What cheap 3D programs are best for Torque animation?
by Jason Fairfield · in Artist Corner · 04/17/2009 (4:37 pm) · 22 replies
I have some questions I would like to ask the vets here. I'm concerned about the specifics of animation in the torque game engine. I am currently working with what's given to me on the disk of 3D Game Programming All in One by Ken C. Finney but since my educational background is primarily in 3D art I am most concerned with my options on animation.
Therefore, what program would be best to use. I currently have a student copy of 3DS MAX 8, and it's where my training is at. I know I can't use it but I am looking for the least painful and financially viable alternatives (Blender is an option). (or if someone here has a inexpensive full copy of MAX 5 through 8 they would like to get off their hands, I would be interested).
Modeling and texturing capabilities are not really my concerns, I figure I could bang out what's needed with less expesive software (even Milkshape and UV Wrapper). My main concern is animating, particularly the ability to weigh vertices to different bones.
My single reference and what I've read here in my searches seem to point to difficulty here, and my book modeling tutorials via milkshape espouse having different parts for each limb. That is a path I want to minimize if not eliminate. To do otherwise I feel it would destroy the artistic effect.
Specifically, I suppose my questions are these.
1. Is it possible to assign bones, vertex weights and animate natively within the Torque interface? My searches didn't give me a conclusive answer.
2. If not, what single / combination of inexpensive programs would you recommend, or would Blender be adequate? Reading a somewhat negative post about Blender by a GG dev would suggest that may not be the wisest course. I would rather if I didn't waste the time learning it for naught.
If I had a full copy of 3DS Max that would likely solve all my issues (even one as old as v5) but that doesn't seem to be a realistic prospect at this time. So, to those more experienced that me in using Torque, is there any programs that can closely approximate what I can do in 3DS Max?
Thanks
Jason
Therefore, what program would be best to use. I currently have a student copy of 3DS MAX 8, and it's where my training is at. I know I can't use it but I am looking for the least painful and financially viable alternatives (Blender is an option). (or if someone here has a inexpensive full copy of MAX 5 through 8 they would like to get off their hands, I would be interested).
Modeling and texturing capabilities are not really my concerns, I figure I could bang out what's needed with less expesive software (even Milkshape and UV Wrapper). My main concern is animating, particularly the ability to weigh vertices to different bones.
My single reference and what I've read here in my searches seem to point to difficulty here, and my book modeling tutorials via milkshape espouse having different parts for each limb. That is a path I want to minimize if not eliminate. To do otherwise I feel it would destroy the artistic effect.
Specifically, I suppose my questions are these.
1. Is it possible to assign bones, vertex weights and animate natively within the Torque interface? My searches didn't give me a conclusive answer.
2. If not, what single / combination of inexpensive programs would you recommend, or would Blender be adequate? Reading a somewhat negative post about Blender by a GG dev would suggest that may not be the wisest course. I would rather if I didn't waste the time learning it for naught.
If I had a full copy of 3DS Max that would likely solve all my issues (even one as old as v5) but that doesn't seem to be a realistic prospect at this time. So, to those more experienced that me in using Torque, is there any programs that can closely approximate what I can do in 3DS Max?
Thanks
Jason
About the author
#2
04/17/2009 (5:20 pm)
Thanks for the reply, I'll check that out. So vertex weighting/animation can not be natively done in torque, or some plugin? 
#3
Another cheaper option would be milkshape chumbalum.swissquake.ch/ at $35 but I don't think it's as good as Houdini
04/17/2009 (5:36 pm)
No there isn't built into Torque that would allow you to animate things or use vertex weighting. Another cheaper option would be milkshape chumbalum.swissquake.ch/ at $35 but I don't think it's as good as Houdini
#4
04/17/2009 (6:52 pm)
What I've read on this forum for Milkshape was that it didn't allow vertices to be affected by more than one bone. Did I read wrong?
#5
04/17/2009 (11:16 pm)
I can't answer that one, not an artist myself so haven't really used any of these packages much
#6
04/18/2009 (12:22 am)
Go on with Blender, you don´t need anything else. It is a very mature and productive 3D tool, and the DTS exporter and support by Joseph is just one of the best out there. 
#7
Torque supports as many bone influences as there are bones in the hierarchy.
04/18/2009 (12:58 am)
Milkshape3D supports up to 4 separate bone influences on a single vertex. Torque supports as many bone influences as there are bones in the hierarchy.
#8
04/18/2009 (3:17 am)
In terms of inexpensive, MilkShape($35 USD)is good, Blender(FREE) is better (in my opinion), and Houdini($99 USD) is great for particle effects aka special effects (explosions, etc).Quote:Agreed.
Go on with Blender, you don´t need anything else. It is a very mature and productive 3D tool...
#9
Again my thanks.
EDIT: Houdini sounds like something I would need to get once I have done some graphic engine work and fine tuning the effects.
04/18/2009 (4:37 am)
Thank you all for the insight, I'm sure once I bear down and try to learn the programming aspects and actually putting the models I make into the engine I'll have a ton of other questions, but for now I feel starting on some models would be a godo place for me to start.Again my thanks.
