MDB to FBX, FBX to MDB converter

[FreshLook]

 

Select the door and where the manipulator (three colored arrows) is located, there is the geometry origin.

 

 

 

After having changed the geometry origin, are you reconverting the animations?

 

Well then the geometry origin is in the right location. Hmm. Yes I started over, importing the three parts into an FBX file, joining them under a .PIVOT as before with the doors as children. I tried the same thing using the 'Object (keep transform)' option to join the doors, but that made no difference. It's curious though that when I'm shifting the doors into position, the geometric origin stays at the same x-axis location (0.0) rather than moving with the doors while the y and z coordinates move.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/27jsb8uezipo934/plc_md_cabinet05_r4.7z?dl=0

 

 

I have looked at the FBX's. You have the geometry origin of the doors at the opposite side where it should be. The hinge is the joint thant links the door to the cabinet but you have the geometry origin of the door at the handle side.

[rjshae]

I know. It wasn't deliberate on my part. The door MDB models have the origin at the hinge. When I relocate them (using grab along fixed axes), it shifts to the handle side.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4o4kdi99ubsf9vx/initial_fbx.7z?dl=0

 

Ed.: Ah... never mind. I was moving it in edit mode, which didn't move the origin. Sorry. Novice mistake.

 

...and it's working. Hurray!

 

Thank you for your help.

Edited January 8, 2018 by rjshae

[rjshae]

A couple of things, if I may:

 

1) I was wondering, how would one apply the technique to placeables with LoD parts? Do I just create three .PIVOT axes with the associated parts as children then animate the lot? Or is it all under one PIVOT, organized as three sets.

 

2) When I pass C_Skel_CL_Body01.mdb, C_Skel_Head01.mdb, P_HHM_skel.gr2 and c_skel_skel01.gr2 into nw2fbx.exe, I end up with duplicate collision balls and a duplicate skeleton with bones that don't appear to be attached end-to-end. The collision balls aren't duplicated if I don't pass c_skel_skel.gr2 and the C_Skel_Head01.mdb model, but then I don't have a head mesh to modify. Plus the bones are still not aligned.

 

Thanks.

Edited January 11, 2018 by rjshae

[FreshLook]

1) I haven't tried LoD. Looking at a few vanilla animated placeables with LoD, the pattern I see is this:

• Only the main part has LoD.
• Only the full-detail main part together with the attached parts are animated. So only one .PIVOT.

2) I'll answer this week. I'm very busy.

[rjshae]

Thank you. Yes that makes sense -- I can just make the animated part low poly. I'll have to check the windmill placeable though to see if it is different.

 

Ed.: Okay yes, the windmill has no LoD parts. I'll go with that approach.

Edited January 12, 2018 by rjshae

[rjshae]

I tried an experiment with a double door, plc_dc_cwatch01. After a bit of fiddling, I got what looks like an animated FBX model by running these parts through nw2fbx.exe:

• PLC_DC_CWATCH01.MDB
• PLC_DC_CWATCH01_01.MDB
• PLC_DC_CWATCH01_02.MDB
• PLC_DC_CWATCH_IDLE.GR2

What's odd though is that the C2 mesh is it's own animated part, PLC_DC_CWATCH01_C2.PIVOT. I get the same thing if I try it with either of the door's OPEN animations. Is that how it's supposed to look? Probably a minor nit really.

[FreshLook]

2) When I pass C_Skel_CL_Body01.mdb, C_Skel_Head01.mdb, P_HHM_skel.gr2 and c_skel_skel01.gr2 into nw2fbx.exe, I end up with duplicate collision balls and a duplicate skeleton with bones that don't appear to be attached end-to-end. The collision balls aren't duplicated if I don't pass c_skel_skel.gr2 and the C_Skel_Head01.mdb model, but then I don't have a head mesh to modify. Plus the bones are still not aligned.

• Duplicate collision balls: The reason is that both MBD's have the same collision balls.
• Duplicate skeleton: Both P_HHM_skel.gr2 and c_skel_skel01.gr2 have the same bones.
• Bones not aligned: You have to check Automatic Bone Orientation in the Armatures tab of the import FBX options.

