About texture animations

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Olrox
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About texture animations

Post by Olrox »

Hi everyone,

Most of you must know the work I'm doing with Art Revolution - the textures. I'm currently making new propulsion models, with higher quality textures, but I'm stuck with a big problem, that this topic's name gives a clue:

As the textures have a better definition than the original ones, details to the wheels and tracks are more evident. Making those apparent is a real need (covering them all in the original models probably was a solution for not making animations for all of them), and if they're not animated, they'll look just wrong. As well, the static vtol turbines are also disappointing in my opinion :(

Therefore, I wanted to ask someone experienced with this kind of animation - texture animation (not 3d as oil derricks)- to help me with this task. Proper recognition will, of course, be made for any efforts in that direction, on the credits of Art Revolution, when me and MaNGusT get the animated models into the mod. The animations must be triggered as the sound effects are, in the moment the vehicles start moving.

Any clear information is welcome (wether is possible or not, if possible, how it's done, if it's too difficult or not etc.)! :D
I'll make some research on the wiki and see if I manage to find good information on that. I'm asking information here because I've seen many outdated tutorials and info on the wiki.

Thanks for the attention of those who read this,
Olrox
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Olrox
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Re: About texture animations

Post by Olrox »

I've read many info from the wiki and couldn't figure out too much more than what I've already knew. Did someone already try to make some animation that only starts when the units move and was successful?
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MaNGusT
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Re: About texture animations

Post by MaNGusT »

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Olrox
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Re: About texture animations

Post by Olrox »

Ok, but simple 2 or 3 level animations are easier than full 3d path animations such as the oil derrick, right? I thought it would be very similar to the way cyborgs are animated, but I'm too lame at messing out with scripts and pie animations, that I don't even know how that works.
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MaNGusT
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Re: About texture animations

Post by MaNGusT »

Olrox wrote:Ok, but simple 2 or 3 level animations are easier than full 3d path animations such as the oil derrick, right? I thought it would be very similar to the way cyborgs are animated, but I'm too lame at messing out with scripts and pie animations, that I don't even know how that works.
Meanwhile,we have only the cyclic animation(Both types, without triggers). We can only wait until developers will change the game code.
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themac
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Re: About texture animations

Post by themac »

For the VTOL turbines: Maybe you can rotate the turbine texture during VTOL flight?
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Olrox
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Re: About texture animations

Post by Olrox »

themac wrote:For the VTOL turbines: Maybe you can rotate the turbine texture during VTOL flight?
That's the idea ;)
Animating textures while the units move, like the cyborgs do.
gladysila

Re: About texture animations

Post by gladysila »

What is a good video animation program? Or is there anyone out there that is good with animation? Or kno ne1?
I am a mobile dj and I am trying to compse a or get an animation composed for me. I want some sort of "intro" to play over my projector before i start playing music.

Hey, guys. Zarel here.

This above post is an example of a spambot. Spambots lately have gotten sneaky, and better at hiding their true intentions. This one, for instance, isn't linking to any sites.** The easiest way to tell if a post is a spammer: The post isn't relevant, or only vaguely relevant, and it's replying to an old thread that no one's touched for a while, and the poster has made no other posts (other than similarly odd posts), and if you google what they wrote, you'll see the exact same post on several other forums: Google search for this post's contents

If you see a spammer, do not reply to it. Click the "report post" button at the top right of the post: Image

Thank you.

** (You may ask what they're trying to do if they aren't linking to any sites - the answer is that they add their spam links later, when no one's looking.)
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Olrox
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Re: About texture animations

Post by Olrox »

You do realize that this don't have anything to do with this topic right?
Anyway... If you want fancy 3d effects, you are better off with 3DSMax. If you want more simple stuff you can always use Flash: if you know how to work with it, the results can be great.
I heavily advise you to search for a graphics designer to achieve a good result. I, for one, wouldn't display my first works on AutoCAD, 3DSMax or Photoshop for anyone, even if I was paid for it: it's just CRAPPY.

But please, there's no need to even thank me for the hint, just please don't wake any hope in my heart like when I saw a reply notification for this topic: I thought that we would finally have triggered texture animations.
What you posted is just off-topic, and would belong to the lounge if you still want to find somebody caring to help you (This board is for Game Related Help / Troubleshooting).
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Re: About texture animations

Post by Zarel »

Olrox wrote:You do realize that this don't have anything to do with this topic right?
Anyway... If you want fancy 3d effects, you are better off with 3DSMax. If you want more simple stuff you can always use Flash: if you know how to work with it, the results can be great.
I heavily advise you to search for a graphics designer to achieve a good result. I, for one, wouldn't display my first works on AutoCAD, 3DSMax or Photoshop for anyone, even if I was paid for it: it's just CRAPPY.

But please, there's no need to even thank me for the hint, just please don't wake any hope in my heart like when I saw a reply notification for this topic: I thought that we would finally have triggered texture animations.
What you posted is just off-topic, and would belong to the lounge if you still want to find somebody caring to help you (This board is for Game Related Help / Troubleshooting).
You have got to stop replying to spambots.

I normally just delete your post along with the spam post, but you have some somewhat useful advice there this time. Just, seriously, stop. If you see an off-topic post by a user with no other posts, just ignore it.
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Mysteryem
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Re: About texture animations

Post by Mysteryem »

Olrox, as far as I know, there is a way to have animated textures when a VTOL is moving, it's done with the VTOLs at the moment, the blue 'jets' are a seperate pie file that only appears when the unit is moving. The second last value in base/stats/body.txt is the VTOL fx pie file that is used for that body. For the VTOLs you can just edit that pie file with some new rotating propellor/fans, but with the other propulsion types, I can't see a way of making the animations play. What you want to look for is a pie file that doesn't have team colours, since a pie file will either have team colours or texture animations. Unfortunately, I don't think there are any. Someone would probably have to add new columns to base/stats/body.txt for each of the other propulsion types, I don't think it would be too hard since there is already working code for VTOLs, or there could some changes made to pie files by adding a second set of teamcolours/animation data, so that one of them would control teamcolours and the other, texture animations.

Yeah, no paragraphs, but I don't have the time atm. Bye.
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MaNGusT
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Re: About texture animations

Post by MaNGusT »

Mysteryem wrote:Olrox, ...
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4340

But I want to say thank you, it's useful information. ;)
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Mysteryem
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Re: About texture animations

Post by Mysteryem »

MaNGusT wrote:
Mysteryem wrote:Olrox, ...
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4340

But I want to say thank you, it's useful information. ;)
Don't worry, I know about that thread. ;) He may come back once in a while after all.

Aside from that, I've learned most of this from when I made mods, experimenting with all sorts of different things to see how they worked and then when I wanted to do something specific, working out how I could do it without being able to mess with anything that was hardcoded.
"...If pure awesomeness were bricks, this would be the Great Wall of China...
The glory of this has collapsed on its self so far, that even the neutrons have collapsed."