Create units with OpenFX

[Neomega]

Yeah, it's simple. Let's say your animation got 20 Frames with a resolution of 240x180.
Now you open flicster, load any unit animation, doesn't matter which. Go to export, set it to Storyboard, set frame size to 240x180, frame count to 20, set the folder where you want ti, and hit the export button. Now you import the SBB created Storyboard into the storyboard glicster just created (keep an eye on the pallet, the first 64 colros of the pallet are civ-specifics, the next 80 colors usable, the next 111 for shadows and the last (magenta usually) is transparent(I think the position of the transparent depends on your program, for Corel Photopaint it's the last, in PSP it's the first (not sure))) after saving the Storyboard you open the .mfx file (flicster created it together with the storyboard, and 2 pallet files) check if everything looks correct (check alpha blend to see if magenta is transparent). If everything is file, go to export, set the name and hit export button

First 64 are team colors, last 32 are alpha blend. Inner 160 are regular.

 

[Adler17]

Thanks again, Kentaarka, but I just found a program in the net before going to bed, which makes bmps out of flcs. If you need it...

Adler

 

[Adler17]

Help again. I made a flc. I made even a storyboard and changed it. But when I use Flicster I get following error Nr. 9: Index out of valid area. What does that mean? I also have the problem that my unit when rotating is not at the very same place in the middle but moves around. Although the position shall stay the same. What´s going wrong???

Adler

 

[TheMorpheus]

The first error could be a palette problem, perhaps your storyboard has not the correct number of colors (256).

To your second problem, each model has a "model center". It seems that the center of your model is not set to the real center. Open your model with the designer from OpenFX. Normaly the cursor (a cross) is in the middle of your model, if this is you favorite model center choose "Attributes->Set Model Center" from the main menu and the rotation center is set to that point. If the current center is not correct place the cursor to your favorite position and setup this position as model center.
Now the model rotates around this point in the animator.

 

[Adler17]

Okay, thanks, Morpheus. These difficulties I did not persume. But I will finish.

Adler

 

[Adler17]

Okay, I finished to make a runabout run flic. It works. But now there are new problems: First a black background. This is not such a catastrophy since it is a Space unit. The other is much worse: The colour of the runabout changes in the game. The civ colors changing the original colours dramatically. How can I change that?

Adler

 

[Kenta'arka]

Thats got to do with the pallet.
1. the black background is even as worse as the other problem, as it would cover nearby units/terrain too. Either you change the color to magenta, or you make that black the last color of the pallet to make it transparent in game.
2. The first 64 colors of the pallet are civ specifics, move the colors you are using to the middle, and they won't change, just keep the color(s) used in the part you want to change within the first 64 colors.

 

[Adler17]

Okay, Thanks again.

Adler

 

[Adler17]

k, it's quite easy
for the death anim, I splitted the mesh in two parts in the designer, and saved both parts as models. In animator I removed the full mesh, and instead put the two parts in. Make the first and the last frame keyframes, for the first move the two parts together that they look like the complete mesh, in the last frame move them apart from each other. Then insert a new light at the center of the meshs (0/0/1), flag it as dummy light and check the "attenuate" box. Last insert a postpro "fireball", set specified light to the dummy light you just created. Now there should be a nice explosion when you render the anim.

for teh attack anim, I set 2 new dummy lights. one at the position of the mesh where the laser beams should start, and one for the target. (for the target, don't forget to set it attenuate) Morpheus told me he uses 0.00/-2.00/1.00 as target location. Then insert a postpro "Lasers", set it to originate from the light you put next to the mesh, and to travel to the target light. Last insert a postpro "Fireball" and assign it to the target light.

I bet Morpheus will explain that much better when he continues the tutorial, and I bet I also made some silly mistakes

I´m ready with the default, run and victory flics. No problem here any more. But with Attack and death. I have now a laser beam starting at my runabout to the target. No real problem. But then there shouls be an explosion. I made a fireball at the target light but nothing happens. I can´t see any explosion at the target. Why? The same problem I have with Death animation. BTW how can I "shatter" a model, so that I can let it really explode it?

Adler

 

[TheMorpheus]

The lights for the post production are needing some special settings. Normal they are dummy lights, but very important is the attenuate switch. The post production could be assigned to these types of light only.

You could setup this switch by double click the light symbol or the costume keyframer (if the light the active actor).

I think I could continue the tutorial soon with the desciption of the attack animation of my current project.

 

[Adler17]

Thanks again. I just made it. But there are three last questions: My red phaser beam disappears. How can I prevent that? Additional my fireball as target is too big. How can this fireball be made smaller? And the last one I asked already: How can I let an object explode?

Adler

 

[Kenta'arka]

1. Err... it disappears? When? Did you set the Lasers postpro to "beam" and "hold in"? It will also disappear if the source and target lights don't exist anymore, maybe you removed them from a few frames?
2. Reduce the expansion in the postpro setting
3. For the explosion effect you need to "shatter" the model in designer. Alas I have no idea how. I'd suggest you split the model in 2 or more parts, save every part as a single model, and in death anim you put them together, so that in first frame the model looks as one, and it gets split during the animation. One advice: Set the Fireball postpro to a density of 25, and if you use 20 frames remove the model parts around frame 15 (because at that time the explosion is nearly not transparent, and very dark, so you can't see the parts disappear)

 

[Adler17]

Disappearing means after transforming it into the pcx file the ray is considered as background because of the colour. I have a red ray but the program thinks it is magenta.
Thanks again. I feel a bit like Schiller, who was asked by Goethe to write the ballade "Die Kraniche des Ibikus". But Schiller didn´t know how an egret (Kranich) flys. So Goethe had to tell him and so lost more time than he had used if he wrote it himself.

Adler

 

[Kenta'arka]

hmm, you could try putting the color of the beam manually into the pallet, or simply using another color

 

[Adler17]

I will replace it with white rays unless there is a better solution.

Adler

 

[Kenta'arka]

Morpheus is using blue rays (become civ-specific in game) maybe you want to do that?

 

[DrowningFish]

I'm using OpenFX and everythings been working fine, but all of the sudden, when i move the cursor selector thing, it seems to make huge jumps instead of just moving. I made my image bigger but then it doesnt fit in the animator correctly, and I've already tried reinstalling, any ideas?

 

[Adler17]

I´ve just posted my new runabout unit at CDG:
http://www.cdgroup.org/forums/tbs/civ3/viewtopic.php?p=77413#77413

Thanks alot. But i have a last question: How can I make a photon torpedo for the attack?

Adler

 

[Kenta'arka]

I'm using OpenFX and everythings been working fine, but all of the sudden, when i move the cursor selector thing, it seems to make huge jumps instead of just moving. I made my image bigger but then it doesnt fit in the animator correctly, and I've already tried reinstalling, any ideas?

hmm...maybe your computer is too slow...I got no idea whats the recommended configuration for OpenFX, Morpheus, any ideas?

But i have a last question: How can I make a photon torpedo for the attack?

I'd like to know that too, I was testing some stuff, but whatever I did it was too transparent, and became pink in game...bah ugly...
maybe a fireball with high regularity and density, on a moving light...gonna test that some time...

 

[Neomega]

hmm...maybe your computer is too slow...I got no idea whats the recommended configuration for OpenFX, Morpheus, any ideas?

I'd assume it is an object snap you may have accidently set. You can set up most 3d programs to "snap", which means, for instance, to only rotate in 15 degree increments, or only build lines in whole integer lengths, so meshes will meet up perfectly.

BTW, Morpheus, that was really great of you to provide the set-up. Thanks, I am spending my one hour lunch break each day learning this program.