Merging 3ds or .x files into animation

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JuLieN

18

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Joined: 5th Nov 2006

Location: Nantes, France

Posted: 9th Nov 2006 15:47

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Hello happy 3Ders

I've tried since a whole week to export a 3ds animation from 3D Studio Max so I can use it in DBPro. But I just can get a not moving object. Actually, further investigations shown that 3DSMax's export to 3ds or .x files (using Panda's plugin) result in a file with just one frame of the animation. The reason why it of course doesn't move.

So I decided to export each frame in a separate .3ds file. I did it too for another .x set. So I now have my 12 frames animation saved as two collections of 12 files naming from 0 to 11 : one saved as .3ds files and one as .x files.

(Sorry if what I wrote seams to be redundant, but I want to be sure that everyone will get my point.)

1) So my question is : is there a way, either with 3DSMax or any other tool, to save all those files back into a single .3ds or .x files that could then be used as an animated object with DBPro?

2) And, 1000 points question : is there a way to export such an animation directly from 3DS Max into a WORKING 3ds or x file?

I've read dozens of threads about this 2nd question here on DB forum, an on other forums too, and noone seemed to have found an answer to it.

Thanks all for reading, and I hope someone have a suggestion.

Cheers.

Why do those who are wrong always desagree with me?

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flibX0r

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Joined: 14th Feb 2003

Location: Western Australia

Posted: 13th Nov 2006 03:53 Edited at: 13th Nov 2006 03:55

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These are the settings that work for me from 3DS Max to DGSDK using the Panda X Exporter:

Big whorls have little whorls which feed on their velocity,
Little whorls have lesser whorls and so on to viscosity. - Lewis F. Richardson

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The crazy

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Joined: 20th Jan 2005

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Posted: 13th Nov 2006 04:10 Edited at: 13th Nov 2006 04:11

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Dang. 12 separate files? I'd be scared to death

I have no idea how to put those back together. Sounds like it'd be easier just to re-animate it... And if you cant animate, and worse comes to worse, you could place the different models one at a time in 3ds max and then for each frame reorient the joints on a single model according to the shape of the reference. Maybe there's a way in 3ds max but I dont use it so I wouldn't know...

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JuLieN

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Joined: 5th Nov 2006

Location: Nantes, France

Posted: 13th Nov 2006 13:23

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@flibX0r :
Thanks for your help

Anyhow, it still doesn't work correctly.
Using your settings seems to do slightly better as I get a 12-frames "animationkey" set. But they're all identical and thus the villager doesn't walk.

Here's the paste section :

AnimationKey {
4;
12;
0;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
1;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
2;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
3;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
4;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
5;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
6;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
7;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
8;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
9;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
10;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
11;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;;
}

+ Code Snippet

AnimationKey {
4;
12;
0;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
1;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
2;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
3;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
4;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
5;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
6;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
7;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
8;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
9;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
10;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;,
11;16;1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000;;;
}

Maybe do I something wrong with 3ds Max? I'm quite unexperienced...

I found that I can export the animation in md2 and get it playing under DBPro, but it's textureless (the model is all white).

I've sent you the copyrighted material to your email. For other people who would want to try too, this material I can't post here is the north walking male villager from the Age of Mythology game that I exported following this link :
http://aom.heavengames.com/scendesign/modding/modelunitguide

@thecrazy :
Hehe.. since two weeks, I've dug in the x file format and thought about coding my own exporter. Anyway it seems that my exported 3ds model lacks bones and so I would have to write functions thatwould calculate the bones from the skin... *ouch*, I don't feel I have the skill to do that right now nor have I the patience

Thanks all for your help!

Why do those who are wrong always desagree with me?

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Redmotion

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Joined: 16th Jan 2003

Location: Mmm mmm.. Marmite

Posted: 19th Nov 2006 10:44

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@ Julien - In answer to question 1, I know Softimage XSI v5 exports animation into 1 nice neat direct x file. I've attached an x file I exported from XSI yesterday. (The running is set between frames 1-22, set frame speed to 10 if you want to test it in DBPro)

Secondly, exporting animation is about knowing what the limits and requirements of the format you are exporting to. I think there is info at MSDN on the direct x format.

To export animated characters you need to export the scaling, rotation and transform information. (Under animation change Key options from Matrix to Scale, transform, rotate)

You may also need to limit the number of deformers to bones only because X files cannot cope with complex rigs with foot-roll and muscle constraints.

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3 Dimensional Chat / Merging 3ds or .x files into animation

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