Current animation schedules

[Noisycricket]

Animations status spreadsheet:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=rtq...fw&hl=en_GB

 

 

Planned animations:

idle_stretch 2

idle_scratch neck

idle_warm hands

 

Completed Animations:

idle_sneeze

idle_spit

idle_scratch

idle_eat

idle_stretch

[Domarius]

combat_*

 

To elaborate;

 

combat_attack_left

combat_attack_right

combat_attack_overhead

combat_attack_thrust

combat_parry_left

combat_parry_right

combat_parry_overhead

combat_parry_thrust

[squill]

i think this should be a sticky of some kind which we can easily access and edit. I have a simple form that i use at work which could be usefull. When i'm home i'll look into it.

[greebo]

Pinned!

[squill]

thanks Greebo

 

ok, what i usually do at work is create a simple excel sheet with the list of animations and all the other relevant information (see img). It would be nice if this could be converted to a simple webpage so each of us can update the list as we progress and other members have a clear overview what needs to be done. Another idea would be to simply sync this to SVN for example and updated it that way?

 

[greebo]

We could either push that Excel file to SVN in the model_src folder or we could do that in a forum post or (if a web-based solution is preferred) we could do a new Subproject on the tracker ("Animations" with "The Dark Mod" as parent project). This way it's easy to assign tasks to somebody and mark stuff as complete, add notes, etc.

[Domarius]

Or we could use a google doc

• nothing to download
  
• has many of the same features as MS Excel including format rules
  
• only requires a browser, no need to install MS Excel or worry about what version you have
  
• faster, don't have to update from SVN, load Excel, open the document - just click the link in your favorites
  
• has revision history so we can't lose anything
  

 

I started one, with an example first 4 rows that is the same as the screenshot that squill posted. The "status" column automatically colours the cell depending on what word is in there, try it!

 

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=rLc...xw&hl=en_GB

 

If you want to keep using this, just book mark that link. I edited the permissions so you can go straight there and edit, you don't even need to log in with a google account. There is no save button because it "saves" that cell as soon as you move off it.

 

Of course if we want more security and want to associate changes with users, I can easily enable login.

[greebo]

The google solution sounds fine as well to me, I'll go with whatever squill prefers.

 

Btw: I uploaded the idle_torch anim, this was a rather easy one.

 

edit: And I copied the torch-holding hand to the search anim and merged the clips => search_torch.md5anim is also on SVN now.

[Domarius]

Greebo, since you have SVN access and NoisyCricket doesn't, I thought it could be good if you converted the old anims to the new one? You have to do it visually of course - have two copies of maya open, watch one, animate in the other - of course you can actually set the exact timing of the keyframes, you just have to visually copy the movement. And of course if you think you can improve on it you can

[greebo]

I'd be glad to do that, but I'm not sure if I have high enough skills to do the more demanding animations. I think it would be best if Noisycricket could help as much as he can, the actual maya to md5anim conversion is not much of a hinderance (I can do that).

 

SVN access should be figured out soon, also he can ask me about specific reference files, I'm glad to send them to him if he needs them.

 

As for the actual process, yeah, what you described is how I actually did the armwipe anim. It was not too hard, once you figured out the most basic Maya controls, but I still miss a few tricks to get convincing movements.

[Noisycricket]

Totally redoing the sneeze animation. Can't stand it now after not having looked at it for so long. I think it helps to get away from the animations for awhile because, at least for me, i think I just start to accept the way the animation looks as, sort of "how one person sneezes" and i can't really get in touch with how i want it to look incorporating the original goals. Thats also a problem, i never really had any set-in-stone goals.

 

I also learned I could turn off key snapping in the timeline, much easier to compress/lengthen movements now.

[Domarius]

Squill if you send me that XLS I can automatically convert it to a google document Google is awesome like that.

[squill]

I've send you the file. The google page seems to me the ideal solution.

 

Totally redoing the sneeze animation. Can't stand it now after not having looked at it for so long. I think it helps to get away from the animations for awhile because, at least for me, i think I just start to accept the way the animation looks as, sort of "how one person sneezes" and i can't really get in touch with how i want it to look incorporating the original goals. Thats also a problem, i never really had any set-in-stone goals.

 

i usually block(stepped keyframes) an animation and go to linear curves once i'm satisfied with the general timing and poses. It works for the best if i come back the day after and look at it again because you'll see a lot of new things you missed because your so focused on that one animation.

[Domarius]

Okay I just instantly converted squill's doc to a google doc and made it available for you guys to edit freely. It hasn't got any colour formatting rules yet.

 

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=rtq...fw&hl=en_GB

[Noisycricket]

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=4594201...04e75f6e8ebb871

 

idle_guard_spit

idle_guard_sneeze

 

Is this the correct naming convention?

[greebo]

We usually skip the _guard_ part, because it's not necessarily a guard who is playing that anim.

 

If somebody wants to review those anims, I'm happy to convert them to MD5ANIM and bring them in-game.

[Noisycricket]

That would be nice if someone could test them out. I think i converted a few curves to quaternion rotation at one point and im not clear if they'll work in Doom 3.

[Domarius]

I can't open them They are 8.5 and I'm running 7.0.1

[Noisycricket]

I'll get 7 running after im done with my current animation.

[squill]

i can open them once i'm home. But i think we should continue this in another thread.

 

edit: also if you save your files as .ma you can change the version number with a text editor and open the files in 7.0

[Noisycricket]

I screwed up the right hand animation at the last frame of the sneeze animation. Although it doesn't matter much since I'll need to change it anyway when the stand-idle animation is finalized and completed. I'll re-upload it in a bit or should i even bother?

 

Edit: Uploaded anyway and changed the timing a little and made the wipe quicker and smoother.

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=4594201...04e75f6e8ebb871

[greebo]

I uploaded the walk_torch animation, i.e. it is up for review by squill now.

[greebo]

Added use_righthand.ma and .md5anim file.

[Noisycricket]

edit: also if you save your files as .ma you can change the version number with a text editor and open the files in 7.0

 

Oops, i missed this, i'll do that with the next files.

[greebo]

@squill: I'm not sure what I could do to help next - most animations in that spreadsheet are assigned to you, and for some I'm probably not skilled enough (walk_drunk sounds really hard, for instance). Anything I could help with? Otherwise I'll go back to AI coding for the moment being, but I intend to assist the proguard getting finished.