I'm currently using milkshape for my modeling, but it can't import animated models from most common formats. Does anyone know a modeler (preferably cheap) that can import animations
-- The Robomaniac
3d Modelers that can import animations from md2, md3, etc.
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Robomaniac
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gmax doesn't allow comercial use. And though u many not pretend it, is always ugly to limit yourself.. 
if not for that, there's an md2 import plugin. And gmax exports as md3. But even for a free project it could be illegal depending on how u do it, so what the heck.
Quake Modeller does let you import md2 models. And also do them from scratch. Is free. But...I'm experienced in 3d, and yet gotta see the way to import correctly uv mapped models in 3ds, asc or lwo formats -for models not yet in md2 format. I even failed in importing uvs for md2 files there.
Ultimate Unwrap is my favourite here. 40 or 35$ , is best uv mapping solution I ever dreamed of, lets you import directx8 and b3d bone-weighted and animated files...
If Irrlitch comes soon with x format fully, then is a better way to animate, and more advanced in the coding side.
Ultimate imports md2, but a frame at a time. Haven't researched much on it, though. I know it imports md3, but again could be only the frame you choose from a list like md2. I think I lately checked it allows you to export md2 files, animated.Like Milkshape I think.(I think milkshape eithe rimports full animated md2. Not even allows import a certain frame)
3d canvas does export dx8 and md2. Not sure, but I think it imports also md2 and dx8 with weights.
Is really cheap, you need the more expensive version (70$ or so) to make the exports. I personally prefer other tools, though.
Blender is too many times more powerful than 3d canvas. It's being done right now by a user an md2 import-export python script.
also a dx8 export plugin. not yet tehre, he's working on skeletons.
but blender is way hard to handle and learn, untill you really decide to use many hours with the manual. Then, is quite powerful.
The ik building of skeletons and fixed keys is imho yet slow, but imho, Blender is getting really strong, last 2.32 version is incredibly serious 3d solution.
But is hard to handle, yet.
I dunno, test it and read the doc if u have the patience...It may work for you.
But is not for a quick getting the grips.
For that, is better buy Ultimate Unwrap (imports-exports already lots of formats, and without tech problems) which also supports partial weighting (Milkshape doesn't) and use a tool that export dx8 format...which is likey any...
if you use Max, there's max6 panda soft exporter beta, supposed to work as dx8 animations exporter...And most other comercial packages have a plugin. If u don't find one, ask here (I'll answer if I remember to come back here
)
in the cheap/free, packages that export dx8 (so can be imported with Ultimate Unwrap ) :
- 3d canvas. (70$, I think) http://www.amabilis.com/
- Character Fx. (15$)
- jtedit (free, but development is gonna be stopped, and dunno if is already fully functional) http://www.jtgame.com/jtedit/jteditmain.html
- Blender. md2 plugin almost there now. dx8, depends on the developer who is doing it, but surely will arrive.
-milkshape3d (but NO weights support! you wont be able to use the power of direct8 smooth bending that Niko is adding...! Even so, I purchased, as I need every kickass tool out there, I use it for conversions, it convert lots of formats, and does a very good weld to vertex, supports creation of smoothing groups...Is just not my animation tool, but a useful companion.. )
-almost any comercial software has a free plugin (Truespace 6.6 and Hash need a comercial one, sadly ) for dx8 export.
Final advice , then.
- 3d canvas could do. It suports importing md2, bvh (a known animation exchange format, for example, Poser exports it) directx (I tend to think also dx8 weighted animated format) I just see it not "specially" the best interface out there. But if you for example model outside and animate only with it..maybe. I cant ensure. If it works, could be used as a converter, but haven't used it. 70$ is not really expensive, though.
-I already use Ultimate, character fx together. Character Fx directly exports dx8 format, and is proved that works. In fact, you can export as dx8, and import into Ultimate, even if you see some weird glitches (unless you mirrored bones inside Character Fx, please, avoid that at all costs) in 3d view in Ultimate, internally the data is perfect.
I tested. and exported again as dx8 (even in other weighted format for other test) and works nice in deep exploration demo. It animates there.
Also tested this: export directly as md2 from CFX. It loads perfect also in both Ultimate and Deep Exploration. Also exported as dx8 , and imported into Ultimate. From there, exported as md2 and md3. It seems md3 ultimate's exporter only does it for statics. But again, md2 was seen as it was conceived in Character Fx.
