working with animated, segmented entity
Blitz3D Forums/Blitz3D Programming/working with animated, segmented entity
| ||
| Hi all I want to be able to rotate one child entity within an animated, segmented directx file (imported into B3d) The file uses segmented parts - so no bones used. However b3d won't add my specified rotation to the part's pre-canned animation, which is a problem. Has anyone come up with a solution to this - or is the only way to be able to directly affect 'pre-canned' animations, to use boned, skinned meshes? Hope that's not the case. |
| ||
| no, I spoke too soon - I can rotate the part, but the rotational pivot is all wrong. Sigh. |
| ||
| you need to do all rotations after UpdateWorld , the roational pivot maybe wrong cos of the tool used to export. Milkshape for example messes all the axis up. |
| ||
| you should also use the LOCAL flag with the rotation command (not global). Maybe you need to work with an angle offset at all. |
| ||
| ok - this is what I've discovered. Firstly, I want to be able to directly manipulate joints to allow the arms of an animated figure to pitch up and down while a precanned animation is playing (e.g. walking/running/crouching). So it can crudely aim a gun. I don't like the fact that to do this you have to rotate the bone/joint after updateworld, but that's the way it is at the moment.. I use Lightwave 6.5. (I also have unwrap3d) I seem unable to sucessfully export single skin boned animations to blitz from LW (I admit I haven't fully tested out Terralink's new deformconvert, but with a few simple animations there were problems. However, I need to learn more, - about weight maps for one). I can export jointed, multi mesh animations as directx7 files from LW to blitz. However, on rotating a child mesh within an animated entity (within blitz), the rotational pivot is placed at 0,0 for the animated entity. Adjusting individual part's pivot points in LW has no effect. I also have Truespace6.5. I cannot get single skin, boned animations from TS sucessfully through to B3d. I can sucessfully export multi mesh animations using ik bones. Furthermore, I can set axis centres in TS and these are correctly retained in blitz, meaning I can correctly rotate elements. So, this is the workflow I'm going to go with (at the moment). I have to say that so far, the working out of a viable animation pathway to get stuff into blitz without having to go through different formats, programmes, making sure animation is correctly transferred (not to mention UV, texturing etc) has been a real pain in the ass, and has taken a lot of time and frustration. There always seems to be a hook. Having said the above - I'm just off to try importing a LW DX8 file into CharacterFX. I don't like CharacterFX, but if it allows me to get skinned animations into Blitz... |
| ||
| ..and then I see Characterfx exports DX files, but doesn't import. |
| ||
| Have you tried Stickmans' DX8 To B3d. It was originally intended for 3DCanvas users. I use it all the time,it converts everything including skinned boned animations. I'm sure I got my copy from the Blitz website,I've had a quick look but can't seem to find it but it's here somewere. Hope this helps. >Carpman |
| ||
| 3ds file format does this well. consider using that. |
   |