In-depth Animation Tutorial [3ds max]

[BlinkBoy]

Fixed some of the typo errors and improved a bit the tutorial's drafting in some sections. By the way, this tutorial can also be used for starcraft 2 animation basics.

 

[BlinkBoy]

Update!

Aded non-internet version of the tutorial in "Tutorial.rar" just download it, unzip it somewhere and open the html.

 

[tobyfat50]

Good tutorial I'll read it. I'm looking for a way to fix the way models get screwed up after exporting with neo deX, however They seem to look fine in 3ds max. ACTUALLY THE MODELS WORK FINE BUT THE TORSO IS GETTING MESSED UP.

 

[BlinkBoy]

Good tutorial I'll read it. I'm looking for a way to fix the way models get screwed up after exporting with neo deX, however They seem to look fine in 3ds max. ACTUALLY THE MODELS WORK FINE BUT THE TORSO IS GETTING MESSED UP.

Dexporter shows few warnnings compared to art tools, so you must be careful and knowledgefull of what you are doing. I suggest you read the tutorial, since following those steps will avoid many of dexporters troubles.

 

[HammerFist132]

Blink Boy can you help me:

I am slowly and with pauses learning this tutorial, so far I got to the skinning, I created bones and added, in modifier editor "skin", but my model have plenty geosets (9 of them), so for excample, for my "boots geoset", is there need to I add chest and hand left bones for excampl, or only pelvis and leg/foot bones would be enoug?

 

[BallisticTerrain]

In your tutorial, you say that in warcraft 3 vertices are affected "proportionally".
I'm currently attempting to animate a base character, but when imported into warcraft 3 it warps horribly and looks so deformed you can't even tell what it is. Since I followed your tutorial to the letter up to using the weight table, (instead I used the weight tool and individually set weights to all vertices) I'm going to guess that It has something to do with unbalanced weights. I can't really tell what this means in your tutorial though, so could you give me some more guidance on what exactly you mean here?


EDIT: Still having problems. I skinned the entire model with the weight table. Every vertex has a total weight of 1. Some are only assigned to one bone with a weight of 1, some are assigned to two bones with weights of .500 on each bone. This is what It looks like in 3ds max before exporting and after all modification.

(Max 2010, Mesh is finished, texture and UVs are still being worked on.)

Reveal

And this is what it looks like in warcraft 3 after I assign the model to a doodad to test it. Same result if assigned to a unit. (Obviously.)

The Horror!

I have no clue what is going on. Any ideas? All help is appreciated.


Just by the way, your NeoDex tool is awesome. With the help of newer max versions people have been able to create some pretty amazing things with it.
Exhibit A: http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/map-development-202/memento-mori-231499/
I hope you keep updating it and improving it. With even more functionality, (everything you can transfer over from art tools) who knows we could do.

 

[BlinkBoy]

In your tutorial, you say that in warcraft 3 vertices are affected "proportionally".
I'm currently attempting to animate a base character, but when imported into warcraft 3 it warps horribly and looks so deformed you can't even tell what it is. Since I followed your tutorial to the letter up to using the weight table, (instead I used the weight tool and individually set weights to all vertices) I'm going to guess that It has something to do with unbalanced weights. I can't really tell what this means in your tutorial though, so could you give me some more guidance on what exactly you mean here?


EDIT: Still having problems. I skinned the entire model with the weight table. Every vertex has a total weight of 1. Some are only assigned to one bone with a weight of 1, some are assigned to two bones with weights of .500 on each bone. This is what It looks like in 3ds max before exporting and after all modification.

(Max 2010, Mesh is finished, texture and UVs are still being worked on.)

Reveal

And this is what it looks like in warcraft 3 after I assign the model to a doodad to test it. Same result if assigned to a unit. (Obviously.)

The Horror!

I have no clue what is going on. Any ideas? All help is appreciated.


Just by the way, your NeoDex tool is awesome. With the help of newer max versions people have been able to create some pretty amazing things with it.
Exhibit A: http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/map-development-202/memento-mori-231499/
I hope you keep updating it and improving it. With even more functionality, (everything you can transfer over from art tools) who knows we could do.

