Entity is not a model

I was wondering if someone could help me. I am trying to Texture a child of a model that I have created in milkshape. I use the findchild command to assign the child to a global variable, I then try to texture the child with the entityTexture command but I get the error "Entity is not a Model". I can rotate the child using RotateEntity without any problems. I have tried other models, Trying to color the children, or Set them to a different alpha, but I get the same message. I use the command LoadAnimMesh, and a search of the Hierachy lists all children. Can I only use certain commands on children or am I Doing something wrong? Any Help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advange Hogona.

Try

Print EntityClass$(handle)

Could be a bone.

jfk

Thank you.
It actually comes up as a pivot.

Does anyone have any Idea, how to create a hierarchial model, in Milkshape, so that certain parts can be accessed.

e.g A Hand or a foot, or in my case something like a screen on a monitor,and even some buttons, That can be manipulated with EntityColor,EntityTexture,or EntityAlpha.

i belive to do that you'd need to export as a directx7 file, which would force MS to use the old "limb-based" format instead of bones.

to do that, you need the following:

1) each group is separate from all other groups (no shared vertices/triangles)
2) each bone is attached to one group and one group only, and all vertices in that group.

then use the file>export>directx(JT). in the dropdown at the bottom left, select "directx (retained mode)." that should force it to export the bone/group combinations as limbs. :)

now which name each group will then use, is beyond me.. probably the bone's name, but i'm not too sure.

I don't use Milkshape oftenly, but can't you simply NOT collapse things to one single mesh? Or is everything handled as a single mesh anyway? In CharacterFX you can use both, Bones or Child-Meshes.

DrakeX

Thank you, that is exactly what I had to do. Each group uses the joint names.

jfk

As far as I Know, everything is handled as a single mesh, when you export in B3D format.


Thank you both so much for your help, this will allow my program to go ahead in leaps and bounds.

yay :) have fun with it.