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Hi All, I'm looking to buy animated 3D models for a 3rd person shooter part of my space sim. Currently I am using the animated SWAT character from dark matter 1 but he has 2 problems - 1) he walks but doesnt run and 2) he has to draw his gun every time (ala cowboys in western pistol duals) - I would like him to either a) have his gun already pointing at possible targets, or b) have the option to have his gun drawn/withdrawn while he walks. Now dark matter 2 has 3 sci fi models but the description of this package in terms of what exactly is animated is a little lacking. Therefore I am hoping someone might be able to answer (any) of the following questions:

1) DM2 works with DBP but does it work with DBC?
2) What animations are included in the sci fi models?
3) Does anyone know of other animated modelling packages that contain at least one sci fi character that has the following actions?

a) idle
b) fire gun (with gun already "at the ready" or option to do so while being able to continue walking/running
c) impact
d) walk
e) run
f) die

I do of course realise I could animate models myself but would rather spend my time developing other aspects of the game than here and hence am prepared to pay a reasonable (not $1000s naturally) amount for any package that can accomplish the above. Naturally I've searched on the net but most models for sale do not come in .x format and even for the ones that do, I am concerned about the missing frame issue with DBC. I have heard that when you export some animations to .x format, sometimes not all of the frames are captured. If anyone has first hand experience with models they have bought previously, that work in DBC, I'd love to hear about it!

Cheers.

Anyone?

Dark Matter 2 won't work with DBC because it uses bones animation, and DBC only supports limb animation.

There are things you could do and use the Dark Matter 2 and 3 models, but that would take some work on your part. One method involves first 'cutting' the model up at joint points to create individual limbs in a 3d modeling program, then linking the limbs in a proper hierarchy. Depending on the 3d modeling program, you could use the animation keys of the original bone rotations to match to the limb transformation keys. This, in theory, would allow you to use any type of model with DBC as long as you prepare the hierarchy properly in the 3d program (and the 3d program can export hierarchical animation in Direct X).

And of course you could change the animation of Dark Matter 1 models using Robert The Robots free lightning limbs animation utility.

Thanks guys. I'm intrigued by the free lightning utility - will check it out. Just two other questions:

1) I presume charactershop wont work with DBC either
2) A number of models (external to TGC) come as .3ds animated objects - provided these are limb animated, will they (or should they in theory) work with DBC?

Correct



Yeah they should.

Thanks BN2!