How do I make a working animated 3ds file?

Blitz3D Forums/Blitz3D Beginners Area/How do I make a working animated 3ds file?

SuperRoboFan(Posted 2009) [#1]
I'm using Anim8or to try and make an animated 3ds file, but when I use them in a program, they won't animate! I even tried using another animated 3ds file that came with a sample game, but when I used it in my program, it worked. I think I'm doing something wrong with exporting animated 3ds files, but I don't know what. Can someone help me?


Drak(Posted 2009) [#2]
The exporter in Anim8or is not working. You cannot export animated 3ds files through anim8or. You'll have to use another program.


SuperRoboFan(Posted 2009) [#3]
Any programs you would recommend?


Yasha(Posted 2009) [#4]
If you're making human or similar models, you could consider just exporting a static mesh from your mesh editor, and doing your animations in PaceMaker, which exports boned animation to B3D.

In fact I'd recommend B3D format over 3DS for everything else as well, as 3DS neither supports bone animation (good for biological characters) nor vertex normals information (necessary for buildings and hardedged mechanical objects) - all vertex normals are stored as smoothing groups which will ruin most sharpedged meshes. It's not a very useful format.


Drak(Posted 2009) [#5]
Yes, I enjoy anim8or very much as it is very, very easy to use. Simply make your model, export an unanimated as a .3ds file and load it in pacemaker. Pacemaker is very simple to use as well and also very powerful, and free. This is how I animate all of my models.

Also note again that pacemaker DOES export in the .B3D format.