Path: chuka.playstation.co.uk!news From: "Craig Graham" Newsgroups: scee.yaroze.programming.3d_graphics Subject: Re: Some query on 3d animation Date: 27 Jul 1998 12:37:59 GMT Organization: PlayStation Net Yaroze (SCEE) Lines: 52 Message-ID: <01bdb95b$1071d520$f30b0a0a@Angela1.intelligent-group.com> References: <35BC6BDE.21B450C9@cyberdude.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: 194.131.235.3 X-Newsreader: Microsoft Internet News 4.70.1155 doglife wrote in article <35BC6BDE.21B450C9@cyberdude.com>... > Hi, > > I am currently doing a research on yaroze for my school and now trying > on 3D character animation. After serching thru the members website and > reading the news group, there are still something I am unsure off and > hope that u guys will help me out on this > > 1) From the demo on the members website (found under the new FTP demo > download section), there is this sample using a .tod file to do > character animation. How is the tod file generated and is there a tool > for it? There are plugins for various 3D packages that generate TOD files. Ones available to Yaroze folks are (I think, haven't used them) 3D Studio R4 and Lightwave. > 2) And in the dino demo (found under the old FTP demo download section), > a similiar file with the extension .vdf is used for storing character > animation. How is the file being generated and again, is there a tool > for it? The Dino demo uses MIMe data to get it's animation, and stores it in the vdf file. It's basicly the same as RsdANIM's output, but RsdANIM outputs C which you compile into your program (easier for use on the Yaroze than putting it in another binary file). I'm gonna do a version of the Dino Demo (I've reversed the model to RSD using a nice tool called TMD2RSD from some Japanese bloke) using RsdANIM to get the animation - should be easy enough to produce. > For this question, I am just giving it a shot... > > 3) I found out that there are many ways on doing the animation like .tod > file (found in the member website), .vdf (from the dino demo), and by > using RsdAnim (cool tool u got there, Craig) etc... Is there a standard > way to do 3d character animation? If no (of course not!), which method > is most likely to be use and what are the method being use in commercial > game (like FF7, Tomb Raider etc...)? Most developers use their own animation methods tailored to the game in hand. There are various approaches, each with advantages and disadvantages. I'm afraid you'll not find one method that fit's everything though..... > Doglife Craig.