Question about Irrlicht capabilities...

[Guest]

I posted this in the beginner section, but have received no response, so I thought I'd try it here.

I am interested in creating a character model viewer using Irrlicht. If anyone has the answers to the following questions, I would appreciate their help...

1. Can character models make use of more than one bone weight per vert?
2. Is it possible to get direct access to skinned meshes without using .x or .ms3d (so I can create my own loader)?
3. If the answer to the above two questions is "yes," then can I also do this using the Blitz Max module (and how)?

Thanks in advance for all help on this matter.

[Electron]

1) Irrlicht allows 4 weights per vertex for .x models. I don't know about .ms3d

2) There's no unified interface to skinned meshes. Irrlicht's internal mesh structure is an unholy mess (as some of you may have heard me complain before). Because there is a different class for each mesh file format, it would be possible to add another supported skeletal anim format, but you couldn't very well make use of existing interfaces.

[vermeer]

ms3d only allows one per one. A vertex only is affected by a bone. It is 1 or 0 weight, that is. Only. Rigid weights, as I call it.


formats allowing several bones affecting same vertex (partial weights) : x, b3d, md5, collada...Surely only x and collada at irrlicht. And probably only x with fulll skeleton and weights support. But i dunno.

ms3d is great for rigid mechanic machines.

*.x better for organic, humans.

The Blitz Max module...I know what you mean. The one that would let use Irrlicht as a renderer for blitzmax: u code in blitzmax and let Irrlicht do the 3d graphic think, using...Gman? wrapper/plugin...which connect both things...

I dunnot have much info about that interesting bmax plugin, so unsure if u can just use a b3d weighted and animated file...If so, you could use max Pipeline, or other tools exporting b3d. Most which do, also do export x, which is indeed sure eaten by irrlicht.

I guess that safe way would be using x animated files, exported by panda free plugin for Max, or using Ben's or Jox exporters for Blender, or exporting in x with maya, XSI, Truespace, gamespace or Lightwave. I just dunno which tool u use. But with al those is possible by usually free plugins.

I guess bmax wont care much abot 3d animation formats, just will use it as an abstraction or something. Is then more a matter on seing docs for gman's plugin.

[lthornblad]

My goal was to create my own mesh format, so that's bad news.

I suppose I might have to use the DirectX format, but I don't know if it supports everything I want. I will look into Collada also, but I believe Irrlicht does not yet support it. Please correct me, if I'm wrong.

[lthornblad]

Ah, found it. Irrlicht does support Collada, but not for animation, it would seem. It looks like DirectX is my only choice.

Does anyone know if it is possible to manipulate the bones directly, without playing an animation, or to play an animation on only part of a skeleton?

[dhenton9000]

Ah, found it. Irrlicht does support Collada, but not for animation, it would seem. It looks like DirectX is my only choice.

Does anyone know if it is possible to manipulate the bones directly, without playing an animation, or to play an animation on only part of a skeleton?

search for Acki's bones extensions, its in his Sig.