Resolved - Creating a simple animation in 3DS 8

Pipeline
1

Hi, I’ve been programming with panda for a while, but this is my first time creating an animated model file for it.
I create a box in 3DS Max 8, tell it to move over 30 frames, then use the panda egg object to export a model file and an animation file.
The model loads correctly but the animation does not play.
When I crack open the animation egg file, it appears to be void of data.
Are there steps that I am missing in 3DS 8?

Thank you for any help

2

I do not think Panda3D supports that kind of animation.

Create a bone, attach it to the box and make the bone move. That should work I guess.

3

I tried placing a single bone joint, attaching the object to the bone and moving it. The animation file now has data in it, but still no animation.
The box moves as it should in 3DS when attached to the bone, but after exporting it does not move.

I’m guessing that the geometry needs to be tagged as animatable? Are there any modelers out there that have any suggestions?

Also if someone could verify the pview command when previewing both a model and animation file. I’d like to rule out the possibility that its exporting correctly and displaying incorrectly.

4

How did you load the animation in Panda3D? Can you post your code?

5

Here is the code I’m using to test the animation, this code successfully displays the model, but the animation does not play.

import direct.directbase.DirectStart
from direct.actor import Actor

nodePath = Actor.Actor()
nodePath.loadModel(“Models/BeamBug/BeamBug_Model.egg”)
nodePath.loadAnims({“Move_N”:“Models/BeamBug/BeamBug_Anim_Move_N.egg”})
nodePath.loop(“Move_N”)
nodePath.reparentTo(render)
run()

When I replace the model/animation file with the robot from the tutorial, it runs the animation perfectly. This is why I suspect I’m doing something wrong in creating the model / egg files.

6

The only kind of animation that panda’s max exporter recognizes are boned, SKINNED animations. Ie, you have to use either the skin or physique modifier. I know that sounds like a ridiculous way to attach a single rigid object to a single bone, but that’s life. It does work.

Unfortunately, panda’s max exporter is showing its age. It was written by a student who graduated a long time ago, and nobody knows how to maintain it. It tends to crash max. My suggestion would be to avoid it entirely, and instead, use a DirectX exporter. There are several of these available on maxplugins.de:

“kiloWatt X file Exporter”
“Xporter 1.20”
“Panda DirectX exporter”

You can then convert these files to panda’s native format using the “x2egg” utility, and then, if you wish, you can optimize for a particular version of panda using “egg2bam.”

7

Is there some way to get the source code of the maxegg8.dlo file ?

8

It’s all included in the panda source tree. Just download the source for panda, build it, and it will build the DLO as well.