Hi, There seem to be three ways to include character animations in 3D applications
(1) use segmented graphics - a body is built using separate 3D graphical objects for each limb or body part, head, forearm, thigh, foot etc. (in Java 3D we assigned each of the imported Shape3Ds to a hierarchy of transform groups in order to build a skeleton)
(2) import the mesh at keyframes of predefined animations from a graphics package into your program and morph between the mesh between those frames
(3) use a single mesh of vertices (or 'skin'), assign each of those vertices to the bones of an underlying skelton - subsequently transforming the skeleton then requires updating the position of each of the vertices. (see for example: http://www.cosm-game.com/dev_skinbones.php )
The latter route seems to be gaining in popularity - it gives greater flexibility of movement than predefined animations and results in cleaner movement than segmented graphics objects (I've found unwanted effects like limbs cutting through clothing etc).
Anyway, this is a long introduction to a very simple question:
Does anyone have a freely available loader that imports into Java3D the bones or skeleton from a package like StudioMax along with the relationship between the individual vertices in the mesh (skin) with those bones?
I am aware of object loaders (http://www.j3d.org/utilities/loaders.html) like the one from Startfire Research for 3D Studio Max (http://www.starfireresearch.com/services/java3d/inspector3ds.html) and Kevin Duling's for MilkShake (http://home.earthlink.net/~kduling/Milkshape/index.html). They're fine for importing the mesh (I think the latter imports frames for animations also) but does anyone have a loader that will also import the bone information.
I can devise a skeleton myself but I really do not fancy - manually - assigning each vertex to the appropriate bone.
I'd prefer it to deal with output from 3D Studio max but at the moment, I'd take anything.
Many thanks in anticipation, -Paul
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