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Joined: Jun 10, 2002 Posts: 769 Location: Ontario, Canada
Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2002 1:48 pm Post subject:
It is possible to import 3DS and OBJ files into Animation Master, but once there, they cannot be altered. AM is a spline-based modeller and can't do anything to poly-based models other than render them. I've never tried importing polygonal models, so I don't know how well texture coordinates are preserved. _________________ Jim Harnock - ODS
www.OrcaDesignStudios.com
I'm running AM2000 and just yesterday added the 8.5 patch which allows you to import .3ds models. After a day of playing around with it I can say it is a mixed bag. Large files (1 meg or more) seem to hang the system. Last night I tried to convert a 1+ meg USS Voyager model and this morning it was still supposedly working at it but stuck at 20% converted (a common stopping point, I've found). I rebooted. I've found that files less than 500K have a better chance of being imported. Texture maps do not appear to be carried over. You CAN save the imported model into Hash's *.mdl format, but you'll still have to remove a lot of redundant splines to make the model more efficient. I'm finding a lot of the models that convert successfully aren't that well detailed, so you generally get a rough shell that you'll have to do a lot of tweaking on.
Here's an example of a .3ds model I imported into Animation Master and am currently modifying. (Hit the View Upload to the left or below) It's a Workbee seen briefly in Star Trek The Motion Picture. I got it at http://trekmeshes.starfleet.ch/ where they specialize in Star Trek meshes for various applications (sadly, not AM).
There's a good level of detail to the model and the download isn't that big (about 160 k). If there were any textures, they didn't load. I added a small texture to the side for this pic. I had to mess around with coloring the patches and adding glows to lights. It imported fairly well but there is a little bit of a mess in the right front corner not visible at this angle.
This is what I've found works best for importing figures into A:M from other software.
You should import as a DXF file. If at all possible, reduce your polygon count as much as possble before attempting to import a model. And import DXF quads rather than other dxf formats.
You should probably start with an obj file, since they are already quads. And expect to do some post-import work on your models, as the difference between patches and polys is quite considerable.
I should also say that I don't do this. It's much easier to use a Poser image as a rotoscope, and model in A:M. I like A:M's modeling interface and other things about the program enough that this isn't a problem.
And if you decide that you want to use Poser as a motion capture tool, let me know. I've figured out a great way of setting up constrants for BVH files in A:M.
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