i'm going to start remaking all the models i had made for zoric a year ago but lost in a hard drive crash, but this time alot will be animated. so i have some questions.
25 step animation is the max right?
do the animation steps still have to be whole models?
if the above two questions are yes, is it possible to add more to this limit? (i wanna make a nice animated seaport that has a boat with a crane loading/unloading it)
or can they be like vehicle models with attached 'wheel' models?
also, what are all the building effects #'s now?
building animation and effects questions
> 25 step animation is the max right?
Er, not quite sure what you mean. You talking about keyframes? As far as I know there isn't a limit (or if there is, it's prolly 64 or 128 or something huge).
> do the animation steps still have to be whole models?
Still not sure what you mean :) Each frame of an animation must be the same model as the other frames, in terms of the number of vertices and the vertex order. In other words, using ur modelling prog, you start with a single model of a crane (for instance); save out the start position; then save out the other positions as the crane arm swings around; and combine them all in the converter to produce the anim. You can't have frame 1 as model A and frame 2 as model B (the converter will chuck up an error message if so).
> or can they be like vehicle models with attached 'wheel' models?
Yup. You can use wheels and turrets on building models. Rotational effects, like spinning signs and so on, are best done using wheels (or the plane or helicopter modes). Of course, anything attached as a wheel will rotate round and round and round, ad infinitum: if you want your crane to swing left, then right, then start again (for instance) - you'll have to do it with keyframe anims.
> also, what are all the building effects #'s now?
D/l the latest converter - it has a help manual that explains effects. Not brilliantly, cos I suspect even mit doesn't know exactly wot they do. But it's a start...
f
Er, not quite sure what you mean. You talking about keyframes? As far as I know there isn't a limit (or if there is, it's prolly 64 or 128 or something huge).
> do the animation steps still have to be whole models?
Still not sure what you mean :) Each frame of an animation must be the same model as the other frames, in terms of the number of vertices and the vertex order. In other words, using ur modelling prog, you start with a single model of a crane (for instance); save out the start position; then save out the other positions as the crane arm swings around; and combine them all in the converter to produce the anim. You can't have frame 1 as model A and frame 2 as model B (the converter will chuck up an error message if so).
> or can they be like vehicle models with attached 'wheel' models?
Yup. You can use wheels and turrets on building models. Rotational effects, like spinning signs and so on, are best done using wheels (or the plane or helicopter modes). Of course, anything attached as a wheel will rotate round and round and round, ad infinitum: if you want your crane to swing left, then right, then start again (for instance) - you'll have to do it with keyframe anims.
> also, what are all the building effects #'s now?
D/l the latest converter - it has a help manual that explains effects. Not brilliantly, cos I suspect even mit doesn't know exactly wot they do. But it's a start...
f
Should be good. You can achieve some nice effects using the converter, tho it can be a pain in the ass to sort it all out.
The main thing to understand is that the game uses vertex animation with linear blending to achieve the animation effects. This means rotation animations using keyframes tend to look odd unless you use a large number of separate frames (which dramatically increases the filesize, of course).
I remember Dilli's rotating radar, which used 32 frames of animation just to make the dish thing go round and round... at the time it was the only way of doing it, but it was verrrry inefficient.
Anyway, the basic rule is: rotations should be done with wheels wherever possible. If not possible, then generally, the more complex the model you're rotating is, the fewer frames you'll need to make it look good. One of the few instances where higher poly is a requisite :)
For simple transforms - like an object moving in a straight line in the animation - you can do it with just one or two frames, cos the linear blend (as its name suggests) is perfect for straight line type animations. It all just needs playing about with.
f
The main thing to understand is that the game uses vertex animation with linear blending to achieve the animation effects. This means rotation animations using keyframes tend to look odd unless you use a large number of separate frames (which dramatically increases the filesize, of course).
I remember Dilli's rotating radar, which used 32 frames of animation just to make the dish thing go round and round... at the time it was the only way of doing it, but it was verrrry inefficient.
