Problem with exporting and creating an actor.

[Matte]

Ok, I made my first model in Anim8or, and chose Scequence>Export>Robot_2.3ds
I imported it in GMax and tried exporting it with the file found at the RF site.
When trying to build my actor from the .nfo file, I got this error:

Code: Select all

Building 'L:\RF\RealityFactory\tools\robot.apj'
Actor doesn't exist:
'.\BldTemp\robot_2.BDY' out of date.  (Doesn't exist)
'.\BldTemp\robot_2.BDY' out of date.  (Doesn't exist)
	Making Body
	Making Body '.\BldTemp\robot_2.BDY' from NFO 'robot_2.nfo'
Warning: no material path specified
ERROR: 'robot_2.nfo' is not an NFO file
Error: Failed to build '.\BldTemp\robot_2.BDY' file from 'robot_2.nfo' file
Error: Failed to make BDY file
Error: Failed to build body.  Unable to make Actor.

What do I need to do?

[bernie]

You need to tell AStudio where the texture file is in the paths tab materials directory. Or better still if its not animated use Equity 4.2.7 to build the actor. Put the materials in the same directory as your nfo file first.

[Matte]

Thanks for the fast reply. The problem is, I don't have a texture file. Or is it all in the .key/.nfo file? I exported from Anim8or into a .3ds file, which had the texture (I could see it in GMAX). So in what file are the textures?
I'm now going to try to build the actor in Equity.

EDIT: It says that robot_2.nfo isn't a valid NFO file.
Is there a way I can get the .obj import to work? That way, I could import directly from Anim8or into Equity.

[bernie]

If you have a 3ds file load it into lithunwrap and save as ms3d file. Then build the actor in Equity from import-> Milkshape ms3d. The texture file is in 3ds file. no need to mess around in max.

[Matte]

Cool, I'll try that! Lithunwrap is in my tools folder?

[bernie]

Yes it is in the tools folder lithunwrap will convert .obj to ms3d as well. We aim to make equity work with those files too but we are concentrationg on ms3d at the moment because milkshape is the most popular modeling program. However you don't need milkshape on your system to use the ms3d files in Equity. But you do need the latest equity release ie v4.2.7 to build actors from ms3d files. See my sig for download info.

[Matte]

I managed to make it into an actor!

But I kinda lost my textures. Now this isn't that bad, because I was going to change them anyway, but where in the process would they be lost? In Equity, or in Lithunwrap by saving it. Is there a way of adding textures in Equity?

I also lost my animations, a bit frustrating because of all the hard work... Any reason?

[bernie]

Can's add textures at the moment in Equity but will be able to in next release. Equity will add animations if they are in *.mot format you are llosing textures somwhere on export from anim8tor or in the 3ds file. can you see textures in lithunwrap. if you can the textures should be in the same folder as the ms3d file. Equity will load them if they are in the same folder.

[Matte]

I can see the textures in lithunwrap, yes.

EDIT: I have made a folder, but it only has hunter_2.ms3d in it after saving... :s

By the way, if this helps: while importing in Equity, I can't choose to import textures. So the problem is in Equity?

[bernie]

I see what you mean lithunwrap doesn't save textures. Well you must have a texture in anim8tor cant you copy that to the ms3d folder and bear in mind that actors only support .bmp and .tga formats for textures and they need to be a power of 2.

[Matte]

Ok, I'll try that.

I saved my UV-map in lithunwrap, but this probably isn't the good way to do it? Because it still doesn't work. Or do the textures have to have a special name?

How do I change my animations to a .mot file?

If this isn't possible, how do I animate in Equity?

EDIT: In Lithunwrap, do I need to export the UV-map or something else for textures?

[bernie]

I saved my UV-map in lithunwrap, but this probably isn't the good way to do it? Because it still doesn't work. Or do the textures have to have a special name?

For 3ds names need to be less than 8 characters for textures.

How do I change my animations to a .mot file?

Don't know, never had to do it. Most people animate in milkshape, max or gmax
RF supports *.mot animation only.
There are plugins for max and gmax to export .*key files which AStudio supports and Equity will support in next release. Trugene will build actors from *.cob files but don't know about animations from truespace.

If this isn't possible, how do I animate in Equity?

You can't ... YET... animation is to be added in a later release.

Your best option is to use milkshape, max or gmax (Truespace is a possibility) to build your models and animate them.

In Lithunwrap, do I need to export the UV-map or something else for textures?

.
NO.

[Matte]

Thanks for all the help!
I'll try to learn animating in GMax then.

[Matte]

Sorry for doublepost: but maybe this is the problem: I didn't use actual textures in Anim8or, but materials. These probably were lost in the progress. So I think I should use textures, right? And I already know how to build an actor out of that. Let's see what the next problem will be...