CFX has two problems (mostly as is a incredibly cheap tool for all what it does) : no ik , good working I mean, and no joint pinning. It makes it hard then, for very accurate animations. But for most amateurs games, it plainly rocks. I'm a bit too picky, I know, but I dream witha cheap software, and better if free that allows this. Blender does. Art of Illsussion does. I think is a matter of time to see them have good import/export plugins of md2 and directx8 formats (my favourites, specially dx8, for its capabilities in the artist side )
The guy doing the md2 export for blender is really fast...he has it almost done it...
the one doing the dx8 export one I am almost sure he'll reach it
Art of illussion needs some expert script coders (ehmm..any volunteer to add it directx 8 and md2 exporters, but usually these two formats (specially dx8) are a pain to code...I suppose, seing the very few engine and 3d packages that added it...luckily, comercial ones already all added dx8 (curiously there is lack of md2)
md2 format has very big issues...vertex trembling, incorrect lighting, vertex limits (not a problem yet, but could be...) besides huge in memory : the more memory, the more frames--> usually then artist refrain from doing many frames--> more robotic, less life like. No bones, so no interchangeable parts.... no bone control for the coder..no need for it, but is good that irrlitch will have access to those one day...as then u can mix animations, reuse an arma movement etc...coder can do much more stuff then by code. Also for collision. a cilinder around a bone to get collisions, for example, head bone...
md3 is fragmented -argh- so, way less control of the output by the artits, in the joints...was a very clever solution for the hardware of old time , though.
doom3 (also unreal t 2003, jedi knight, etc) has a very advanced skeleton format for it now...another data to know bones+weights is the way..
directx8 has support for good lighting, weights bones, spline interpolation and a load of more things. Also seems to be the hardest to add to an engine So every body make a reverence to Niko now
oh!
the urls :
Art of Illussion (pass by the forum and offer your codding skills to grab that easy AOI scripting system and add a dx8 exporting plugin...pleeeeazzzeee ;D )
it has ALREADY joint pinning, IK, and a great deal of rendering (not all in this life is realtime ) , best I'm seing in an easy way in the free field.
WAY easier than Blender. Though, Blender has been out quite a lot of time, and has some more depth in some fields...BUT...AOI has more depth in other fileds... Imho this tool is gonna rock. Also I suppose is open source (you need the java runtime installed, but no problem) and quite workable for coders also via plugins, scripts there are easy to do they say.
aoi.sourceforge.net
Character FX 15$ ONLY. exports b3d, dx8, nebula engine, md2, isolated objs and 3ds frames (these two often give some problems) Perfectly integrated-tested with Ultimate's(converter/mapper/fixer) animation support.
www.insanesoftware.de
3d canvas 69$ (the ...hey, wait...seems the 35$ one exports md2 and dx8...maybe not animated...beware, as I was not counting on 35$ one for something important I can't remember now...)
www.amabilis.com
blender
www.blender.org
* md2 import script (url often down, try different hours)
it is said is WIP, can have bugs, is not ended, but he released now I'm checking the 0.10 export and 010 import versions..been lucky to download now. I have them! This could work.They're python scripts, so easier anyway to modify -maybe- for you all great coders
Anyway, he's doing stuff at a really high and qucik pace.
He also is doing a huge lot of format scripts. Blender 2.32 allows a lot of more things now, all is growing way quick...In short time it maybe become a great tool for games for patient dedicated artists...
he is doing also an obj and 3d plugin and doom iii animated format. He's got some versions already.
* there are other OBJ and 3d import plugins I use for blender usually. Haven't tested the one's of the above guy yet.
* directx8 export script, he is working on the skelton and may take his time, don't ask him...
http://www.omariben.too.it/
if not for that, there's an md2 import plugin. And gmax exports as md3. But even for a free project it could be illegal depending on how u do it, so what the heck.
Quake Modeller does let you import md2 models. And also do them from scratch. Is free. But...I'm experienced in 3d, and yet gotta see the way to import correctly uv mapped models in 3ds, asc or lwo formats -for models not yet in md2 format. I even failed in importing uvs for md2 files there.
Ultimate Unwrap is my favourite here. 40 or 35$ , is best uv mapping solution I ever dreamed of, lets you import directx8 and b3d bone-weighted and animated files...
If Irrlitch comes soon with x format fully, then is a better way to animate, and more advanced in the coding side.
Ultimate imports md2, but a frame at a time. Haven't researched much on it, though. I know it imports md3, but again could be only the frame you choose from a list like md2. I think I lately checked it allows you to export md2 files, animated.Like Milkshape I think.(I think milkshape eithe rimports full animated md2. Not even allows import a certain frame)
3d canvas does export dx8 and md2. Not sure, but I think it imports also md2 and dx8 with weights.
