OmenEmiters models - saving problem when using NWMax
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PC_Maniac
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OmenEmiters models - saving problem when using NWMax

Post by PC_Maniac »

While loading models using NWMax to 3dsmax, that have OmenEmiters, NWmax returns the following error:
"The position controller for "mdc01_j11_01" is neither linear nor Bezier
'Controllers on Keys' Check failed."
If despite of ths error I save the model, then while viewing it in NWNExplorer I see nothing. Even fixing it with CLeanModel doesn't help and gives the following message:
" emitter e_j11_01a assigned birthratekey 0 in tiledefault animation"
" emitter e_j11_01a assigned birthratekey 15 in animloop01"
and also when using NWNExplorer I see a black screen without a model.

I suspect, that the reason of this, is that I load a group of models, ex. mdc01_j*.mdl.
Is there a possibility to load a group of models without damaging the animations from OmenEmiters or fixing it with, for ex. CleanModels?

I also seek a tutorial that concerns adding animations to tileset's models and changing windows from daily to nightly, in order to translate and publish it on Polish Builders Community forum.

Please accept my apologies if such a topic/problem is solved somewhere else. Just couldnt find it.

s030363l
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Post by s030363l »

PC_Maniac this something I picked up from the bioware forums which was posted ragnarok_mr4 maybe this will help some.

The "reset controllers" tool may or may not work for you, depending on what the source controllers for your animation are.

NWN1 relies on linear animation keys, and it does NOT understand any other controller type but these. If you use a reaction controller, IK chain, or float script, for example - NONE of these will export properly, even in you use "reset controllers", since none of them generate linear animation keys by default.

If you are using any controller other than linear (or bezier, which NWMax can handle - sort of), then you will need to look into baking your animations down into linear keys that NWN1 can understand. I suggest that you look into the "animation baker" tool in NWMax for this purpose.

PC_Maniac
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Post by PC_Maniac »

s030363l You didn't fully understand the problem (either I stated it wrong )
It's not the point that wrong controllers were used. Controllers were used correctly and the animations were working in those models. Only after loading them and only changing some layer textures and saving causes that those errors occur and damage models. I suspect that the cause of this is in damaging animations while loading a group of models (ex. mdc01_j*.mdl). Loading and saving a single model doesn't do any damage, however loading a group and saving only one also causes the problem.

The question is not what controllers to use (because I'm sure, that they are used correctly), but how to load and save a group of models, so that their animations aren't damaged.

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Bannor Bloodfist
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Post by Bannor Bloodfist »

If you touch ANY of the objects that have animation bits attached, then you are toast. Period.

The animation controllers are somehow cross-linked with positions of the objects AND the object's name. if any single vertice is changed, and/or the name of the object gets changed, you completely lose all the animation stuff.

Max, has a nasty habit of rounding out numbers. So, if an object is at position 23.001234 x 23.001234 x 10, and you save it, it gets 'moved' to 23.00235 x 22.99871801 x 9.999 and the animation is toasted.

One export is all you get. If you export, and then re-import, you have trashed your animations. Sometimes, resetting the controllers helps. Most times though, it just causes you to THINK it exported ok, but it really did not.

There is no fix for this.

Do animations LAST on tiles. Don't attempt to keep importing animations on tiles. They will just give you heartaches. You can successfully reskin an object using a txt editor, or even the SET editor v0.8b54 that is available on the vault. This tool doesn't move anything, but will allow you to quickly switch the textures around. It won't show you the results though, for that you have to load the tiles either in game or in toolset.

So, in your particular case, you say the animations work in the originals, but you want to reskin them. Then reskin them using a text editor or that set editor and DO NOT load them in max.

Sometimes, CM3 can fix these, but most times, if you are already getting the errors, then you are out of luck.

PC_Maniac
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Post by PC_Maniac »

Many thanks for your help and all the explanations given. I wonder, if by any chance you could provide any useful links for some guide books or help stuff in relation to animations? All help kindly appreciated.

lord rosenkrantz
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Post by lord rosenkrantz »

Try this tutorial WARNING THAT LINK is no longer valid and who knows where it will end up
It is about creature animation, but many information can be useful for any other objects apart creatures as well.

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