Blackjack Anims

[Ishtvan]

In the Bugreporting forum I stated that it feels like it takes way too long to do anything after you've selected the blackjack. I believe the problem traces back to the blackjack anim being too long.

 

The anim is 64 frames long (at 24 fps), roughly 2 and 2/3rds seconds. Now Doom3 doesn't let you do anything while this animation is playing, so this is a long time to wait. For comparison, the animation for putting away the blackjack is 17 frames.

 

@Oddity: I see in the animation, the player brings it out at an angle, and then it kind've slowly turns to the right orientation. I think this is the part that's slowing up the animation.

 

It looks like maybe you were trying to have it blend smoothly into the idle animation? (At least that's what Domarius was also thinking, and he said D3 already blends the animations somewhat automatically)

 

So, I hope you don't take this personally, but I butchered the blackjack .md5 file to see what would happen. (Just in a text editor, don't have any animation software)

 

First I tried speeding it up to 48 fps, but then the fast part of that animation (bringing it out) looked way too fast. Then what I did was just cut it out everything but the first 20 frames. The result looks kind of okay; it comes out at an angle, and then you can see D3 angle it back to blend with the start of the idle animaton. It's not a single-frame jerk, so it's definitely blending, but it is a rather fast motion (it looks believable to me, but I'm not an animator). Also this means you can strike with it or switch weapons ~1s second after selecting BJ, as opposed to ~3s.

 

Anyway, if you want to test out the butchered file, here it is: (I guess we never changed those names from the grenade ones huh? )

 

To test, just back up the file: darkmod\models\md5\weapons\blackjack_view\grenade_raise.md5anim

 

Then replace it with this one:

grenade_raise.md5anim

Edited March 2, 2005 by Ishtvan

[Domarius]

At least that's what Domarius was also thinking, and he said D3 already blends the animations somewhat automatically

You have total control over how many frames it blends between any anim. But all the script files are set to 4 frames for every transition, seems to work fine.

But we should get the anim lengths right in the first place

But what this means is that we don't have to be TOO amazingly accurate with the changes between anims.

[oDDity]

I haven't got the mod installed AM.

I reformatted my HD last Thusday, and then the CVS was down over the weekend, and now Sparhawk is away until Saturday so I can't send him the new putty key I made.

I have the thief model finished now, so I'll be getting his arms ready to stick into the weapon anims and sort all of this out then.

[Darkness_Falls]

Could you use the FTP area until Sparhawk gets back? I still don't use CVS. Will some day, but just not yet. FTP works fine for me to post files.

[oDDity]

I don't know how old the stuff on mod on the FTP is - any ideas?

[New Horizon]

Pretty old. Back in December or earlier I think.

[Ishtvan]

@Oddity: One of us could probably send you the mod via PM or something too, depending on transfer rates. The copy I have which was I believe right before CVS went down (maybe 1 update prior, but nothing major) is around 320 mB. Give me a PM if you want to try to transfer, although it would probably be a much faster rate if one of our Euro members could do it. Of course if you're happy working on the model until Saturday that's cool too.

[oDDity]

Yes, it'll take me to then to have it ready for in-game anway.