Hello,

I’m trying to make an animated model for Half-Life 2.
I already successed to create a simple model for Half-Life 2.

Now for the animated model, all is going well, i have 3 objects that move perfectly with their bones:

i just have one more XSI problem to resolv

The problem is that, to export correctly for the Half-life 2 engine, my animated model must be composed of only one mesh and only one UVMAP. For the moment i have 3 objects and 3 textures.

I tested to MERGE my 3 objects into one single mesh but, when i assign enveloppe to all the skeleton, and then i try to animate, the mesh is STRETCHING (like below).

So my question is how can i have only one single mesh with only one uvmap and animate it correctly. It sounds impossible so how i walk around ? Are there any groups or whatever ?

Repaint the envelope weights.  Make sure that only 1 bone is affecting each section of the merged mesh.

PS.  I’m still trying to get animated objects to compile.  Not sure what exactly to put in the qc file, and how to export the animations from xsi (idle, extended)....

what do u mean by repaint ? what should i do ? precisly (yet i’m not good enough with xsi, can u explain a bit plz)

to answer u, normally u just need to export the same scene under 3 smd : _ref, _idle, _phys (like u know) and in the qc file, it seems like u need 4 things.
- the reference smd
- the idle smd
- the animated smd
- the collision smd

like an example below :

$modelname pump/pump.mdl //model name
$cdmaterials models/pump //where to locate textures
$surfaceprop “metal”
$scale 3.0
$body studio “pump_reference.smd” //the reference smd
$sequence idle “pump_reference” loop fps 1 //the idle smd (part of the reference smd)
$sequence pump “pump_idle” loop fps 15 //the animated smd
$collisionmodel “pump_physbox.smd” { // the collision smd
$Mass 100
}

You need to edit the envelope weights. 

Perhaps this video might help - http://www.vast.ws/resources/xsi/tutorials/Animation/movies/8_2.html

If you’re using the Mod Tool, I’m not sure how that’s setup..  But in regular XSI, there’s a button near the bottom left of the screen; that brings up the weight panel.

I don’t have XSI open now, but I think, for your situation, you could select the first set of points, 2(Animate Panel) / Modify/Envelope/Local Reassign, and then select the first bone.  Then repeat for the other bones.  Try searching in the help files for more info; it probably explains better than I can.  Also, try to search for some other videos in the training section up above. 

Terms you want are “Envelope” “Weights” “Local Reassign”.

PS.  Thanks for your reply.  I’m gonna start another thread so I don’t clutter this one up…

The [B]Noesis Training Videos[/B] on this link give you an idea on how to do what you are asking. I think it is the 3rd video “[B]Noesis Quick Start: Source Prop Integration"[/B] that explains how to make your meshes into 1 model and how to combine your textures into 1 file.

http://www.softimage.com/products/modtool/learn.aspx

Hey Larry, I don’t think that video deals with envelopes and animated props.  Tomu’s problem is that his mesh is being distorted, when it should be rigid (1 individual mesh with disconnected sections, rather than 1 organic mesh).

Okay, thanks.

I think i’ll stop trying to help.

Always getting it wrong.