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3 Dimensional Chat / Model, File Formats, and Animation...

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ThinkDigital
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Posted: 26th Feb 2007 08:24 Edited at: 26th Feb 2007 08:27
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I am a newcomer to modelling and animating, basically self-taught. I use DBPro and prefer to use the DBO format for my models. I have some questions I haven't been able to find answers to, and I'm hoping you experienced people can help.

I have a model of a boy (it's attached, should you need to see the issues I'm about to talk about) that I made in Wings3D. I then planned to import it into Blender for animation / touchup. Well, firstly, here is one problem: when editing in Wings, rotating an object [limb] is simple - the object rotates around it's center. But when it's imported into Blender, all limbs rotate around a central point - the center of the object is the same for all objects. When you're trying to do basic keyframe, limb-based animation, that makes things very inconvenient. I've tried a number of file formats, all do the same thing, so it's apparently how Wings exports the object.

So my first question is, is there any way to either:
- Make Wings export so that the center of each limb is in the middle of that limb, instead of at 0,0,0?

- Or, is it possible to make Blender automatically move the point to the center of the limb after it has been imported?

My second question: is there any way to get Blender to make one limb the parent of another in such a way that rotating the parent affects the angle of the child?

My third question: Should I be using limb based animation, or can you tell me how to set up "boned" animation (if you think that would work better)

I know that was a long read, sorry

Thanks,
TD

"Variables won't, constants aren't."

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ThinkDigital
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Posted: 11th Mar 2007 21:34
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Anyone?

"Variables won't, constants aren't."
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BenDstraw
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Posted: 11th Mar 2007 21:48
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maybe if you posted a more universal file format. like .obj then i might be able to help.

BenD

God modelled man in his own reference image.
comment my art at: http://www.bendstraw.deviantart.com
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GatorHex
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Posted: 13th Mar 2007 12:00
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Ditch Wings+Blender and use Milkshape

http://www.KumKie.com http://bulldog.servegame.com
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Sureal Chris
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Posted: 13th Mar 2007 14:00
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Here it is in .obj format. Here's a tip though. Don't use the smooth comand unless you are certain that the result is what you're after.

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BenDstraw
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Posted: 14th Mar 2007 00:28
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also. most characters would be one solid objects, save eyes shoes and maybe clothing.

but your pivot problem could be because of wings because it did the same in my program. but your going to have to align the pivots manually. in the seperate program(blender) then export to dbo.

God modelled man in his own reference image.
comment my art at: http://www.bendstraw.deviantart.com
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DB newbie
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Posted: 14th Mar 2007 05:53 Edited at: 14th Mar 2007 05:53
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hmmmm well i wish i coudld help you with this but i cant... im sorry. you should try using something other than wings 3D it seems to be difficult to make high quality models with it. it would be a good idea to start with wings then go up to anim8r...anim8r is a great modeling tool and once you become very advanced go to blender you can do great things with blender. but you should start using anim8r. it can make awsome models it can texture and even animate.. hope this helps you a little...being a newcomer to modeling and all.


Come see the WIP!

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Kieran
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Posted: 14th Mar 2007 07:20
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i hate to tell you GatorHex but thats a bad idea, blender is probably alot more powerful than milkshape. for example, you can animate, use sculpt mode, you can texture, you can do millions of things damnit!

i have made a few successful models and if you say blender isn't any good then i want to see your face when you see some blender models


RPG Engine Work in progress!
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Venge
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Posted: 14th Mar 2007 13:38
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Quote: "i want to see your face when you see some blender models"


...
everyone's seen blender models

Soon to come: Corvette vs. the ???
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DB newbie
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Posted: 14th Mar 2007 16:58
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Quote: "i hate to tell you GatorHex but thats a bad idea, blender is probably alot more powerful than milkshape. for example, you can animate, use sculpt mode, you can texture, you can do millions of things damnit! "


agreed if you think that milkshape is more powerful than blender forget about it.


Come see the WIP!

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Shadow Coderer
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Posted: 14th Mar 2007 18:26
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can we get some screenies of this? I don't feel like downloading it without a preview of it first!

"If I die, tell my wife 'hello'"
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incense
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Posted: 17th Apr 2007 22:04
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Blender is more powerful than milkshape. Milkshape is much easier to learn and use. I have used both. I use 3DS max now. Even the users in the blender forum that have used both will tell you that milkshape is easier. Its a matter of what you want to do and how confused you can stand to be during the learning proccess. Milkshape can be learned in a few hours. Blender might take a day or 2 depending on how fast you learn. there are some that learn faster than others. Doesnt mean they are smarter, just faster. I say experiment and find what works best for you. There are alot of choices out there. Some are free and some cost an arm and a leg. If you have very little money then Blender is a good choice. Just give yourself plenty of time to learn it and use the blender forum and tuts that are on the blender.org site.

Good luck.

The person that now knows the most started with many questions. Patients and tolorance are the keys to the passage of knowledge. FPSC is Getting better. Now if we can just keep the ball rolling.
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Shadow Coderer
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Posted: 17th Apr 2007 22:25
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Quote: "Blender is more powerful than milkshape. Milkshape is much easier to learn and use. I have used both. I use 3DS max now. Even the users in the blender forum that have used both will tell you that milkshape is easier. Its a matter of what you want to do and how confused you can stand to be during the learning proccess. Milkshape can be learned in a few hours. Blender might take a day or 2 depending on how fast you learn. there are some that learn faster than others. Doesnt mean they are smarter, just faster. I say experiment and find what works best for you. There are alot of choices out there. Some are free and some cost an arm and a leg. If you have very little money then Blender is a good choice. Just give yourself plenty of time to learn it and use the blender forum and tuts that are on the blender.org site.

Good luck."

What? Did you read his first post? He wasnt asking for advice on which modeller to use!

@incense: Having re-read your post, I have realised the fatal flaw in what you are doing. Limb-based animation is...pointless, useless and you really shouldn't be doing it. DBPro can support boned animation, so use it, curses! It has many many advantages over limb based animation and no noteable (if any) disadvantages. I can't even be bothered to list them here, but by all means, look on this very website(in the darkbasic pro tour thing) and it mentions some of the more relevant ones. So, convert to rigging your models and animating them that way, and you wont come across the problem that you are describing here. And the blender noob to pro series will doubtlessly detail rigging and bone animations, so use them.

"Psst! Brian! There's a message in my alphabet soup. It says, 'oooooooooo!'"
"Peter, those are Cheerios."
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hessiess
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Posted: 18th Apr 2007 11:25
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pot the 3d cursor where you want the object to rotate and press the centor corsor button. you should do mesh anamations, limbs are old and extremy unrealistic. wen you rig parent the amature to the mesh insted of using a modifire, outherwise it wont export. all the tuts tell you how to rig using modifires, so there usless unless you know a resable amount about how the animation system works.

its well worth the time taken to learn it.
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