API Question Animations with multiple meshes

[ex-orbinaut]

Hi,

How do you animate a specific mesh group when your ship is composed of multiple meshes? Sorry to be a pain with this question, but here's the problem:

It is a development in Orbiter API, building a dll. I have made a station that is composed of 7 meshes, 5 of which present themselves in different VC views (as it has 12 of these views). Fortunately, all of the required animations that need to happen are all concentrated on only one of the meshes (the main fuselage mesh), but; how do I make sure that the MGROUP-TRANSLATE command actually moves group 14 (for example) of that particular mesh and not of another mesh?

I have already tried several things, like labelling the groups in the mesh, and the animation is working (it works if I cut out all the other meshes and run the module). But it won't work if more than one mesh is present.

It is a "mesh access" problem, in short. I hope someone can help with some advice...

Thanks in advance.

 

[JMW]

Hi,
With your scenario running, hit F4, go to Custom - Mesh debugger -chose mesh that you want (flashes if scenario not paused), and note number of mesh.
In your compiler (dll) you have a line like:

static MGROUP_TRANSLATE cogmeter (2,CMGrp1, 1, _V(0,0,-0.05));

The number immediately after the first bracket (2 in this example) refers to the mesh number you want to animate.
Put in number you got from Mesh debugger and it should animate.

JMW

 

[ex-orbinaut]

Excellent! Thank you so much for that solution. I was wondering what the mesh index was for.

Thanks again.:speakcool:

 

[ex-orbinaut]

Now it is more advanced textures...

Hi again,

Sorry this is another question, but I did not want to start a new thread as it is (sort of) related. I have searched the SDK posts and found nothing.

Could anyone please point me in the direction of the utility that is orbiter compatible which allows you to get several textures off one dds image?

I have seen this method on several add ons, such as skins for ships. How do you establish the coordinates so that the program knows the limits of what you are grabbing? It has nothing to do with opaiBlt, as far as I have been able to determine, and have seen the method used on SC3 craft, so it is not an API function. What is it, please?

Thanks in advance...

 

[CaptnDave]

As in to have different vessels or meshes use the same image?

Just have them both reference the same image. At the bottom of the mesh file (open it in text editor) is the list of images used.

Sorry if I'm not on the right track or stating the obvious.

 

[ex-orbinaut]

Thank you so much, CaptnDave for your reply.

What I meant was using a single dds “sheet” image to apply textures to many parts of a mesh, like the interior floor, walls and roof of a hangar, without having to do a separate texture dds for each part.

I managed to figure it out, in the end. It is use of UV Mapper Classic that I was after, and ar81's comment on another thread (VC Texturing) about it being like a "paper model" helped a great deal.

“Making a texture is like creating a paper model.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-...from-scratch./​

"​

​

The example is the silliest paper model I have ever seen…:lol:

Here's the link to UV Mapper, if anyone is interested...

http://www.uvmapper.com/downloads.html

Thanks, all, again!