New animation

hurry!! I WANNA SEE! ;D

let me guess ::) you copied the nodes from the crusader and put them into the defender, easy enough to do, but still leaves you with finding a trigger to use it properly rather than replacing the baydoor animation.

;D Did the same thing back in February with the rheinland battleships baydoor animation, I transfered it to a custom base I was working on, I’d already worked out the coordinates for the “origin” in the “rev” data, it just took a lot of trial & error to get the orientation & Rotation Matrix lined up properly.

@Bejaymac:

…

PS that’s v4 of UTF_Edit, I think it’s still classed as a beta, meaning I doubt if it’s publicly available for general use yet, :-[ sorry for teasing everyone with it

Any idea when that sucker might be available? Looks like it could really be put to good use.

MK

hi, im sure some remember me…

i had planned writing a full tutorial on this, since ive also worked it out a couple of months ago.
unfortunately the “demo object” (a huge custom base) is still being worked on. (paintjob)
first you need utf_edit v1.3, the one i have. (or higher obviously)
it lets you edit the fix/rev components position/rotation etc.
cause in milkshape the pivot will be the origin, so move components there, and edit the offset later.
second, you can use the utf2xml tool to add/remove fix/rev/pris nodes, move multiple hardpoints to other groups, clone component/animation nodes, etc

Animation
± Script
± Sc_example_0 <- name of animation
± Joint map 0 <- a joint for each rev component
± Channel
± Frames <- frames of animation
± Header <- type of animation
± Child name <- name of rev component
± Parent name <- name of parent (ex. root)
± Joint map 1
± Ch…
± Fr…
± He…
± Ch…
± Pa…
± Sc_example_1
± Joint map 0
± Ch…
± Fr…
± He…
± Ch…
± Pa…

so far i know of 2 animation types…

movement (ex. station_large) <- havent experimented with this yet.

header:
0.000000
1.000000
0.000000

frames:
0.000000 <- guessing frame/position
11.813642
23.627285
35.440926

rotation (ex. station_small)

header:
0.000000
-1.000000
0.000000

frames:
0.000000 <- frame
0.000000 <- rad
40.000000 <- frame
3.137226 <- rad
40.166668 <- frame
-3.132870 <- rad
80.000000 <- frame
-0.008720 <- rad

change the frame values to modify the speed of animation,
edit rad to change speed/rotation/direction. (direction can also be changed by editing the components orientation)

and here are 2 screenshots, dont have game recording tool installed atm.
the base is made of more than 80 components, had to do this to get a working sur with the sur splicer.
proves that you can have many component and animation nodes btw.
the radar on top and the ring section with its turrets are revolute, spinning.
the baydoors are working like on vanilla bases, except i let them open to the outside.
dock animation can be set in solararch.ini, the other have to be put in select_equip.ini and attached via loadout.ini

base showing its firepower:

docking granted:

I do remember your name.
Welcome to the Startport RimShot!

I can’t seem to find utf2xml… I remember I’ve seen it somewhere not too long ago, but I forgot… Any help?

Hi RimShot long time no see ;), welcome to the Startport

@ BBalazs, your looking for the XML Project by SIr Lancelot, you’ll find it in the downloads under ‘F’.

Thanks, got it. Silly me, was looking for utf2xml all the way.
I managed to get a fully working baydoor animation, on a completely custom capital ship. Naturally, this needed the CMP to be exported in such a way.
With the animation in the CMP done, there is only one question left - making a sur file that adjusts accordingly - so that if the baydoor is open, fighters can fly inside, and when it is closed, they can’t.

This might fit into another topic, but… oh well. Do any of you know what is needed in the sur so that the baydoor will be accepted? I assume that needs a multi-component sur, where the baydoor is sur component #2 (or index 1) just like in the CMP, but this leaves me with the dilemma of constructing the rest of the sur - there is a ship, with a big hole (hangar) on the inside - thus it is pretty much impossible to make the first sur component convex. I guess the solution would be to have sur component #1 a convex part of Root, component #2 being the bay, component #3 being another convex part of the root, #4 being another convex part of the root - or what I am speaking is simply terrible nonsense. Please correct me - oh and while you are at it, call ms3d groups ‘groups’ and sur groups ‘components’ because I tend to mix them up when reading others’ notes. Thanks loads for all your help!
I might just post a video if everything works out nicely.

WAAAA rimshot long time no see

Here’s what I managed to get to work. Not the best footage, but I think you can see the hangar door opening and closing.

http://www.youtube.com/v/YIxWWLkzoQA

@Worfeh, Bejaymac, cheese on toast: thanks guys, hows the modding?

@BBalazs: ill be back in couple of hours, gtg now…

Evenin Rimshot - nice to see you’re still alive and kicking (or modding)

hi Chips

@BBalazs:

Do any of you know what is needed in the sur so that the baydoor will be accepted?

yes it needs a multi-component sur, the rev component and sur component are linked by name.
best results i got with the sur splicer, i suggest you have a look at it.

example:
ISD.sur
ISD_cons_fix.dat
250
1000000 1000000 1000000
ISD_main.sur Root <- component name
ISD_zomgbayz1.sur zomgbayz1 <- component name
…

@BBalazs:

there is a ship, with a big hole (hangar) on the inside - thus it is pretty much impossible to make the first sur component convex.

the ordering is up to you. also, not all components need a sur, incl. root.

like my base, none of the visible components have a sur, ive linked them all to dummy groups.
i suggest when you export the cmp from ms3d, include one dummy group.
later you can clone the dummy component for how many dummies you need to get a working sur.
that is because all single surs should be made of simple objects (box, circle, cylinder).

for revolute components, ive already mentioned that the 3d origin will be its pivot point.
so that should be their position in ms3d, and when you export the sur for the rev component put it at the same place.
the position offset can be edited later with utf_editor, the sur component will follow it.

if you need multiple surs, thus multiple components for an animated part, then just put all the dummies in the animation node.

hope it helps.

Thanks for all the valuable info Expect feedback by about the end of next week, unfortunately I do not have too much time until then - still, enough to go through your post word-by-word, carefully understanding it to the last bits