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DarkBASIC Professional Discussion / DB and X format questions

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Maggott
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Posted: 23rd Sep 2003 10:33
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(Reposted on the DBPro forum at the suggestion of another user. Don't kill me.)

I've been working in 3D modelling as a career and 2D game programming as a hobby for quite a while now. As such, the step into programming 3D games seems obvious. However, I use Maya, and most engines don't have Maya format support. I know almost nothing about the X format, and as such, I have a lot of questions. I figued I'd save some time by asking you guys.

1. How does X store it's animation information? Is it vertex keyframing, or does it retain skeletal/character information, or does it just bake vertex positions into every frame, or what?

2. Is there a tool for converting from Maya .mb to .X that retains animation information, and if so, is there any specific way I need to make the animation in Maya? (i.e. avoid using character or clip animation, etc.)

3. Do X and Darkbasic support interpolated or offset animations? (For internal clip-style animation, morph targeting etc.)

4. Are textures stored in the X file or externally?

5. Can textures be replaced at runtime using a graphic file or other graphic resource? (Assuming the file uses the same size, format and UV coordinates)
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richardneail
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Joined: 26th Aug 2002
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Posted: 23rd Sep 2003 11:54
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Hi,

I can answer a few of your questions.

1. Dont know about this.

2. Yes there is go here, http://www.righthemisphere.com/products/dexp/index.htm, you can get a 30 day download and will convert to and from most things, I use it for converting Lightwave files to x files.

3. DarkBASIC doesnt support morph targeting but DarkBASIC PRO does support mesh animation.

4. Textures are stored externally.

5. Yes textures can be replaced.

Rich

You might never win but if you give in will you ever know ??????
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Dr OcCuLt
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Location: a Dark Deep Dark pit, it dark in here
Posted: 23rd Sep 2003 16:09 Edited at: 23rd Sep 2003 16:09
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1. it can ues bones or limbs.

2. yes you can find a convert your best looking on the maya web site becos thay now the best convert to ues on .mb files

5. yes you can but if you ues DB and the you have more then one textures you will lose then all.

--Dr 0--
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Maggott
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Posted: 23rd Sep 2003 22:28
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Thanks for your answers, guys. It's especially good to know that I need to use one texture for the whole model if I plan to replace them--that's the kind of thing I wouldn't want do discover after the fact.

Pertaining to #3, how does Darkbasic's mesh animation work? (I would be using the pro version)
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Dr OcCuLt
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Posted: 23rd Sep 2003 22:47
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sorry what do you meen "how does Darkbasic's mesh animation work?".

do you meen how to you play a mesh animation in DBpro. that easy you ues the PLAY OBJECT and LOOP OBJECT commands.

or do you meen how do`s .X file store animation date. i do`t now how that works.

--Dr 0--
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Maggott
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Posted: 24th Sep 2003 01:10
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Well, basically, I'm not sure what is meant by "mesh animation". I haven't heard that term, so I'm not sure what it refers to--all forms of animation alter the mesh. There are many different ways to animate vertexes, and you wouldn't use any of them the same way.

Basically, my question should be "what is mesh animation?" Is it similar to morph targeting, or baked vertex animation, or is it just moving vertexes around manually? Or is it something else entirely?
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mimesis
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Joined: 26th Aug 2002
Location: Norway
Posted: 24th Sep 2003 20:07 Edited at: 24th Sep 2003 20:33
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I wish they will include Bones support in a future patch. I really
miss that feature.

Right now it's tricky cos all of the animations have to be packed
in with the x model file, which means you end up with huge memory
eating models, even from very lo poly ones.

Proper MDL support would be nice also, these half-life models have
hundred of animations + texture + mesh , all packed into one easy to
use file, which normally don't exceed 500Kb.
Yeah, sure MDL do load, but it plays the very first animation
sequence only! hence still useless MDL support.

The best option for the users would be if the dbp team developed
they're own plugins for the most used modelling-packages like 3Dmax,
Lightwave and Maya.

Maybe such a plugin could export directly to this dbo format I keep
hearing so much about. dbo does not help me right now.
Hopefully this should help sorting out the confusion related to
exporting dbp compatible models and should also generate models with
smaller filesize, better animation output and better texture export
like multiple UVMaps.

We will just have to sit back and wait. Who knows what the tide
may bring...

Me, You, DBP and everything else, were made in the same place. The Stars!
I wonder what kind of matter DBP bugs are made of ... antimatter ??
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