Equity 4.0

[hgt_terry]

Thanks Bernie

Like what you did with the tree very clever there are some good things that can be done
with the tga format.

The idea with the compressed tga is tha Equity will un-compress it then add it to the actor
internaly.

Any way thanks again Bernie for you help

Terry

[bernie]

Ah yes I see yes good idea ... now if we could just Import a .bdy & a .mot file as well ... or is that being a bit cheeky?

Bernie.

[QuestOfDreams]

Genesis3D can load compressed (RLE) and uncompressed TGA files.

[hgt_terry]

ok qod
Thanks that will save some time.

Terry

PS

Do you have an exat date for the release of the next rf or will you do it when you are ready in
any case could you let me know a few days before you do.

Thanks again
Terry

[hgt_terry]

Hello

This is a pre update to next Sundays update.

Added

Tools -> Build Actor from -> .nfo
Tools -> Build Actor from -> .bdy

Also

Tools -> Motions -> Add-> .mot
Tools -> Motions -> ReName

Tools -> Build Actor from -> .nfo
Will build an actor from the .nfo file you will need to place the textures in the folder where the .nfo file is the actor will be built in the .nfo folder.

Tools -> Build Actor from -> .bdy
Will build an actor from the .bdy file the actor will be built in the .bdy folder.

Tools -> Motions -> Add-> .mot
Will add a motion to an actor don’t forget to rebuild the actor Build-> Rebuild Actor to save the changes to the actor.

Tools -> Motions -> ReName
Will rename an actor motion file don’t forget to rebuild the actor Build-> Rebuild Actor to save the changes to the actor.


Reason for motion not running
1: - The bone names in the actor do not relate to the bones in the body but will not crash.
2: - The bone names are the same but motion names are in lower case and bone names in upper case again the motion will not run hopefully in the Sunday release I will over come this so that you can alter the motion bones names to lower or upper case.
3: - Motion runs but creates Twisties this happens when a motion designed for a different body has the same bone name in you body so applies the motion to that bone creating some strange movements some are good some are bad.

Tip
If you use just one motion in an actor file in your game rather than load the actor with all the motions to save space just load the actor with the motions you want.

Example just want run motion in virgle.act.

Load virgle.act actor in to Equity then decompile Restart Equity make actor from .bdy navigate to .body in the decompile folder you just created then add run.mot form the decompile motions folder then rebuild the actor. Done virgile with just the run motion.

Created new filefront Account much better
Download at http://hosted.filefront.com/hgtterry/

Thanks
Terry

[bernie]

Great job Terry. Thanks again. We're now getting an extremly useful tool. Still got the problem of decompiling ... tga files saving as bmp files no alpha though. Another thought... sorry if I'm being a pest. It would be useful if we could select and add multiple mots in a list instead of adding them one at a time. Would that be possible at all?

Bernard

[hgt_terry]

Hello Bernie

Here we are again

The problem with loading motion files in one go is this. (Stay with me)

if we have just decompiled an actor and navigate the load motions to the motion decompiled folder we end up with the same motions.

ok Idea

We build a folder with the motions thay want and Equity loads all motion from that folder.

Or Equity creates a list with the motion and file location in a list so it could be any where
but adds motions from the list.

What do you think will be the best way.

If i scan a folder for .mot all .mot will be added,

Thanks
Terry

[bernie]

What I was thinking was creating a list of all the mots in the folder and selecting by holding the control key and clicking with the mouse selecting the ones we want like its done in paintshop pro.
If that can't be done then putting all the motions in one folder and loading them all would be the best option I think. If we are building an actor from scratch though I think its best if everthing we need is in one folder, ie body motions and textures as it keeps things tidier and easier to sort out if something needs to be changed. On the other hand its best to put the decompiled stuff in a seperate clean folder as you are doing. Am I making sense here? I know what I mean but I'm having difficulty explaining it.

Bernard

[hgt_terry]

Bernie

what do youn think to a options box

1 :- will load one single .mot file
2 :- will load from a folder ( All .mot files)
3 :- will create a list (any where)

When Equity is first started the default will be 1 but if we enter 2 all .mots in the folder will be loaded you get the idea.

