I'm trying to find a tutorial on how to make a custom animation for a pre-existing sc2 unit. I assume the steps are as follows I just am not sure how to do it.
1-Export the model from the editor
2-Import the model into 3ds max
3-Create the custom animation
4-Export the model from 3ds max
5-Import the model into sc2
I'm really just trying to dabble with the basics in hopes of doing some advanced animations for a map I'm working on. I've read over a lot of the tutorials but most are about creating models and I haven't found anything on animating them.
Thanks for any help!
Pretty much as you said it. In the sequences tab (there's import, export and sequences) add a new animation and set its beginning and end frames to match yours.
Care to elaborate a little? All I can find are tutorials on exporting from 3ds and none on importing, am I not seeing a tutorial I should see? Also is there a beginners tutorial for animating?
You'd find dozens of animation tutorials on the internet.
About importing, it's pretty much straight forward. You should extract all the model's textures first and add their folder to 3DSM in Customize - Configure User Paths - External Files.
Ok, sorry if I'm coming off as a noob...because I am, but I got it to import and it loads the textures and everything and it says imported succesfully but then all I see is this and i can't zoom in on it.
I know the basics of animating, but if I can't see the model I can't animate it.
The trouble is that all models (at least all the ones Ive tried) are imported and are extremely small in the 3ds max viewport. There are a couple of things you can try in order to zoom in on them.
First of all open up the list of objects in the scene (H is the keyboard shortcut) and select the main mesh. For example "DarkTemplar_00_0". You can usually tell which one is the main one by how many triangles (faces) it has, that can usually be seen on the right side of the objects list window. Once you have the object selected, click OK and to go back to the max viewport. The quickest way to 'zoom' to your selected object in this case is to use Isolation Mode. The keyboard shortcut is Alt Q, or you can find it in the Tools menu. This will hide every other object in the scene that isnt currently selected and zoom your view to the selected object/s. You should then be able to use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out to your leisure.
One common problem when dealing with extremely small models like the SC2 ones is that the max viewport has a default clipping plane that will clip (make invisible) any objects that are too close to the viewport's camera. In other words, because you have to zoom in so far to see the small object, the viewport will automatically make it disappear because its too close. You can override this setting by going to the Views menu and opening up the Viewport Configuations window. On the Rendering Method tab, you will need to make sure that the checkbox "Viewport Clipping" is checked (its off by default). Then select OK. When you're back at the main viewport, you will see a yellow bar down the right hand side of the viewport. It will have two yellow arrows next to it. One at the top and one at the bottom. Click the bottom one and drag it down to near the bottom. This will move the near clipping plane closer to the viewport camera and enable you to zoom in closer on small models. I have attached some screenshots to hopefully make this a bit clearer.
Also as a side note, its probably not a good idea to try and scale the models larger. Although its a pain in the butt working on a small model, trying to scale it larger will often break the skinning for animations and cause even more trouble when you try to re-export it. Give it a go if you like, but it usually only ends badly in my experience.
The dark templar models have an attachment point in them that is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay out in the middle of nowhere. This is an error with the model itself. If you don't believe me, open the unit up in the previewer and highlight all the attachments. You'll notice one of the attachments is nowhere to be seen. As far as I can tell the attachment is safe to delete, however zoom to extents for the model seems to broken even after deleting the object.
The models are scaled small yes, but you can fix that by using the view perspective button in 3ds max. Looks kind of like a > with an eye in it. It allows you to zoom in on models without them clipping. Should solve all your scale problems.
Yeah you can use the view perspective thing. I'm assuming you actually mean the Field-of-View tool in the bottom right of the screen since that matches your description. The trouble with that is it works exactly like its supposed to and changes the field of view. Using this to zoom in will cause the field of view to be set down to 1 degree from the default perspective of 45 degrees. Its a personal thing really, but I find it difficult to work with my model distorted to that level.
My method, while more involved and having its own drawbacks, does allow you to still maintain the 45 degree field of view and thus your models will still look in the correct perspective.
And JB4times4, if you look at what NiNtoxicated01 said, its a bug with the dark templar model. It does actually work, but there is an attachment point seemingly in the wrong spot, causing the zooms to mess up. If you select just the main mesh and isolate it, you should be able to see it fine.
I have no idea what you are talking about selecting the main mesh because I'm a total noob :P
So when I get into the animation every time i import the model it imports a different animation with it, how do I view all the different animations it has available?
[EDIT]
And I guess in addition to that, how do you modify the animation? I can't see any of the key frames or anything and when I try to modify it it only changes the position of the model for the whole animation...any ideas?
I'm trying to find a tutorial on how to make a custom animation for a pre-existing sc2 unit. I assume the steps are as follows I just am not sure how to do it. 1-Export the model from the editor 2-Import the model into 3ds max 3-Create the custom animation 4-Export the model from 3ds max 5-Import the model into sc2
I'm really just trying to dabble with the basics in hopes of doing some advanced animations for a map I'm working on. I've read over a lot of the tutorials but most are about creating models and I haven't found anything on animating them. Thanks for any help!
