d" should work....I know it does. Shape needs a little clean up when exporting....
#8
04/16/2008 (12:00 pm)
Worked like a charm Rex, thank you so much :) 
Torque Owner Cinder Games
I'm not sure what formats it could be exported to and retain the skeleton.
I converted it to a FBX, and loaded it into lightwave, but could never get the bone rotations to match that of the 3ds max version, therfore, it was useless.
www.garagegames.com/blogs/11127/11301