Hi all
I want to be able to rotate one child entity within an animated, segmented directx file (imported into B3d)
The file uses segmented parts - so no bones used.
However b3d won't add my specified rotation to the part's pre-canned animation, which is a problem. Has anyone come up with a solution to this - or is the only way to be able to directly affect 'pre-canned' animations, to use boned, skinned meshes?
Hope that's not the case.
no, I spoke too soon - I can rotate the part, but the rotational pivot is all wrong.
Sigh.
you need to do all rotations after UpdateWorld , the roational pivot maybe wrong cos of the tool used to export. Milkshape for example messes all the axis up.
you should also use the LOCAL flag with the rotation command (not global). Maybe you need to work with an angle offset at all.
ok - this is what I've discovered.
Firstly, I want to be able to directly manipulate joints to allow the arms of an animated figure to pitch up and down while a precanned animation is playing (e.g. walking/running/crouching). So it can crudely aim a gun. I don't like the fact that to do this you have to rotate the bone/joint after updateworld, but that's the way it is at the moment..
I use Lightwave 6.5. (I also have unwrap3d)
I seem unable to sucessfully export single skin boned animations to blitz from LW (I admit I haven't fully tested out Terralink's new deformconvert, but with a few simple animations there were problems. However, I need to learn more, - about weight maps for one).
I can export jointed, multi mesh animations as directx7 files from LW to blitz. However, on rotating a child mesh within an animated entity (within blitz), the rotational pivot is placed at 0,0 for the animated entity. Adjusting individual part's pivot points in LW has no effect.
I also have Truespace6.5.
I cannot get single skin, boned animations from TS sucessfully through to B3d.
I can sucessfully export multi mesh animations using ik bones. Furthermore, I can set axis centres in TS and these are correctly retained in blitz, meaning I can correctly rotate elements.
So, this is the workflow I'm going to go with (at the moment).
I have to say that so far, the working out of a viable animation pathway to get stuff into blitz without having to go through different formats, programmes, making sure animation is correctly transferred (not to mention UV, texturing etc) has been a real pain in the ass, and has taken a lot of time and frustration. There always seems to be a hook.
Having said the above - I'm just off to try importing a LW DX8 file into CharacterFX. I don't like CharacterFX, but if it allows me to get skinned animations into Blitz...
..and then I see Characterfx exports DX files, but doesn't import.
Have you tried Stickmans' DX8 To B3d. It was originally intended for 3DCanvas users. I use it all the time,it converts everything including skinned boned animations. I'm sure I got my copy from the Blitz website,I've had a quick look but can't seem to find it but it's here somewere.
Hope this helps.
>Carpman
3ds file format does this well. consider using that.