gameSpace lite & .x animation

Hi,

I've recently downloaded Caligari gameSpace lite for modelling and animating my game models - at least that was my plan...

Because it is the lite version it has the restriction of only being able to export to the .x file format.

I've successfully exported and displayed a static model, and as far as I can tell I set up the animation correctly and exported the animated version fine too. But when I use:

LoadAnimMesh("gsl_test.x")

I see nothing. Nothing at all. However:

LoadMesh("gsl_test.x")

Loads the mesh's first frame and texture just fine.


I'm having problems loging in to the caligari forums today, but intend to ask there too incase there's a pecularity with gameSpace that I havent accounted for. I think the mistake must be in my Blitz code though, because I can play the animation in gameSpace and I ticked the 'export animation' and 'loop animation' options when exporting the model.

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks,
M

I've since downloaded mview.exe - microsoft's mesh viewer program - and when I load "gsl_test.x" (my test file) in that it animates correctly. So the problem MUST be in my code!

Here's the code..................

Graphics3D 800,600
SetBuffer BackBuffer()
camera = CreateCamera()

mesh = LoadAnimMesh("gsl_test.x")
PositionEntity mesh,0,0,MeshDepth(mesh)*2
Animate mesh

While Not KeyDown(1)
UpdateWorld
RenderWorld
Flip
Wend

End of code .............................

Check this for more info on .x files

http://www.blitzbasic.com/Community/posts.php?topic=50578&hl=animated%20x

It looks like you can't load an animated .x file without some workarounds...hope that helps

Hmmm...

Thanks for your help trb - at least I'm not pulling my hair out anymore wondering what *I* have done wrong!

Now I'm just wondering what *they* have done wrong...

Anyone know when this issue will be fixed?

I know that $50 for Ultimate Unwrap 3D is mere peanuts to a lot of people, but I just cannot afford it. I already feel screwed because I just spent $15 on the gameSpace light manual and spent too long learning how to produce good quality models to just be told I can't use them!

To quote the Blitz3D help files:
------------------------------------------------------
LoadAnimMesh, similar to LoadMesh, Loads a mesh from an .X, .3DS or .B3D file and returns a mesh handle.

The difference between LoadMesh and LoadAnimMesh is that any hierarchy and animation information present in the file is retained.
------------------------------------------------------

Is it even legal to lie like that?! Grrrr! >:(

Why do I feel the Blitz team will casually disregard this problem - maybe fixing it 18 months down the line or some such?

OK, I've got to stop - I could rant like this for hours!

M

Blitz 3d supports the .x format that where in directX 7.



My work around is to use the ms3d milkshape format for gamespace and then convert it to B3d with Unwrap3D.

Gamespace also have a .b3d exporter, thing is that the obeject you export have to be ONE mesh if you want the anim to export try that and see if it helps.

/Alienforce

You don't seem to have any lights....

It's not a lie, it's not broken and they can't "fix" it. Like AlienForce says, the .x format Blitz uses only supports hierarchical animation. Hierarchical animation loads just fine. If you want to use skeletal, use b3d.

I recommending converting with UU, as Milkshape will throw away lots of important information, making your model a pale shade of what it was supposed to be.

Well, it's not strictly *true* - in a factual sense of the word, and plenty of other apps have been fixed/upgraded/whatever to achieve this effect. Anyway, that's as may be... I really don't want to waste time debating semantics! :)

As I mentioned above, I can't afford to spend more money on this problem at the moment - does anyone know of any free 3D format converters (.X -> .3DS / .B3D) that wont leave my model a pale shade of what it was supposed to be?

Cheers for the advice AlienForce, but I'm using gameSpace light which only saves in the .X format.

And John, your right - I do have no lights, but the ambient light is sufficient for a simple model viewer like this. Thanks all the same! :D

I'm not sure if this helps any...

http://www.blitzbasic.com/toolbox/toolbox.php?tool=64

Converts animated DX8 .x to .b3d, but i'm not sure if gamespace has the right .x file format

It's true the way I'm reading it. You're expecting something which simply isn't possible It's not an unreasonable expectation if you don't know that it's not possible, but either way, it does do everything it says.



Only if they've been compiled against an updated version of the DirectX SDK. Blitz3d won't be getting that kind of update, so I'm just making sure you're aware that it can't be fixed in one way and won't be fixed in the other.



It'll have to be .x because the .3ds format doesn't support skeletal animation at all. And when I say at all, I mean at all. No one could upgrade/update/fix/whatever to make 3ds support bones. I don't know of anything other than UU and the convertor that trb mentioned above. The convertor trb mentioned has never worked with any of the .x files I have, but .x is a very "fluid" format. Every app seems to have it's own method of producing .x files. You could be lucky with GameSpace.

.3DS format should be illegal to to use (with death penalty) these days... it's old and crappy, having vertex, bone and texture layer limits (even texture filenames are limited to 8+3!). DO NOT USE IT!

Yeah, would be nice to have DX8 .X and DXTC, but Blitz3D won't apparently get any additional features... bugfixes if we're lucky, but IMO that's it. Mark hasn't even bothered to comment what's to come - if nothing - and that tells a lot?