X2XSI problems

[OvermindDL1]

Looking through these formats and how BZ2 follows through them, as far as I can tell, BZ2 should be able to read them just fine.  The only issue I might see is some things not getting set due to a missing SI_CoordinateSystem section.  Have you'll just changing the .x header, something like this (everything before the first Frame word):

Code Select Expand

xof 0302txt 0064

# This DirectX file was written by a Caligari (tm) product

Header {
1;
0;
1;
}
And replace it with something like this:

Code Select Expand

xsi 0101txt 0032

SI_CoordinateSystem coord {
   1;
   0;
   1;
   0;
   2;
   5;
}

I looks like this little change alone should get it readable just fine by BZ2, without renaming the other sections.  Can someone test that, and if it works fine then I could just make a quick app to do that, else I can make one to make the normal changes too, but from everything I see that is unnecessary.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Tanks OM, I'll test it and report back...BNG

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

With the changes made to the X file it caused 3DEX to display an error stating directx signature not found. Also displayed other message called bad file format. Could it have been the first line of numbers?> xof 0302txt 0064. Perhaps just adding
   0;
   2;
   5;
after
   1;
   0;
   1;

Considering it's still an X file of course only so many changes are probably tolerated before an exception is called or something like that. When I tried an X file in a modified ODF file where the XSI geom. name was changed to X instead the map editor didn't crash as I expected it to but there was no visible object; only the unit name and the green health bar appeared at the point where I placed the unit?

Here's the modified ODF I used and the only thing I modified was to change .xsi to .x.
Additionally, the resulting .msh file only had references to the hp triangles glued as children to the main object; no references were displayed in the mesh tree to other geom objects in model file.

I was pleased that the map editor didn't just crash altogether as it had done in the past when other things were attempted.

GSL, by default saves files as ASCII; do you think that unchecking that option and saving it as a binary would make any difference as I don't really know too much about what BZII can handle and what makes it crash?

[GameObjectClass]

classLabel = "aircraft"
geometryName = "gmaxdragon.x"
geometryScale = 3.0 //2.0
cockpitName = "ivstas_cockpit.xsi"
scrapCost = 35
scrapValue = 5
maxHealth = 1000
maxAmmo = 750
unitName = "Gmax Dragon"
heatSignature = 0.5
imageSignature = 2.0
radarSignature = 0.1
isAssault = 0
armorClass = L
//canCollide = 1
canDetect = 1
canInteract = 1
canSnipe = 1
needsPilot = 0
collisionRadius = 0.7
addAmmo = .3

ejectRatio = 0
boxCollide = 1

effectHard1 = "hp_emit_1"
effectName1 = "ivsgull1.tail"

weaponMask = 01111
weaponHard1 = "HP_GUN_1"
weaponName1 =  "gairchn1"
weaponAssault1 = 0
weaponHard2 = "HP_GUN_2"
weaponName2 = "gairchn1" 
weaponAssault2 = 0
weaponHard3 = "HP_CANNON_1"
visualHard3 = "HP_CANNON_1"
weaponName3 = "plasma_a"
weaponAssault3 = 0
weaponHard4 = "HP_ROCKET_1"
visualHard4 = "HP_ROCKET_1"
weaponName4 = "apgsquid"
weaponAssault4 = 0
weaponHard5 = "HP_SPECIAL_1"
visualHard5 = "HP_SPECIAL_1"
weaponName5 = ""
weaponAssault5 = 0

lightHard1 = "hp_light_1"
lightName1 = "spotblue2"
lightHard2 = "hp_light_2"
lightName2 = "spotblue2"

[CraftClass]
rangeScan = 450.0f
periodScan = 3.0f
velocJam = 5.0f
engageRange = 225
weaponPitch = .3

selectWaitMsg = "fvartl04.wav"
selectAttackMsg = "fvartl01.wav"
selectFollowMsg = "fvartl03.wav"
selectGoMsg = "fvartl02.wav"
selectOtherMsg = "fvartl04.wav"
holdMsg = "fvartl12.wav"
goMsg = "fvartl05.wav"
attackMsg = "fvartl06.wav"
followMeMsg = "fvartl08.wav"
followMsg = "fvartl03.wav"
rescueMsg = "fvartl10.wav"
otherMsg = "fvartl05.wav"
killedMsg = "bombgen02.wav"

[AirCraftClass]
velocSet(L) = 10.0 // minimum velocity
velocSet(M) = 20.0 // cruising velocity
velocSet(H) = 48.0 // maximum velocity
accelThrust = 6.5 // 7.0 // thrust acceleration
accelBrake = 10.0 // brake acceleration
accelDrag = 60.0 // drag acceleration -- affects sliding sideways
// mouse as rudder
omegaSteer(L) = 0.3 // steer turn rate at minimum
omegaSteer(M) = 0.9 // steer turn rate at cruising
omegaSteer(H) = 1.2 // steer turn rate at maximum
// strafe affecting rudder
omegaStrafe(L) = 0.1//0.6 // airbrake turn rate at minimum
omegaStrafe(M) = 0.3//0.9 // airbrake turn rate at cruising
omegaStrafe(H) = 0.9//1.1 // airbrake turn rate at maximum

