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W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:24 pm
by Challenger33
Also known as the Gnivex-class starfighter. Yes, I know there is one in the Conversion Pack. I haven't seen it though, unfortunately.
Regardless, here are some screenshots of it in XSI. It is fully animated, but not yet textured. The screenshots I took are of the first and last frames of the animation (opened and closed, respectfully). I can also post wireframes if necessary, just be warned the body is a little messy due to me electing to have the cockpit be quite round.
Four-Angle View, closed:
Four-Angle View, opened:
Full Screen View, closed:
Full Screen View, opened:
And here's the link to my YouTube video demonstrating the takeoff animation (bear with me, my PC is slow, hence the lag in the video):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Dt2cnz6_lE
How should I make it fly in-game? Horizontally, or vertically? Although I can make both as well.
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:59 pm
by RogueKnight
Horizontally, otherwise it won't be able to take off and land out of space hangers.
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 10:03 pm
by Challenger33
It might, but who says I'm using it for space?
Although I suppose others might want to if I release it. That is, if anyone wanted to use it. I think it would fit though; I'll have to test it.
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 12:38 am
by RepSharpshooter
Looks very nice, Challenger
*coughneedsatexturecough*

Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:14 am
by Delta-1035
Yes, looks very good!
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:26 am
by Hebes24
Looks excellent, Challenger!
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 11:11 am
by minilogoguy18
Someone made one of these a while back but I forgot who...
You could easily reduce its polies though, it has quite a bit.
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 2:23 pm
by DarthD.U.C.K.
it was Lord bandu, he made the one included in the convopack
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 5:10 pm
by Challenger33
Does anyone have a screenshot of that fanblade? I want to make certain that mine is accurate.
Thanks for the comments, I really appreciate them.
Minilogoguy, what edges specifically would you suggest removing? I can't remove any from the body or guns, because they needs to be round.

Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 6:46 pm
by minilogoguy18
Don't remove anything just try to pull the detail back a bit like not using so many sides on spheres and cylinders. The model has a pretty basic shape but it has 2 times more polygons than the stock ships.
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 7:48 pm
by Challenger33
Ah, I figured. Unfortunately there's not much I can do for that now without remaking those parts, and I would rather not do that. Although, I suppose the extra round-ness won't even appear too different in-game anyway...
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 8:20 pm
by RepSharpshooter
Challenger33 wrote:Ah, I figured. Unfortunately there's not much I can do for that now without remaking those parts, and I would rather not do that. Although, I suppose the extra round-ness won't even appear too different in-game anyway...
Just do some target welding to merge some of the rings/loops together.
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 4:14 pm
by Challenger33
I've run into a major issue; I got it in-game fine, but that's about it. Instead of being in the basepose that I created, it is in the final frame of the animation (unfolded) instead. When I take off, I don't even know what animation it's playing, since it is open to begin with. It just does this odd thing where it basically unfolds even further. I believe that this is because I made the model in the unfolded mode, and the basepose has it closed. So when it is not enveloped, it is unfolded on frame 0, and closed on frame 60, but when it is enveloped, it is closed on frame 0, and open on frame 60 (obviously with other keyframes in between). Would this cause the problems I'm having? If so, how would I go about fixing this, without remaking the entire animation?
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter (Need Help With Animation Issue)
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 11:14 pm
by minilogoguy18
Your transforms are probably all screwed up and the hierarchy may not be right either. You should put it in landed position, remove the envelopes, remake the skeleton and reanimate. It's an incredibly simple animation and should only take a second to fix all of this.
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter (Need Help With Animation Issue)
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 11:19 pm
by Challenger33
That's what I figured I'd have to do; thanks. Can anyone verify that this is the correct landing position? I'm doubtful as to whether it is, especially seeing as I have yet to see the other model.
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter (Need Help With Animation Issue)
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 11:49 pm
by Frisbeetarian
Look up the Clone Wars Chapter 20, it shows the fighter landing about 1.5 minutes into the episode.
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter (Need Help With Animation Issue)
Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:26 am
by FragMe!
Challenger, having seen your animation I know it is fine.
There is a way to do it without redoing the animation
Select the fan blade, open the weight editor then at the top pull down, I think it is file, but look for save or export, that will export the current weights.
Next go to frame 1, which is closed I assume, then select your model again and press Freeze, not FreezeM, this will remove the current weighting, can also be done from the weight editor.
Not really required but also do a Freeze all transforms for your model too.
Next re-envelope your model making sure you get all the bones (nulls) that we in the original envelope. Move the slider to 1 for joints to weight to. Don't worry about how it is weighted.
Now open weight editor again and this time do a load from the same place you saved the weighting and it should be weighted back to what it was. Run the animation and see.
If required to some minor tweaks.
*this was all done from memory so if I got some menu terms wrong I appologise.
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter (Need Help With Animation Issue)
Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 11:30 am
by minilogoguy18
Yeah but his first frame of animation is the craft in flight mode, he animated it backwards.
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter (Need Help With Animation Issue)
Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 12:33 pm
by FragMe!
Well there is that. Still the re-envelope thing I mentioned should still work as long as the fanblade is frozen in the closed position. Unfortunately I don't believe there is a reverse my animation please command in XSI*, so you will need to redo it from the nulls in closed position on frame 1 to open on frame XX. Once you have redone it then reapply the envelope because trying to get to the points in the closed postion will be very difficult indeed.
* if you know the animation editor well enough you can do a bit of cut and paste to empty frames then back to the where they should be in the new aniamtion, either in fCurves or dopesheet but if you don't then redoing it is probably easier. If you do the cut and paste thing make sure ripple is off.
Re: W.I.P. Fanblade Starfighter (Need Help With Animation Issue)
Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 1:19 pm
by DarthD.U.C.K.
there is no reverse command as afar as i know, but you can still move keyframes, cant you?
(it depends on the compleyity of the anims if it makes sense, but i think it takes less time than redoing it)