Is really cheap, you need the more expensive version (70$ or so) to make the exports. I personally prefer other tools, though.
Blender is too many times more powerful than 3d canvas. It's being done right now by a user an md2 import-export python script.
also a dx8 export plugin. not yet tehre, he's working on skeletons.
but blender is way hard to handle and learn, untill you really decide to use many hours with the manual. Then, is quite powerful.
The ik building of skeletons and fixed keys is imho yet slow, but imho, Blender is getting really strong, last 2.32 version is incredibly serious 3d solution.
But is hard to handle, yet.
I dunno, test it and read the doc if u have the patience...It may work for you.
But is not for a quick getting the grips.
For that, is better buy Ultimate Unwrap (imports-exports already lots of formats, and without tech problems) which also supports partial weighting (Milkshape doesn't) and use a tool that export dx8 format...which is likey any...
if you use Max, there's max6 panda soft exporter beta, supposed to work as dx8 animations exporter...And most other comercial packages have a plugin. If u don't find one, ask here (I'll answer if I remember to come back here
)in the cheap/free, packages that export dx8 (so can be imported with Ultimate Unwrap ) :
- 3d canvas. (70$, I think) http://www.amabilis.com/
- Character Fx. (15$)
- jtedit (free, but development is gonna be stopped, and dunno if is already fully functional) http://www.jtgame.com/jtedit/jteditmain.html
- Blender. md2 plugin almost there now. dx8, depends on the developer who is doing it, but surely will arrive.
-milkshape3d (but NO weights support! you wont be able to use the power of direct8 smooth bending that Niko is adding...! Even so, I purchased, as I need every kickass tool out there, I use it for conversions, it convert lots of formats, and does a very good weld to vertex, supports creation of smoothing groups...Is just not my animation tool, but a useful companion.. )
-almost any comercial software has a free plugin (Truespace 6.6 and Hash need a comercial one, sadly ) for dx8 export.
Final advice , then.
- 3d canvas could do. It suports importing md2, bvh (a known animation exchange format, for example, Poser exports it) directx (I tend to think also dx8 weighted animated format) I just see it not "specially" the best interface out there. But if you for example model outside and animate only with it..maybe. I cant ensure. If it works, could be used as a converter, but haven't used it. 70$ is not really expensive, though.
-I already use Ultimate, character fx together. Character Fx directly exports dx8 format, and is proved that works. In fact, you can export as dx8, and import into Ultimate, even if you see some weird glitches (unless you mirrored bones inside Character Fx, please, avoid that at all costs) in 3d view in Ultimate, internally the data is perfect.
I tested. and exported again as dx8 (even in other weighted format for other test) and works nice in deep exploration demo. It animates there.
Also tested this: export directly as md2 from CFX. It loads perfect also in both Ultimate and Deep Exploration. Also exported as dx8 , and imported into Ultimate. From there, exported as md2 and md3. It seems md3 ultimate's exporter only does it for statics. But again, md2 was seen as it was conceived in Character Fx.
CFX has two problems (mostly as is a incredibly cheap tool for all what it does) : no ik , good working I mean, and no joint pinning. It makes it hard then, for very accurate animations. But for most amateurs games, it plainly rocks. I'm a bit too picky, I know, but I dream witha cheap software, and better if free that allows this. Blender does. Art of Illsussion does. I think is a matter of time to see them have good import/export plugins of md2 and directx8 formats (my favourites, specially dx8, for its capabilities in the artist side )
The guy doing the md2 export for blender is really fast...he has it almost done it...
the one doing the dx8 export one I am almost sure he'll reach it
Art of illussion needs some expert script coders (ehmm..any volunteer
to add it directx 8 and md2 exporters, but usually these two formats (specially dx8) are a pain to code...I suppose, seing the very few engine and 3d packages that added it...luckily, comercial ones already all added dx8 (curiously there is lack of md2)md2 format has very big issues...vertex trembling, incorrect lighting, vertex limits (not a problem yet, but could be...) besides huge in memory : the more memory, the more frames--> usually then artist refrain from doing many frames--> more robotic, less life like. No bones, so no interchangeable parts.... no bone control for the coder..no need for it, but is good that irrlitch will have access to those one day...as then u can mix animations, reuse an arma movement etc...coder can do much more stuff then by code. Also for collision. a cilinder around a bone to get collisions, for example, head bone...
md3 is fragmented -argh- so, way less control of the output by the artits, in the joints...was a very clever solution for the hardware of old time , though.
doom3 (also unreal t 2003, jedi knight, etc) has a very advanced skeleton format for it now...another data to know bones+weights is the way..
directx8 has support for good lighting, weights bones, spline interpolation and a load of more things.
