[Twin Matrix]

I want to animate my model so I can use it in BFME, but I don't understand these wired bones. If you load in the w3d files that are already in BFME, you see that one of a series has a model, and the rest some strange wire stuff. I know they're some sort of bones, but if I follow the GMax tutorial, I only get to know how to work with the big, visible bones, and not the wire bones. Does someone know a good tutorial to animating models using the wire "bones" method BFME uses?

Edit: And I can't seem to edit existing models, because they're just one 3D model chunk and not seperate objects that I can transform/add other things to. ; ;


TM

[Hkh]

wire bones they are the real bones that every game uses for models it is a pain in the ass those do some web searches for 3ds max and working with bones or rigging with bones.

[Sy]

It depends what you want to animate, if its a building then you don't need bones at all.

However if its a unit, then you need to create bones, again the type of bones depend on the unit type. For infantry you will need a skeleton which is a series of points. The skeleton itself is animated NOT your model. You must attach your model to the skeleton using the SpaceWarp function.

Search the Generals forum, there is a good tutorial in there about infantry and it demonstrates how to go about linking an infantry model to a skeleton.

[Twin Matrix]

Originally Posted by Hkh";p=&quot

wire bones they are the real bones that every game uses for models it is a pain in the #$@! those do some web searches for 3ds max and working with bones or rigging with bones.

Sorry, I forgot to say I am trying to bone an infantry unit. (Didn't succeed in editing a current w3d unit (I was planning to create Arwen out of Éowyn) but the Éowyn figure is just a big block of 3D model without being able to edit it, so creating a whole new model is the only option) But the tutorial with GMax shows different bonings than used by BFME for infantry (and hero) units. So I searched the Generals forum like you said Sy (Thanks for helping me out with the other stuff!! ) and most of the topics stop with the post "I'm working on a tutorial" or "I'll PM you the tutorial". And when I finally found the site Killasmods it only showed a tutorial for boning vehicles.. And those use the same, bloody bones as the GMax tutorial. So that didn't quite help either. I'll probably just dig deeper in the forum's graveyard to find some age old topics that are clear enough for my brains to understand at twelve 'o clock midnight or the topic you were talking about, Sy. So far I haven't even managed to CREATE the bones. Blah, I'm blabbering. *goes to search for a tutorial* :P


TM

[Sy]

The tutorial you want was written by Mike “Oldfaq” Baglole, its very good, got me started on making my own infantry for Generals.

In order to import a w3d infantry model into gmax correctly you must also import its skeleton, if not you will get just a mess of polys.

[Twin Matrix]

Originally Posted by Sy";p=&quot

The tutorial you want was written by Mike “Oldfaq” Baglole, its very good, got me started on making my own infantry for Generals.

In order to import a w3d infantry model into gmax correctly you must also import its skeleton, if not you will get just a mess of polys.

Found this tutorial. Unfortunately, it shows me how to link an model to bones, not how to create them. *continues to dig deeper*


TM

[Sy]

A bone is just a box, its actually just a reference point, which has geometry and pivot points. You can make the bones yourself by creating small boxes. Name them according to the names used in other skeletons, however the best way is to open an existing skeleton.

Ignore all the stuff in gmax and 3ds tutorials about bones and inverse kenetics (forgets if thats the correct term), bones in BFME are not the same.

[key0p]

Originally Posted by Twin Matrix";p=&quot

I want to animate my model so I can use it in BFME, but I don't understand these wired bones. If you load in the w3d files that are already in BFME, you see that one of a series has a model, and the rest some strange wire stuff. I know they're some sort of bones, but if I follow the GMax tutorial, I only get to know how to work with the big, visible bones, and not the wire bones. Does someone know a good tutorial to animating models using the wire "bones" method BFME uses?

Edit: And I can't seem to edit existing models, because they're just one 3D model chunk and not seperate objects that I can transform/add other things to. ; ;
TM

Ok, firstly, what w3d import script are you using? When you say "wire stuff" what exactly do you mean? Do you mean that there are lots of 4-segment spheres at points you would expect bones to be? Or do you really mean wires? Like its been spline animated? Perhaps a screenshot would help.I have imported balrog and an Isenguard soldier and they both look like any other model from gen/zh, a mesh with a series of bone points.What model in particular are you talking about


As has been stated, it doesnt matter what objects the bones are.Generally speaking, a bone in a game model has no geometry at all, you dont export any geometry for the bone unless you want to see it.All the bone is doing is providing a point to move, rotate, and scale from, and to attach other bones to form a hierachy.You can use any object or combination of objects you like.

Originally Posted by Twin Matrix";p=&quot

Found this tutorial. Unfortunately, it shows me how to link an model to bones, not how to create them. *continues to dig deeper*

I would use the version from this site instead of the original(not because I re-wrote it so people could understand it or anything heh).But yeah, it wont show you how to make bones, but bones can be anything!WHen you export from renx, anything that has "export transform" in the W3d Tools checked is a bone.This is the determining factor on how the game recognises it as a bone, not what you do at creation time.

Originally Posted by Sy";p=&quot

Ignore all the stuff in gmax and 3ds tutorials about bones and inverse kenetics (forgets if thats the correct term), bones in BFME are not the same.

Personally I think you should pay lots of attention to this kind of stuff! It will help you animate things! Bones in the game are jsut a pivot point! You can create that pivot point in Max any way you like! Inverse kinetics and fancy bones and much much more!.

[Twin Matrix]

The "wire stuff bones" look like normal bones shown in the GMax tutorial, but you can only see the wireframe. And they're very small too. Say you would import the w3d file "guaragornatke.w3d". You see some sort of bones but only the wireframe. But I'll try what you said. That bones can be anything.

BTW, where is the newer version of Oldfaq's tutorial on this site? I checked out the Tutorials section but it isn't there.


TM

[key0p]

It is there, you just missed it (or you have browser issues )
http://www.deezire.net/modules.php?n...ewtopic&t=4724

If you can only see the wireframe, it means you are in wireframe mode! To toggle between wireframe and shaded modes press F3.

To adjsut the size of the bones, select them all, then goto the hierarchy panel, and turn on "Affect Object Only".You can now use the scale tool to resize the objects without affecting any children or animation.