Animations on models from 3DS Max to Leadwerks

[SlipperyBrick]

As the title implies. How can I get my animated model from 3DS Max with animations and textures to use in the Leadwerks engine? I am baking the animations when exporting it from 3DS Max as FBX but when I bring it into the engine and use the animation script its crashing my game when I run it

 

Help! Please

[cassius]

Don;t know much about this subject but someone recently had problems caused by baking.

[YouGroove]

What animation system do you use in 3DSMAX ? simple bones ro some advanced features ?

FBX for 3D engine generally accept simples bones only system.

 

Make a test : export FBX and import FBX in Blender 2.69 and see if you have animations in Blender.

[SlipperyBrick]

Hey YouGroove thanks for your reply! I can't see any bones for the animations, I am very new to Max. The model is of a ballerina toy, the ballerina rotates and nothing else is animated on the model. Turbosmooth modifier is on aswell, when I export and bring it into LE the polys go from around 4000 in Max up to 13000 in LE (I think this is the Turbosmooth modifier doing this). Im not entirely sure about the animation rig/system that has been used on this model as I didn't animate it. The model is a paid royalty free one for commercial use from Turbosquid website.

 

Screenshot: http://gyazo.com/459b729b26bfc8744f0085ab82acf531

 

Little update, I have turned off turbosmooth modifier and exported and this fixes the issue with the high poly count. The animation of the model still doesn't load into LE though

Edited March 2, 2014 by ScrotieFlapWack

[SlipperyBrick]

Just done some digging around and its using the bezier controller (I think). There are two key frames, in the PRS parameters the 'Create Key' is just rotation, the rotation axis is set as 'X'. In 'Key Info (Basic)' I can see the in and out is set to the following (check screenshot below)

 

http://gyazo.com/8b87b7dd7cbd9bdad711e7b75f5e51eb

 

I am not entirely sure what the bezier controller does lol, it looks like it uses tangents to control the animation from one key to the next.

[SlipperyBrick]

I think your right YouGroove I would have to animate this using bones and not the bezier controller. Took me awhile to figure this out (very simple explanation though lol) I hate small issues like these

 

FYI, the animation didn't work in Blender

 

Cheers guys!

[YouGroove]

Indeed it's specific 3D Max timeline system.

Only Bones animation will export with FBX.

 

The best is just that you attach a small script to your static not animated model , a simple rotate function call each world update.

 

Poylcount is high, depends on what you plan to do with your model, if only secondary model i would suggest that you reduce polygons indeed.

3DSMAX have LOD tools to generate lower polygon versions: gibe them a try also.

(if i remember well ... caus i dont have 3D MAX , it's price is too expensive)

[Rick]

@YouGroove, he's trying to learn about animating and how to get it working with LE. I also made a generic animation script that makes it easy for him to just plug non character models with animations in the scene, attach this script, set some animation settings, and have it work. It also fires outputs and has many inputs.

[YouGroove]

Rick,

In fact is model in 3DSMAX is not with bones, so it can't export animations for FBX. It's a model using some bezier and timeline in 3DSMAX. I don't think FBX be able to export timeline animations ?

[Rick]

I assume you can put bones in the model and remove whatever sort of other animation system it's using.

[Christian Clavet]

Hi,

 

You could perhaps still use the controller, but it will need to control a bone and not the object.

Take your object, and put a bone in the middle and skin it 100% strenght (rigid) to the model. Then use your controller and control that bone, visually your should have the same effect and since the bone is skinned to the model, it should work when you export it in FBX.