Create units with OpenFX

[A Viking Yeti]

And, of course, it was quite litterally right in front of my face the whole time . Thanks for pointing that out to me.

As for the morphing, I'll keep searching, but it would be nice if I could (good for a melting effect or the like -or really anything else).

 

[A Viking Yeti]

I tried the rotation thing, and I think I might not have really gotten the problem across (i.e. the animator will only allow me to select one axis to rotate around on the keyframer). I'm not sure, but you might have been talking about the designer.

Aside from the rotation and morphing questions, how can I change the models color over the course of an animation and when I add the explosion effect, it won't render? It just shows the same animation that I rendered before I added the explosion effect. It works just fine in wireframe mode, but quickrender just shows black .

 

[Dease]

Sorry 'bout not gettin back to you earlier but I spent 6hours on my next unit and couldn't pull myself away to type
Here's how I do the stuff you asked about, there may be better ways
Morphing - I don't bather using the insert morphing command, rather, I import a model. then in the designer, USING THE ORIGINAL make a second model but changed (DO NOT DELETE OR ADD ANY VERTICIES!!!) to what you want it to morph to. then, in the keyframer, go to the model one and split the costume into 2 parts, It will promp you to load a model. so load your second model, and flag quadratic in the open file thingy and then open it. That's how i morph
Rotate - If you mean to face different cameras then click any camera (using morpheus's template) and click "C", this activates that camera and the model now faces that way. If you mean just rotate the thing then use the "rotate" command on the right toolbar (or change the settings in the keyframer)
Colour - I never tried changing colours but I'd assume it would work with the morphing thing, although it may be an abrupt change

 

[A Viking Yeti]

That's fine, I'm just glad you told me . Thanks very much, that should be very useful, and if I want a more smooth color change, I could try creating several models (each with gradually different colors). With the rotation, I was referring to the keyframe rotation (i.e. rotating a model and then taking shots of that from different angles via camera changes). Unfortunately, it only lets me rotate around one axis... To repeat myself, I'm sure it's right in my face, but apparently I can't find it .

Not to sound picky, but I still can't make any of these changes until I figure out how to make it render the explosion animation. Have any of you had this problem? Am I not allowed to rotate and exploded at the same time? Any help would be great...

 

[Dease]

Still not sure what you mean about the rotation, you can easily rotate around 3 axises separatley using the rotate tool in different windows

as for the explosion first insert a light to where you want the explosion to be flag it as dummy and check attenuate. then insert a fireball postpro and set it to specefied light and choose the dummy you just made. Should work

 

[A Viking Yeti]

I'll try the rotation, I'm probably just doing something stupid.

As for the explosion, I can get the fireball postpro to work fine. It's the explosion effect (i.e. breaking the selected model into bits that move outward) that I am having trouble with. I "shattered" the model in the designer, saved that, and applied the explosion effect (to the previously working animation) via the actor properties (double-clicking the actor model)... After that, I tried to quick-render that and it just gave me a black screen. I tried to actually render it, and it 'did' it instantly, but only showed my previous rendering (before the explosion.eff was added). The output file showed the same result (i.e. my test .avi was my last, pre-explosion rendering). I have no idea why it's doing this, or how to fix it ...

 

[Dease]

AHH the explosion effect I tried that for the death anim of my tank but I found it really bad cause it jsut took random verticies and pushed 'em outwards. Therefore I jsut used the morphing technique in my death anim (see sig for the example) and although being more work it came out better
If it is doing something abruptly then make sure quadratic morph is flagged

EDIT: Could someone PLEASE post some sort of explanaiton about how to make textures look good? when flag "surface" on the texture map options it never shows up!?!?!?! why not?!?!?! I'm force to use reflection at 70% which just looks wierd see attached image

 

[A Viking Yeti]

I've yet to actually learn texturing in OpenFX, so I can't help with that. As for the model itself, it looks very nice indeed, I look forward to seeing the full version.

