3DS Max: Multiple animations

[Masterxilo]

I know how to animate things in 3ds max, and I know I could do one 1000 frames animation where I put all my

character's animations. Like

frame 0-99: walking

frame 100-199: running

etc.

 

But I'm sure there must be better ways to do this.

Can you create multiple seperate animation sequences in max (in the same file) and export only one at a time?

If so, can someone tell me how?

 

If not, can you create and rig the base mesh in one max file, then create the animations in seperate files BUT make it keep the base mesh as a reference?

So that, when I change something on the base mesh (move some vertices, correct uv mapping and so on) the mesh will be updated in the other files?

The files might be named like

BaseMesh.max

Walk.max

Run.max

Idle.max

and I'd like to be able to edit the mesh in BaseMesh without having to do all the animations from scratch.

 

How do YOU do this kind of things?

 

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And last but not least an LE specific question: the (more or less new) animation system handles animations in seperate files.

How do you extract these from:

1. One file with multiple/all animations with known frame ranges for the different poses. Can you put frames 0-100 of a mesh's animation in walk.anim, and put frames 100-... in ...

2. Multiple files (I guess that works the same way as extracting one animation from one file ("Walk.gmf -> walk.anim"), but how does that work?)

 

And how similar do skeletons using the same animations have to be? Exactly the same? Or just the same amount of bones connected (and named) the same way?

 

And how do you remove all animations from a mesh (they're not needed in the gmf anymore since they were extraced)?

 

Thanks in advance.

[ArBuZ]

But I'm sure there must be better ways to do this.

Can you create multiple seperate animation sequences in max (in the same file) and export only one at a time?

If so, can someone tell me how?

 

Hello Masterxilo! If you use "charecter studio" as sceleton then you are able to save animations in separate files with very easy way(one button click).

 

If you use bones then things are more complicated, but not too hard. As far as I know there is "Save animation" tool in 3ds max. With it you can save any animation range in file. I havent used it, so I cant tell you how does it exactly work.

 

Any way, I would do it this way: create all animations in one max file for one mesh. And then export them with my exporter (http://leadwerks.com/werkspace/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=7) to separate files. For example 0-100 - to one file, 100-150 to another file an so on. The exporter exports only active time range. You can set it in the "Time configuration" window (right click on play animation button). So first you set it to 0-100 and export it. Then set it to 101-150 and export it to another file.

 

Hope it will help

[graytest]

UU3D has the ability to split up one animation sequence (run 0-99, walk 100-199, etc) to several separate animation tracks (track 0: run 0-99, track 1: walk 0-99, etc).

[Masterxilo]

OK, thanks so far.

Is there a tool (le specific) available to extract animations from the meshes then? Because with the methods you both described, I'd end up having multiple

fully working/standalone meshes (IdleAnimMesh.gmf, WalkAnimMesh.gmf, RunAnimMesh.gmf etc.), containing everything geometry, bone/skinning and animation data.

This is not what I'd want to save storage (by using the same animations on multiple models) and use the new animation system how it's intended.

 

Basically the second (le specific) part of my question(s) is not yet answered:

...the (more or less new) animation system handles animations in seperate files.

How do you extract these from:

1. One file with multiple/all animations with known frame ranges for the different poses. Can you put frames 0-100 of a mesh's animation in walk.anim, and put frames 100-... in ...

2. Multiple files (I guess that works the same way as extracting one animation from one file ("Walk.gmf -> walk.anim"), but how does that work?)

 

And how similar do skeletons using the same animations have to be? Exactly the same? Or just the same amount of bones connected (and named) the same way?

 

And how do you remove all animations from a mesh (they're not needed in the gmf anymore since they were extraced)?

[graytest]

OK, thanks so far.

Is there a tool (le specific) available to extract animations from the meshes then? Because with the methods you both described, I'd end up having multiple

fully working/standalone meshes (IdleAnimMesh.gmf, WalkAnimMesh.gmf, RunAnimMesh.gmf etc.), containing everything geometry, bone/skinning and animation data.

This is not what I'd want to save storage (by using the same animations on multiple models) and use the new animation system how it's intended.

 

Basically the second (le specific) part of my question(s) is not yet answered:

 

I haven't tried this with gmf and LE, but with x-files and DirectX, you can save all the different animation tracks in one model.

So one model would have one track for walking, one track for running, etc.

Then to play these you would call Animate(model, track_walk, ...); and that would play only that animation on repeat.

 

LE's Animate function has support for different tracks as well if I don't remember incorrectly.

So you'd separate the different tracks in UU3D and save them all into one model. Then you could specify which one of these animation tracks to play in Animate.

 

*edit*

 

Just realized I might have misunderstood your post.

 

You want one file for each animation but without mesh data?

 

In that case:

I'm pretty sure UU3D can save just animation data. I assume that you'd need a skeleton with the same number of bones and with the same names in all models using that animation.

But I have never experimented with this.

 

*edit2*

 

In UU3D you can check or uncheck whatever you want to save (including bones, animations, normals, etc). So to save just animation, uncheck everything else. To remove that information from files just uncheck animation and save whatever else you want to save.

[Masterxilo]

I'll have to try this, thank you. I just realized LoadAnimation just loads the animation data stored in the passed file.

 

So the only question left is: How similar do skeletons of models that will share animations have to be?

 

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And I still wonder if it's really not possible to animate things in different files in 3ds max, each animation a file, and still have them share the base mesh.

I don't like the idea of just using thousands of frames and putting all the different animations in there.

What if I want to make one of the animations longer?