Animation and character origin
by Matthew Hoesterey · in Artist Corner · 03/06/2005 (3:42 pm) · 2 replies
Hello, I'm the project head, and one of the key animators of a new and upcoming team. We come from a film background and I just wanted to ask a few questions about how torque handles animations.
Normally in films I would move the characters torso in a walk cycle, or when a character is climbing up a wall ect.. I'm guessing that torque needs the characters pelvis or origin to remain stationary. How should I animate the characters in maya? Can I animate them traditionally and then simply delete the keys that control the translation of the torso? If so how do I deal with the crazy IK that will result? (The IK handles still moving along as did the torso) Or do I have to animate the character without the torso moving? (Shudder, I hope not)
Perhaps the best way to get answers to my questions is to post one of my animations as an example and ask how I would have to change it. So. Here is a low poly staff fighter animation (4970 tris). (This was actually done in 3d studio rather then maya, not that it matters).
http://www.rit.edu/~mrh9661/atwelltest.avi
What would I need to change in order to bring this into torque?
(btw were making a turn based strategy, Think final fantasy tactics or shining force only cooler. We still need coders but are still in the design stages and were not really ready to hire, but if you're a dedicated coder looking for a project (pay by royalties, everyone will get an equal share based on the hours they put in) drop me a line at: Hoesterey@gmail.com and we can talk about future work and opportunities.
Normally in films I would move the characters torso in a walk cycle, or when a character is climbing up a wall ect.. I'm guessing that torque needs the characters pelvis or origin to remain stationary. How should I animate the characters in maya? Can I animate them traditionally and then simply delete the keys that control the translation of the torso? If so how do I deal with the crazy IK that will result? (The IK handles still moving along as did the torso) Or do I have to animate the character without the torso moving? (Shudder, I hope not)
Perhaps the best way to get answers to my questions is to post one of my animations as an example and ask how I would have to change it. So. Here is a low poly staff fighter animation (4970 tris). (This was actually done in 3d studio rather then maya, not that it matters).
http://www.rit.edu/~mrh9661/atwelltest.avi
What would I need to change in order to bring this into torque?
(btw were making a turn based strategy, Think final fantasy tactics or shining force only cooler. We still need coders but are still in the design stages and were not really ready to hire, but if you're a dedicated coder looking for a project (pay by royalties, everyone will get an equal share based on the hours they put in) drop me a line at: Hoesterey@gmail.com and we can talk about future work and opportunities.
#2
I was hoping the exporter would take care of the calculations for me. :) I'll test it out.
If anyone else has any input Feel free to post.
Thanks again.
03/06/2005 (4:51 pm)
Thanks for the response. Well while I want the animation to look like this in game. I need the character to actually move in the game world rather then snap back to thier origin when the animation is finished. This is also true with grabbing ledges ect. I was hoping the exporter would take care of the calculations for me. :) I'll test it out.
If anyone else has any input Feel free to post.
Thanks again.
Torque Owner Clint S. Brewer
I use the 3dsmax version of the exporter.
this is the way I'm currently doing it, keeping the character stationary while I animate the walk.. But I believe that you don't have to do this at all. you can set your scene up for export in a way that the exporter firgures out how much your character moves around. in the max exporter if you link the bounding box to your characters hips while he's moving arround then the exporter will take the movement of the bounding box as a ground transform .
it depends on what you want to do...Do you want the player to press a button and then that animation plays out exactly as you animated it? if so then it shouldn't be any trouble to just export the animation (once you get any animation exporting and in the game of course).