Some model Import questions ..

[justanother1]

Hi, Im a noob to Sandbox, but not to 3d modeling, and for the last year or so I've been playing with some of the other free game engines. I did notice your request for content (models, etc) and would like to help, but searching through your forum to try and answer some questions just brought more confusion and questions. So here I am asking the same questions everyone else already has.
Character Models
[*] Is there a list of actions that all characters need to have ?
[*]Do these actions need to be separate files ?
[*]Do they need to be named correctly
[*]Is the Md2 format still Ok ?
All Models Questions
[*]What do I do to apply Normal Maps.
[*]Can we use Vertex Animations or Morphs ?(tweening to a morphed second file)
I've been playing with animation for a few months, and I found a few older programs, CharacterFX, Pacemaker, and Fragmotion. To do what I'm thinking you need all three. CharacterFX is the easiest for rigging and animating, but it only exports .b3d and .x and MD2 . Pacemaker has a nice Physix engine for making kill shots and things falling but does not export MD2. Fragmotion is Not Free, but cheap, and can import files from both and export them. I don't like working in Fragmotion, the interface is confusing and weird, but It provides options like stacking the single animations I get out of CharacterFX. These programs are much easier to animate in. Blender Is a very good program. I use it for Retopology and model tweeking, and I like that I can load all my textures, normal maps, etc. and add lighting and See what my model will look like. But I've had problems rigging and animating in Blender. Also I'm not stuck on the MD2 format, I don't even like it ... it seems to mess up UV's. I'm just looking into another alternative to Blender.

[BlackGulf]

sorry im no modeler, but welcome to sandbox forums

[chocolatepie33]

1. I don't think that all animations are needed (although some basic ones will be required), look at an md3.cfg.
2. I don't think so, depends on file format. For md5, yes, otherwise, no.
3. Of course, if not, then they wouldn't work.
4. I'd like to say so, I think Hirato prefers using .iqm for animated models, but I really don't know for sure.

---

1. Not 100% sure, for md5 the code would be like this (and this is from the rc md5.cfg):

Code: Select all

md5load "rc.md5mesh"
exec "packages/models/rc/ragdoll.cfg"

// torso skins
md5skin torso torso.jpg torso_mask.jpg 1 .1
md5bumpmap torso torso_norm.jpg torso.jpg

2. I have never heard of a morph, but I think md2 is a vertex animation format...

If you look around, there's a list of good modeling programs either on the forums or the wiki.

Supported formats:

md2, md3, md5, obj, smd, iqm.

[justanother1]

Thank you for the quick reply. I've been Googling all night for solution with no result. It seem blitz3d and Cube were not friendly and have both been replaced with up to date formats. And the Blender community is moving forward not back and their probably wont be a solution.
Morphs are when individual verticies are moved rather than parenting to a bone. In your folder you would have the original model and a morphed one, and a script or button action could be then used to morph the first to the second over a few frames. In the 3DRad forums we did some lip-sync experiments with this and a 2d animation software called Papagayo to some great success. I guess I'll have to look into why my UV's are getting ruined in MD2 format, thanks.

[BlackGulf]

check your pm box