This if you agree will allow us to load .mots in 3 different ways

Thanks
Terry

PS
Nearly finished the decompile proplem.
Berine as we are dealing with tga 32 bit with alpha when a 32 bit no alpha do you want me save it as bmp or tga no alpha.

[bernie]

Yes an options box is just fine. It's just that we don't want to have to load 100+ mot's one at a time when building an actor. Virgil has 100+ animations and I build all my humanoid actors with virgil's skeleton so that they can be used in any situation with a one for all type script. I may have to change all my actors to Farcry skeleton and animations soon as I understand virgil's skeleton doesn't work with ragdoll (and the scripts also). The upcoming RF0.76 release will have Newton physics and ragdoll incorporated so a lot of work to be done when that's released any time soon.
As for saving textures I think we should save as is, ie. if the actor contains tga save as tga whether it has alpha chanel or not, it keeps things standard.

Cheers,
Bernard.

[hgt_terry]

so what are you saying

virgil's skeleton doesn't work with ragdoll (and the scripts also). The upcoming RF0.76 release will have Newton physics and ragdoll incorporated so a lot of work to be done when that's released any time soon.

Does Virgel work as an actor can I load virgrl into new the release new rf or is this all a waste of time
the actor is the same Virgel is still Virgel by the formats dfined by Genisi3D if we can not load an actor defineed by that Genisis3d

Dont understand
Virgile who ever makes the actor file as to follow the formst of Genisi3D format are you saying its changed.

[QuestOfDreams]

RF076 will not include Newton physics...

[bernie]

Sorry Terry looks Like I misunderstood the upcoming RF076 and also didn't do a good job of explaining what I needed to do. Federico has released a community release and so has jay that work with Newton physics. I thought RF076 was going to include those updates.
However Virgil DOES work as an actor with Newton Physics, it's the Ragdoll that doesn't work with virgil's skeleton. That's where Equity will come in Very handy so that I can change the actors to work with the far cry skeleton and therefore Ragdoll. At the moment equity is doing just great with the decompiling of skeletons and meshes I have already started to modify one of my actors to take FC skeleton. It's my scripts and actors I need to alter to take different animations that's all. Also FC skeleton works with RF just fine. All we need to do is change the animation names in the actor so that it will work as the player. I have done that before in one of my games using the half life skeleton and anims with no problems. It doesn't affect RF or genesis at all.

[hgt_terry]

Ok bernie
Its me that should be sorry i jump the gun a bit thinking our actors would not work.

But a few things have come out of it Ragdoll doesnt work with virgle Skeleton could we rename the bones or motion files with just one click.

Correct me if i am wrong the reason virgil dosent work is because Ragdoll useses a set of names which cry skeleton has so it not so much that virgle doesnt work as the names are wrong as ragdoll calls.

So do you think we could rename the actor parts.
so virgile will still be virgile but diferrent bone and motion names then Ragdoll will work.

if so could you send me cry skeleton (Cheek) i will create a copy of the names and change the names in the actor at the users request so it works with Ragdoll.

One point does the actor have to have the same amount of bones we could check this if it does not match then we will not convert to ragdoll format.


and the same goes for the physics engine so we could alter old actors and make them compatible.

All sounds to easy let me know what you think this would be good for Equity.


Thanks
Terry

[bernie]

Oh yes our actors WILL work no problem.
Sorry Terry I don't know why Ragdoll doesn't work with virgil skeleton. It doesn't work with valve skeleton either. federico is yer man for that one. I suggest you PM him with that question. I'm sure he will be only too glad to help.
I have uploaded evil_w_blue.act to my filefront for you, it has FC skeleton. Actually it is one of federico's models. I am in the process of, and almost finished re-rigging virgil with the FC skeleton. just a bit more work assigning the vertices to be done now and then re-building the act file and then testing it for Ragdoll. I'll upload it when its done. Of course I will have to make some new anims to make it work as built in player.
Dead easy using other skeletons for actors and scripted player, but it's a bit more complicated getting other skeletons to work for the built in player. It does mean re-naming the motions to suit RF and in some cases building a new animation altogether, eg swim, crouch, climb, strafes, to name but a few. It's all doable especially with Equity ... Equity will really simplify the job altogether especially if we can rename motions with one click.

regards,
Bernard