IK Animation exporter

[Tim.]

Alright I finally got a chance to test this baby out.

It was perfectly accurate; however I am afraid too accurate. Your tool creates a keyframe for EVERY frame. In normal War3 animations 30 frames could go without a single keyframe. This is also the case in IK. I highly suggest that you try to make a way to drop some accuracy and pick good intervals for placing the keyframes - else this tool is only usable for offline games.

Why? Well I tried this out on a model of mine.
Size without animation and converted to MDX: 30k
Size with normal War3 animation: 35k
Size with IK animation (same animation as the War3 one, just using IK instead) and then converted to MDX: 700k

Get the idea? It is useless if the size increases so much for a single hand opening and closing animation. However I must say if you do get this more optimized as I suggest - it will revolutionize the world of War3 animation forever. IK is much more realistic and easy to use.

[TDR]

I don't get it, why didn't blizzard animate with IK back then? every other game was using IK. Mabye they just thougth they don't need complex motions, but hell, at least using IK is waay easier.

[Tim.]

Yeah it is, I don't have much experience but it only took me ~5 minutes to make a detailed animation that would take me at least an hour with War3 animation. I really do hope this tool can be improved.

[3dmaxhy]

To Tim:
Your tool creates a keyframe for EVERY frame

The parameter "step time" can control the frames between the 2 keys.Recommed to set the parameter with 5.

[jigrael]

Ive just tested this tool. Its awesome really, IK animation is so easy. This is trully usefull tool. Although even with the step parameter u get too many keyframes, u can fix it manually but its worth it because of the animation quality u get. Thank u 3dmaxhy, I own u one ;)

[Tim.]

Yeah sorry I forgot to post about that :P.

Even with your step-time feature it's very large. Could you set it up in such a way that it only makes keyframes where it's necessary?

[jigrael]

this should be Sticky, I think its better than va tools

[3dmaxhy]

to:Tim and jigrael
I will improve it later.Ik tools will consider the link between parent and child,i think the keys will be reduced greatly.

[Tim.]

Great, please let us know of your progress.

[TDR]

sticky wicky. and changed the title.

[3dmaxhy]

to TIM:
Why? Well I tried this out on a model of mine.
Size without animation and converted to MDX: 30k
Size with normal War3 animation: 35k
Size with IK animation (same animation as the War3 one, just using IK instead) and then converted to MDX: 700k

Please upload this scene,i can take a reference from it.

[Tim.]

I don't have it on this PC. I'll get it this afternoon, though.

[3dmaxhy]

Ok,I successfully reduced the kys by using a new method(IK 2 FK)
So,in the new version of IK tools i add the new function.
A 400 frames animation export by normal way:about 500k
same condition export by new method:about 100K

As heretofore,i release the testing version,if u find some problems report me!

there is a explanation with more details:

[Tim.]

Gives me an error.

Code:

-- Error occurred in i loop
--  Frame:
--   i: 21
-- Error occurred during fileIn in <File:C:\Modeling\Scripts\IK Tools v 1.5\link>
--   called in IKtoFK.pressed()
--  Frame:
>> MAXScript Rollout Handler Exception: -- Runtime error: array index must be +ve number, got: undefined <<

[3dmaxhy]

Strange problem,3dsmax didn't give any errors to me,but the bone3 and bone4 did't have any keys??? after i deleted the badmodel and baked again all is ok.A very strange problem,i gather there is some mistakes with array defining.

I'll inspect it later.
note that:the button "parent" should pick the root of all bones.
I get the right scene at second baking:

=====================>
Now i test the sence but nothing happened,in spit of restart 3dsmax for N times,the problem i get just now never happened again???It really baffle me completely.