Spring RTS Engine

I have zero doubt that we can use what spring has to offer to make stunning, beautiful animations comparable to most modern rts games. The problem is that compared to more modern methods of animating units, what we have is rocket science.

The link smoth posted contains some of the best animations for spring i have ever seen. Why is no-one using content of such quality in production spring games? Because the tools required to come up with those animations simply are not freely available.

Because the tools required to come up with those animations simply are not freely available.

Spring content-devs readily use expensive, "non freely available tools" like worldmachine.

Issue with this example and that dude who made the game about lackey infantry, is that tools aren't available pretty much at all.

Anarchid, if you devise a keyframed animation workflow for any commercial or free software that is capable of exporting to an open animation format, then the problem is more than solveable.

The pure fact of animation is that it is an extremely difficult and work intensive task.

varikonniemi wrote: Because the tools required to come up with those animations simply are not freely available.

Wrong answer.

A Blender (or Max, or whatever) keyframe-animation-to-long-list-of-piece-turn-and-move-commands-exporter-script/plugin is really all that would be required for most people's purposes, yet do you see them writing one?

For some reason "recent advances" always have to come from others.

Kloot wrote:A Blender (or Max, or whatever) keyframe-animation-to-long-list-of-piece-turn-and-move-commands-exporter-script/plugin is really all that would be required for most people's purposes, yet do you see them writing one?

! Kloot do you know how to do blender animation? I need someone to donate some time to do a few for one of my models so I can use it as a base to write said exporter! Can you help?

I tried exporting anims from Blender once but failed at the maths. Nowadays Blender can give you rotations in the exact format you need for Spring AFAIK so it would be easier. However the lack of mesh deformation is brutal.

There's definitely a lot you can do with Blender that you would have no chance doing just with manual unit script coding. Modern animation tools can add so many things automatically that even the derpiest animator can get something decent out of them. Back in the days of Milkshape even keeping a foot on the ground during a walk was a nightmare, now that's a trivial task.

Last I tried blender animation tutorials I ran into issues setting up the skeletons. Could you setup a skeleton on one of my mechs kdr and do a basic animation on it? or can you point me to some good tutorial on it?

smoth wrote:Kloot do you know how to do blender animation?

Nope.

If I did (or had access to an example model plus animation) I would probably [have] whip[ped] something up.

it is a funny chicken and egg situation isn't it?

What were the issues you had? You need to create an armature, then extrude the bone chain to get what you want.

back then noob to pro was missing steps to create the armature

Kloot wrote:

varikonniemi wrote: Because the tools required to come up with those animations simply are not freely available.

Wrong answer.

A Blender (or Max, or whatever) keyframe-animation-to-long-list-of-piece-turn-and-move-commands-exporter-script/plugin is really all that would be required for most people's purposes, yet do you see them writing one?

For some reason "recent advances" always have to come from others.

So you say "here is an almost complete answer, just hack it together"?
That is exactly what i tried to express. It is possible to make stunning content in the spring engine. The matter of fact is that almost no-one is capable of this, since we simply do not have the tools for it.

Other engines use content created in formats with readily available editors. This is what spring is up against.

@vari: Good job on missing the point. Twice.

Did anyone ever post a derpy WIP video of something they animated in some 3d tool and expressing wish to export this to spring?
A video like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOC-fs9JHEo but with a spring unit.
Appearently it is so easy to make good looking animations?
Instead just see "how do i shot web" questions about these programs.

Can always go here: http://www.blender.org/download/get-blender/ and get regression files, they should include blender examples. Then look for skeletal animations.

knorke wrote:Did anyone ever post a derpy WIP video of something they animated in some 3d tool and expressing wish to export this to spring?

I remember that dune guy who came in with a lot of content, last i checked he never actually got anywhere

knorke wrote:A video like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOC-fs9JHEo but with a spring unit.

never to that level in many communities but I am old and don't track the current generation of modding. I cannot recall anyone posting something like this.

knorke wrote:Appearently it is so easy to make good looking animations?

I don't think so but then again, so far, I am terrible at animation

knorke wrote:Instead just see "how do i shot web" questions about these programs.

knorke, clarify your statement here.

I understand knorke statement as: It's pointless to ask for better animation workflow until somebody has an animation to port to Spring.
So:
- First, create an impressive animation in whatever animator or 3d modelling suite you like.
- Only then shall we discuss how to convert it to a Spring compatible format.

I get that part. it is why I am trying to understand how the animation in blender works. Because if I can figure that I can sit down and do stuff.

I think starting with something terribly complex is a bad idea. I would start with something like a mech doing a pelvic thrust then work on it from there.

zwzsg wrote:I understand knorke statement as: It's pointless to ask for better animation workflow until somebody has an animation to port to Spring.
So:
- First, create an impressive animation in whatever animator or 3d modelling suite you like.
- Only then shall we discuss how to convert it to a Spring compatible format.

Someone find SpikedHelmets old max videos in the art thread.

edit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEFR-ONA4EY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5jtMIeBWcI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-wQRUqhyZ0

Just to clear this up. I'm pretty sure the Dune people left because they couldn't find anyone to use Spring for them. They were a bunch of artists with a design document which were out looking for an engine along with a group of specialist programmers to recruit. We don't supply that.

This is what we tend to do with new people. They come here with an idea and perhaps some art and ask us about Spring. We usually tell them whether it is possible and point them towards resources which will teach them how to make the game themselves. When people come in with a "must recruit coders" mindset we end up talking past each other.

"The Spring Community" responds to this mindset poorly with "So you want us to make your game for you?" which is understandable. For all I know there are engines out there with a community of coders waiting around for projects to join. In that regard those engines have an advantage over Spring.