Model Import

[owenisred]

I have read the tutorials for importing models that are .md3 files, that are not animated. Can you animate a md3? How?

[owenisred]

I should elaborate.

I see in the md3.cfg files things like

md3anim "idle|sink|mapmodel" 0 40
//md3anim "idle attack" 46 8
md3anim "forward|backward|left|right|swim" 40 6
md3anim "punch|shoot" 40 6
md3anim jump 67 6
//md3anim "jump attack" 67 6
md3anim pain 54 4
md3anim dying 73 8
md3anim dead 81 1

surely you need to make an animation for each of these? Jump, pain, dying, dead etc.?
If so, what filetype is the animation? Where is it located?

Thanks,
Owen.

[daniel_san]

Yes you need separate animations for each action.(idle, pain, dying ect.)
For md3 models, all the animations are actually stored in the .md3 file itself.
-.md3 animations are vertex based, while .md5 are skeletal based.
For md5s you actually have a separate .md5anim file for each action, and an .md5mesh for the mesh itself.
Hope this clarifies a little.

-daniel_san

[owenisred]

It does. Lots. Thanks I didn't realise that an .md3 file could contain more than one animation. Although I'm confused still. Say I was using blender, How do I save each animation into the .md3 and how do I name them for the md3.cfg file to recognise them as the dying animation etc.

Thanks tonnes,
Owen.

[daniel_san]

Just squeeze all your animations/actions into 100 or so keyframes, one after another.
When you export make sure you're on the last frame of your animation/s.
For writing your md3 config refer to cube2s documentation found in the link below.
http://sauerbraten.org/docs/models.html#md3_format

take care
daniel_san

[owenisred]

Ahhhh!!! I get it now! Thank you that all makes perfect sense, I for some reason thought I had to make a separate md3 for every animation, I own poser pro and I'm trying to get poser animations going in this game, (however the polygon count is massive - something im working on) I wonder should I just switch to blender permanently....

Anyway thanks again for the help,
All Problems solved!

Owen.

[chocolatepie33]

Hey Dan, you should make a tutorial for making character models in animated MD3s. (Please! I've been looking for weeks now!)

[owenisred]

ill make one soon if you want?

[InHumanUnit]

Can you make me one?

[owenisred]

A model or a tutorial? A tutorial? Yes, soon.

A model? maybe... depends how many animations you want and how complex it is