WIP Fixing the dotXSI 3.0 Exporter for 3ds Max...

[Archangel35757]

Ok, no idea what happened but it's now ouputting postion data in the XSI. Now it just seems as though carcass doesn't like it when you add bones that you want to have position data. :\

This doesn't make sense... don't the original facial talking animations have both position and rotation animation data? Would you post a picture of your facial hierarchy showing the constraints?

[Tempust85]

I had another look, and it was outputting position data the whole time only I was expecting bigger changes in the XSI file. Staring at something all day long will do this. :\

 

It seems carcass doesn't like to include any position data for added bones (bones that do not exist in any of the base JKA animations), only rotation. So looks like I'm going to have to use GLAMerge to get my new facial animations in, oh well lol.

[Archangel35757]

Just use all of the JO facial bones only... they should be more than sufficient for hi-def facial animations anyway.

[Tempust85]

Wouldn't matter, either way. Not all the unused JO facial bones exist in all the animations, so I'd still be adding the unused JO bones in the exact same process and carcass would still kick up a sh*t.

 

I found a method to get added bones position data working with carcass. For the exporter part of it, everything is fine.

[Archangel35757]

Wouldn't matter, either way. Not all the unused JO facial bones exist in all the animations, so I'd still be adding the unused JO bones in the exact same process and carcass would still kick up a sh*t.

 

I found a method to get added bones position data working with carcass. For the exporter part of it, everything is fine.

Good news... care to elaborate for the edification of others?

[Tempust85]

This is the best I can do in terms of a tutorial or sorts, I honestly do suck at these things. Now I won't go into downloading GLAMerge, downloading the JKA source animations or setting up model.car. This is just what you do in order to get added bones to behave properly in your end result.

 

Stage 1 - Exporting & Compiling The Standard (base JKA) Animations:

 

- Make a simple 2 framed animation (I recommend using the ROOT pose) with your added bones weighted to a mesh. This is so the rest of the animations you're wanting to add bones to will get the identity matrices. XSI or 3ds Max - doesn't matter.

- Export out the animation.

- Set up your model.car file to include the 'dummy' animation at the beginning, call it whatever you want.

- Compile into a GLA named _humanoid.gla

- After compile, rename to _humanoidstandard.gla for GLAMerge later.

 

Stage 2 - Exporting & Compiling Your New Animations With Added Bones:

 

- Make your new animation(s) in XSI or 3ds Max - doesn't matter.

- Set up your model.car file to include your added bone animation(s) call them whatever you want.

- Compile into a GLA named _humanoid.gla

- After compile, rename to _humanoidadded.gla for GLAMerge later.

 

Stage 3 - Combining Both GLAs:

 

- Put both _humanoidstandard.gla & _humanoidadded.gla into the same folder as GLAMerge.

- Run GLAMerge like this: glamerge.exe _humanoidstandard.gla _humanoidadded.gla

- It will ask you what name you want your new combined GLA to be, call it _humanoid.gla

- It will say 'editing frame ##' then it will complete.

[Tempust85]

@@Archangel35757

 

So is everything now fixed to a point where you can now compile updated plugins for every Max version above 5? Just "obain" every SDK (in a certain manor) from the installation discs. The only SDK's you need are:

 

- Max 6 (plugins work in 7 & 8)

- Max 9

- Max 2009

- Max 2010 (plugins work in 2011)

- Max 2012

- Max 2013 (plugins reportedly work in 2014)

 

Most of these you have already.

[Psyk0Sith]

@@Archangel35757 I have a question regarding "keyframed objects": remember when you had me test the modifier based anims with the xsi viewer? would this method work for JA? No bone driven animation, just a keyframed object from max (can a .gla be obtained from that?). I should try it, but i can't right now and if it doesn't work i'll have to setup a bunch of stuff just to do a simple test and i'd prefer the easy way. Thanks!

[Archangel35757]

 

@@Archangel35757 I have a question regarding "keyframed objects": remember when you had me test the modifier based anims with the xsi viewer? would this method work for JA? No bone driven animation, just a keyframed object from max (can a .gla be obtained from that?). I should try it, but i can't right now and if it doesn't work i'll have to setup a bunch of stuff just to do a simple test and i'd prefer the easy way. Thanks!

What I think you are referring to would be considered Vertex Animated objects... I believe animated MD3 models are vertex animated objects [http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MD3_(file_format)]. The Ghoul2 Characters are bone-driven deformation animation.

 

So maybe you could try that with the MD3 model format.

