Apparently, File Front didn't go under after all. What a surprise.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

The models I uploaded are still being hosted by them. Access them at http://hosted.filefront.com/lppena

Additonally, I have some models uploaded at MSN which I completely forgot about and can be accessed at http://cid-380832c976843acb.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/BNG%7C4s%20BZII%20Models%20and%20Props%20for%20other%20BZII%20Modders as well.

Never really thought about it much, but I guess now I have 2 places to store more models and props for BZII.

I've been fiddling around with animation stuff lately trying to figure out how to make animated models for the game, and I would appreciate if someone could possibly convert them to XSI from either X or 3DS formats for free public release to other modelers at some point in the future?

It'll be a while before any are ready for conversion as I am only beginning to work with bones, vertex, and IK object animations. Doing animations is quite an interesting challenge, but I started doing simple animations on pilot figures built from skeletal rigs, and stuff like rotor blade rotational animation. Setting up key frames is pretty simple to do in TS 7.6. So far I've made a few that are 30 frames long with like 8 key frames. I've been setting a keyframe for every frame, and then adjusting the frame range to 30 frames; it makes animation playback quite a bit slower as more frames are added. Faster, if less frames are used.

Can anyone share a few animation tips to help me and other modelers along with what works, and doesn't work when working with key frame animations? Tanks BNG.

[mrtwosheds]

and I would appreciate if someone could possibly convert them to XSI from either X or 3DS formats for free public release to other modelers at some point in the future?

The conversion process I use, takes place about 2/3 of the way though model construction, Models need to be constructed with that process in mind and with all their rotating bits in the right-wrong places.
It also requires some notepad alteration to get things looking right.
Thus I am not offering a 3rd party conversion service, because its too much trouble. But I can tell you how to do it.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

The notepad method is way too much work for most peeps; I'd never ask anyone to spend that much time under such circumstances. I can export X animations directly to BZII after flipping all the normals of a model using the right-handed coordinate system, but for some reason the version of X that TS uses is not sufficiently compatible with BZII X requirements. Also, BZII does not read any texture data either. Why? I have no clue other then noting that the X models included in the BZII Demo have a different header thingy then the X files exported out of TS. Eventually, I hope to use OM's XSI exporter to convert my X files after importing them into Blender and converting them to XSI at that point.

In the mean time I've also used AV's X2XSI converter in conjunction with Threed to get animations somewhat functional by copying the animation set data from X2XSI to a Threed created XSI which translates the texture data sufficiently, and then using Winmerge to combine parts from both XSI versions into one modified XSI file.

Animations, really shouldn't be this difficult a task, but due to insufficiently available tools for the older XSI format makes doing animations a most frustrating task. Truly frustrating for alot of modeling peeps. If I can't figure it out then I may just put BZII on a shelf and move on to other less frustrating model making endeavors. 

[mrtwosheds]

Pretty similar to what I do then.

and stuff like rotor blade rotational animation.

You can just use the ibpgen rotation, don't change any data values, just reduce the number of frames (1st column)to make it go faster. like this.

AnimationSet {
   Animation anim-blades {
      {frm-blades}
      SI_AnimationKey {
         0;
         6;
         1; 4; 1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000;;,
         4; 4; 0.758758, 0.000000, -0.651373, 0.000000;;,
         5; 4; 0.688967, -0.000000, -0.724793, -0.000000;;,
         9; 4; -0.688967, -0.000000, -0.724793, -0.000000;;,
         10; 4; 0.758758, 0.000000, 0.651373, 0.000000;;,
         12; 4; 0.994869, 0.000000, 0.101169, 0.000000;;;
      }
   }

         ^; was 1 to 30
You will need to experiment with exact number of frames to get it to look roughly right. But don't change the values or it will probably stop looking like a rotation altogether.

[bigbadbogie]

Animations, really shouldn't be this difficult a task, but due to insufficiently available tools for the older XSI format makes doing animations a most frustrating task. Truly frustrating for alot of modeling peeps. If I can't figure it out then I may just put BZII on a shelf and move on to other less frustrating model making endeavors. 

SAVE    UP   AND   BUY   3D   STUDIO   MAX!!!!

It is well worth every penny... and will fix all your modelling problems in BZ2.

At the very least, download the trial version and test it out.

[Warfreak]

Or just get blender, not too hard to use and EXTREAMLY effective for what BZ2 modelers want.

THE reason I personally don't use it much is because I am too accustomed to 3DS's interface, but I do know how to use blender.

[TheJamsh]

I provided BNG with 3DS a while ago. Personally, i cant get into it.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

From what little I learned about 3D MAX in using GMAX it's a quite complex piece of software; great for those willing to spend the time to learn how to use it.

Blender, falls in the same category very cool, but who has the time to learn it's somewhat odd UI. I guess when it boils down to sheer simplicity most of us need something that does the job, but is fairly easy to learn, and as a result actually gets used to make stuff for the game.

TS, is free, easy to use, and flexible enough to use for other modeling tasks. From what I've learned about animation it can be done fairly easy with TS. Translating models for use with BZII, however, is a bit more of a challenge though.

I might also note that the older XSI format that BZII uses is now all obsolete by current SI standards. The X format that BZII supposedly supports also falls in the same category as the format appears to no longer be supported at least from the searching that I've done. Both formats have changed sufficiently to make modeling for BZII a somewhat limited possibility; at at least as far as animated models are concerned.

Making non animated models for BZII using TS is a piece of cake based on what I've made so far. Animation, may also be possible, but I've only begun to grasp the basic concepts involved with doing animation. I really wouldn't be surprised that as I learn more about how animation works that I may just figure out a way to use TS for this too. Imagine...an X model in BZII with full animation. BNG, hunkers down and resolves to solve this quite mysterious dilemma. . . .

[OvermindDL1]

To be 'technical' (and I feel like being contrary :p ), Blender is the most simple, everything is hotkeys, no nasty interface to get in the way. :p
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[TheJamsh]

The advantage of learning blender of course is the fact that its so ridiculously powerful. You can do virtually anything with it...

That and the fact that its open scource (i think) means its never going to die out and become obsolete.