Finished an update to PaceMaker - 1.34 - will be releasing this weekend. Details as below :
Pacemaker Update 1.34 24/06/2006
This update is much larger than previous updates and includes quite a few new options and features. Along with the standard bug fixes I have added the ability to Load and Save skeletons and to Load and Save individual animation sequences.
The Sequence Load function makes use of "Adaptive Scaling " to ensure that even if the target skeleton is of a different size and/or proportion to the source - the animation keys are adapted and scaled accordingly to behave correctly."Adaptive Rotation" allows you to share animation between models with different starting rotations. This makes sharing animation between different models very easy even when they are different structure,size, proportion or initial rotation.
The only requirement for the sharing of animation sequences is the Joint names should be the same - size and proportion are of no importance. Joints that do not exist in the target skeleton will be ignored. Joints in the target skeleton that do not exist in the source sequence will remain untouched. This means you can still share animation even if the structure is very different - as long as the base joints are named the same.
Animation sequences can be loaded and saved to a proprietry file format ".seq". You can also "rip" the animation directly from another .b3d file !! In this case the all the animation from the source model will be loaded as one sequence.
Skeleton structures can also be loaded and saved to a proprietry file format ".skl". As with sequences, You can also "rip" the skeleton directly from any other .b3d file containing bones.Adaptive scaling means that you can use any skeleton without worrying about model size.
All joint type and limit information used by the physics engine is also saved to the .skl file. This information will also be read from a .b3d file if it exists i.e. exported from Pacemaker.
Use of the propriety formats ensure that you get the smallest file size and more importantly better adaptive scaling when sharing animation and skeletons between models of different sizes and/or proportions .
The ".seq" files are extended .b3d files with no mesh and just contain the nodes and the animation frames - these can be renamed to .b3d and used directly in Blitz3d with the LoadAnimSeq() command.
NOTE - re-named .seq files cannot be re-loaded into PaceMaker as a .b3d. model but can be loaded as a sequence given that they contain no mesh.
Another new feature is the ability to set different individual force and torque values for each joint in the Impact Recorder. In previous versions this setting was global and the force/torque would only be applied to the currently selected joint. Now this is applied individually to every joint that has a non zero force/torque setting. This allows you to create more varied and detailed impacts.
In all IK modes you may now select up to 3 additional joints with MB2. The additional joint(s) will be affected in the same way as the selected joint allowing you e.g. to raise both hands at the same time. This only works in MOVE mode. Additional joints are not affected by Rotation except in the Impact Recorder.
This feature is especially useful when recording an IK session.
If you select additional joints in the impact recorder the resultant force/torque on the joint will be the sum of its individual settings plus whatever is set for the currently selected joint.
Built-in procedural skeletons now have preset default joint type and limit settings. There are a couple more prefab types including a Quadruped.
A new joint type of "Disabled" has been added - this is to exclude a joint or joints from the physics simulation. This should not be used on a joint within your skeleton but can be used to disable auxilary joints not connected to the skeleton e.g. the Unlink and Cam joints in the Torque Style skeleton.
Bug Fixes/Tweaks:
- Fixed bug in XML export.
- Clicking on MESH in the tree view no longer causes MAV with empty mesh.
- No longer possible to get trapped in 2dAnim tab.
- Reduced CPU usage.
Pacemaker Update 1.34 24/06/2006
This update is much larger than previous updates and includes quite a few new options and features. Along with the standard bug fixes I have added the ability to Load and Save skeletons and to Load and Save individual animation sequences.
The Sequence Load function makes use of "Adaptive Scaling " to ensure that even if the target skeleton is of a different size and/or proportion to the source - the animation keys are adapted and scaled accordingly to behave correctly."Adaptive Rotation" allows you to share animation between models with different starting rotations. This makes sharing animation between different models very easy even when they are different structure,size, proportion or initial rotation.
The only requirement for the sharing of animation sequences is the Joint names should be the same - size and proportion are of no importance. Joints that do not exist in the target skeleton will be ignored. Joints in the target skeleton that do not exist in the source sequence will remain untouched. This means you can still share animation even if the structure is very different - as long as the base joints are named the same.
Animation sequences can be loaded and saved to a proprietry file format ".seq". You can also "rip" the animation directly from another .b3d file !! In this case the all the animation from the source model will be loaded as one sequence.
Skeleton structures can also be loaded and saved to a proprietry file format ".skl". As with sequences, You can also "rip" the skeleton directly from any other .b3d file containing bones.Adaptive scaling means that you can use any skeleton without worrying about model size.
All joint type and limit information used by the physics engine is also saved to the .skl file. This information will also be read from a .b3d file if it exists i.e. exported from Pacemaker.
Use of the propriety formats ensure that you get the smallest file size and more importantly better adaptive scaling when sharing animation and skeletons between models of different sizes and/or proportions .
The ".seq" files are extended .b3d files with no mesh and just contain the nodes and the animation frames - these can be renamed to .b3d and used directly in Blitz3d with the LoadAnimSeq() command.
NOTE - re-named .seq files cannot be re-loaded into PaceMaker as a .b3d. model but can be loaded as a sequence given that they contain no mesh.
Another new feature is the ability to set different individual force and torque values for each joint in the Impact Recorder. In previous versions this setting was global and the force/torque would only be applied to the currently selected joint. Now this is applied individually to every joint that has a non zero force/torque setting. This allows you to create more varied and detailed impacts.
In all IK modes you may now select up to 3 additional joints with MB2. The additional joint(s) will be affected in the same way as the selected joint allowing you e.g. to raise both hands at the same time. This only works in MOVE mode. Additional joints are not affected by Rotation except in the Impact Recorder.
This feature is especially useful when recording an IK session.
If you select additional joints in the impact recorder the resultant force/torque on the joint will be the sum of its individual settings plus whatever is set for the currently selected joint.
Built-in procedural skeletons now have preset default joint type and limit settings. There are a couple more prefab types including a Quadruped.
A new joint type of "Disabled" has been added - this is to exclude a joint or joints from the physics simulation. This should not be used on a joint within your skeleton but can be used to disable auxilary joints not connected to the skeleton e.g. the Unlink and Cam joints in the Torque Style skeleton.
Bug Fixes/Tweaks:
- Fixed bug in XML export.
- Clicking on MESH in the tree view no longer causes MAV with empty mesh.
- No longer possible to get trapped in 2dAnim tab.
- Reduced CPU usage.