Animation

This chapter describes procedures and precautions regarding the use of 3ds Max to create animations for NintendoWare.

Animation Overview
Character Animation
Visibility Animation
Color Animation
Texture Pattern Animation
Texture SRT Animation
Scene Animation

Animation Overview

Automatically Creating Animation Data

When exporting, animation curve data for output is created automatically from baked data from frame values.
The animation curves from 3ds Max cannot be output without modification.

The rotational value automatically generates animation curve data after adjusting the baked data so that it is continuous and has a small absolute value.

Values Output to CMDL Files

If attributes are being animated, values for the start frame specified with the Export option are output to the CMDL file. However, the Translate, Rotate, and Scale values of nodes which affect skinning are output in the skinning-configured state.
Be aware that what are being output are not the current values for the frames in 3ds Max.

Character Animation

Character animations are configured by animating the Translate, Rotate, and Scale values of nodes (these nodes may be objects or bones, Bipeds, or dummies).

We recommend setting the axis array to "XYZ" using the Euler Parameters combo box in the Motion panel.
If the axis array is set to something other than XYZ, the volume of animation data could become very large.

Animation curves are always baked inside the Export plug-in before being output.


Visibility animation

The animation set in the rendering control display is reflected in the visibility animation.
0.0 is interpreted as invisible. Values greater than 0.0 are interpreted as visible.
Interactive invisibility settings are not reflected in the intermediate file.


For visibility animation, animation curve data is always automatically created and output from baked data.

When the Export option Compress Node has been set to Cull Useless Node or Cull Uninfluential Node, make sure nodes which have visibility animations configured are not compressed, since visibility animation is set on a node basis. (You can set the compression disable flag using the NW4C_ForBanner Set No Compress Node Plug-in).
When using visibility animation, do not set the Compress Node option to Unite Compressible Node or Unite All Node.

Color Animation

Color animation is set by animating a material's diffuse reflected light, specular reflected light, transparency and self-illumination.


Texture Pattern Animation

Texture pattern animations are created using IFL files.

The IFL file

The IFL file is the standard text format file supported by 3ds Max. In 3ds Max, image files can be substituted in every frame for viewing. Specify the IFL files in the same way you use bitmaps to allocate image files to a material's diffuse reflection light.

Texture names are recorded inside the IFL file in the order of substitution.

In the example below, the IFL file has been configured to play animation in the order p1, p2, p3, p1, p2, p3, ....

p1.tga
p2.tga
p3.tga

In this second example, the IFL file has been configured to play animations in the order p1, p1, p2, p3, p3, p1, p1, p2, p3, p3....

p1.tga 2
p2.tga 1
p3.tga 2

When registering image files in the IFL file, do not register a mix of color index format textures and non-color index format textures. An error will result if the file contains a mix of textures.

The 3ds Max IFL Manager is a useful tool when creating IFL files.
To read about IFL files in more detail, see the 3ds Max Help.

Controlling Repetition

You can use the Material Editor's Time category to control how IFL files get played on 3ds Max.


All items in the Time category other than Synchronize frame to particle edge are reflected to the .cmata file.

Notes


Texture SRT Animation

Animations with coordinates set to Offset U,V, Tiling U,V, or Angle W can be output as texture SRT animations. No other parameters are supported.

Animation curves are always baked inside the Export plug-in before being output.


Scene Animation

Scene animations are configured by animating the camera and light attributes.

Camera

Lights



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