MACE (Morph Animation Compiler & Editor)

Deliverance · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 275 Location: Denmark

MACE (Morph Animation Compiler & Editor)

This tool is now available as a Flash sticker for your page, or at the time of writing, online here. Please remember to put your page into preview mode in order to use the sticker version. Respect and thanks to those who’ve helped out in testing it, and to FounderEffect for some awesome as3 programming. Requires Flash 10, so please update if you have not done so in a while.

What is it?

This is a tool that allows you to create morph animations simply. Specifically, it allows you to:
(i) Take an XMF and add ‘morph targets’ to it, and then save it as a new XMF.
(ii) Create XPF files to tell the client when and how to morph between the basic mesh and the morph target(s).

Whom is it for?

This tool is for people who already have the ability to create XMFs (i.e. meshers). Of the three applications currently used to make meshes, only 3ds max enables you to create morph animations. This tool adds to that capability by allowing you to compile animations from separate XMF files, instead of doing it all within the application. It is my hope that Blender and SU users will find the tool especially useful, though at the time of writing I believe that SU is not consistent in the order in which it outputs verts to the XMF file – meaning that this tool cannot track what morphs into what.

What do you need in order to use it?

You need 2 or more mesh (XMF) files. The only difference between the mesh files should be the position of the verts. Nothing else. That’s what morph animation is – moving verts from one position to another. Obviously, the number of verts must be the same in all the XMF files you use.

In practice, this means exporting the basic mesh as the first XMF file, and then moving the verts around and exporting a second version of the same mesh as another XMF file. This second XMF will be the morph target – i.e. the shape your basic mesh will morph into.

How does it work?

A morphing XMF file has the different shapes it can morph into embedded into it. This tool takes one XMF and embeds it, as a morph target, into another mesh. The tool also allows you to create an XPF animation file, which is a file that tells the client how to change between the basic mesh form and the different embedded shapes over time.

How do you use it?

Screenshot of the MACE tool:

Instructions for the impatient

Load your base XMF (1), then load your target XMF (4). Save the new XMF (7).
Click the first button in the ‘Draw’ box (14), and save the XPF (18).
Derive from something in the previewer and load your new mesh file as you normally would. Go to the ‘Actions’ tab and click ‘Add’. Type something for the trigger, then where it says ‘Morph Animation’, browse to your XPF file. Apply changes. Try the ‘Play Action’ button – but be aware that the previewer is not animation-friendly and you may well have to upload your product to see the morph in the client.

Complete product description

1 – Load XMF button. Loads the mesh file you wish to use as the basic shape.

2 – XMF filename of the base mesh.

3 – Morph target list. Selectable list of all the morph targets currently embedded into the XMF. Clicking on an item allows you to create and edit a morph animation for it.

4 – Load target button. Allows you to load meshes as morph targets. As soon as you load the target it will be processed, so if the file is big and/or your computer is slow, please be patient and wait until processing has finished (the name of the morph target will appear in the morph name textbox (5)) before clicking other stuff =)

5 – Morph name textbox. This shows the name of the morph target. Initially, it is based on the name of the file you loaded, but you can edit this textbox to use whatever name you wish – but you must keep all your target names unique.

6 – Morph type menu. This allows you to establish the way the morph responds when it has more than one animation going on at the same time. For more information, see here. There is also a ‘delete’ option, which removes the target from the XMF.

7 – Save XMF button. Allows you to save the XMF with embedded targets.

8 – Vertical slider. Creates or adjusts the value of the keyframe (blue blob) at the position of the left marker (10). Values range between 0% and 100%, where 100% represents full transformation into the morph target shape.

9 – Graph. Gives a visual representation of the morph animations.

10 – Left marker. This marker can be moved by sliding the corresponding pointer on the horizontal slider (15). The left marker is used to select a keyframe (blue blob), mark the beginning of a Range (17), and establish parameters for the Draw controls (14). Note that the left marker is black, while the right marker (12) is blue.

11 – Curve. The line describes the way the mesh morphs between the base shape and the targets shape(s) over time.

12 – Right marker. This marker is blue. It marks the end of a Range (17) and establishes parameters for the Draw controls (14).

13 – Curve controls. These controls allow you to set the sort of curve you would like to be drawn when using the Draw controls (14).
- Smooth. Sets how many keyframes you want.
- Ease. Allows you to set whether you want the transition to begin or end smoothly or abruptly.

14 – Draw controls. These controls provide a quick way of creating animations, without editing each keyframe individually. Each of the six buttons has a picture on it to show what sort of line is draws between the left (grey) and right (blue) markers. In addition, the first two button draw the entire animation across all 90 frames, including the part before the left marker and after the right marker.

15 – Horizonal slider. This has two pointers – one for the left marker and one for the right.

16 – Delete controls. There four buttons allow you to delete aspects of your animations.
- Key. Deletes the keyframe selected by the left marker (10).
- Range. Deletes all keyframes between the left and right markers.
- Morph. Deletes the current morph animation.
- All. Deletes al morph animations.

17 – Time controls. These controls affect the speed with which the XPF will play in the client. By default, animations created with this tool are 3 seconds long. The duration of the animation is given in the ‘Dur’ box. IMVU expects 30 frames per second (fps), and this value is given in the FPS box. 3 seconds, at 30 fps requires 90 frames, which is the number of frames available.

One way to make the animation last something other than 3 seconds is to change the duration. If you do this, you will see the fps change, but remember that does not refer to the client – it only refers to how the 90 frames in this tool are spread out.

