Milkshape Animation Sequence Helper written
by Jason Farmer · in Technical Issues · 01/16/2004 (3:37 pm) · 12 replies
Hi Guys,
I'm not sure if this is the best place to mention this, but it sort of follows on from a previous thread. www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=15072
I've written an application in VB6 to take Milkshape ASCII files and merge them together. I'd like a little feedback if that's OK. The application is called MASH and basically, it takes 1 file as the main mesh then you provide it with a bunch of other milkshape ASCII files which contain a single sequence of animation each. MASH then processes these files and produces a single Milkshape ASCII file which can then be imported into Milkshape and exported as DTS. It ignores any geometry from the animations files so you can keep updating your main mesh and reprocess the animations into a single file again and again.
Let me know what you think.
www.cerebral-bicycle.co.uk/viewdoc.asp?doc=282
There are instructions on the site and in the readme about how to use it.
I'm not sure if this is the best place to mention this, but it sort of follows on from a previous thread. www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=15072
I've written an application in VB6 to take Milkshape ASCII files and merge them together. I'd like a little feedback if that's OK. The application is called MASH and basically, it takes 1 file as the main mesh then you provide it with a bunch of other milkshape ASCII files which contain a single sequence of animation each. MASH then processes these files and produces a single Milkshape ASCII file which can then be imported into Milkshape and exported as DTS. It ignores any geometry from the animations files so you can keep updating your main mesh and reprocess the animations into a single file again and again.
Let me know what you think.
www.cerebral-bicycle.co.uk/viewdoc.asp?doc=282
There are instructions on the site and in the readme about how to use it.
#2
I just needed to work on animations as individual files.. in a similar way to 3D Studio's DSQ files. 'Cos unfortunately, Milkshape can't do them. However, the VB6 code I wrote, I've released as GPL. You could take the milkshape loader/saver routines and make them work for VRML without too much difficulty.
01/16/2004 (3:59 pm)
Well, I would if I had the need to.I just needed to work on animations as individual files.. in a similar way to 3D Studio's DSQ files. 'Cos unfortunately, Milkshape can't do them. However, the VB6 code I wrote, I've released as GPL. You could take the milkshape loader/saver routines and make them work for VRML without too much difficulty.
#3
I wonder if this could be directly added to the .DTS exporter, so it could be accessed when making the .DTS?
01/17/2004 (3:13 am)
Hey...that's pretty cool! :-)I wonder if this could be directly added to the .DTS exporter, so it could be accessed when making the .DTS?
#4
I created my mesh, added some animations and replaced the player.dts in the player directory with my new mashed animations.
I noticed a few things.
1, I needed an eye node.
2, My animations were shockingly awful
3, The Cyclic properties were not working.
It appears that Milkshape can only handle material names of a certain length (on my 1.6.6a version anyway). I'll look into that, but I managed to fix the cyclic problem by removing the spaces in the Material name and renaming them. This may be a problem with models with lots of long cyclic animations. I suppose it just means that cyclic animations have to be done first... perhaps that's something MASH can do. I'll also change it to remove the spaces in the material name.
01/17/2004 (12:03 pm)
I've just tested it :-) and it works.I created my mesh, added some animations and replaced the player.dts in the player directory with my new mashed animations.
I noticed a few things.
1, I needed an eye node.
2, My animations were shockingly awful
3, The Cyclic properties were not working.
It appears that Milkshape can only handle material names of a certain length (on my 1.6.6a version anyway). I'll look into that, but I managed to fix the cyclic problem by removing the spaces in the Material name and renaming them. This may be a problem with models with lots of long cyclic animations. I suppose it just means that cyclic animations have to be done first... perhaps that's something MASH can do. I'll also change it to remove the spaces in the material name.
#5
Edit: Oops, used Quote instead of Code tag the first time.
