Animation Basics

#1 Check the console, in either the game or the show tool (show tool's easier) and it will tell you which node you're missing or what the problem is.

#2 Thanks, I'll check it out and see if I can make sense out of it.

Iron Gimp

#3 I would venture to guess that your shape is a 'rigid' mesh and non-'skinned'. This, I believe, will not allow a DTS shape to load any sequences. If this issue occurs with a DTS shape 'loaded'[assumed successful]in the modeling package, and with a DTS shape that 'loads' the sequences at engine firing, I would say it may lead somewhere else. Perhaps to a improperly setup .CFG file; which means the exporting Process included some extra Nodes in the DSQ sequence which do not appear in the DTS file.

I'm sorrry, I'm not 'up' on the Lightwave modeling package, but fundamental DTS/DSQ rules would still apply, I imagine.

#4 Thanks Rex,

Nodes, there in is the problem I think...in that I haven't got a clue what if any nodes are required. I am trying to track that info down now.

Iron Gimp

#5 Actually, from this position, I would look to the skinned/non-skinnned mesh issue, and then Nodes[you're essentially using the 'same' file for both, right? Not sure how the LW exporter recognizes objects......I understand a 'skinned' mesh to be one that has at least one vertex of a group/mesh weighted to another Node/Bone/Joint/whatever is being used as a Node....so that the mesh is controlled/weighted to more than one bone, thus, "Skinned". Good luck, wish I could help better with these other packages, I know Ms3d[very well],GameSpace[as good as can be...;)], and Max[fairly well].

'myCode-specific' Nodes are entirely different issue[in your design], but the DSQ file cannot contain Nodes that are NOT present in the reference DTS shape; otherwise, validation bails on the Process, and you're left with an animationless shape....it will still 'function' just using the reference 'pose' as every calling for a sequence/action/thread. "Sliding" for movement is a good indicator no sequences loaded at runtime...tryalso, naming the sequence in LightWave[however that's done] with the default naming convention for code , of 'Run' as a sequence name....that may 'force' default code to accept your shape's sequence as valid code. Lot's of stuf it could be....why I am very methodical in my procedures....;).

#6 Thanks for the continued help, I will give it another go and see if I can work somethig out using the info you have proveded.

I'll post more after I give it another spin.

IronGimp

#7 As a simple question, are you using weightmaps to set the bone influence on your mesh?

#8 No weight maps, or bones. It is a boat that rocks back and forth.

My problem is that I have NO idea how the nodes hook up, or what the naming conventions are for them in relation to the names in the scripts, etc.

For example, in my lightwave file I create a null as a node and cal if what? Do I call it "sequence0", "sequence1", etc. to match the "sequence0", to match the "sequence0", "sequence1" and so on that are in the "TSShapeConstructor".

OR, do I call them "root", "run", etc. to match the names assigned to the various animations in the "TSShapeConstructor".

OR is it that I call them "player_root", "player_forward", etc. Following the name of the ".dsq" files?

Any ideas?

IronGimp

#9 The top level should just be called "root" anything below that it shouldn't matter.

Are you selecting the animated nodes for export?

#10 OK,

So I still haven't figured out what I was doing wrong...with the exporting of .dsq files, but I have switched to exporting the animations with the .dts, and now it works just fine.

I would prefer to do it the other way, but baggers cant be choosers, as the saying goes.

Thank all of you very much for your assistance, you got me thinking and experimenting and that helped a lot!

having said that, its a safe bet I will be back before to long with some other difficulties.....I still have to add cannons, flags and sails blowing in the wind, and get sounds to work. :O)

The fun never ends.

#11 I still think it's because the shape is being considered a rigid mesh object and not skinned[no bones!], and if it is, it will only accept the animations if embeddd within the shape in the modeling program....:). Good job trying different approaches until you were successful!