---

Do they work?

I'm trying to get ragdolls working with skinned models.
Here is what I have so far (but it doesn't work!):

+ Code Snippet

// 'obj' is the models ID (.x file)
// I use structures for the limbs and the physics objects.
// e.g. 'limb.chest' is the ID of this limb and 'chest.ID' is the ID of the corresponding physics object.
// physics objects are positioned before and are jointed together correctly (they are visible and the ragdoll seems to work)

int r = 1;
int mesh = obj;

dbPhyMakeRagdoll ( r, obj, chest.ID() );

dbMakeMeshFromObject ( mesh, obj );

dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( r, mesh, limb.chest, chest.ID );
dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( r, mesh, limb.head, head.ID );
dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( r, mesh, limb.armL1, armL1.ID );
dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( r, mesh, limb.armL2, armL2.ID );
dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( r, mesh, limb.handL, handL.ID );
dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( r, mesh, limb.armR1, armR1.ID );
dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( r, mesh, limb.armR2, armR2.ID );
dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( r, mesh, limb.handR, handR.ID );
dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( r, mesh, limb.stomach, stomach.ID );
dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( r, mesh, limb.hips, hips.ID );
dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( r, mesh, limb.legL1, legL1.ID );
dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( r, mesh, limb.legL2, legL2.ID );
dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( r, mesh, limb.footL, footL.ID );
dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( r, mesh, limb.legR1, legR1.ID );
dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( r, mesh, limb.legR2, legR2.ID );
dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( r, mesh, limb.footR, footR.ID );

Am I missing something?
Are there any demos or tutorials on this?
Any help is greatly appreciated!

---

I don't know if you're going to get any help on this. I recall being promised a demo of a fully skinned ragdoll some time ago but that's obviously never happened.

I'm afraid too much of DP just seems broken and unsupported, which is pretty sad considering it has so much potential. If FPSC used it I'm sure it'd have a lot more attention

---

Yeah just a simple working demo would help so much!
I hope that the ragdoll commands work, since I've read that the rope demo (which was unfortunatly not included in my DP installation!) uses them and works fine.

So the basic problem is how to use the commands correctly rather than not working at all?

Another thing is that I could basicaly do it without the built-in ragdoll commands, if I would know how to correctly 'glue' the limbs of my skinned model to rigid body objects!
Has anybody tried this before? I have the positioning (offset) of the limbs done, but I can't get the rotation to work!

---

Pauli do wish to kown how to use add limbs or glue limbs?

---

I want to know how to rotate & position a limb of a skinned model to the position & rotation of another object (e.g. a rigid body as a part of a ragdoll).
Well, I have the position done, but I don't know how to rotate the limbs properly!
If I knew how to do that, I would be able to make my custom ragdoll system...

Has anybody ever tried something like this?
Or how to make the DarkPhysics built-in ragdoll commands work?

---

I have some specific questions about the DarkPhysics ragdoll commands:

dbPhyMakeRagdoll ( int iID, int iObject, int iPhysics )

Ok, I guess iObject is the ID of the object that holds the skinned model.
What is iPhysics supposed to be? The reference says: 'the first object identification number that is going to be part of the skeleton'. Is this the rigid body that is like the center of the ragdoll (e.g. the chest or stomach)?

dbPhyAssignRagdollPart ( int iID, int iMesh, int iBone, int iObject )

What is iMesh? Is it a mesh that is made from the model (dbMakeMeshFromObject)? If so, do I have to update the model object somehow (maybe dbChangeMesh on the model object with the ragdoll mesh)?

dbPhyGetRagdollExist ( int iID )

When I use this command I get the following error:
'error LNK2001: Nicht aufgelöstes externes Symbol ""int __cdecl dbPhyGetRagdollExist(int)" (?dbPhyGetRagdollExist@@YAHH@Z)". Debug\Engine.exe : fatal error LNK1120: 1 nicht aufgelöste externe Verweise.'
Why? (It's german I know...)

I hope that someone can answer one or more of these questions!
Maybe some of the TGC/DarkPhysics officials could help out here, too?

---

The ragdoll commands aren't even understood by my version of Dark Physics.. I just assumed they didn't work...

---

Well, they are recognized and compile fine, but I just can't see any effect! I can't even check if the ragdoll exists

Does anybody have a DarkGDK version of the rope demo? (or at least the DBPro version)

---

I don't have Dark GDK - but I do have dark basic pro and dark physics, I thought that if something worked with one it would work in the other as they were basically the same. I had seen for a while that people had trouble with textured rag dolls, but had never tried it myself until recently.

For the halloween community compo to make a screensaver, I made a Ragdoll Skeleton (just the one from DARK MATTER VOl 1). I Gave it a new texture. Split the Model into limbs and just attached the limbs to native DBP Objects, Using the physx ragdoll demo heavily as a reference. I made a textured ragdoll. I still don't see how It wouldn't work just using the model and cutting out the DBP objects and attaching process.

here is a screenshot




The compo was only a week long and I missed the first 3-4 days as I did not know about it.

You can download the program here its called Skelly
http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=159600&b=36

It includes the media and source code. The source code is very messy as I was in a big hurry.

You move the skeleton by moving the mouse any other key exits the program (It is supposed to be a screensaver)

It also never won, But I show that Textured Ragdolls are possible in Dark Physics.

Good luck and If You think I can help - give me a shout.

---

@Jammy

Though great looking and implemented in your demo, unfortunately the skeleton is not a true skinned ragdoll. It is separate parts joined with joints, similar to the ragdolls made from capsules in the DP demos.

Skinned ragdolls use the rigged IK chained skeleton/limbs. Was a while since i looked in to this but if i remember correctly the rotation of the limbs in the rig in relation to the root bones is handled wrong by the phy ragdoll commands. The rope demo works as it is a linear chain.

Regards

---

Me too, I guess it's true.

I'm gonna take a look at Skelly. Are you making objects from the models limbs there? well, not exactly what I'm looking for but may be good enough. Isn't the 'connection' between the limbs lost when you convert them to single objects? (like the arms vertices are not connected the shoulder anymore)
Meanwhile I wrote TGC an email about this whole issue, hope to get some response soon...

EDIT:


Wouldn't it be possible to make the ragdoll just a rigid body box as torso and attach four chain-like limbs to it as arms and legs?
Would that work?

---

Good luck on that

Check out my email that I sent to them last year June 2008 on this issue:


And their response:


still waiting... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

---

Damn, I hope they made progress on this since June 2008

At least he stated that ragdolls with skinned models is a key feature, so I see light at the end of the tunnel...

---

Duke E - it is the same as the I used them big time as a reference. I don't understand what "the rigged IK chained skeleton/limbs" are, sorry, but i'm sure you are right.

_Pauli_ -

1) yes, I am making objects from the models limbs,body and head.

2) yes, the 'connection' between the limbs lost when you convert
them to single objects. However you can use joints within dark physics to connect arms, legs etc back to the body. I used both sphere and revolute joints. It takes a bit of time to get limbs lined up again.

Although it is not a true Ragdoll - It acts like one, and may be a solution.

Good Luck

---

I've got a reply from TGC regarding ragdolls and skinned models.
Well, it's not what you call good news:


That's all they wrote, so I guess that's it for the built-in commands.

Maybe we can still figure out how to make it manually...
The basics are there: skinned models can be deformed with DarkGDK's native offset/rotate limb commands, and the ragdoll can be build with normal rigid bodies and sphere/revolute joints.
Just need to figure out how to combine them together.