01/29/2004 (6:46 pm)
I just tried to get to your site to check this out and got this error message:Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80004005' [Microsoft][ODBC Microsoft Access Driver]General error Unable to open registry key 'Temporary (volatile) Jet DSN for process 0x7a0 Thread 0xa78 DBC 0xfaeef9c Jet'. /viewdoc.asp, line 38
Edit: Oops, used Quote instead of Code tag the first time.
#6
I can access the site no problem. Sometimes the database the site is based on goes crazy if there's a lot of traffic. I'm looking into replacing the site's back end for a PHP Nuke site. But that's a different story. Should be more robust though.
If you still have trouble, let me know and I'll supply a direct link to the file. I didn't do that before because I wanted people to read the instructions on the page first.
01/30/2004 (12:41 am)
Jeff, Try it now.I can access the site no problem. Sometimes the database the site is based on goes crazy if there's a lot of traffic. I'm looking into replacing the site's back end for a PHP Nuke site. But that's a different story. Should be more robust though.
If you still have trouble, let me know and I'll supply a direct link to the file. I didn't do that before because I wanted people to read the instructions on the page first.
#7
This is a really exciting application. :)
I tired getting it to run earlier today but it seems that I am having a little trouble. I followed you instructions in the readme but when I open the merged file in MS it will only display the number of keyframes and not the actual animation. I am working with version 1.7.0 and I noticed that you had 1.6.6 so I thought that might be where the trouble started so I downloaded that version and it didn't work either. Would you have any other ideas where things might be going wrong? Any help would be appreciated. :)
Matt
Furballz
02/12/2004 (4:15 am)
Hey Jason, This is a really exciting application. :)
I tired getting it to run earlier today but it seems that I am having a little trouble. I followed you instructions in the readme but when I open the merged file in MS it will only display the number of keyframes and not the actual animation. I am working with version 1.7.0 and I noticed that you had 1.6.6 so I thought that might be where the trouble started so I downloaded that version and it didn't work either. Would you have any other ideas where things might be going wrong? Any help would be appreciated. :)
Matt
Furballz
#8
BTW, the version on the site at the moment has a bug which I know about. I have fixed this bug but havn't gotten around to uploading it for one reason or another. I'll upload the new version as soon as I get back to my PC on Friday Night, might be late evening though.
Remove the No.Spam from the address.
jason.farmer@atosorigin.no.spam.com
I'll be here for a few hours longer before I go home (I'm working away from home at the moment and I don't have access to a PC in the evening) I'll keep my eyes open for the email.
02/12/2004 (8:15 am)
Could you email me your merged ms ASCII file to my work address and I'll have a look at it to see if MASH is messing up or if the format has changed.BTW, the version on the site at the moment has a bug which I know about. I have fixed this bug but havn't gotten around to uploading it for one reason or another. I'll upload the new version as soon as I get back to my PC on Friday Night, might be late evening though.
Remove the No.Spam from the address.
jason.farmer@atosorigin.no.spam.com
I'll be here for a few hours longer before I go home (I'm working away from home at the moment and I don't have access to a PC in the evening) I'll keep my eyes open for the email.
#10
I've just updated the version available for download on my site. Try that one out to see if it fixes your problem.
I'll test it under XP as soon as I get chance.
Also, if anyone else has had any success with MASH under XP, please let me know.
02/14/2004 (5:15 pm)
Hi Matt,I've just updated the version available for download on my site. Try that one out to see if it fixes your problem.
I'll test it under XP as soon as I get chance.
Also, if anyone else has had any success with MASH under XP, please let me know.
#11
09/17/2004 (2:53 pm)
I am trying to use it with the latest version of milkshape (v1.7.1) on windows 2000 pro and i get Run time error 13 type mis-match when i try to Open Main Mesh 
#12
I am getting the same error when I try to open the animation meshes. No word yet, I assume?
10/01/2004 (7:10 am)
Burt,I am getting the same error when I try to open the animation meshes. No word yet, I assume?
Torque Owner Lloyd [Bleeptech] Godsey
// I wish someone would write a converter like this for VRML animation > Milkshape.