That's a lil bug in NeoDex that I never finished fixing (it meaned to recode the full core of the original dexporter which is the base of neodex). However, there´s a fast hotfix for it. Just get Mago´s Model Editor, open the model with it and resave it. It should fix it up.

EDIT: sorry for the late reply.

 

[BallisticTerrain]

Seriously? Thats all?
Thank you so much I love you.
I can now actually make characters!
Thank god now my project will be awesome.

 

[BallisticTerrain]

Alright, that didn't work for my model but when I imported yours it worked. Any more ideas? It obviously works but not for my particular model. I wonder If I should just remake it or what.

 

[BlinkBoy]

send me your exported model by pm. I'll check it out.

Btw I'm working on a new version of the exporter which may lack some feutures but will be less buggy.

 

[BallisticTerrain]

Ok, I'll send it. Give me a second.
Good to hear about the exporter!

 

[BlinkBoy]

Okay i have updated the tutorial and I have added a section with the new Skinning Method in NeoDex 2.

 

[Talavaj]

Lol, turned out I still quite don't get wc3 animation. I animated a bunch of foliage only to find out every single one is messed up after exporting.

This applies on some grass/bushes I made, I attached the top vertices to a bone while the lower vertices are not assigned so the base stands still.
I animated the bone so it moves horizontally for a faint swaying motion but when exported the vertices raise up and down (and appear to be scaling ?) and then spazzes out fast as if the grass turned into a living heart.

I have no idea what happened, I use the proper controllers and it looks perfectly fine in max.
Any idea what I'm doing wrong ? The weights look fine too and zero weights are removed.

 

[BlinkBoy]

Extremely weird, have you tried AT skinning instead? it's normaly easier and more blizzlike.

 

[Akiyamka]

NeoDex 2.61 does not convert in the mdx is not one of my models made ​​for this lesson. I read over and over again, trying to figure out where I err. In the end I tried to convert Tutorial.max Attached to the end of the tutorial, and NeoDex again returns an error. What could be the reason?

I use Autodesk 3dmax 2012 x64
Here is what is written in listener:

-- Error occurred in V loop; filename: C:\Users\Alexander\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsMax\2012 - 64bit\enu\UI\usermacros\NeoDex Toolkit-NeoDex_Exporter.mcr; position: 99441; line: 3849
--  Frame:
--   matrixindex: undefined
--   bonegroup: #(9)
--   V: 2
--   found: undefined
--   count: 1
--   bonenodes: #()
--   weights: #(1.0)
--   called in LoadGeoset(); filename: C:\Users\Alexander\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsMax\2012 - 64bit\enu\UI\usermacros\NeoDex Toolkit-NeoDex_Exporter.mcr; position: 99615; line: 3857
--  Frame:
--   obj: $VillagerKid11
--   generateFakeBone: generateFakeBone()
--   loadName: "Loading VillagerKid11: "
--   tmp: undefined
--   matrixindices: #()
--   funcVertexCount: skinOps.GetVertexWeightCount()
--   map: undefined
--   verts: #()
--   tverts: #()
--   funcGetWeight: skinOps.GetVertexWeight()
--   numverts: undefined
--   tex: true
--   validSkin: true
--   preCalculatedNormals: undefined
--   geoset: (Wc3Geoset mesh:$VillagerKid11 vertices:#() normals:#() tvertices:#() matrixindices:#() faces:#() matrices:#() material:undefined id:0 geosetAnimId:undefined mainExtents:undefined extents:#() numUVWmaps:1 unselectable:false visObj:undefined ex:undefined)
--   matrices: #(#(9))
--   replaceBone: (FakeObject name:"Default Bone" pos:[0,0,0] parent:undefined ref:undefined)
--   tmpIndices: #(0, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, ...)
--   facegroupMapper: undefined
--   getVisObject: getVisObject()
--   tmpBones: #($Bone_Pelvis, $Bone_Leg1_L, $Bone_Leg2_L, $Bone_Foot_L, $Bone_Leg1_R, $Bone_Leg2_R, $Bone_Foot_R, $Bone_Chest, $Bone_Head, $Bone_Arm1_L, $Bone_Arm2_L, $Bone_Hand_L, $Bone_Arm1_R, $Bone_Arm2_R, $Bone_Hand_R, (FakeObject name:"Default Bone" pos:[0,0,0] parent:undefined ref:undefined))
--   canSimplifyUnwrapCalculation: undefined
--   vertexIndices: undefined
--   checkWeights: checkWeights()
--   s: Skin:Skin
--   mapper: undefined
--   NumBones: 16
--   funcBoneName: skinOps.GetBoneName()
--   hasUnwrap: undefined
--   faces: undefined
--   normals: #()
--   funcNodename: getNodeByName()
--   weightsUnbalanced: false
--   count: undefined
--   funcBoneId: skinOps.GetVertexWeightBoneID()
--   called in obj loop; filename: C:\Users\Alexander\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsMax\2012 - 64bit\enu\UI\usermacros\NeoDex Toolkit-NeoDex_Exporter.mcr; position: 111898; line: 4269
--  Frame:
--   obj: $VillagerKid11
--   called in LoadObjects(); filename: C:\Users\Alexander\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsMax\2012 - 64bit\enu\UI\usermacros\NeoDex Toolkit-NeoDex_Exporter.mcr; position: 111975; line: 4277
--  Frame:
--   tmp: undefined
--   FaultyBones: undefined
--   FUNc: undefined
--   progressAdder: 5.88235
--   PROGRESS: 0.0
--   helpersArray: undefined
--   isMdlBone: undefined
--   h: undefined
--   isMdlHelper: undefined
--   called in ParseScene(); filename: C:\Users\Alexander\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsMax\2012 - 64bit\enu\UI\usermacros\NeoDex Toolkit-NeoDex_Exporter.mcr; position: 133607; line: 5011
--  Frame:
--   tmp: tmp()
--   mergeGeosets: true
--   ATFixNormals: true
--   ATThresshold: 0.1
--   extentsCalculation: 2
--   extentsPrecision: 6
--   faceGroups: true
--   model: undefined
--   called in ExpMDL.pressed(); filename: C:\Users\Alexander\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsMax\2012 - 64bit\enu\UI\usermacros\NeoDex Toolkit-NeoDex_Exporter.mcr; position: 187553; line: 6811
--  Frame:
--   sel: #($VillagerKid11)
--   len: (interval 0f 100f)
--   outfile_name: "C:\Users\Alexander\Desktop\333.mdx"
--   time1: 3511258
--   sliderTmp: 0f
--   model: undefined
--   noError: undefined
--   inside: true
--   usesMdx: true
>> MAXScript Rollout Handler Exception:
-- Unknown system exception <<

 

[BlinkBoy]

looks like you need to reinstall it. The error says "Unknown system exception"

 

[Akiyamka]

The problem was solved installation 3dmax 2010 instead of 3d max 2012. The only problem is the fact that the imported models do not have bones in the skeleton (only auxiliary points). This is not very critical, the main thing that was able to import the animation. Thank you so much for this script!

 

[BlinkBoy]

The problem was solved installation 3dmax 2010 instead of 3d max 2012. The only problem is the fact that the imported models do not have bones in the skeleton (only auxiliary points). This is not very critical, the main thing that was able to import the animation. Thank you so much for this script!

In the next version it will be optional either if you want points or max bones, it will also remove stupid bones, thus allowing you to animate with more ease.

Also I suggest using max 2011. I develop in that version and it's the version used by Sc2 Art Tools.

 

[Solu9]

Okay firstly. This tutorial is so friggin awesome. I can't believe it's as old as it is.

Secondly.
I have tried following the tutorial viciously and I wanted to do a test export after completing the "Stand -1" animation.
Actually nothing happens in this animation. I just copied the start frame (frame 10) to the end frame (frame 46). *Edit* oh, and yes, I have keys set in the timeline.
Anyway.
When I export the model (I click the mesh and all the bones including the Root) I get "Export successful" but also an error.
It says:
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// No Sequences
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// No sequence data was found on the scene (Track View -> Objects -> NoteTrack).
// This warnning may also show if the data is not formated correctly
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// RootNode
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

I have already created a note and placed two keys (one at frame 10 and one at fram 46). I named them both "Stand -1" (with the quotation marks).

