Is animation possilbe (in game ) with bones? If so please help me to understand. :D I have a model of a elf and a model of a sword and the elf is boned, how would I go around moveing the bones, (for the sword I al planning( if I can access bones in DX) is to offset the sword from the elfs hand bone) I want the user to beable to mode the left and right arms with the mouse. Thanks in advance...

How is the mesh boned? Did you use a program like 3DStudioMax or Milkshape3D? Did you export the mesh as an x-file or a halflife .smd file? Is the mesh pre-animated or will the user be able to move the joints interactivly as if you were using inverse kinematics?

need a little more info...

I'm using 3dsmax and want it IK, I haven't exported the model yet...

[edited by - Baloogan on August 13, 2002 5:28:18 PM]

Currently I''m using the half-life .smd file format for my character animation. This allows me to do all of my animations in a program like StudioMax - using skeletal animation - and then use them in my game. The .smd file format exports out two files: one for reference, it tells you which vertex is connected to which bone and then there can be as many animation files as you wish based on that reference mesh. In the animation files only the position and rotations of the bones is given and the transformation of the vertices is based on this. You can download a .smd exporter for Max on the web and there is detail documentation about the .smd file format on the web and in the half-life SDK ( along with lots of models ).

If you would like a skeletal animation tutorial go to rsn.gamedev.net - it is based on the milkshake file format.

And, if you would like to check out my smdViewer go to www.zerofx.ca - try not to laugh too much at the website, I''m a programmer and that''s what I do best!

Chris Z.

Thanks, will do

How would you attach bones so that they will be read in the exporter? linked xform?

It really depends on the specifications of the exporter. In the case of half-life''s smd exporter you can either use phyique (comes with Character Studio) or the Skin modifier (i believe). In either case you must make sure that each vertex is assigned to only one bone as smd does not support weighted vertices. That''s really all there is to it. In the case of the StudioMax exporter, you must texture your mesh otherwise it will fail. The rest of the work is done by in your code.

Chris Z.

Now, if you want the user to be able to manipulate the bones in your directX program (not doing all the animation in StudioMax) you will be into a whole new ballgame. Especially with inverse kinematics - I wouldn''t even know where to tell you to start looking.