Sorry your browser is not supported!

You are using an outdated browser that does not support modern web technologies, in order to use this site please update to a new browser.

Browsers supported include Chrome, FireFox, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer 10+ or Microsoft Edge.

DarkBASIC Discussion / Animation via static meshes

Author
Message
HenryTj
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 2nd Nov 2005
Location:
Posted: 4th Aug 2006 08:53
Link
I have seen bits and pieces of information that seem to hint that it is possible to perform object animation by loading a series of static meshes. However, I have yet to get this to work. I only end up with the last mesh that I loaded. Is this possible, and if so, what is the trick?

Thanks,
Henry
Back to top
Profile PM
Kentaree
22
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 5th Oct 2002
Location: Clonmel, Ireland
Posted: 4th Aug 2006 11:41
Link
This is just a guess, but where you're loading all the objects using one object number, load them into different object numbers and hide them. You can then unhide the correct object according to what position you want it to be in.

Nephin Games
Devhat Developer Network and IRC Channel
Back to top
Profile PM Email Website
Latch
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 23rd Jul 2006
Location:
Posted: 4th Aug 2006 11:46
Link
Hello,

I'm new to DBC and just taking a stab at this, but couldn't you use the make mesh from object command (over a series of objects). After each one, assign it a different memblock (make memblock from mesh), and then just cycle all the memblocks using 'change mesh from memblock'... Of course I left out a ton of details: in between 'change mesh from memblock' you would want to make an object from the mesh - essentially that would be your animation - though very memory intensive

It sounds ok in theory to me...

Enjoy your day.
Back to top
Profile PM
HenryTj
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 2nd Nov 2005
Location:
Posted: 4th Aug 2006 13:28
Link
Thanks, but if it involves all that, then I will simply move on and look for another game making system.

Henry
Back to top
Profile PM
Latch
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 23rd Jul 2006
Location:
Posted: 4th Aug 2006 22:37
Link
Hi Henry,

You used the term "static meshes" so I assume you meant a specific type of object that is "static" and not meant for animation. There are a series of animation commands in dark basic to animate your objects. You can also use various 3d apps and then create a direct x file that has the animation contained.

I have a post on here that describes how to use Blender to do the task (Blender is an open source 3d modeling and animation application).

You just want to do simple animation in DarkBasic Classic (DBC), just create your meshes, assign the ones you want as limbs, and then use the different animation commands in DBC to do the job.

Enjoy your day.
Back to top
Profile PM
HenryTj
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 2nd Nov 2005
Location:
Posted: 5th Aug 2006 02:59
Link
I used the phrase "static mesh" as I think that was repeated back to me. I know how to use several programs (self taught) to make still 3-D renders and video animation. But to gaming I am new and it seem to be a whole different subset of technology and terminology. I use C4D as my primary 3-D tool and I like it a great deal.

Here is what I had hoped to do. I want to make a single mesh figure in C4D, animate it using bones, and export it for use in gaming software (such as Dark Basic.) I have been told that DB-Classic can not do this. I thought I had been told that DB-Pro could. I downloaded the Pro tryout and I seem to have no better luck with Pro, than I did with Classic. Maybe I was told wrong that DB could do this or maybe my past question(s) were misunderstood.

Henry
Back to top
Profile PM
Latch
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 23rd Jul 2006
Location:
Posted: 5th Aug 2006 03:22
Link
Hi Henry,

I haven't been able to successfully use bone or skin weighted animations with DarkBasic Classic. It does, however, support articulated structural animation pretty well.

Basically, you would have one object made up of several different meshes. They are NOT tied together by armature or bones, but by parent child relationships or limbs. You animate the object by moving each limb a little bit and and setting a keyframe.

I think a lot of 3d software use this technique for animating an entire scene. All the objects in the scene get placed at different positions and keyframes are set. If you can export a directx or 3ds file from C4D that is an animated scene, you might be in business. I don't really know because I have never used C4D.

Though you'd essentially be using a scene to create one character in DBC. I'd actually be curious to hear if that worked! I almost got it to work with a program called Anim8tor, so I know in theory it is possible.

I hope this is helpful.

Enjoy your day.
Back to top
Profile PM
HenryTj
19
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 2nd Nov 2005
Location:
Posted: 5th Aug 2006 05:28
Link
Yes, I have done that. And it does work. But it seems an awkward way to do it and I have trouble believing there are not much more streamlined ways of doing it. With C4D I recall having to place each sub-object (or limb) in its own separate file for exporting as there does not seem to be a "only selected objects" option in any of the exporters. Unless there is something I am missing, you have to export from separate C4D files for every body part.

Henry
Back to top
Profile PM
Latch
18
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 23rd Jul 2006
Location:
Posted: 5th Aug 2006 05:54
Link
hmmmm... that's too bad about the multiple file thing. It sounds like you're a bit frustrated like I was. I couldn't find an appropriate plugin for any of the 3d software I had to export animation - so I wrote my own...

While I know this is a big pain, sometimes it's the only way to do it or shell out the cash for an expensive app. Or use a language like C. DarkBasic has a lot of neat tricks that can make things easier in terms of game prgramming, but it's tough dealing with Direct X - and I don't think DarkBasic recognizes all the settings within a Direct X file, that's why exported files don't seem to work right. I only found that out by constantly tweaking a direct x file until it worked in DBC.

I still recommend Blender. The script I wrote will export all the meshes in a scene at once as one object in one direct x file. Blender does take some learning, but it is a free download and so is my script. If you want, I can give you links to both.

Enjoy your day.
Back to top
Profile PM
Back to top

Login to post a reply

Server time is: 2025-05-25 06:53:48
Your offset time is: 2025-05-25 06:53:48