What can cause this?

 

[BlinkBoy]

Okay firstly. This tutorial is so friggin awesome. I can't believe it's as old as it is.

Secondly.
I have tried following the tutorial viciously and I wanted to do a test export after completing the "Stand -1" animation.
Actually nothing happens in this animation. I just copied the start frame (frame 10) to the end frame (frame 46). *Edit* oh, and yes, I have keys set in the timeline.
Anyway.
When I export the model (I click the mesh and all the bones including the Root) I get "Export successful" but also an error.
It says:
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// No Sequences
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// No sequence data was found on the scene (Track View -> Objects -> NoteTrack).
// This warnning may also show if the data is not formated correctly
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// RootNode
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

I have already created a note and placed two keys (one at frame 10 and one at fram 46). I named them both "Stand -1" (with the quotation marks).

What can cause this?

I need information like 3dsmax version and if you could get an screenshot of dopesheet editor withg the keys.

 

[Solu9]

I need information like 3dsmax version and if you could get an screenshot of dopesheet editor withg the keys.

After some time away from trying out animating I am ready to continue.
So I believe I just did the note settings wrong because now I don't get an error anymore.

Afterwards I had a serious issue where nothing but the "Stand - 1" animation were exported, no mesh, no bones, no nothing.
I searched and searched and finally became aware of Edit Mesh. I'm used to work with Edit Poly.
This however fixed the mesh which now get exported and properly shows in Magos.

I still got a few problems though.
-Eventhough I use 2 Material IDs I only get 1 material in Magos (apparently I only got 1 geoset as well)
-The "Stand - 1" animation seem to get exported but no bones (I have tried, when exporting with NeoDex, to select both bones + mesh, only mesh, only bones, and nothing at all) Same result everytime.

I use 3Ds Max 2015


Bonus question:
Does NeoDex support Biped use?
Nevermind, I see it should.

 

[BlinkBoy]

After some time away from trying out animating I am ready to continue.
So I believe I just did the note settings wrong because now I don't get an error anymore.

Afterwards I had a serious issue where nothing but the "Stand - 1" animation were exported, no mesh, no bones, no nothing.
I searched and searched and finally became aware of Edit Mesh. I'm used to work with Edit Poly.
This however fixed the mesh which now get exported and properly shows in Magos.

I still got a few problems though.
-Eventhough I use 2 Material IDs I only get 1 material in Magos (apparently I only got 1 geoset as well)
-The "Stand - 1" animation seem to get exported but no bones (I have tried, when exporting with NeoDex, to select both bones + mesh, only mesh, only bones, and nothing at all) Same result everytime.

I use 3Ds Max 2015


Bonus question:
Does NeoDex support Biped use?
Nevermind, I see it should.

Have you tried the samples?

 

[Solu9]

Have you tried the samples?

No I haven't.
Though I eventually got it fixed which resulted in the Windmill model I uploaded earlier.
I can't for the life of me remember what I did (or did wrong).

Got a new question (of course).
I've got this model which is rigged with CAT. For a school assignment.
The parameter controls used are XYZ, because TCB messed the animations up BIG time at first. And for anything else than War3 I use XYZ.
So can War3 models use XYZ?
Oh. And when I try to export this model I get to the Skinning process (when exporting) and it freezes for quite a while only to give me an error. This is most likely because I added an Edit Mesh below the Skin modifier and collapsed it with the Edit Poly below. I might need to reskin the model for War3 purposes.

 

[Kazeon]

Can someone having 3ds max help me? I'm creating a platform model with simple "expanding birth animation" and "shrinking death animation". But I can't export it to neither mdl nor mdx (magos model editor can't open it). I attached the file below, can someone tell me what did I do wrong there and tell me whatever needed to be done in order to export it properly? Thanks in advance.

My bad. I only added the track note at the start key points. Now it's fixed after 3 retries.