This looking easest than I expected. 🙂
Sorry for my bad English in advance ((
First about export:
I don’t know exporters from blender and you need to convert models to 3ds max or Milkshape to export models to FL.
And now - how create animation for your model.
1. Before export
You need to check center of animated objects. For rings it’s not needed, but needed for doors. Milkshape by default setting center of part in center of full model.
Example of fixing it in Milkshape:
http://www.elite-games.ru/images/freelancer/modding/le12.png
All animated objects placed in center of model. Later in UTF I will set correct place for them.
I don’t know how it working in 3ds max, but if this problem will appear, this is simplest way to fix it.
You need to set correct center of doors. Correct point here:
http://i.imgur.com/t6nuWRQ.jpg
Next. About bottom doors: is very hard to calculate correct positions of animation, but we can avoid it.
A. Set positions of bottom doors similiar to top door.
B. Add 2 “virtual” parts of model. Create small polygon, set name (for example) “door2_poly” (and similiar to third door).
That’s all. We will use it later after export.
2. Exporting
In 3ds max you need to set “Rev” type to all parts.
In Milkshape you need to export model as Weapon:
http://www.elite-games.ru/images/freelancer/modding/le15.png
3. After export
Model exported. We need to set model positions and add animation. We will do all job in UTF Editor.
A. Set bottom doors relations to polygons.
In UTF click “Edit Rev data”.
Example: http://www.elite-games.ru/images/freelancer/modding/le18.png
You need to connect door2 to door2_poly and similiar to door3.
B. Set doors positions.
You need set real positions of doors. It’s not hard to do. Just open “Rev data” and Model View. Change positions of parts and it will appear on Model View right away.
For top door you need change position of door1, for bottom doors you need change positions and rotation of parent polygons.
Example: http://www.elite-games.ru/images/freelancer/modding/le19.png
C. Configure animation directions
It configuring in Rev Data menu:
http://www.elite-games.ru/images/freelancer/modding/le22.png
Change Axis Rotate and Min, Max values. For rings you can copy data from vanilla jumpgate (but you need change direction of second ring).
For doors:
you need set animation only for children doors, don’t touch polygons
do not set null values to polygons directions and min/max values. Model part will not appear if you will set nulls.
copy min/max values from vanilla jumpgate
set direction “rotate to top” (may be it X axis, you need to test it in game)
animations want to be similiar on all doors. bottom doors will rotate to top too. Don’t remind - correct position already fixed by parent polygons.
D. Add animations
Just use Animation block from vanilla jumpgate and rename objects. But for bottom doors you need to set correct parents. For example:
http://www.elite-games.ru/images/freelancer/modding/le24.png
For rings you need to create two different animations.
Sorry, I only told how fix problematic places and my tutorial not full.
I wrote russian tutorial about liberty wings animations and you can find screenshots of UTF and milkshape here:
http://www.elite-games.ru/conference/viewtopic.php?t=63972
If you will have problems with it, I can animate this model. But only one model.
