Question in Regard to "Nodes" (Milkshape)
by NA · in Artist Corner · 04/20/2005 (10:20 pm) · 6 replies
I've recently purchased TGE, and have been reading around the documentation.
I use Milkshape for modelling.
When I look at a list of the nodes needed, say for example, camera placement for first and third person views - how do I set these nodes in Milkshape?
Anyone care to tell me what they actually are?
Thank you very much!
I use Milkshape for modelling.
When I look at a list of the nodes needed, say for example, camera placement for first and third person views - how do I set these nodes in Milkshape?
Anyone care to tell me what they actually are?
Thank you very much!
#2
04/20/2005 (11:32 pm)
You should check the fabulous DTS Plus Exporter from Chris Robertson. It comes with 'Mr. Blue', a stickman with a complete TGE compatible skeleton, which makes a great starting point.
#3
As for placing the joint - is there a way to set it directionally? Else how does it detirmine the direction of the camera? Is it set on a speciic axis?
Sorry, first time for everything :)
04/20/2005 (11:37 pm)
Wow, thanks Dirk.As for placing the joint - is there a way to set it directionally? Else how does it detirmine the direction of the camera? Is it set on a speciic axis?
Sorry, first time for everything :)
#4
04/21/2005 (12:07 am)
I *think* you have to control the first and third person view from Torque code, but I never checked. 
#5
...If so, build your shape with the desired Forward facing direction in TGE in the Front viewport[wheel location/orientation are a special case]. I 'think' the exporter does the voodoo to the object as a whole to create the DTS shapes/joints in the correct orientation when inside the engine.
In Milkshape, remember that one 'unit'[on the grid] is one meter in TGE, so a default player would be around 2.4 units tall, or rather 'small' inside Milkshape. If you don't use this 1:1 scaling; you'll wonder why inside the engine your shapes are gigantically huge or microscopically small. A miniature player is pretty freaky thing, each texture pixel is mountainous! And necessatating more scripting somewhere to compensate for the artwork, or using the Scale parameter in the exporter dialog.
Hope this was some information you were looking for. Unparented joints are difficult to rotate for positioning, you may need to build a small chain to get it to rotate and align correctly, or script in the values by Trial/Error.
04/21/2005 (6:55 am)
In Ms3d, the Y axis is the Up/Down direction, X axis is the Left/Right direction, and Z is the Forward/Backward direction. Which makes it a Left-hand coordinate system[I believe], and I think so is TGE[albeit with the X/Y switched]. What this means is that I think you're looking for how to orientate your bones when creating them in Ms3d, no?...If so, build your shape with the desired Forward facing direction in TGE in the Front viewport[wheel location/orientation are a special case]. I 'think' the exporter does the voodoo to the object as a whole to create the DTS shapes/joints in the correct orientation when inside the engine.
In Milkshape, remember that one 'unit'[on the grid] is one meter in TGE, so a default player would be around 2.4 units tall, or rather 'small' inside Milkshape. If you don't use this 1:1 scaling; you'll wonder why inside the engine your shapes are gigantically huge or microscopically small. A miniature player is pretty freaky thing, each texture pixel is mountainous! And necessatating more scripting somewhere to compensate for the artwork, or using the Scale parameter in the exporter dialog.
Hope this was some information you were looking for. Unparented joints are difficult to rotate for positioning, you may need to build a small chain to get it to rotate and align correctly, or script in the values by Trial/Error.
Torque Owner Daniel Allessi