Also seems to be the hardest to add to an engine So every body make a reverence to Niko now oh!
the urls :
Art of Illussion (pass by the forum and offer your codding skills to grab that easy AOI scripting system and add a dx8 exporting plugin...pleeeeazzzeee ;D )
it has ALREADY joint pinning, IK, and a great deal of rendering (not all in this life is realtime
) , best I'm seing in an easy way in the free field.WAY easier than Blender. Though, Blender has been out quite a lot of time, and has some more depth in some fields...BUT...AOI has more depth in other fileds...
Imho this tool is gonna rock. Also I suppose is open source (you need the java runtime installed, but no problem) and quite workable for coders also via plugins, scripts there are easy to do they say.aoi.sourceforge.net
Character FX 15$ ONLY. exports b3d, dx8, nebula engine, md2, isolated objs and 3ds frames (these two often give some problems) Perfectly integrated-tested with Ultimate's(converter/mapper/fixer) animation support.
www.insanesoftware.de
3d canvas 69$ (the ...hey, wait...seems the 35$ one exports md2 and dx8...maybe not animated...beware, as I was not counting on 35$ one for something important I can't remember now...)
www.amabilis.com
blender
www.blender.org
* md2 import script (url often down, try different hours)
it is said is WIP, can have bugs, is not ended, but he released now I'm checking the 0.10 export and 010 import versions..been lucky to download now. I have them!
This could work.They're python scripts, so easier anyway to modify -maybe- for you all great coders Anyway, he's doing stuff at a really high and qucik pace.
He also is doing a huge lot of format scripts. Blender 2.32 allows a lot of more things now, all is growing way quick...In short time it maybe become a great tool for games for patient dedicated artists...
he is doing also an obj and 3d plugin and doom iii animated format. He's got some versions already.
* there are other OBJ and 3d import plugins I use for blender usually. Haven't tested the one's of the above guy yet.
* directx8 export script, he is working on the skelton and may take his time, don't ask him...
http://www.omariben.too.it/
note :
ultimate unwrap does not "animate" . Ie: do not let you manipuale th bones. It lets you import export a lot of animation formats. As a bridge towards the engine.
Character Fx alone does not need it to export directly to directx8, and indeed, the dialog for export in cfx is more complete in dx format.
oops, forgot to login, sorry, that huge post from "guest" was made by me also, Vermeer.
ultimate unwrap does not "animate" . Ie: do not let you manipuale th bones. It lets you import export a lot of animation formats. As a bridge towards the engine.
Character Fx alone does not need it to export directly to directx8, and indeed, the dialog for export in cfx is more complete in dx format.
oops, forgot to login, sorry, that huge post from "guest" was made by me also, Vermeer.
hmm...again, not sure on the 3dcanvas ....I mean, the 35$ one also could work. But dig at the site to guess it...
ouch, I see now. I still recommend 70$ one...it has the 3 bone types,(cilindric, spheric,rounded cilindrical) 35 one does not. Is a not quite good way to avoid letting the artist work at vertex level for weights like you do in Character Fx. I mean, still the 3 types of bones is little control over weights....Anyway, for not very precise weighting, perhaps...I recommend in thi sarea, Character Fx. If not heading for more powrful but more difficult, or not-yet-done plugins, free world.
And a great solution could be AOI if some coder adds dx8 support to it, in the shape of export plugin...(script, after all)
blender has same and more functionaliy in rigging and animation, but imho in AOI is easier to learn. And even more, quicker to set a fixed key. (to avoid a foot slide on the floor or go under it, for you to understand me...and to many other things)
ouch, I see now. I still recommend 70$ one...it has the 3 bone types,(cilindric, spheric,rounded cilindrical) 35 one does not. Is a not quite good way to avoid letting the artist work at vertex level for weights like you do in Character Fx. I mean, still the 3 types of bones is little control over weights....Anyway, for not very precise weighting, perhaps...I recommend in thi sarea, Character Fx. If not heading for more powrful but more difficult, or not-yet-done plugins, free world.