As for the explosion, I got the .efx to work with a bicycle model that came with OpenFX (kinda funny to see a bicycle exploded for no reason in what looks to be outer space, but the point is it rendered properly). Tomorrow I plan to redo the explosion animation entirely (with the .efx), and see if it works. My hope is that it was just a random occurance -seems to be most likely. The reason I want to use the .efx, is because it's a unit for the space armada thread, and those units more so dissolve than exploded...

BTW: when I try to implement the dissolve library, it tells me "Failed Library". Otherwise, I would've just used that.

 

[Kenta'arka]

Seems to me you two found out how to shatter a model to use the explosion anim? Could you please tell me?

 

[Mr. Will]

I have no idea what I'm doing...

I've finished a default animation for a simple practice model I made, but I have no idea how to get it from OpenFX to being able to open it in Flicster. Could someone post the steps?

 

[Dease]

This is the boring part, here's how I do it, there may be better ways -

1. assuming you've rendered your anim as a flc then use the flc to gif utility to convert your flcs into single frame gifs. Make sure the output folder is for the coresponding direction (N,E,SE ect...) (read the user manual for SBB if you need more info on file structure)
2. Then use a batch rename/convert tool to rename/convert (to bmp) the files so they're suitable for SBB (I use infranview use google if you want to find it).
3. Import then into SBB, do what you wish to them, then export the storyboard.
4. open the storyboard in an image editor that can convert to 256 colours and import palettes
5. Change the palette so that the main colours of your image are on it (this is why Pedit is very good). details of the position can be found a few pages back.
6. Apply the palette, use "match nearest colour" if it prompts you.
7. Make a new thingy in flicster, with all the correct details.
8. then replace the pcx it created with your storyboard (make sure it is named the smae as the one it;s replacing and is in pcx format)
9. Open the .FXM file in flicster and export the unit, you can change various things such as frame delay before.
10. If it's off-center then there are instructions I posted earlier on how to do that

PHEW! , Hope that helps!

 

[muffins]

BTW: when I try to implement the dissolve library, it tells me "Failed Library". Otherwise, I would've just used that.

You can download something to fix that from the OpenFX website

 

[muffins]

Dease - textures

They're used in what seems to be an odd way in OpenFX but it's becomes clear why it's done that way after using it for a while.

I'm sure that you know this anyway - first insert a new map by clicking Attributes > Maps > Edit Maps. Select your texture then click 'Move' (on the left) OpenFX hangs the texture in space so all you have to do is move it You should see a big square with a little square, little circle and little triangle on three of the corners.

The little square lets you move the texture, the other two lets you rotate and scale the texture in space. Use all three to hang the texture in front of or behind your model (it doesn't even have to be near your model to work - it kinda works like a 'dropped sheet' ).

Click done. Now close the map window and select the object or polygons that you want to to be texturised. Click Attributes > Material Settings > Maps and then choose 'Set'. You then select the name of the texture you just moved. Click ok. Whack F12. You should now see a texture on your model

 

[muffins]

Oh ... make sure that when you set the map for your model, DON'T select decal.

 

[muffins]

This is the boring part, here's how I do it, there may be better ways -

1. assuming you've rendered your anim as a flc then use the flc to gif utility to convert your flcs into single frame gifs. Make sure the output folder is for the coresponding direction (N,E,SE ect...) (read the user manual for SBB if you need more info on file structure)
2. Then use a batch rename/convert tool to rename/convert (to bmp) the files so they're suitable for SBB (I use infranview use google if you want to find it).
3. Import then into SBB, do what you wish to them, then export the storyboard.
4. open the storyboard in an image editor that can convert to 256 colours and import palettes
5. Change the palette so that the main colours of your image are on it (this is why Pedit is very good). details of the position can be found a few pages back.
6. Apply the palette, use "match nearest colour" if it prompts you.
7. Make a new thingy in flicster, with all the correct details.
8. then replace the pcx it created with your storyboard (make sure it is named the smae as the one it;s replacing and is in pcx format)
9. Open the .FXM file in flicster and export the unit, you can change various things such as frame delay before.
10. If it's off-center then there are instructions I posted earlier on how to do that

PHEW! , Hope that helps!