In the time controls there is a button labeled ‘R’ for range. If you click it the area between the left and right markers will be shaded blue. When the range is activated in this way, the Duration shown is that of the range (i.e. not the whole 90 frames), and if you save the XPF (18) only the range will be exported.

18 – File controls. These allow you to load and save XPF files. If the range button (17) is activated only the range will be saved. On loading an XPF file that is shorter than 3 seconds, you are given the opportunity to spread it out across the 90 available frames.

19 – Forum. Takes you to this post in the 3D forums. I will try to answer questions as and when I can, but I cannot guarantee it. Many many thanks to others who help out here!

To make your morph 'stick' - i.e. remain in place for ever, do the following:

i) In your XPF leave a few frames at the end where the animation is stable at 100% (or whatever value you want). Take note of the first and last of those frames (say 30 and 90).
ii) In the previewer, in the 'Morph Animation' section, look for 'Frame controls'. In the box marked '# loops' type 0 (which means infinite loops). In the 'Loop start' and 'end' boxes type in the numbers of the first and last frames of the stable part of the animation (in this example, start the loop and 30, end the loop at 90, and repeat for ever).

Good luck!

Arezeon · Joined: 06 Jan 2009 Posts: 5000 Location: India

I tried with a box made in max with .exclusive thing and its working fine as it shows in the graph ..

Perhaps others can try it with .clamped , .additive etc. or even some meshes from blender or sketchup Very Happy

b/w thats awesome programming Cool

Perhaps a little more description of what limit and dialate do will help and also how to increase the time line beyond 90 Very Happy

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Deliverance · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 275 Location: Denmark

Hi Arezeon! Awesome! Thanks so much for testing!!

And yes - I'm really eager to hear from SU and Blender people on this =)

As for limit/dilate - that functionality is not yet implemented (for which, read: I got side-tracked by Christmas lol). Those controls currently do *nothing*. But they will in the next version!

Arezeon · Joined: 06 Jan 2009 Posts: 5000 Location: India

yw and how to increase the time frame beyond 90 ? is there a way or I missed something ?
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Deliverance · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 275 Location: Denmark

Hi again!

I will probably leave the number of frames available at 90. By default, that’s 3 seconds at 30fps. I think that the vast majority of morph animations are, unlike skeletal animations, 2 or 3 frame affairs and occur over a time of less that three seconds - so this editor, I hope, greatly exceeds what most people would need.

That said, once the coding is finished, you will be able to spread those 90 frames over any length of time, so if you play the animation over a minute and a half, you would have a resolution of 1 frame per second. That’s what the ‘Dilate’ value will be for. Remember too that if needs must, I think you can also string morph animation files together and play them one after another.

Oh – Do try it with more than one simultaneous morph target, too. The editor lets you do multi-track animations =)

MorpherGoddess · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Posts: 329

Bravo Meriea !!

This is yet another great contribution to the developing community and is very useful for those Blender and SU users!!

Happy Holidays. Smile

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DevXs_disabled_38136704 · Joined: 13 Jun 2009 Posts: 127 Location: France

Wow Great Program Thanks For Sharing Smile

Happy Holidays Smile

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Hellstrong · Joined: 27 Oct 2007 Posts: 3766

TonyTUK · Joined: 18 Aug 2007 Posts: 16 Location: United Kingdom

Hello Deliverance
Just a little note to say Many Many Thanks for putting all the effort into this ..
and i will be trying with blender within the next few days so i will try and keep you posted with how i get on ..
Thanks Again and Happy Holidays Very Happy

TonyTUK · Joined: 18 Aug 2007 Posts: 16 Location: United Kingdom

Hello Again Smile

Just a little note to say .. Thank You Smile

I've just created a simple cube morph using Blender XMF files ..
nothing fancy as i wanted to keep the vert numbers down etc just for test purposes ....
and it works wonderfully Smile

.. Thank you
to show you it in action .. it's product ID 4714619
or direct link :
http://www.imvu.com/shop/product.php?products_id=4714619
Trigger word = morph1

sorry its nothing fancy i just havent had much time to play
but hope to get time over the next couple of days

and if you ever need to peek at any Blender files, please dont ever hessitate dropping me a note .. it would always be a pleasure

once again many many thanks for your time and effort
TonyTUK

Hellstrong · Joined: 27 Oct 2007 Posts: 3766

TonyTUK · Joined: 18 Aug 2007 Posts: 16 Location: United Kingdom

hello hellstrong
it rotates and turns into a pyramid
works perfectly in the client ....
mmmm .... once its through review i'll stand one in my demo room so everyone can peek Smile

many thanks
i'll post again soon
TonyTUK

Hellstrong · Joined: 27 Oct 2007 Posts: 3766

TonyTUK · Joined: 18 Aug 2007 Posts: 16 Location: United Kingdom

yeah i get the same problem with animations some times Sad

I've just put one in my demo room , so hopefully everybody can see it now ...

LOL you cant miss it .. its the ugly red box at the bottom of the stairs Smile

.. but at least it saves trying it in previewer Smile

just type my name "TonyTUK" into the room list
or heres a direct link if it posts in here ...
imvu://room/TonyTUK/TonyTUK+Demo+Club

Trigger words : morph1

hope everyone can see it now
and i'll try to do a multiple morph one next
and keep you posted

TonyTUK

Hellstrong · Joined: 27 Oct 2007 Posts: 3766

@OP ok i just had my 1st try, just followed your instructions step by step, but nothing happens when doing the trigger in client.

Ill open the XMF files in notepad and see if SketchUp somehow adds verts or something, but ill hope i just did somethiing wrong Razz

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