And a great solution could be AOI if some coder adds dx8 support to it, in the shape of export plugin...(script, after all)
blender has same and more functionaliy in rigging and animation, but imho in AOI is easier to learn. And even more, quicker to set a fixed key. (to avoid a foot slide on the floor or go under it, for you to understand me...and to many other things)
hmm, i wonder if that would work...
i wonder, i have licensed copies of both milkshape and ultimate unwrap, i wonder if i could import an md2 into UU then export it as ms3d, and bring it into milkshape with it's animations, that would REALLY rock, cuz then i could convert it to .X
dont have UU here to try it
cuz it has a license key that only works for one pc at a time...(i know he needs to protect his IP, but really, its annoying...)
will have to try that when i get home
-Ted
dont have UU here to try it
cuz it has a license key that only works for one pc at a time...(i know he needs to protect his IP, but really, its annoying...)will have to try that when i get home
-Ted
My irrlicht-based projects have gone underground for now, but if you want, check out my webcomic instead! http://brokenboomerang.net
some things...
you cant. UU don't import md2 in other form than an isolate frame you choose, not whole animation.
It never will be directx 8 in full sense, as md2 already lost bones...doesnt have them...
Character FX (15$) do export both md2 and directx 8 formats, and I tested with other engines that both work....Milkshape also, but it does not supports weights like Character Fx.
You can export from character fx in milshape format towards milkshape, the animation is kept, but not the weights, so it bend uglier once in Milkshape. Its animation tools are worse than Character Fx's. Even so I prefer AOI and Blender than CFX. But Blender is way hard to learn even for an aged artist, AOI yet does not have md2 or directx8 export...but it has all my hopes...Also Blender, as I waste a lot of hours in learning that interface...
in themeantime, and as it could NEVER come, younevber know, 15$ more is not that much..i did not regret it, like didn't with UU, Milkshape...
you cant. UU don't import md2 in other form than an isolate frame you choose, not whole animation.
It never will be directx 8 in full sense, as md2 already lost bones...doesnt have them...
Character FX (15$) do export both md2 and directx 8 formats, and I tested with other engines that both work....Milkshape also, but it does not supports weights like Character Fx.
You can export from character fx in milshape format towards milkshape, the animation is kept, but not the weights, so it bend uglier once in Milkshape. Its animation tools are worse than Character Fx's. Even so I prefer AOI and Blender than CFX. But Blender is way hard to learn even for an aged artist, AOI yet does not have md2 or directx8 export...but it has all my hopes...Also Blender, as I waste a lot of hours in learning that interface...
in themeantime, and as it could NEVER come, younevber know, 15$ more is not that much..i did not regret it, like didn't with UU, Milkshape...
oh, sorry, if you're only wish is do a conversion, md2--> x (not clever, as that dx8 file wont have bones...) ...then CFX either does it. It only imports OBJ (triangulate first) or 3ds....I think milkshape "static" also.
Only ones to import an md2 and export...(but surely as md2 again, not as dx8) would be 3d canvas, and free Quake modeller (md2-->md2) But trust me,first has not very good ui, though hey, if it works as convertor, already worth the meny, maybe for conversions would suffice the 35 $ version, as in the forums there... the second one, Quake Modeller, is really hard to handle, trust me... Mostly to import models correctly and stuff...
Still, I used it to fix some md2, some time ago. Quake modeller even have bones (a trick, like in cfx, as md2 format dont have bones. that's way no way to convert to dx, unless is softskinned, interpolated meshes per frame...but that's heavier in memory, a less powerful for all than bones and weights...)
In two words...Character Fx. At least, for now.
Only ones to import an md2 and export...(but surely as md2 again, not as dx8) would be 3d canvas, and free Quake modeller (md2-->md2) But trust me,first has not very good ui, though hey, if it works as convertor, already worth the meny, maybe for conversions would suffice the 35 $ version, as in the forums there... the second one, Quake Modeller, is really hard to handle, trust me... Mostly to import models correctly and stuff...
Still, I used it to fix some md2, some time ago. Quake modeller even have bones (a trick, like in cfx, as md2 format dont have bones. that's way no way to convert to dx, unless is softskinned, interpolated meshes per frame...but that's heavier in memory, a less powerful for all than bones and weights...)
In two words...Character Fx. At least, for now.
need talent..
welp #1 problem is i have very little artistic talent when it comes to animation heh. cfx is definitely a very nice animation package i agree. and good point about still having no bones ah well, heh back to the drawing board lol...
-ted
ah well, heh back to the drawing board lol...-ted
My irrlicht-based projects have gone underground for now, but if you want, check out my webcomic instead! http://brokenboomerang.net