single mesh - multiple bones (max 5 and art tools)

[BattleNarf]

Hallo,
im trying to create some basic animation, so far its going well but all the tutorials i found only illustrate how i create meshs with single bones (with linking the bone to the mesh), what i need to know is how i make an animation with two or more bones deforming one single editable mesh

im using max 5.0 and the art tools, i created a simple basic stick with 5 segments and 2 bones in it, when it gets killed its supposed to simply bend in the middle, nothing more for the test

when i kill the stick the bones do the movements, but alone without the mesh, i almost always get "couldnt load "name".mdl" when placing the new unit on the map but sometimes it doesnt seem to matter, another thing i find strange is that i have to add a material and uvwmaps to the bones

ive attached the mdx and blp that max created

can you help me?

thanks in advance, Narf

 

[Mechanical Man]

You should read tutorials more carefully. If you using 3ds max with art tools you have to detach all parts of the mesh where you wish to attach the bones. Then you select all bones you want to have to be in a single mesh and select 'connected' in user property editor. I suggest you that you unwrap that mesh first, though.

Here you have some details better explained if you have trouble to understand that .pdf which comes with art tools.

 

[BattleNarf]

it was just a rough sketch, but yeah, you are right, my fault - didnt recognize that the art tools come with a tutorial, did it now and its pretty good and straight forward, also found mogus model editor which is a great troubleshooter, problem solved, many little pacmans jumping through my map , thanks anyway

 

[GoldenRam]

That is one of the limitations of max, needing sperate meshes to animate.