Vessel Animation Questions

posted on April 11th, 2011, 2:32 pm

I'm wanting to create a "vessel" that's really just a 3-D model of a transporter.  I'm going to use the Dilithium and Tritanium triggers as templates to replace this model with a fully functional Tereanan Turret with the footprint.  Well, I guess that's irrelevant.  So here is my question:

What exactly is required to make an animation on a unit?  For my constructor special, the constructor places a "ship" in space via replaceweapon and the "ship" is replaced by the turret 7 seconds later with the turret having a footprint.  This "ship" is supposed to look like a transporter beam and not just a solid box.  How do I do that?  And on another note, how do I make door animations?

posted on April 11th, 2011, 9:35 pm

Door animations as far as I know need to be done in 3ds max as MS3D cant do animated sods. I believe there are some tutorials floating around on how to do animated sods in max.


You could try using a animated sprite for your "transporter effect" and create a low poly invisable sod with the sprite node referenced in the sod for the animated sprite. and then reference said sod in the odf for your replace weapon.

posted on April 11th, 2011, 11:30 pm

Actually MS3D can do animations, it's the exporter that doesn't support the animations, so you're still correct. Only early versions of Max can support the sod exporter for that program, v3-5 I think. Unfortunately you're out of luck unless you have the program or know someone who has a copy and is willing to do the animations for you.

posted on April 11th, 2011, 11:33 pm

Where could I find Max 5?

posted on April 11th, 2011, 11:33 pm

yh majestic is correct anything above version 5 will not support the exporter try googling it

posted on April 11th, 2011, 11:50 pm

I tried googling it.  No results.  Maybe I can get the exporter to work with gmax.

By the way, could someone please build an exporter for gmax?

posted on April 12th, 2011, 1:42 am

Unfortunately years ago you couldn't get max 3-5 I actually looked about 6 years ago with no luck. Gmax is a scaled down basic version of 3d max and doesn't have the advanced options as 3d max including the exporter to sod.

posted on April 12th, 2011, 5:36 pm

Are there any other programs out there that can handle Armada 2 SODs with animations?

posted on April 12th, 2011, 5:39 pm

maya obviously does since that is what ziech uses, but there are no publicly available exporters for that.

posted on April 12th, 2011, 5:56 pm

So the only way I'm going to get something like this is to join the FO team, right?

posted on April 12th, 2011, 6:01 pm

or find a copy of max5.

  If I were you, I would contact FahreS.  He managed to do several ships with animations.  He might help you figure it out also.

posted on April 12th, 2011, 6:03 pm

I guess if I have to, there's always the HEX editor.

posted on April 12th, 2011, 8:55 pm

You can't do animations with a hex editor.

posted on April 12th, 2011, 8:59 pm

It'll be about 1,000,000,000 times more dificult, but if you know the format it can be done.

posted on April 12th, 2011, 9:10 pm

Im not sure maya does either i think the devs still have a copy of 3ds max 5 around and they have maya export a model into a format that max 5 can use.