Model Animation [Help Please]

[jacob814]

I have looked for quite some time for a tutorial for in game model animation. I have my model in game and working. I would like someone to either point me in the right direction to a tutorial or even better give me some sort of example program to look at. Any help will be great.

[jabelar]

What kind of model are you using?  Techne/Java or OBJ?

 

If using Techne/Java then you might be interested in my tutorial on animating complex models: I have a tutorial on doing complex models with animation.  See: http://jabelarminecraft.blogspot.com/p/complex-entity-models-including.html

[jacob814]

I do not have much experience with FML and am still learning java so creating a custom model is difficult. Yes there are videos out there but they are very straight forward and dont give you much room to do things. I tried to use a tutorial by Neale Gaming (youtube) and I was able to get a Techne model in but it neither rotated or, when broken displayed the right particles. I need a tutorial a good tutorial, video based or not. Also if someone could explain the pros and cons of using techne for modeling that would be great.

[jabelar]

I do not have much experience with FML and am still learning java so creating a custom model is difficult. Yes there are videos out there but they are very straight forward and dont give you much room to do things. I tried to use a tutorial by Neale Gaming (youtube) and I was able to get a Techne model in but it neither rotated or, when broken displayed the right particles. I need a tutorial a good tutorial, video based or not. Also if someone could explain the pros and cons of using techne for modeling that would be great.

 

Techne is okay but it is just a starting point.  It is really just an tool for creating the Java code that can be used as a model in Minecraft.  I personally find that it has a few mistakes that are annoying, but I admit I still use it as a visualization tool because it is easy to use, and I also use it to get my texture offsets adjusted.

 

But Techne has almost nothing to do with animation.  Animation is going to require Java coding.  It isn't that hard though -- all you need to do is set the rotation point and rotation angle of each piece in a way that gives you the animation effect that you want.  I have a personal technique that I developed where I use a 2-D array to step through all the various angles needed, because otherwise people can get confused by trying to use a bunch of trigonometry and other spatial mathematics.

 

Did you read my animation tutorial?

 

Anyway, Techne is only a starting point.  If you're wanting to animate you'll have to do some programming to.

[Kwibble]

What I would really like to see is a tutorial for animating .obj models in Minecraft. If anyone ever makes one of those, i will happily test it and if it works, recommend it to everyone

[jabelar]

What I would really like to see is a tutorial for animating .obj models in Minecraft. If anyone ever makes one of those, i will happily test it and if it works, recommend it to everyone

The key to animating a model is being able to control each part, especially in a hierarchical way.  I'm not that familiar with OBJ models, and I'm sure they can have hierarchical parts, but we need parts that can be referenced in Java to control the animation.

 

So for example, if you could make an OBJ model that has a couple parts in a connected hierarchy (e.g, say a hand attached to a forearm attached to an upper arm attached to a shoulder) in Minecraft such that Java can reference each part then I think I can probably help create a tutorial for the actual animation.

 

[Kwibble]

What I would really like to see is a tutorial for animating .obj models in Minecraft. If anyone ever makes one of those, i will happily test it and if it works, recommend it to everyone

The key to animating a model is being able to control each part, especially in a hierarchical way.  I'm not that familiar with OBJ models, and I'm sure they can have hierarchical parts, but we need parts that can be referenced in Java to control the animation.

 

So for example, if you could make an OBJ model that has a couple parts in a connected hierarchy (e.g, say a hand attached to a forearm attached to an upper arm attached to a shoulder) in Minecraft such that Java can reference each part then I think I can probably help create a tutorial for the actual animation.

 

 

Hmm... Based of that and what I know from what pixelmon forums say about modeling (having to split each body part into its own model for animating), I may have to write a small API of sorts that uses OpenGL to achieve what we are wanting (animation). If that was done, then you could write a tutorial. It wouldn't stop the need for having every part in its own model, but at least then it would be easier to have these helper methods to rotate, etc.. Makes it easier on the end user... Then I guess there could be some sort of- I am rambling now. I may look into it, I may not. Its not too important for what I have right now, so if I need it, then I will make it. Until then..

[jabelar]

Hmm... Based of that and what I know from what pixelmon forums say about modeling (having to split each body part into its own model for animating), I may have to write a small API of sorts that uses OpenGL to achieve what we are wanting (animation). If that was done, then you could write a tutorial. It wouldn't stop the need for having every part in its own model, but at least then it would be easier to have these helper methods to rotate, etc.. Makes it easier on the end user... Then I guess there could be some sort of- I am rambling now. I may look into it, I may not. Its not too important for what I have right now, so if I need it, then I will make it. Until then..

 

Yeah, the Java/Techne models are easy because you can name each part in Java and you can have parts be child of another and each has independent position and rotation.  So animation is actually very easy as long as you set up the initial model correctly (i.e. rotation points in right place for joints and child hierarchy set up properly).

 

I assume it is possible with OBJ models as well, but maybe not built in.  I think the OBJ models in forge work fine for static models (i.e. like blocks) or if the whole model rotates and moves together. 

 

But as you mention, if there isn't a built-in way to designate multiple pieces then you'd want to actually make each piece its own model and use Java to render it such that it is kept connected and animated properly.

[Kwibble]

Yep, as I said. A somewhat API to extend forges model loader. Maybe something along the lines of a folder that contains all the individual model parts? And for the hierarchy, make folders within the top level one etc. Then the loader can come through and setup the hierarchy via the folder setup... Yeah. It will be a lottle complicated for the end user no matter which way I look at it. Unless of course forge builds rigging etc. For .obj models.