@JB4times4: Go
Pretty much as you said it. In the sequences tab (there's import, export and sequences) add a new animation and set its beginning and end frames to match yours.
@tFighterPilot: Go
Care to elaborate a little? All I can find are tutorials on exporting from 3ds and none on importing, am I not seeing a tutorial I should see? Also is there a beginners tutorial for animating?
Thanks!
@JB4times4: Go
You'd find dozens of animation tutorials on the internet.
About importing, it's pretty much straight forward. You should extract all the model's textures first and add their folder to 3DSM in Customize - Configure User Paths - External Files.
Ok, sorry if I'm coming off as a noob...because I am, but I got it to import and it loads the textures and everything and it says imported succesfully but then all I see is this and i can't zoom in on it.
I know the basics of animating, but if I can't see the model I can't animate it.
Thanks again for all your help.
What did you try to import?
@tFighterPilot: Go
A dark templar.
No it's fine..I was honestly expecting that :P just wish I could figure it out.
@JB4times4: Go
Try DarkTemplar_00.m3 or DarkTemplar_01.m3
The trouble is that all models (at least all the ones Ive tried) are imported and are extremely small in the 3ds max viewport. There are a couple of things you can try in order to zoom in on them. First of all open up the list of objects in the scene (H is the keyboard shortcut) and select the main mesh. For example "DarkTemplar_00_0". You can usually tell which one is the main one by how many triangles (faces) it has, that can usually be seen on the right side of the objects list window. Once you have the object selected, click OK and to go back to the max viewport. The quickest way to 'zoom' to your selected object in this case is to use Isolation Mode. The keyboard shortcut is Alt Q, or you can find it in the Tools menu. This will hide every other object in the scene that isnt currently selected and zoom your view to the selected object/s. You should then be able to use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out to your leisure.
One common problem when dealing with extremely small models like the SC2 ones is that the max viewport has a default clipping plane that will clip (make invisible) any objects that are too close to the viewport's camera. In other words, because you have to zoom in so far to see the small object, the viewport will automatically make it disappear because its too close. You can override this setting by going to the Views menu and opening up the Viewport Configuations window. On the Rendering Method tab, you will need to make sure that the checkbox "Viewport Clipping" is checked (its off by default). Then select OK. When you're back at the main viewport, you will see a yellow bar down the right hand side of the viewport. It will have two yellow arrows next to it. One at the top and one at the bottom. Click the bottom one and drag it down to near the bottom. This will move the near clipping plane closer to the viewport camera and enable you to zoom in closer on small models. I have attached some screenshots to hopefully make this a bit clearer.
Also as a side note, its probably not a good idea to try and scale the models larger. Although its a pain in the butt working on a small model, trying to scale it larger will often break the skinning for animations and cause even more trouble when you try to re-export it. Give it a go if you like, but it usually only ends badly in my experience.
@Riaction: Go
The dark templar models have an attachment point in them that is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay out in the middle of nowhere. This is an error with the model itself. If you don't believe me, open the unit up in the previewer and highlight all the attachments. You'll notice one of the attachments is nowhere to be seen. As far as I can tell the attachment is safe to delete, however zoom to extents for the model seems to broken even after deleting the object.
The models are scaled small yes, but you can fix that by using the view perspective button in 3ds max. Looks kind of like a > with an eye in it. It allows you to zoom in on models without them clipping. Should solve all your scale problems.
Has anyone successfully imported a dark templar? I can't seem to get it to zoom in even following your advice.
[EDIT] Ok so I tried a zealot and got it imported just fine...any ideas?
@NiNtoxicated01: Go
Yeah you can use the view perspective thing. I'm assuming you actually mean the Field-of-View tool in the bottom right of the screen since that matches your description. The trouble with that is it works exactly like its supposed to and changes the field of view. Using this to zoom in will cause the field of view to be set down to 1 degree from the default perspective of 45 degrees. Its a personal thing really, but I find it difficult to work with my model distorted to that level. My method, while more involved and having its own drawbacks, does allow you to still maintain the 45 degree field of view and thus your models will still look in the correct perspective.
And JB4times4, if you look at what NiNtoxicated01 said, its a bug with the dark templar model. It does actually work, but there is an attachment point seemingly in the wrong spot, causing the zooms to mess up. If you select just the main mesh and isolate it, you should be able to see it fine.
I have no idea what you are talking about selecting the main mesh because I'm a total noob :P
So when I get into the animation every time i import the model it imports a different animation with it, how do I view all the different animations it has available?
[EDIT]
And I guess in addition to that, how do you modify the animation? I can't see any of the key frames or anything and when I try to modify it it only changes the position of the model for the whole animation...any ideas?