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Plan for Chris Robertson

Name:	Chris Robertson
Date Posted:	May 28, 2004
Rating:	4.0 out of 5
Public:	YES
Comments:	YES
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Profile Page:	View profile page for Chris Robertson

Blog post

An updated milkshape exporter using the new SDK

I've been working for a while on updating the current milkshape exporter to use the new DTSSDKPlus.

Here is a screenshot of the exporter in action:

You can view and edit all mesh, material and sequence properties, as well as add and remove sequences prior to exporting. Any changes made are saved back into the model. The exporter is also backwards compatible with the old exporter, so can be used without modifying old models at all.

Currently the exporter has working:
- standard meshes and materials
- billboards
- multiple collision meshes
- LOS collision meshes
- LOD
- transparent sorting
- triangle stripping

The last hurdle is animation. I have the sequences being detected correctly, but I'm having some trouble with the node structure for bones and animation. Since milkshape doesn't use nodes, I have to fake it - which is tough without 3dsmax to refer to.

When finished, this exporter will be released free to the community and hopefully make it into the GG repository.

Any help on this can be directed to this thread:

www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=18198

Submit your own resources!

mm (May 28, 2004 at 20:53 GMT)

Transparent sort and multiple collision meshes are a really great improvement, not to mention everything else, cool stuff! :)

Matt

[Edit]
Must have had to much sleep in my eyes, came back and re-read your .Plan and realized I was too over zealous. When do you think you will be releasing the exporter? I would love to give it a try, if only for the fact that trying to sort transparent object for a model is detrimental to ones mental health at the moment. :P
Edited on May 28, 2004 21:19 GMT

James Urquhart (May 28, 2004 at 21:15 GMT)

Great work chris. I was wondering when someone was going to do this :)

Nodes are basically bones, so you could just add bones into milkshape to substitute nodes in 3dsmax.

Chris Robertson (May 28, 2004 at 22:08 GMT)

@Matt: As soon as I have animation working, I will release the exporter.

@James: That's what the old exporter did, and what I do too. The problem is more that the new sdk expects the nodes (node = mesh/bone/sequence etc) to be arranged in a certain way. Without 3dsmax to refer to, I have to guess at the tree structure. I'm pretty sure I have it right for meshes, but not yet for animation.

Once you have the tree set up correctly, the sdk does all the work.

Davis Ray Sickmon, Jr (May 29, 2004 at 01:48 GMT)

Too cool! I'm looking forward to the new exporters release!

Ken Finney (May 29, 2004 at 04:12 GMT)

Chris - are you going to add triggers (ie footsteps) to your exporter?

Chris Robertson (May 29, 2004 at 10:18 GMT)

@Ken: Yep. There's no reason why the milkshape exporter shouldn't have the same features as the 3dsmax one.

Update:
I managed to get the basics of animation working this afternoon. A bit more of a tidy up, and it will be ready for an alpha release.

Ian Omroth Hardingham (May 30, 2004 at 10:34 GMT)

Hey Chris.

We'd be happy to help you test the stuff you have got working: as we have no need for any dts animations (we have an internal animation system), we'd love to be able to test the current build.

Ian
Mode 7 Games

Chris Robertson (May 31, 2004 at 00:32 GMT)

Thanks for the offer, Ian. I'm doing a last tidy up of the code right now, and will be releasing an alpha version to a few select people in a day or two. Is your public email ok to contact you?

Digital Dave (Jun 09, 2004 at 04:00 GMT) Resource Rating: 5

ooo-oooo, I'm using it. Should be in tip-top shape very soon now. It's awesome! ;)

wingman (Jun 10, 2004 at 16:19 GMT)

wingman@nctc.com

If you are still distributing alpha versions.

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