Out of curiosity, how hard would it be to create new animations for already existing characters? Specifically I have an idea for a ghost/specter unit that cliff jumps by telekinesis/levitation...
I'm very new to this whole art buisness, but I do know that you would need something like 3ds max. If you have that and know how to use it, you can export the sc2 model, edit it, and import it back in.
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I'd need that even if I didn't want to change the model?
hm, dunno then.
The other thing I was thinking was a throwing animation for use with grenades an the like.
You would need 3ds Max to accomplish this, and you will have to factor in that whatever additions or changes you do to the unit, you will need to export out a new .m3 (SC2 model format) and import it into a map or mod. This means if you just want a grenade throw on a marine, you will need to source an imported, modified copy of the original. You can't just use the marine and say 'use animations from this other unit', it doesn't work that way.
Keep in mind that these model files aren't exactly tiny either, and you're looking at .5mb for a modified .m3 being imported into your map or mod. If you plan on doing this for multiple units or if your map is particularly big, this might not be a direction you want to go with.
No, likely not then. I was thinking 2-3 new animations for 2 units, maybe more. I was hoping there would be some way of defining animations separate from the model file itself, much the way we can retexture them.
There is a specific model animation format called .m3a which is used by civilians and alot of SM models. Unfortunately I have been able to find no information about this format. You insert them into the Animations (Optional) and Animations (Required) fields of the Models data type.
So just to confirm, the animations in a units character model are part of the model file and so to change a walk animation or add a throw animation would require a whole new version of the .m3 model file to be exported, even if the shape of the model remained unchanged?
If you want a throw animation on your marines without sweating it, maybe just retextures the jim raynor marine model so that it can recieve teamcolor. It would be just a texture, not a whole model to import, and jim have a throw grenade animation.
So just to confirm, the animations in a units character model are part of the model file and so to change a walk animation or add a throw animation would require a whole new version of the .m3 model file to be exported, even if the shape of the model remained unchanged?
At the moment, yes. We don't have any way to create .m3a, which is the skeleton/animations of a unit. All additions/modifications have to be done to the .m3's, which is using redundant information.
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Out of curiosity, how hard would it be to create new animations for already existing characters? Specifically I have an idea for a ghost/specter unit that cliff jumps by telekinesis/levitation...
@AlphaShadows: Go
I'm very new to this whole art buisness, but I do know that you would need something like 3ds max. If you have that and know how to use it, you can export the sc2 model, edit it, and import it back in.
I'd need that even if I didn't want to change the model? hm, dunno then. The other thing I was thinking was a throwing animation for use with grenades an the like.
You would need 3ds Max to accomplish this, and you will have to factor in that whatever additions or changes you do to the unit, you will need to export out a new .m3 (SC2 model format) and import it into a map or mod. This means if you just want a grenade throw on a marine, you will need to source an imported, modified copy of the original. You can't just use the marine and say 'use animations from this other unit', it doesn't work that way.
Keep in mind that these model files aren't exactly tiny either, and you're looking at .5mb for a modified .m3 being imported into your map or mod. If you plan on doing this for multiple units or if your map is particularly big, this might not be a direction you want to go with.
No, likely not then. I was thinking 2-3 new animations for 2 units, maybe more. I was hoping there would be some way of defining animations separate from the model file itself, much the way we can retexture them.
@AlphaShadows: Go
Not that I am aware of. Although you can put the models into a mod file, so that they don't count against your 20 MB limit.
There is a specific model animation format called .m3a which is used by civilians and alot of SM models. Unfortunately I have been able to find no information about this format. You insert them into the Animations (Optional) and Animations (Required) fields of the Models data type.
Contribute to the wiki (Wiki button at top of page) Considered easy altering of the unit textures?
https://www.sc2mapster.com/forums/resources/tutorials/179654-data-actor-events-message-texture-select-by-id
https://media.forgecdn.net/attachments/187/40/Screenshot2011-04-17_09_16_21.jpg
.m3a's can not be created by us, therefore they are unreliable as a source of animations for custom models.
So just to confirm, the animations in a units character model are part of the model file and so to change a walk animation or add a throw animation would require a whole new version of the .m3 model file to be exported, even if the shape of the model remained unchanged?
@AlphaShadows: Go
If you want a throw animation on your marines without sweating it, maybe just retextures the jim raynor marine model so that it can recieve teamcolor. It would be just a texture, not a whole model to import, and jim have a throw grenade animation.
Not the best solution, but just in case.
At the moment, yes. We don't have any way to create .m3a, which is the skeleton/animations of a unit. All additions/modifications have to be done to the .m3's, which is using redundant information.