Model Animation in Games ...and Morphing?

[GR1EVER]

First off, I didn't really know where to put this, so I hope here is OK.

This post initially started as a question about morphing for facial animation, but before that, I have a pretty big question in general about using models in games: How does animation work? Do you animate the model in a modeling program, and then when you export it, it saves the animation data in certain files?

Now for my question on morphing. If I use the morphing animation technique on my model in my modeling program, will it successfully translate into the game? I mean, I've already made the assumption that bone-based animation will work, since it's such a standard, basic technique, but is morphing also a standard, basic technique for which modeling programs/game engines/file types account?

Thanks in advance.

[ross_coe]

Hi GR1EVER

I've only had limited experience with workin in games. We used .md3 format (quake3) for exporting from 3dsmax into the game, using a proprietary exporter. From what the programmers told me, bones and morph modifiers and anything else that we could have thrown at the models ISN'T exported. the only thing thats exported is the actual position of the verts on any given frame. So we could have set up all sorts of stuff.....cloth dynamics, dialogue, deformations etc etc.....and export it without worrying if it's supported. The exported file would simply contain information of where each vert in the model was on each frame, which could be recompiled and loaded into the game. If that makes sense :p

However, another team that we were working alongside was using a different game engine that supported Max bones....I think.

So I guess it depends what game engine you're using and what 3d program you're making your models in.

Hope this helps a little :)

[GR1EVER]

Hm, I never thought of it that way. That makes a lot of sense, actually. Thanks for the reply!

[ross_coe]

GR1EVER - i just thought I'd share some info I found out. It might come in handy...and it might not :p

I've recently been looking at making some characters and vehicles for unreal tournament 2004. i'm going to be using Maya.
Now it seems when making the character I have to create the bones for it in maya as well. From what I've seen, the maya bones get exported along with the skinned mesh....and then imported into unrealEditor. The bones (if they're named the same as the default bones for the original unreal characters) can then have the unreal character's animations quickly applied to them.....without having to re-animate all the poses and movements.
It's similar with making vehicles....you have to create bones in maya for things like guns and wheels and whatever else....and then these are exported again and imported into unrealEditor.
Obviously with the vehicles there's a good bit of extra coding involved....and with the characters it's quite easy for using animations that'll work well in ut2004. I'm not sure about custom animations yet, and how they'd be imported into unrealEditor.

Anyways, I just thought I'd point this out....as it seems some game engines support bones created in maya (or max or lightwave etc etc...I would assume).
So hopefully this sheds a little more light on your question.

How's the game creation going anyways??? And out of interest....what engine are you using?