323 replies to this topic

[Pureon]

Wijitmaker, on 22 June 2012 - 06:33 PM, said:

Then I'll see if I can learn blender enough to get a template created. I'll probably need some help at some point, and I'll ask Zaggy for some assistance.

We're on IRC most days at some point. Ask away

[feneur]

Maybe it should be mentioned that the channel is #0ad-dev in case Jason doesn't know, it was #wfg while he was more active

[Wijitmaker]

Thanks guys, I had a chance to work on this a bit and I think I've found some success. The files you posted Amish had that same odd error I was getting before with the bones shooting out the back of the unit. So, I didn't spend to much time with those. I'm sure the edits you made to the mesh were an improvement. I can take a close look at those later. I wanted to focus on getting the skeleton structure into blender though. And I think I sort of got it...

Check out this file, it contains a .blend file and a .DAE file. I exported the .DAE from 3ds Max version R7 with the plugin recommended on our trac wiki. Then I imported it into Blender 2.59 which Ben suggested might work better. It seemed to work! The only problem in the animation is in the root of the animation. It also did some weird things with the bones still. They look like points and not bones in many places. But, maybe there is something in blender to alter their appearances?

Please check out the files though in your version of blender. Maybe there might be hope in getting this to work! Unfortunately I can't figure out how to add attachments (maybe I'm over my limit?). So, I'll email the file to Erik, and he can post it.

[feneur]

Hmm, did you click on the More Reply Options button? That takes you to a page where you can do more things, including attaching files.

Please take a look if you can, otherwise I'll take a look at your permissions when I get home

Attached Files

•  blender_2.59.zip   183.28K   22 downloads

[Wijitmaker]

Ah, yep... that was it! I thought it had something to do with the new "My Media" button - but I guess it doesn't. Cool, thanks Erik - I think I'm good

[Shield Bearer]

It seems that the bones have been scaled down, but if you zoom in they still look like the other bones Everything seems to work though. Pureon, can you check it out?

[Wijitmaker]

Quote

Everything seems to work though

Great! Do you think the mini bones would be hard to lengthen without disrupting the skeleton/rig?

[Pureon]

It looks like the model is animated well in Blender, however I wonder if the scale of the unit is correct. The origin of the model is below the right arm, which could be a mistake. Sorry spotted this too late to test further today.

[Shield Bearer]

I think those are the major problems, if we can solve them then I believe we might get it to work. Don't know much about it so I can't say much :/

[Zaggy1024]

I just imported it and cleared the location and rotation of the bones (go in pose mode, select all the bones and press Alt-G and Alt-R), and now the origin is in the right place, though it looks like these bones are like what I used to get when trying to import the DAEs.

Also, you should probably just delete everything but the mesh and the armature, since I don't think those extra objects have any purpose.

[Shield Bearer]

Have you tried importing it into the game?

[Shield Bearer]

Okay, here's what I get when I imported the model, clearing the location and rotation and centering the object origin:

[Pureon]

Were the 'r_hand' and 'shield' bones selected when exporting?

[Shield Bearer]

I selected the mesh first and then the armature, with the 'r_hand' and 'shield' bones.

EDIT: I just realized that there are no bones for the shins or the fore-arm :/

[Wijitmaker]

Zaggy1024, on 28 June 2012 - 06:43 PM, said:

I just imported it and cleared the location and rotation of the bones (go in pose mode, select all the bones and press Alt-G and Alt-R), and now the origin is in the right place, though it looks like these bones are like what I used to get when trying to import the DAEs.

Also, you should probably just delete everything but the mesh and the armature, since I don't think those extra objects have any purpose.

Nice! Could I get a copy of that .blend file after you fixed the origin. I'm not sure what your looking at deleting, but I don't think you want to delete the prop points for the model. So just be cautions of that. There are things like "nubs" that are a 3ds Max thing that could be deleted.

I'd like to work the skeleton xml file.

Shield Bearer, on 29 June 2012 - 09:23 AM, said:

I selected the mesh first and then the armature, with the 'r_hand' and 'shield' bones.

EDIT: I just realized that there are no bones for the shins or the fore-arm :/

I would think they would be there, wouldn't they? Because the animation works in blender at the shins and forearms? Or are you talking about in the game after the export?

[Zaggy1024]

Shield Bearer, on 29 June 2012 - 09:23 AM, said:

I selected the mesh first and then the armature, with the 'r_hand' and 'shield' bones.

You have the export only selection option on? I don't normally use that.

Quote

EDIT: I just realized that there are no bones for the shins or the fore-arm :/

It does, they're just too small to see easily.

Wijitmaker, on 29 June 2012 - 02:38 PM, said:

Nice! Could I get a copy of that .blend file after you fixed the origin. I'm not sure what your looking at deleting, but I don't think you want to delete the prop points for the model. So just be cautions of that. There are things like "nubs" that are a 3ds Max thing that could be deleted.

I'd like to work the skeleton xml file.

It's attached, though I already tried exporting it into the engine, and made a skeleton for it, but it keeps saying I'm referencing nonexistent bones in the biped standard skeleton...

Edit: Never mind, it's not attached...

Now it is.

Attached Files

•  dude_2.zip   85.45K   21 downloads

[Wijitmaker]

Great thanks, I just got back from vacation. I'll take a look at this in the next few days

[Wijitmaker]

I think we are getting closer! Zaggy I took a look at the blend file and your right, those props are messing up the hierarchy. So I excluded them from the export. Now the bones all come in a lot cleaner into blender 2.5. My question now is, how do I attach a ridged object to a bone to make it follow the bone? Once that is answered, the prop points just need to be attached to the appropriate bones and we can try exporting again. Please take a look and see what you think now

Attached Files

•  dude_3.zip   175.26K   17 downloads

[Zaggy1024]

Wijitmaker, on 09 July 2012 - 08:28 PM, said:

I think we are getting closer! Zaggy I took a look at the blend file and your right, those props are messing up the hierarchy. So I excluded them from the export. Now the bones all come in a lot cleaner into blender 2.5. My question now is, how do I attach a ridged object to a bone to make it follow the bone? Once that is answered, the prop points just need to be attached to the appropriate bones and we can try exporting again.

I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but if I'm right, what you want to do is select the mesh and then the rig (in that order) and press Ctrl+P, and select "Empty Vertex Groups". What is it you're trying to attach to a bone?

Quote

Please take a look and see what you think now

The rig actually looks pretty normal now. D'you want me to try and get it in the game again now, or are you going to do that?

[Wijitmaker]

Zaggy1024, on 15 July 2012 - 08:29 AM, said:

I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but if I'm right, what you want to do is select the mesh and then the rig (in that order) and press Ctrl+P, and select "Empty Vertex Groups". What is it you're trying to attach to a bone?

Sorry, I should explain more. I guess what I'm trying to do is to... for example - attach that head mesh to the head bone, so that when the head bone moves, it will move with it. I'm not talking about doing any vertex deformations, just a ridged attach. I'd like to do the same thing with all those boxes (prop points) too.

Zaggy1024, on 15 July 2012 - 08:29 AM, said:

The rig actually looks pretty normal now. D'you want me to try and get it in the game again now, or are you going to do that?

If you'd like to give it a shot please feel free!