EDIT: Houdini sounds like something I would need to get once I have done some graphic engine work and fine tuning the effects.
#10
04/29/2009 (11:57 pm)
I hope I'm not too late with my reply as the last posted reply is dated 4/18, but don't forget about TrueSpace. I haven't used its animation capabilities much, but it has improved temendously since its first creation. The latest version is 7.5 which is free (www.Caligari.com). It has animation for what you're talking about as well as facial animation capabilities, etc. etc.
#11
I'd have to give Blender another reccomendation - I've heard people say they can't get over its interface, but I've had no trouble with that. It's difficult to learn, but I'm not quite sure how any 3D modeler could be easy to learn :P. But hey, it's very powerful, and free. Abd like others have said, the exporter is great.
04/30/2009 (11:53 am)
TrueSpace may have facial animation, but can it be exported into Torque?Quote:1. Is it possible to assign bones, vertex weights and animate natively within the Torque interface? My searches didn't give me a conclusive answer.Torque doesn't really have an 'interface' - it's a game engine, not a modelling package. You will have to animate with whatever modeling program you're chosing to use (or, of course, you can import a model into a program to animate, then get it into Torque... but that seems unnecessarily complicated).
I'd have to give Blender another reccomendation - I've heard people say they can't get over its interface, but I've had no trouble with that. It's difficult to learn, but I'm not quite sure how any 3D modeler could be easy to learn :P. But hey, it's very powerful, and free. Abd like others have said, the exporter is great.
#12
Good luck with the Bone system....in tS/gS; you'll need it!
05/01/2009 (5:45 am)
gameSpace[trueSpace derivative] has a 'native' DTS/DSQ exporter which I found to support many DTS/DSQ features. How Caligari's format schema works is another matter entirely....Good luck with the Bone system....in tS/gS; you'll need it!
#13
With version 7.6, you may use the Collada format to T3D formats. For TGE/TGEA, someone will have to write a Collada format.
As soon as I find time, I think I will do that!
05/03/2009 (5:24 pm)
With versions of TrueSpace previous to version 7.6, you'll yave to use converter programs such as Milkshape or Ultimate Unwrap to convert the .cob models (TS also saves in .3DS, .x formats as well) into dts formats.With version 7.6, you may use the Collada format to T3D formats. For TGE/TGEA, someone will have to write a Collada format.
As soon as I find time, I think I will do that!
#14
I'm very interested in using blender, but in the long run it might be cheaper to buy maya or 3ds so i can use the massive collection of 3d objects already out there on these websites. How good is blender at importing these pre-created resources?
06/16/2009 (8:00 am)
Is blender still a good solution if you are primarily going to be buying pre-created 3d models off of sites like www.3drt.com and then importing, doing minor changes, and then exporting to torque? I'm very interested in using blender, but in the long run it might be cheaper to buy maya or 3ds so i can use the massive collection of 3d objects already out there on these websites. How good is blender at importing these pre-created resources?
#15
...there is one hope though, that it allows for instances and vertex welding blank spaces. The original versions didn't seem to do that very well.
06/17/2009 (12:05 am)
Wow, Truespace is FREE?! I learned 3D on TS, it was my first program (I had 4 and 5)! It's animation aspect, well, working with 3DS Max has shown me how limited it is, but my first game idea doesn't really require that. Wow, I think I"m going to use Truespace!...there is one hope though, that it allows for instances and vertex welding blank spaces. The original versions didn't seem to do that very well.
#16
Use Blender, it does exactly the same that 3dsMax, Maya, Houdini, Lightwave, XSI, etc... but it's free, OpenSource and allso have it's own Game Engine that you can use for prototyping your ideas.
06/21/2009 (7:13 am)
TrueSpace is out =( Microsoft decided to close Calligari... the studio that created TrueSpace.Use Blender, it does exactly the same that 3dsMax, Maya, Houdini, Lightwave, XSI, etc... but it's free, OpenSource and allso have it's own Game Engine that you can use for prototyping your ideas.
#17
07/03/2009 (7:54 pm)
Yeah, I agree. I had Milkshape's trail version, Have 3D studio max and Blender. I find Blender does just as good but it's alot easier too figure out. I can make a model german shepard on blender in an hour and a half, mesh in minutes. Pretty good fer someone who never touched a computer till he was 32 hey! 
#18
07/04/2009 (9:43 am)
Blender has a very steep learning curve, but once you learn what all the little different buttons mean, and a bunch of the best keyboard shortcuts, it's incredibly easy to use and powerful. Admittedly, using it for DTS is a lot like buying an 18-wheeler to go shopping at your local convenience store, but at the price tag of...well...free, I'll take the semi :)
#19
04/30/2012 (2:26 pm)
Comment removed by moderator due to the product being a scam. 
#20
Seriously, this thread is almost 3 years old, looks like this guy started an account just to promote this product.
And for what it's worth, I like Fragmotion for animating.
04/30/2012 (8:19 pm)
Holy necro post spam-man! Seriously, this thread is almost 3 years old, looks like this guy started an account just to promote this product.
And for what it's worth, I like Fragmotion for animating.
Torque Owner Andy Rollins
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