All Day I've Been Trying to do it!!!!!!

[metal_head]

All day I've been trying to merge the virgil skeleton with another actor so that I can use Virgil's animations,but after 6 HOURS I've been tried about five time to do it,but I just can't make it correctly(I'm talking about assigning the vertexes to the bones of the skeleton).So PLEASE,I've uploaded the model and the skeleton in ms3d format (also the textures).Can someboody merge them for me,cause I just can't do it correctly.In result,I'll put the person who helped me in the credits as a 3D modeler.

[bernie]

MH I am not being unkind here but I do think you are so very close to sucess and I feel that you should try again to do this yourself. What you have done wrong is to move the skeleton to fit the mesh. YOU CANNOT DO THIS, you must make the mesh fit the skeleton. You only need some minor changes to the mesh to do that. Apart from that and the left foot and toe incorrectly assigned your are there. You must however start over with the mesh you have and a clean virgil skeleton and reassign the vertices because, as I said, you moved the skeleton and it can't be put back.
I know it's a PITA but you will be delighted when it all comes off. You are so close to success it would be a shame if you don't finish it.
Again you must NOT move ANY part of the skeleton I just can't emphasise that enough.

[metal_head]

I haven't moved the skeleton only the mesh as you said.I'm working on a laptop,because milkshape expired on my computer and that makes it even harder for me.I don't know I'll try one more time but I got tired and my head started to hurt.I have problem with assigning the vertextes to the skeleton I just can't get the right vertexes to the right bones.I'm not lazy or something,but I don' know It's like painting for me and I'm not good at that either
If you want I can upload the merged model so you can see what I've done so far.
One more thing,are you sure I've moved the skeleton,you say it shouldn't be moved a pixel right.
I'll try again,and if I can't I'll upload the model so you can see where is the problem.

[bernie]

The skelton has definately been moved. The arms have been rotated to fit the mesh. You can't move anything in the skeleton otherwise you need to make new animations. If you merge the virgil skeleton onto your skeleton in your assigned model you can see the differneces. Your vertices are correctly assigned apart from the left and right feet, and of course the gun, which you will not be able to use with the virgil animations but if it's just for show it will be ok.

[metal_head]

Yeah,I remembered doing that!Thanks,I'm now merging the mesh with the skeleton again and I'll inform you what have I done.I only have assignet the legs so far,but I expect It'll be ready after 20 minutes

[metal_head]

OK I finished it and I didn't touch the skeleton,everything is perfect except for one spot(I've uploaded a picture of it).I just can't get the vertexes here assigned right.I just cannot get that spot assigned right

[bernie]

You will have to do that bit by educated guesswork. But it looks like you're there. Just something I should mention though, some of virgils animations crash milkshape, so for testing you should only use the walk animation, that one is ok.
As you are finding out this operation ie changing a skeleton is probably the hardest thing you will do in milkshape and you should have learned a great deal of what milkshape can do from this exercise, also the things you can't do.
Selecting the correct vertices is quite tricky but don't forget you can hide vertices as well as faces and that can help. It also helps if you split the mesh up into groups eg. arms as one group ahead and neck as another torso as a group and legs as another. You can then hide groups and unhide groups from the group tab.

[metal_head]

Well I don't Know about milkshape,but some animations surely crash Astudio.I added all the animations and when I clicked build it said:

Code: Select all

Building 'C:\user\Users\Desktop\RealityFactory2\tools\Virgil.act'
'Virgil_Motions\Run.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\Aim1.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\Aim2.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\C2Idle.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\C_Idle.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\C_JumpStart.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\C_Land.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\CAim1.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\CAim2.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\Climb_Idle.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\ClimbDown.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\ClimbUp.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\Crawl.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\CrawlBack.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\CrawlBackShoot1.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\CrawlBackShoot2.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\CrawlShoot1.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\CrawlShoot2.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\CrawlTurnLeft.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\CrawlTurnLeftShoot1.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\CrawlTurnLeftShoot2.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\CrawlTurnRight.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\CrawlTurnRightShoot1.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\CrawlTurnRightShoot2.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\Crouch2Idle.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\CShoot1.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\CShoot2.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\Die.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\Fall.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\FallShoot1.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\FallShoot2.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\GUN_StrafeCLeftShoot1.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'Virgil_Motions\Idle.mot' out of date.  (Older than '.\BldTemp\player.BDY')
'.\BldTemp\Idle.MOT' out of date.  (Older than 'Virgil_Motions\Idle.mot')
Error: Source file '' not found
Error: unable to complete 3DS MAX script and export step for Make_Actor

[bernie]

Have you got Astdio set up right? Why is it even looking for a max script and it's not a good idea to call it virgil.act you could end up losing virgil call it something else.
post your latest ms3d file and I will see if I can load the animations

[metal_head]

I lost the ms3d file so it's in .bdy format.Astudio is set up right..I have no idea why is it looking for a max script...

EDIT:OK,OK I added the animations(had to start over),but now I have another problem,see the picture I uploaded.

[bernie]

Ok... Sorry I was away for a while I broke off for my dinner.
You sent me the act file but I decompiled it to get the .bdy and rebuilt it fine no problems. You have done a good job there.
1 Make a new folder on the desktop and put the .bdy file and the textures in it. Put a copy of virgil.act in it also.
2 Open Astudio and make a new apj file call it something like MHead.apj
3 In the body tab open your .bdy file
4 In the motions tab press [add] and type in *.* then browse for the virgil.act file in your new folder
5 In the paths tab enter .\ in the materials directory box
6 in the settings tab make sure you have cleared the box for 3dsmax path point the viewer to your viewer.exe file. Tick the box for optimise motions and set the optimise level to 4
7 go to menu Project and press Rebuild all.
That should make your actor no problems.
Let me know how you get on. If all else fails I can send you the compiled actor.
You should have backed up your ms3d file that was careless.

[metal_head]

nope,no difference...actor's legs are still in the ground like on the picture I uploaded.I don't get it,in milkshape the new player and the virgil are in the same position,but in the game the new player is half in the ground (has another position)

[bernie]

I know what is wrong it's something I forgot in the making of the new actor.
When you load into MS from lithunwrap the model gets rotated through 90 degrees.
If you
#1 load the new .act file into lithunwrap and save as a ms3d
#2 load into MS and remake the .bdy file. Load that into lithunwrap and save again as .ms3d
repeat operatio #2 until the model appears face down in ms3d
save as .bdy and build the actor
Messy I know but it works.
Sorry about that I forgot that step in the making of the new actor.
I must work out the process in equity it will be much easier but I will have to calculate the offsets.

[bernie]

... and when you put it into rf you will have to use virgils offsets -90 180 0

[metal_head]

I think I can do it only I didn't understand

#2 load into MS and remake the .bdy file

What do you mean by remake the .bdy