Odd way to do it. Why not just directly render to Bitmap frames? I just select a range of frames, select bitmaps and a civ-sized frame (with max anti-alising ) When OpenFX asks if you want to reset to an animation click no.

The problem with gifs is that they were designed to be used with simple graphics with few colours (like 256) and be able to be kept small in size. Bitmaps are perfect for high quality rendering.

 

[muffins]

Since I never come into this part of the forums, if anyone needs help just send me a private message

 

[muffins]

Sorry 'bout not gettin back to you earlier but I spent 6hours on my next unit and couldn't pull myself away to type
Here's how I do the stuff you asked about, there may be better ways
Morphing - I don't bather using the insert morphing command, rather, I import a model. then in the designer, USING THE ORIGINAL make a second model but changed (DO NOT DELETE OR ADD ANY VERTICIES!!!) to what you want it to morph to. then, in the keyframer, go to the model one and split the costume into 2 parts, It will promp you to load a model. so load your second model, and flag quadratic in the open file thingy and then open it. That's how i morph
Rotate - If you mean to face different cameras then click any camera (using morpheus's template) and click "C", this activates that camera and the model now faces that way. If you mean just rotate the thing then use the "rotate" command on the right toolbar (or change the settings in the keyframer)
Colour - I never tried changing colours but I'd assume it would work with the morphing thing, although it may be an abrupt change

I've never tried that morph thingy ... what does it do?

 

[muffins]

I have fixed the x/y displacement pretty much by accident, this is how I did it in case someone wants to know.
1. open the Civ flc you created
2. go to export multiple flc files, it will give you something about might not being supported in future releases, just say yes
3. open the .ini that it just created (using notepad or whatever) and edit the x/y coordinates, x=60 and y=45 worked for me
4. (this is where i got stuck) open flicster and open the .ini (using flicster have to use that drop-down menu to choose all files) It will say do you want to combine all the .flcs, say yes.
5.Export as a civ flc and you're all done

I don't understand why people are having this problem at all.

You've all got your cameras pointing at a single 'target', yes?

Just move the target so it's like the pic below ... on the ground, right between the feet/wheels/tracks

 

[Dease]

Dease - textures

They're used in what seems to be an odd way in OpenFX but it's becomes clear why it's done that way after using it for a while.

I'm sure that you know this anyway - first insert a new map by clicking Attributes > Maps > Edit Maps. Select your texture then click 'Move' (on the left) OpenFX hangs the texture in space so all you have to do is move it You should see a big square with a little square, little circle and little triangle on three of the corners.

The little square lets you move the texture, the other two lets you rotate and scale the texture in space. Use all three to hang the texture in front of or behind your model (it doesn't even have to be near your model to work - it kinda works like a 'dropped sheet' ).

Click done. Now close the map window and select the object or polygons that you want to to be texturised. Click Attributes > Material Settings > Maps and then choose 'Set'. You then select the name of the texture you just moved. Click ok. Whack F12. You should now see a texture on your model

Thanks! I was trying to use "fixed-to" mapping but I'll try that technique since my results wern't that good

As for the morph thingy it's possible to make several models of the same thing, alter each a bit import them into the animator have the first few frames be the first next second etc.... and the model will gradually morph into the next model

I don't understand why people are having this problem at all.

You've all got your cameras pointing at a single 'target', yes?

Just move the target so it's like the pic below ... on the ground, right between the feet/wheels/tracks

Yes, the targets are at the foot/middle of model but it may have to do with resizing the unit in SBB
BTW, was that pic in the animator? I can't seem to get it to view actual verticies but rather jsut the skeleton (or a pointless box if it's a model)

Also thanks for the tip about rendering to single frames, I wasn't sure what openfx would do if i said no to the animation thingy, it can be very unpredictable sometimes

 

[Dease]

HEY wadda'ya know, I worked! atleast for the most part whenever I hit the "lock" command when repositioning the axes (i have the verticies selected) it always says that "it may not be locked" or somthing to that effect. It wasn't a problem for my first 5 textures, but when I went to preview my 6th it wasn't there?!?! any ideas