[Tempust85]

As for SDK's, I don't have Max 2009 or 2012 ( ...and Max 9 works in Max 2008). I can try to compile it for Max 2013.

 

I was waiting to see if you had any issues/conflicts in the writeBipPosData change I incorporated into the Max 2010 plugin. The only thing I'm waiting on now is to see how "Export Selected" works with my Blended FK/IK & Reactor rig... if I need to fix anything there. I've finally gotten back to working on the rig... so when it's finished I'll test the "Export-Selected" feature.

 

writebipposdata works perfectly.

[Psyk0Sith]

Yeah sorry, in max the modifier actually creates keyframes based on the simulation, so it's definately vertex animated. Looks like my half assed approach won't work, but trying .md3 is worth a shot.

[Archangel35757]

Yeah sorry, in max the modifier actually creates keyframes based on the simulation, so it's definately vertex animated. Looks like my half assed approach won't work, but trying .md3 is worth a shot.

What were you trying to do? Has anyone ever attempted to bolt on an animated MD3 model (... of say a cape for example)? Seems like it's doable. Wonder how you'd have the animated MD3 play different anims based on what the character is doing?

[Tempust85]

AFAIK only static GLM models have been bolted on in-game.

[Archangel35757]

Maybe you could give it a try... Maybe it will work.

[Psyk0Sith]

I'm trying to pin a simulated cloth on all models, if it works it will replace the jetpack, at least for now.

[Archangel35757]

@@Psyk0Sith

Let us know how it goes-- if you get your MD3 bolted onto the character... I suppose you can use MD3View to view your per-Vertex animations.

 

Perhaps your MD3 animated frame numbers need to be in synch with the .GLA ???

[Psyk0Sith]

The export plugin i found for max9 doesn't outpout the proper format. Md3viewer won't have anything to do with it.

 

On the positive side though i managed to export the cloth sim to a .glm. It works fine in modview, but using the jetpack doesn't work, it's just a stiff blank mesh not using the .gla. I should start a new thread on the subject.

 

As for synching animations, i have something planned, i just want to start with something simple and go from there.

Edited August 3, 2013 by Psyk0Sith

[Archangel35757]

The export plugin i found for max9 doesn't outpout the proper format. Md3viewer won't have anything to do with it.

 

On the positive side though i managed to export the cloth sim to a .glm. It works fine in modview, but using the jetpack doesn't work, it's just a stiff blank mesh not using the .gla. I should start a new thread on the subject.

 

As for synching animations, i have something planned, i just want to start with something simple and go from there.

There is an MD3 exporter Script (i.e. MAXScript) that should work in Max9. And there's also this:

 

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?t=539453

 

http://www.quakeunity.com/file=481

[Psyk0Sith]

Using npherno's is a great idea. Still not sure how to pin "add ons" to models, i thought replacing the jetpack would be the quickest way but nothing is easy with this damn engine

[Tempust85]

I'm pretty sure modview mimics the code in-game concerning GLM bolting so to use animated bolted GLM's you would have to edit game code. It would also be a usefull thing for moving parts on weapons hell we could even have a model split into modular pieces if done right.

[Archangel35757]

I'm pretty sure modview mimics the code in-game concerning GLM bolting so to use animated bolted GLM's you would have to edit game code. It would also be a usefull thing for moving parts on weapons hell we could even have a model split into modular pieces if done right.

Yes, but he doesn't want to use skeletal animation... which is why I suggested using per-vertex animated MD3 format... we should be able to bolt MD3's onto Ghoul2 characters, no?

[Tempust85]

I don't see why we wouldn't be able to bolt on MD3 models, but a coder would know more.

 

So is the idea here to import all the JKA animations, run them with cloth sim on the bobafett backpack's cloth piece and then export out the backpack cloth piece as an MD3 with 20,000+ vertex animated frames?

[Archangel35757]

I believe so... but @@Psyk0Sith is planning to make a new WIP thread for this...

[Tempust85]

Hey @@Archangel35757

 

Do you have any plans to compile this for 2014? If not, that's cool but would you mind if I did (once I get 2014)?

[Archangel35757]

Yes... I will try to compile it for Max 2013 tomorrow and if that works then I can compile it for 2014 also. Sorry, I've just been wrapped up trying to create a dual pivot setup for rotating about different pivot points.

 

Edit: I still think I'm going to have to modify the "export selected" portion of code for my rig to export properly... but i've gotten bogged down on rig work due to this dual-pivot goose chase!