Need Help With 3D Models.
Blitz3D Forums/Blitz3D Programming/Need Help With 3D Models.
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| Well Xmlspy the first thing you need to do is go back in time and not buy Darkmatter and Darkmatter 2! I actually think that DM models are only supposed to be used for db only. I don't know. But, I'm not getting any db products. |
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| You might have a bad mesh or something there, at 30fps 90000 frames=50minutes of animation :) 900 maybe? Any sort of help will be rewarded by a one million Dollars. But I have to become the President of the United States before I give you the cash. :) You should be very careful what you say, after all if Bush can make it..... :) |
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| @XmlSpy, You should know that Darkmatter is geared towards use with DarkBasic and problems like this were bound to happen. There are plenty of good model packages you can get with less hassle I think. |
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| As far as I can see, the only way around this would be to either: a)load all three models (and their 1.21 gigawatts of frames!) as seperate meshes and 'swap' when you need to (which is a terrible idea performance wise) b)Buy and use something like CharacterFX to import just the model, build a skeleton and animate them. This is the best option, since CharacterFX is cheap (and cool as pasties) and you will end up with animation that runs well :) Unfortunately, there is no way of getting the animation out of the .x files and into a proper skeletal animation package (as far as I know, the .x animation will be stored in frames, not as skeletals?) - I don't know the exact technical terms, so if I get it wrong then bleeaahhh! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I can't believe they would supply animated models in that form! Pity, because a few of those models are actually quite cool! |
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| You're not allowed to convert DarkMatter 2 models to anything else. I have posted on several occasions to inform people that the license expressly forbids this, and that therefore they are not usable in Blitz. I still have a copy of the two emails Richard Davey from The Game Creators, where he confirms that the models may not be converted to anything else, so I would suggest contacting them for a refund as soon as possible, as I've heard that Geo-Metricks ( the copyright owners ) are pretty strict with enforcing their licenses. |
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| Ah.. found it Monday, September 29, 2003, 2:01:08 PM, you wrote: Sac> It seems there is no point in me purchasing Dark Matter 2, Sac> due to the license terms. As I understand it, I cannot convert Sac> the models to another format, and none of the other Sac> languages/development tools I use can use .x files. Have I Sac> understood that right? That is correct. We had very strict terms of use imposed on us with regard to the models. Cheers, Richard Davey -- The Game Creators Ltd. http://www.thegamecreators.com "Affordable & cutting-edge games development tools." |
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| So why does the FAQ page for Dark Matter 2 on TGC site state the following: Question: I noticed it said on your site that DarkMATTER 2 doesn't work with DarkBASIC Classic - why is this? Answer: The models in DarkMATTER 2 use fully boned animations which DarkBASIC Classic cannot support. Although you can still purchase DarkMATTER 2 you will find that the models will not load into DarkBASIC without prior alteration in a 3D package such as 3D Canvas Pro, Milkshape or gameSpace. The implication being that it is ok to convert the models to another format. I also see no mention of any restriction around conversion anywhere on the Dark Matter pages? Surely there should be some kind of warning about this before buying? |
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| "xmlspy" I understand the point you are making - the models that came with DarkMatter are bloody convenient and quite good - plus, you get a fair selection of them. The DarkMatter ones are royalty free - I didn't know there was a DarkMatter2, so I'll have to go and buy it. I know the point you are referring to (in terms of the models being in seperate animation files). "xmlspy" do you have Dark Basic or DB Pro? If so, post your question on their site - people may have already done what you want to do. If you cannot post on the DB forum, then let me know and I'll do it for you. |
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| I use them in Blitz3D regardless - I just wouldn't distribute them or claim them as my own work. They are handy for test purposes. |
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| xmlspy - I must be going blind in my old age! I don't see a copyright notice or license info anywhere on the DarkMatter pages!? and if the models can only be used with a DB application why does the site say: Models can be used with other languages like C++ |
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| Yeh, my DVD-style box says they are royalty free for use in your own games and can be used with other languages like C or Delphi. |
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| Ah - "xmlspy" is talking about DarkMatter 2. |
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| Indeed - we were all posting too quick. |
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| xmlspy - where is this copyright notice on their site? |
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| I suppose LoadAnimSeq would do the work. Load the basic model using LoadAnimMesh, and then add the other animations using LoadAnimSeq (from the other models). |
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| The only way I can see to use them in Blitz would be to write your own .x importer ( unless someone already has ) that can import skeletal animation. |
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| @ Sir Felgar The Copyright is on the product, I don't think that they have it on their site. Which was actually my point - how am I supposed to know that I'm not allowed to use this product before I buy it!? ;) |
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| [quote]Blitz3D already has the .x import.[quote] No it doesn't. Blitz has never loaded skeletal animation from an .X File and it still doesn't, even with the latest update. |
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| "xmlspy" - I got your email - wasn't ignoring you. I haven't done much with the DarkMatter models - as there were problems. As "ChrML" said - 'LoadAnimSeq' will work to append the animations to the same entity. However, you may have noticed with the DarkMatter models that they face the opposite way if you point them to something (such as the player/camera). RotateMesh will correct this problem, but it doesn't seem to work for an animated model. So you have to work around this - for arguments sake, by creating a hidden entity that is 'steered' in front of the player/camera which you can then point the model to (meaning it will turn to face the player/camera) - although it isn't a simple case of just doing that. I suppose you could fix the models in a modelling package (but I know nothing about modelling). |
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| You can use them in your game, just not sell them as a model collection, or part of a collection, or as individual models "... when the Geo-metricks models are the product itself... " So use them, include them into your game, whatever, just don't sell the models themselves... |
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| So use them, include them into your game, whatever, just don't sell the models themselves... Again. No you can't. They can only be distributed in .x format, as converting them to anything else violates the terms of the license. If you can load them all as .x models then that's fine, but I don't see how you're going to get the information of which vertices are rigged to which bones unless you write your own .x importer. But you cannot include them, EVEN WITH A GAME, unless they're in .x format. If you want to do that, you need a FULL license, available from Geo-Metricks and exorbitantly pticed at something like $500 per set. |
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| Well, you could convert them to .3ds easily in 3ds max 6, or any other programs, I've got plenty of converters for any format. It might not be legal though as stated above. I think the whole thing is stupid though and as I said before your first problem was buying Darkmatter. |
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