Besides 3ds max, any tool to modify animated .3ds?

Hi all,

Besides 3ds max, any affordable tools to modify animated .3ds file?
BTW, Milkshape3d could only import animated .3ds file as static model
anim8or could not reconize animated .3ds file.

Thanks in advance
Sammy
:)

AnimB3D in the Toolbox section can edit b3d files, for free.

You may try to use UltimateUnwrap3D to convert animated 3ds to b3d, then use AnimB3D, but I don't know if this works. When using the trial version of UU3D you may be able to find out.

Then there is blender that has a 3ds import/export plugin. I don't know if it supports animation though.

Blender is open source/for free and a complex professional freeware. You should think twice before you decide to learn it, it's pretty complicated and not the most userfriendly tool in the world.
http://www.blender.org/cms/Import___Export.5.0.html
(The link to the plugin is down right now, but it seems the current blender distribution comes bundled with it).

BTW if you only want to edit the textures then you don't need a 3d tool, but you can use a painting app to edit them and leave the .3ds files untouched.

I think you have to see a very balanced solution: LightRay3D. It is cheap, and has a very good biped animation system, it imports/exports B3D files (there is a small bug when exporting but it can be fixed very easy with UU3D), http://www.sxcreations.com/lr3d/lightray3d.php

Thank you for your recommendation.
From milkshape3d forum, Rex explained the reason why
animated .3ds could not be opened in ms3d...
"The 3DS format has not a bone/joint/Node to be had, it's all vertex animation...which would esplain why nothing happened when you entered Animation Mode."

Sammy
:)

Well actually it isn't vertex animation. It is object animation.

But yea, since you are new to 3D graphics, stick with something cheap and basic until you outgrow it or want todo this side of game design more seriously.

I, like alot of other people here, use XSI:Foundation and Silo3D to model with (XSI is fully capable modeler, I just prefer Silo)

That's all pretty expensive. As far as I see Sammy already spent a lot of money and he's tired of buying this and that.

If you don't need to import animations then you may decide to use the free AnimB3D, as Andrea suggested, or the cheap PaceMaker or CharacterFX.

You really should ask yourself if importing 3ds animations is that important for you. Because if you can edit 3ds animationes in a useful way, then you will also have the skills to create your own animations from scratch.