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Hi, I am still learning how to add custom media into fps creator. I have made a safe for test purposes (and think it might come in handy at some point). I have it animated so it will open and have attempted to add some shader effects with a normal and spec map.
I have a problem with both Firstly I cannot get the shaders included with fps to do much at all. I have made a shader that works(uses the textures) but I am not that happy with it. I have tried bump.fx, bumpent.fx etc but they don't seem to use my images. I have trawled the forums for stuff but find little to help me. The maps have the relevant _S,_D,_N on the ends of the filenames. I have not made an illumination map as I am unsure how, and thought that was covered by the specular?
Secondly the animation is ending early. Is there a limit to 60 frames in FPS creator? The anim is 90 frames long, I have made my fpe file stating frames 0,90. It worked fine with 30, however it was way too fast. So I upped it to 90 and now the door opens, just not all the way. It looks to me like it stops at frame 60.

I basically edited the dooruse.fpe
and the fpi file..


Any help would be appreciated.

I'm not really familiar with animating,but you can export the animated model with a lower frame rate.

Default is around 20-24,so if it's so fast export it at 15.

Or you can always simulate 2 animations one after another.

anim0 = 0,45
anim1= 45,90

and play the second right after the first ends.

Delete your bin and dbo files.
Maybe you need to turn on full shaders.

I tried lowering frame rate before increasing frames, but was not really happy with the smoothness in the 3d package. It's actually running at 30fps as standard 10, or 15 was too jerky imo. I'll have a look at changing the script, but unsure about that as at the min it simply plays an anim, for frame to frame. I'm not sure how to get a second animation in the script. Obviously in the fpi file I can add anim2=45,90, but the script doesn't actually specify an animation number, just the frames, so not sure why I have to bother with the ranges in the fpi file at all. Seems a major faff to open a door, having to split it into 2 anims and THEN doing it again backwards for the door shutting.
I take it I am right in guessing there is some frame limit? Still not sure here.

Rolfy, I delete them as a matter of course now when trying to import changes. So it's not that causing the shaders not to work. The shaders aren't very well documented at all, and TGC should think about this a little more when adding in new stuff. Would it hurt them to do an official tutorial on taking an object and getting it working from scratch using their standard shaders? A basic UVW mapped box would do for example purposes. I'm sure it would help a lot of people who want to join the rest of the dev community in 2010, instead of settling for 10 year old looking graphics.. I know it is hard to do because it involves more than just TGC products, but a GIMP tut about getting all the different map types made, and what to name each as etc would really help lots of people. As GIMP is a free package anyone can grab it to follow along. Only one I have seen here is by bond, but it features photoshop which I do not own or ever will. And that doesn't mention half the maps that seem required in fps.
I'll have a go later today at the animation. See if possibly a 60 frame anim will suffice as that seems to be where it stops. Still would be nice to get a definite answer on frame length.
Thanks for the help so far anyway guys.If I ever suss this lot out and theres still no good tuts out there I will do one myself!

You seem to be giving yourself a headache.Relax,drink a beer and then continue work.



:state=0:animate=1
:state=0,frameatend=1:state=1
:state=1:animate=2

This is off-top but that should do the trick.

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/FPI_Script - Read this for more info

Ah, animate 1 and 2 plays each anim I assume? I was using inc frame rather than that command, as that is what was used in the usedoor script. I'll take a look at that link, thanks. Still not sure if there is a limit to the anim frames or if it is some script issue though (couldn't see a count apart from the animation)
Referring to Shaders again, would be nice to see a tut for GIMP to do the same as in bonds photoshop tut. I copied it as best I could in gimp but had to resort to guesswork on the part where he uses the photoshop effect to find edges. None of the options I could see would produce the same effect in GIMP.

No limit as far as I am aware, I've created characters with 1200 animation frames, although not actually tried to play 'em all at once usually call these in parts, I have done some animated models with well over 300 played at one sitting, so thats not your problem.
If there is a limit I haven't reached it yet, would think that would more a memory issue.
.

Hmm, must be something in the script then, I couldn't see a reason for it myself, but not knowing the internal structure of fps creator wasn't sure. Will take a longer think over it.
Edit - Not too long a think so far lol but looking at the script I cannot see why it doesn't work already. It sets the frame to 0 at the start, plays through the animation until the end (apparently) and then sets the state so it can reverse the process. Why is the frameatend command seemingly not working if there is no hidden limit? I am a little reluctant to reinvent the wheel as such by investigating an alternate script until, I understand why this doesn't work at present. I will have to check if the animation is actually running with all 90 frames in DB I think, just to make sure it isn't the object itself causing the problem. Which I am starting to think is the problem.
Edit - Yupp, the media was the issue Sorted it. Although it was set to 90 frames in the package, the export was doing just 60 Spooky how I guessed it correctly, must be a natural talent lol. Now all I have is the shader issue, also struggling with making a spanner I can use in game, trying to use the gun tutorials I have seen but so far my spanner stays in my pocket as far as I can tell lol. I have tried to use the entity maker for this but can't see anything about alternate models in the options, and from what I have read you need 2 models to get it to work.