//this affects steering but not sliding
alphaSteer = .8 // 0.7 // steering angular acceleration
alphaStrafe = 0.01 //0.5 // airbrake angular acceleration
minAltitude = 20.0 // minimum altitude - no effect?
maxAltitude = 150.0 // maximum altitude
alphaLevel = 10.0 // leveling angular acceleration
// this affects sliding sideways, 20 makes it jitter some tho
alphaDamp = 12 // 5.0 // damping angular acceleration

pitchPitch = 0.7 // 0.4 // maximum pitch angle
rollSteer = 0.5 // maximum roll angle from steering
rollStrafe = 0.5 // maximum roll angle from airbraking

timeDeploy = 1.0 // time to deploy
timeUndeploy = 1.0 // time to undeploy

soundThrust = "ienge.wav"
soundDeploy = "avapce2.wav"
soundUndeploy = "avapce0.wav"  //"amb_fwd.wav"
soundBrake = "iengf.wav"

[Tail]
renderBase = "draw_trail"
textureName = "trail2.tga"
textureBlend = "one one modulate"
startColor = "20 50 90 150"
finishColor = "30 60 80 0"
startRadius = 0.7
finishRadius = 0.2
segmentTime = .6 // time each segment animates
segmentVariance = "0.1 0.1 0.1"
animateTime = 0.3
textureRate = 0.05


 

[Avatar]

Like I said, X2XSI just puts an XSI header from a BZ2 XSI file onto a text formatted X file from the time...

It seems to me there was something else further in that had to change, also, maybe something with the normals...  it's been so long...  I wish I had the source still...  I'm looking through my old backup CD's trying to find it...

Hell to get old. 

-Av-

[mrtwosheds]

Something to do with the parenting of frames?
I think xsi will display all children of only one frame, just the one at the bottom of the xsi if none are children.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

The only other stettings I can change are: store the object as a single mesh, feature edges, center and normalize object, loop animation, position quality line or spline; currently set to spline, keyframe step; currently set at 10, rescale factor currently set at 1, animation set name currently being un used, float size 32 bit or 64 bit; currently set to 64 bit, and lastly coordinate system left or right; currently set at left handed. Additionally, I can flip the normals, save normals, or select no frames in 3DEX.

Does anyone know what save templates does as it apears in the 3DEX X save options?

[OvermindDL1]

As stated, from digging into BZ2 it looks like a normal .x file should work, except just change the header into an SI_CoordinateSystem section, and change the top line from the xof thing into the xsi thing.  I do not think any other changes need to be made, and no, that file will definitely not work in 3dex, try it in BZ2 only.

[Avatar]

OM, I think if that were the case then X2XSI would be pumping out fully working files...  because basically that's what it does.

Basically.



-Av-

[OvermindDL1]

I think x2xsi also changes some other things which then changes how the file is read in BZ2.  Notable normals and so forth.

[Avatar]

Not unless the XSI I based it on had it that way...  in which case I duplicated  it.

I've said all along, it's a glorified text editor, just tacks on a header and makes an X look like an XSI as much as I could.

-Av-

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

AV's right X2XSI isn't well suited for getting XSI animations to work using X animation files; however, it's good for static non animated models and props. Our best bet for possible XSI animations is OM's B3d exporter. It would be the free equivalent of the XSI exporter for MAX 3d. Our best option would be to assist OM by offering him help in testing the exporter as much as possible and provide him with feedback on the outcome of learning to use Blender as applicable to creating animations in B3d and testing them out in the BZII map editor, and posting info for OM to tweak the exporter to explore what's possible. Tanks OM for taking time to work on the exporter...BNG PS: Tanks AV for X2XSI too.

[OvermindDL1]

Thing is that it looks like it should work if just the changes I mention are made...

[mrtwosheds]

From the perspective of my own construction methods, whatever you made those .x animations with BNG would be very useful. It can give the number sets for complicated movements that I cannot just type out, like a rotation on two axis or more. Pasting them into an xsi and typing out the right names would be much quicker than learning to use a new modeling program and figuring out how to convert its output to bz xsi 

I have been looking at morphing animations, the only thing stopping me creating one, is the si_envelope information that contains the vertex numbers to be attached to a bone. Bones are no more than meshless frame points that are rotated by a normal rotation animation and connected together via other meshless frames points
If I knew the numbers of the vertex in a leg I could morph it...

[OvermindDL1]

The envelope only links points to a frame (usually an empty frame that pretends to be a skeleton) with specific weights (and do note, BZ2 only supports two weights per point, in other words, a single point can only be moved be a max of two skeleton nodes, anything more and it ignores them).  Thus far envelopes are the only part I cannot export from a .msh file (the format is completely different for those, a bit weird), but I can export everything else, including animations.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

The GSL animation recorder was used to record the movements of my cube object after selecting the record keyframe icon and setting the time interval on the graphic display window it uses. Morphing can be done just as easily too by using the object deformation tool to pull and push the objects geometry around in the 3d workspace.

OBTW, in addition to working on this issue I'm also getting used to the B3D UI to do some additional testing on OM's XSI exporter and plan on mastering the basics of using it to create, texture, animate, and use the exporter to see what's possible with it too. Thank God, I'm used to multi-tasking as it's useful for working on multiple projects simultaneously. PS: I'll retry the renaming thing with the X file that was suggested by OM and the animationset rename thing by MTS as well. The X format that GSL saves is about the closed looking XSI format I've seen so far; all the other variants look totally different (more like something you'd see in a HTML page you know> <7EM4MFJ5J68FKDSKL97J>, etc.