How to make animations?

[SmashingKirby148]

I use Blender, and I don't know how to make animations for parts, or what I need to do. Help?

[SmashingKirby148]

Anyone? I really need some help!

[Randazzo]

Have you gone through the Animation section of the Development Links thread? There might be something in there that could at least get you started.

I'm personally still avoiding them for now.

[SmashingKirby148]

Have you gone through the Animation section of the Development Links thread? There might be something in there that could at least get you started.

I'm personally still avoiding them for now.

I can't find that section. :?

[Randazzo]

I can't find that section. :?

It's cleverly disguised under the header of "Animation".

[SmashingKirby148]

It's cleverly disguised under the header of "Animation".

You mean under Unity Configs?

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I don't really find those useful. I need to know how to make them, not export them, or loop them, or reverse them.

[Randazzo]

You mean under Unity Configs?

No, I meant Animation.

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Bummer

[SmashingKirby148]

No, I meant Animation.

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Bummer

I can't actually find the Animation heading. I'm probably just blind.

[SmashingKirby148]

I think you mean what I saw. In that case it's useless to me right now. Help anyone else?

[sumghai]

[MOD - Moved to Modelling and Texturing Discussion subforums, as that is the appropriate place for such questions]

The answer to your question depends on what sort of animation you want to make.

- Simple animations (e.g. moving, rotating, scaling meshes) and emissives (e.g. engine nozzle heating, window lights) are best done directly in Unity

- Complex mesh animations (e.g. deforming meshes, making meshes move along a complicated path) are best done within Blender

In either case, once you have the animation created and imported into Unity editor, you'll then need to add an Animation component to your part hierarchy, and add your animation(s) to the list of elements in the Animation component.

Then, depending on where the animation module is meant to be used, you call on one of the various PartModules to play the animation(s) at the desired event.

The best way for us to help you is to describe the specific animation you want to make.

[SmashingKirby148]

[MOD - Moved to Modelling and Texturing Discussion subforums, as that is the appropriate place for such questions]

The answer to your question depends on what sort of animation you want to make.

- Simple animations (e.g. moving, rotating, scaling meshes) and emissives (e.g. engine nozzle heating, window lights) are best done directly in Unity

- Complex mesh animations (e.g. deforming meshes, making meshes move along a complicated path) are best done within Blender

In either case, once you have the animation created and imported into Unity editor, you'll then need to add an Animation component to your part hierarchy, and add your animation(s) to the list of elements in the Animation component.

Then, depending on where the animation module is meant to be used, you call on one of the various PartModules to play the animation(s) at the desired event.

The best way for us to help you is to describe the specific animation you want to make.

Well, I'd like to make retractable engines, or a cargo bay. Stuff like that.

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My main question though is how to do them.

[SmashingKirby148]

Help someone?

[sumghai]

AstroGamer, please bear in mind that people on these forums come from different areas of the world, live in different time zones, and may be busy with other things (in my case, moderator duties), so please refrain from unnecessary bumping.

I've done Cargo Bay doors before, but not retractable engines.

[SmashingKirby148]

AstroGamer, please bear in mind that people on these forums come from different areas of the world, live in different time zones, and may be busy with other things (in my case, moderator duties), so please refrain from unnecessary bumping.

I've done Cargo Bay doors before, but not retractable engines.

Oh ok, sorry.

You have? What way have you done it?

[sumghai]

For Cargo Bay doors, what I did was

- Within the same model file, I made the doors separate meshes from the cargo bay fuselage

- I set the local origin of the door meshes to be in line with where the hinges of the doors would go

- In Unity, I would then create an animation that applies a rotational transform to the door meshes

- I then add the name of the animation to the Animation component's list

- Finally, in the CFG, I would call on ModuleAnimateGeneric to play the animation when toggled by the user.

Hey presto, toggleable doors!

[SmashingKirby148]

For Cargo Bay doors, what I did was

- Within the same model file, I made the doors separate meshes from the cargo bay fuselage

- I set the local origin of the door meshes to be in line with where the hinges of the doors would go

- In Unity, I would then create an animation that applies a rotational transform to the door meshes

- I then add the name of the animation to the Animation component's list

- Finally, in the CFG, I would call on ModuleAnimateGeneric to play the animation when toggled by the user.

Hey presto, toggleable doors!

Ok, but what would it look like? And also, what is included in the ModuleAnimateGeneric cfg?

[sumghai]

Ok, but what would it look like?

Have you made your cargo bay model yet?

And also, what is included in the ModuleAnimateGeneric cfg?

It's your Cargo Bay part CFG that will include a PartModule called ModuleAnimateGeneric. See here for usage:

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Module#ModuleAnimateGeneric

[SmashingKirby148]

Have you made your cargo bay model yet?

It's your Cargo Bay part CFG that will include a PartModule called ModuleAnimateGeneric. See here for usage:

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Module#ModuleAnimateGeneric

Oh, no. You see, I'm gonna try and make a load of base like parts tomorow, and a cargo bay was one idea I had.

Ok, thank you.