Anyway, the basic rule is: rotations should be done with wheels wherever possible. If not possible, then generally, the more complex the model you're rotating is, the fewer frames you'll need to make it look good. One of the few instances where higher poly is a requisite :)
For simple transforms - like an object moving in a straight line in the animation - you can do it with just one or two frames, cos the linear blend (as its name suggests) is perfect for straight line type animations. It all just needs playing about with.
f
oo, more good info. thanks again.
yea, it would be quite large probably
freightship floats into the port, crane unloads 10 or so containers and stacks them onto the dock, boat floats away.
then the opposite for an exports port
i'm assuming the animation speed is a global speed setting. not a frame by frame setting.
so the thing would probably have to be alot of frames.
yea, it would be quite large probably
freightship floats into the port, crane unloads 10 or so containers and stacks them onto the dock, boat floats away.
then the opposite for an exports port
i'm assuming the animation speed is a global speed setting. not a frame by frame setting.
so the thing would probably have to be alot of frames.
Heh, well this is the one thing I know something about :)
That's going to be a real pain to get right. But prolly worth trying.
> i'm assuming the animation speed is a global speed setting. not a frame by frame setting.
Hmm. Yes and no. Yes, there's just one animation speed at the moment, in the sense that you can't have an anim and then tell a model to play it at different speeds depending on what's going on. At the same time, though, you have total control over the speed each animation type plays at, using the keyframe times for each frame - so yeh, it's a frame by frame thing. There's a bit more on this in the model converter manual.
Taking your planned model as an example, I'd prolly do it something like this:
Frame 1: dock model with boat out at sea
Frame 2: dock model with boat in dock
If you set a long keyframe time for these frames it'll take a good while for the ship to dock.
Frame3: crane at starting position, boat docked
Frame 4: crane begins rotating towards boat
Frame 5, 6, 7, 8 (for instance): crane rotates to "pick up cargo" position (prolly need at least 8 or 12 frames to make it looks smooth, but for argument's sake, I'll leave it at that)
Frame 9:crane at start position for descent to pick up cargo
Frame 10: crane at finish position to pick up cargo
(again, this can be done with just a couple of frames and a long blend time (keyframe time)
Frame 11: crane has picked up cargo and is back at its top position - like frame 9 but holding the crate, kinda thing. Again, this can be a longish anim using just a frame with a long keyframe time.
Frames 12-16 (for instance) - crane plus cargo moves back to start position
Frame 17 - crane in position ready to deposit cargo
Frame 18 - crane has lowered cargo to floor
(once more... it's a linear movement so just 2 frames usually required)
Frame 19 - crane moves back to start position
repeat...
etc :)
f
That's going to be a real pain to get right. But prolly worth trying.
> i'm assuming the animation speed is a global speed setting. not a frame by frame setting.
Hmm. Yes and no. Yes, there's just one animation speed at the moment, in the sense that you can't have an anim and then tell a model to play it at different speeds depending on what's going on. At the same time, though, you have total control over the speed each animation type plays at, using the keyframe times for each frame - so yeh, it's a frame by frame thing. There's a bit more on this in the model converter manual.
Taking your planned model as an example, I'd prolly do it something like this:
Frame 1: dock model with boat out at sea
Frame 2: dock model with boat in dock
If you set a long keyframe time for these frames it'll take a good while for the ship to dock.
Frame3: crane at starting position, boat docked
Frame 4: crane begins rotating towards boat
Frame 5, 6, 7, 8 (for instance): crane rotates to "pick up cargo" position (prolly need at least 8 or 12 frames to make it looks smooth, but for argument's sake, I'll leave it at that)
Frame 9:crane at start position for descent to pick up cargo
Frame 10: crane at finish position to pick up cargo
(again, this can be done with just a couple of frames and a long blend time (keyframe time)
Frame 11: crane has picked up cargo and is back at its top position - like frame 9 but holding the crate, kinda thing. Again, this can be a longish anim using just a frame with a long keyframe time.
Frames 12-16 (for instance) - crane plus cargo moves back to start position
Frame 17 - crane in position ready to deposit cargo
Frame 18 - crane has lowered cargo to floor
(once more... it's a linear movement so just 2 frames usually required)
Frame 19 - crane moves back to start position
repeat...
etc :)
f