An Animation Bank? Should we make one?

[BlinkBoy]

You know guys, I've been asking myself. There are so many good mdledits out there but most of them always use the same blizzard animations. So I was thinking that we could create a thread through which we could share our animations to those mdl editers.

The idea is simple: We pass our animations to the villager model or any wc3 units and we use a common Bone Structure for everything to be able to transfer animations.

I myself have thousends of models which I have animated and I would like to share some of those Anims. Among them I have Mario-animations, Fensters, Swordsmen, Musketteers, etc. I think this could help the community a lot.

So what do you say?

 

[dansaDisco]

Y_e_s

 

[HappyTauren]

D_e_f_i_n_i_t_e_l_y. Yeah, it'd own, I really need that stuff. Villager for compatibility, sure.

 

[NhazUl]

Yeah... I should make some too.

Btw, if you go to XGM.ru and download the English version of MdlVis, you will be able to transfer animations without all that bone renaming and stuff... And all the work needed for even scratch modeling could be done with only Magos and MdlVis. ^.^

Well, I'd say that there be a couple of models used as "animation banks" due to the different bone structures:
- Humanoid - all humanoid models - humans, orcs, elves, ogres.
- Tauric - tauren/Archimonde/Doomguard/Razormane/whatever humanoid with hooves.
- centaur - centaur/magnataur/pitlord.
- Dwarf - well the human skeleton would do, but adjusting proportions would be annoying if it needs to be done everytime. Could be useful for other short races, like goblins and kobolds.
- Mounted - Knight/Garithos (with its duplicate geosets I'd not recommend)/Death Knight,Archmage/Wolfrider.
- Vehicle - Catapult/Ballista/Steam tank.
- Flying - all types of winged creatures. Well, I guess a humanoid skeleton would do it for a gargoyle, but what if someone wants the arms to move separately from the wings?
- Flying mounted - well someone would require custom animations for his wisp butterfly rider, right?
- Reptilian - well few people make models which walk on their tails, but what if someone decides to make a naga or hydralisk with custom animations?

 

[BlinkBoy]

Yeah... I should make some too.

Btw, if you go to XGM.ru and download the English version of MdlVis, you will be able to transfer animations without all that bone renaming and stuff... And all the work needed for even scratch modeling could be done with only Magos and MdlVis. ^.^

well I use 3dsmax for anim transfering, but I doubt most people here use mdlvis, I think most use oinker's so we need to have a convention.

 

[Direfury]

If this is going to happen, you'll need to have certain categories.

For example,
RPG:
Would most likely have to have varied 2H, 1H and unarmed attacks, aswell as spell anims, probably few idle anims, and maybe some other misc. anims

 

[BlinkBoy]

For the time being it will just be an sticky thread where people just post the animations. If it turns into a great succes, I'll speak to Ralle about an Animation section in resources.

About the bone structures, we will only focus on humanoids for the time being, we'll add new conventions later.

 

[Callahan]

Good idea It will be like an UTM but for model animation.
Now we need a mdl file with humanoid bone structure.
The villager is indeed good for start.

 

[wugiboy]

I've had this idea for quite awhile, in fact I even have a footman with some custom pikeman animations made for it and intended to upload it , hmmmm I'll see if its still in my harddrive

 

[BlinkBoy]

Yeah, indeed, yet I'll have to clean up the villager model for the animations.

 

[skrab]

Yeah this is a great idea BlinkBoy
I also have a lot of animations I never posted and maybe I could add them on the villagers bone structure.
Will requesting be allowed in that thread?

 

[xXm0RpH3usXx]

well, you can easily animate using motion capture data, cant you?
i mean, you can convert it with blinks neodex script

 

[BlinkBoy]

Yeah this is a great idea BlinkBoy
I also have a lot of animations I never posted and maybe I could add them on the villagers bone structure.
Will requesting be allowed in that thread?

hmm, I could make a Animation Request thread at the Request forum and link both threads.

well, you can easily animate using motion capture data, cant you?
i mean, you can convert it with blinks neodex script

Yeah, but that's if you use 3dsmax and you have the animations in that format. However, this is mainly for MDL editers who don't use 3dsmax.

 

[xXm0RpH3usXx]

so someone with max would need to convert them for the mdl editers...

 

[BlinkBoy]

Well 10 votes in favor, none against. I'll start writting the rules for the bank and the guidelines. I'll also prepare some model, I think I'll post the Mario Animations since they are the most standard that I have.

 

[Taylor Mouse]

How are the guidelines coming ?

 

[Linaze]

I don't see why not, so I vote yes.

 

[Kwaliti]

I ruined your perfect 20-0. Now it's 21-0.

I totally support the idea.

 

[anarchianbedlam]

That has got to be one of the best ideas i have ever heard!
You know what else would be helpful though... not only a full-animation "bank" but also partial rotation keyframes, put in a thread like a library.

Once you get the hang of using notepad to edit models in mdl format, It can be an invaluable tool for manually editing and tweaking animations. creating a list of simple, "mostly used" rotations in linear format or hermite (linear for warforger animations hermite for blizzard) to rotate bones 90, 180, 270, 360 degrees on the XYZ axis'. or other useful things. Such as a full 360 rotation for wheels on vehicles. or a 30 to -30 turn sequence to put on tanks (as a "looking" stand-2 animation) or 90 for a simple "raised arm" movement

Something like that however, would most likely not merit a full section. But if you do make an animation bank (which would be a kickass idea), maybe you could put a thread in that section with an organized library of these simple and useful rotations.

 

[Deolrin]

Sounds awesome. I voted for yes.

 

[skrab]

Everyone says "yes its a good idea" and stuff like that..
but how many people will actually work on making the animations?

 

[JokeMaster]

Yes for some building anim's.

 

[Dionesiist]

Everyone says "yes its a good idea" and stuff like that..
but how many people will actually work on making the animations?

BlinkBoy of course.

 

[Taylor Mouse]

Yeah, or making a skeleton for walking, running, dieing, a few idles, you know, all in different animation files, so people can learn and use-reuse the basic animations.

Totally great idea

T.

 

[Callahan]

BlinkBoy of course.

I think more about everyone can make an animation and submit it.

 

[Dionesiist]

I was joking, Callahan, I'll actually try and contribute myself (even though my animations aren't the most liked.)

 

[anarchianbedlam]

ya, i could make that keyframe library i suggested, and id be more than happy so submit some full-set animations as well

 

[BlinkBoy]

I was joking, Callahan, I'll actually try and contribute myself (even though my animations aren't the most liked.)

reserve your jokes for later or I kill ya!

 

[Elenai]

Holy Freakin Yes! Make an animation bank!

(I just reinstalled wc3, and I hate using blizzard's animations)

 

[BlinkBoy]

Sorry guys that I haven't created it yet, but I'm working on something very special for NeoDex which will make skinning a mesh no longer a problem and also a BLP exporter that exports the same type of BLPs as Art Tools.

 

[Taylor Mouse]

Interesting, this blp add in and of course the skinning

Good luck Blinkboy

T.