Newbie with animation export issues
by Katrina Rose · in General Discussion · 07/09/2004 (11:54 am) · 33 replies
Hi everyone...a newbie here with a simple but oh-so annoying problem.
I've built a character model inside of 3D Max v6.0 that has been rigged with standard bones and animated with forward kinematics. I am trying to export the player.dts file with the DTS Exporter Utility plugin but I keep getting the "Skin found on linked node (one of the bones)-- skin must be unlinked" error message.
This problem is covered in the FAQ but the answer is confusing in its apparant simplicity...it just tells me to unlink the skin. The problem is that the only way I know to unlink the bone from the skin is to remove the skin modifier from the mesh which will, obviously, completely disassociate the bones from the mesh.
Am I missing something obvious? I've been staring at the monitor for hours now and even performed my mystical Torque Export Success dance but all to no avail.
Thanks!
newbie Ken
I've built a character model inside of 3D Max v6.0 that has been rigged with standard bones and animated with forward kinematics. I am trying to export the player.dts file with the DTS Exporter Utility plugin but I keep getting the "Skin found on linked node (one of the bones)-- skin must be unlinked" error message.
This problem is covered in the FAQ but the answer is confusing in its apparant simplicity...it just tells me to unlink the skin. The problem is that the only way I know to unlink the bone from the skin is to remove the skin modifier from the mesh which will, obviously, completely disassociate the bones from the mesh.
Am I missing something obvious? I've been staring at the monitor for hours now and even performed my mystical Torque Export Success dance but all to no avail.
Thanks!
newbie Ken
About the author
#22
10/27/2004 (7:13 am)
I think I had to delete the old details marker and just remake it. I think the problem with one of my anims not working had to do with a death animation problem, since the code required that I have 13 death anims or something like that. 
#23
I've got my custom character fully loaded and working now. very happy I am.
I only included the run, jump, and root animations thusfar, and just edited the cs for my character to only load those sequences, and he worked just fine.
10/27/2004 (8:11 am)
Thanks for the reply, I've got my custom character fully loaded and working now. very happy I am.
I only included the run, jump, and root animations thusfar, and just edited the cs for my character to only load those sequences, and he worked just fine.
#24
01/29/2005 (7:56 am)
HELP, I'm new here, sry for that, coz i still can't get what your' all mean here. The "skin must be unlink!" I already unlink the skin, but i got the problem "Not detail to exports". I try to look at this forum and solve this problem, but already a few day past i still can't solve it. Can any one help. Thanks!!! And also can some one show how the hierarchy look like after unlink the skin.
#25
Whenever I've encountered this error 'No Detail to Export' it has meant that I was missing a Detail node (detail2 or equivalent level of detail node) in the heirarchy. My heirarchy has base01 as the root. Then parented to that is the Bounds, Bip01 (this is a character studio rig) and Detail2 nodes. The mesh/skin should be all on it's own if you've unlinked it properly. Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Paul Mikulecky
Lost Pencil Animation Studios Inc.
http://www.lostpencil.com
"The art of character animation is to try
to catch lightning in a bottle.... one volt
at a time." Brad Bird
01/29/2005 (8:59 am)
Hey Sam,Whenever I've encountered this error 'No Detail to Export' it has meant that I was missing a Detail node (detail2 or equivalent level of detail node) in the heirarchy. My heirarchy has base01 as the root. Then parented to that is the Bounds, Bip01 (this is a character studio rig) and Detail2 nodes. The mesh/skin should be all on it's own if you've unlinked it properly. Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Paul Mikulecky
Lost Pencil Animation Studios Inc.
http://www.lostpencil.com
"The art of character animation is to try
to catch lightning in a bottle.... one volt
at a time." Brad Bird
#26
by using ur method, i can successful export the model. But now i face one problem which is, without the texture my model can successful load in the torque. But if i put the texture together with the .dts and dsq save together in one location, the game is encounter problem. The problem is i can't load in to the game. Just halt at the splash screen?? Do some one have any idea?? Thank very much.
02/02/2005 (7:20 am)
Thank Paul Mikulecky,by using ur method, i can successful export the model. But now i face one problem which is, without the texture my model can successful load in the torque. But if i put the texture together with the .dts and dsq save together in one location, the game is encounter problem. The problem is i can't load in to the game. Just halt at the splash screen?? Do some one have any idea?? Thank very much.
#27
02/02/2005 (7:24 am)
Just remind something, the model i export has the skin and can successful export it out. just when i put the texture together with the .dts, it will corrupt in the game.
#28
Cheers,
Paul Mikulecky
Lost Pencil Animation Studios Inc.
http://www.lostpencil.com
"The art of character animation is to try
to catch lightning in a bottle.... one volt
at a time." Brad Bird
02/02/2005 (7:38 am)
Does you model include a UV map? I think it may have problems loading your model if it is missing. I'm pretty new at this, but this is not an error I've encountered. Do you have ShowTool Pro? If so, does it show up in there? If not, email me a copy of your model (if that is possible) - paul@lostpencil.com, and I'll load it up and see what it does.Cheers,
Paul Mikulecky
Lost Pencil Animation Studios Inc.
http://www.lostpencil.com
"The art of character animation is to try
to catch lightning in a bottle.... one volt
at a time." Brad Bird
#29
But if without texture, it can replace it fine. I don't know why like that?? Thank for you help.Paul Mikulecky
02/02/2005 (7:49 am)
Can i now what is ShowTool Pro and how to use it?? I have the UV map. Let said, i modify the sample game in torque. I can put my model with the texture together if i not replace the original character of the game. But if i want to replace the original chacter of the torque, i must without the texture, else the game will corrupt. But if without texture, it can replace it fine. I don't know why like that?? Thank for you help.Paul Mikulecky
#30
Is your texture a proper JPG or PNG file? Also is it under 512x512 resolution? I'm not sure what the functionality of the demo is, bt if you download the demo of ShowTool Pro it may help you figure out the problem.
Cheers,
Paul Mikulecky
Lost Pencil Animation Studios Inc.
http://www.lostpencil.com
"The art of character animation is to try
to catch lightning in a bottle.... one volt
at a time." Brad Bird
02/02/2005 (8:00 am)
Here is more information about ShowTool Pro. I think you can download a demo. I find it useful to check my character settings/setup.Is your texture a proper JPG or PNG file? Also is it under 512x512 resolution? I'm not sure what the functionality of the demo is, bt if you download the demo of ShowTool Pro it may help you figure out the problem.
Cheers,
Paul Mikulecky
Lost Pencil Animation Studios Inc.
http://www.lostpencil.com
"The art of character animation is to try
to catch lightning in a bottle.... one volt
at a time." Brad Bird
#31
I have try both the JPG and PNG all are in 256x256. Bt i also encounter the same problem. If i still can't solve it, then i email my model to u. Thank for help.
02/02/2005 (8:07 am)
Thank Paul,I have try both the JPG and PNG all are in 256x256. Bt i also encounter the same problem. If i still can't solve it, then i email my model to u. Thank for help.
#32
09/27/2005 (4:35 am)
Dear, Katrina Rose, you wrote that: finally you are able to export the mesh AND bones to a .dts file. So how you done that, can you please explain me because I am having the same problem? 
#33
-Then I remembered someone mentioned collapsing the stack in 3D MAX before exporting, and that helped me (in some cases the skin modifier f*s it up!)
05/27/2007 (11:51 am)
I tried all of the above but nothing helped.-Then I remembered someone mentioned collapsing the stack in 3D MAX before exporting, and that helped me (in some cases the skin modifier f*s it up!)
Torque Owner Clint S. Brewer