I tried an experiment with a double door, plc_dc_cwatch01. After a bit of fiddling, I got what looks like an animated FBX model by running these parts through nw2fbx.exe:

• PLC_DC_CWATCH01.MDB
• PLC_DC_CWATCH01_01.MDB
• PLC_DC_CWATCH01_02.MDB
• PLC_DC_CWATCH_IDLE.GR2

What's odd though is that the C2 mesh is it's own animated part, PLC_DC_CWATCH01_C2.PIVOT. I get the same thing if I try it with either of the door's OPEN animations. Is that how it's supposed to look? Probably a minor nit really.

 

That's correct. PLC_DC_CWATCH_IDLE.GR2 animation has two track groups, one to animate the main and attached parts and another to animate C2. You can see this in log.txt. I suppose you aren't looking at it because you are dropping directly to nw2fbx.exe (next version will generate log.txt). A track group matches a skeleton/.PIVOT. Whether the NWN2 engine supports animating C2 or not is unknown to me.

Edited January 12, 2018 by FreshLook

[rjshae]

Great, I'll give that import option a try.

 

I don't suppose it's possible for the nw2fbx.exe to merge the duplicate collision balls and bones? Or is it just something I'll have to live with?

 

I gave one more placeable a try -- plc_bc_shiprow1 -- because I have a boat model I'd like to animate. I was hoping to see the animation working to get a sense on the motion and timing, but when I passed plc_bc_shiprow1.mdb, plc_bc_shiprow1.gr2, and plc_bc_shiprow1_idle.gr2 to nw2fbx.exe, the resulting .FBX had the model separate from the animation. If I just passed plc_bc_shiprow1.mdb and plc_bc_shiprow1_idle.gr2 to nw2fbx.exe, there was no animation. Is there a way I can import and view the idle animation?

 

Thank you.

[FreshLook]

I don't suppose it's possible for the nw2fbx.exe to merge the duplicate collision balls and bones? Or is it just something I'll have to live with?

 

What exactly are you trying to do? Maybe there is an easy solution.

 

I gave one more placeable a try -- plc_bc_shiprow1 -- because I have a boat model I'd like to animate. I was hoping to see the animation working to get a sense on the motion and timing, but when I passed plc_bc_shiprow1.mdb, plc_bc_shiprow1.gr2, and plc_bc_shiprow1_idle.gr2 to nw2fbx.exe, the resulting .FBX had the model separate from the animation. If I just passed plc_bc_shiprow1.mdb and plc_bc_shiprow1_idle.gr2 to nw2fbx.exe, there was no animation. Is there a way I can import and view the idle animation?

To convert animated placeables to FBX don't drag&drop the GR2 skeleton. I passed plc_bc_shiprow1.mdb and plc_bc_shiprow1_idle.gr2 and there was animation. Maybe you didn't see keyframes in the timeline and you thought there was no animation? You have to select an animated object to see the keyframes. Or maybe you didn't see any motion, since the animation is subtle. I had to look at very near to see it.

Edited January 13, 2018 by FreshLook

[rjshae]

 

I don't suppose it's possible for the nw2fbx.exe to merge the duplicate collision balls and bones? Or is it just something I'll have to live with?

 

What exactly are you trying to do? Maybe there is an easy solution.

 

I'd like to create a static statue-like pose animation for the human male figure, including both the head and body positions. I picked the Skeleton model as it uses the same skeleton as the human and I figured it would be less cluttered. But another would do.

 

 

 

I gave one more placeable a try -- plc_bc_shiprow1 -- because I have a boat model I'd like to animate. I was hoping to see the animation working to get a sense on the motion and timing, but when I passed plc_bc_shiprow1.mdb, plc_bc_shiprow1.gr2, and plc_bc_shiprow1_idle.gr2 to nw2fbx.exe, the resulting .FBX had the model separate from the animation. If I just passed plc_bc_shiprow1.mdb and plc_bc_shiprow1_idle.gr2 to nw2fbx.exe, there was no animation. Is there a way I can import and view the idle animation?

To convert animated placeables to FBX don't drag&drop the GR2 skeleton. I passed plc_bc_shiprow1.mdb and plc_bc_shiprow1_idle.gr2 and there was animation. Maybe you didn't see keyframes in the timeline and you thought there was no animation? You have to select an animated object to see the keyframes. Or maybe you didn't see any motion, since the animation is subtle. I had to look at very near to see it.

 

Dang it. Yes, now it's working. I thought I had the part selected. Ah well. Sorry.

 

Ed.: Okay, I got the boat rocking. It looks good. Thank you.

Edited January 13, 2018 by rjshae