Milkshape3D MS3D help needed

[paul_nicholls]

Hi,

I did a ms3d binary file format reader/writer long time ago.

- Refcount should have to be 0, it is used internally by milkshape and it start with that value.
- You need to have at least one group and assign your data to that group;
- smoothgroup should have to be value 1.
- Note that if you want to include MS3D_VertexEX data you have to put propely the subversion value.

This is a copy of my ms3d reader/writer wich include bones and animations with weight vertex; but it discard comments data; I hope it can be usefull for someone.

http://www.dxtre3d.com/temp/ms3dunit.pas

Note that i dont have idea which is today current ms3d filformat version, but Mete was always carefull not to break backward compatibilty so this reader/writer should work with today ms3d files.

good luck with the bones and animations part of your plugins, it is a realy headache to interpret correct that data if you have not experience with skelatal animations.


Good luck
Tp.

Thanks tpascal!

It should be quite helpful

I'm pretty sure I won't be doing MS3D_VertexEX at all...

cheers,
Paul

[paul_nicholls]

Hi again guys/gals

I have now gotten my ms3d importer working (including textures, but no joints yet), and my ms3d exporter working (including textures and joints), but I still have a problem...

The exporter only SEEMS to export ok to ms3d animated DeleD objects that only contain joint rotations, but as soon as an animation contains joint translations too, then the output animation is screwed up

Looking at the ms3d joint structures:

typedef struct // 16 bytes
{
  float      time;                // time in seconds
  float      rotation[3];            // x, y, z angles
} ms3d_keyframe_rot_t;

typedef struct // 16 bytes
{
  float      time;                // time in seconds
  float      position[3];            // local position
} ms3d_keyframe_pos_t;

typedef struct
{
  byte      flags;               // SELECTED | DIRTY
  char      name[32];              //
  char      parentName[32];           //
  float      rotation[3];            // local reference matrix
  float      position[3];

  word      numKeyFramesRot;          //
  word      numKeyFramesTrans;         //

  ms3d_keyframe_rot_t keyFramesRot[numKeyFramesRot];   // local animation matrices
  ms3d_keyframe_pos_t keyFramesTrans[numKeyFramesTrans]; // local animation matrices
} ms3d_joint_t;

Does anyone know what sort of positional values go in the position field of the ms3d_keyframe_pos_t structure? Are they absolute values, or are they relative to something else...a joint perhaps?

For example, I discovered that the ms3d_joint_t position field is relative to the parent joint.

So this means that this position is absolute if the joint has no parent, but is an offset from the parent joint position if it exists...

Here are two videos I did of two DeleD animated models exported to ms3d:

Jeroen's Lamp (seems to work ok, and includes BOTH animations back-to-back!)
http://fpc4gp2x.eonclash.com/downloa...animation.html

Chronozphere's mech (still not working properly due to joint translations)
http://fpc4gp2x.eonclash.com/downloa...animation.html

Any ideas?

cheers,
Paul

[chronozphere]

Make a DeleD animation of a cube that translates. This would be a good experiment to find out how you should enter the translation in your datastructures. Just tweak your code until that example works.

[paul_nicholls]

Sounds like a good idea, I will try it

cheers,
Paul

[mckinnley.workman]

Hey! I am writing a chess game program simulation and am in need of chess pieces that I can open with milkshape 3d file (.ms3d). Any idea where I can get it or import it, download it, etc? Thanks McKinnley