Fragmotion

[Emilio Le Roux]

My recent 'discovery' is this application, Fragmotion.

 

It's a fully functional application (Just US$ 20,00! to remove the nags) with many features, ideal for translating and cleaning up models and animations from one format to another.

 

I use it to import .X models exported from AMXtex and saving them as 3D GameStudio MDL7 files.

 

The MDL7 is the newest GameStudio format, which includes vertex animation, bones animation, and in-file textures.

 

Saying that fragmotion is a good replacement for the 3dgs Model Editor (MED) is like saying that Word is a replacement for Notepad.

 

Here is the Good and Evil i have found so far in Fragmotion:

 

GOOD:

-Fragmotion imports .X models in the correct orientation, with no problems.

-Imports and separates different animation sequences from the imported file.

-Imports several materials.

-Since MDL7 textures must be in a single image, instead of discarding textures, fragmotion JOINS the textures side to side in a single image, so you can use several small images in A:M to texture parts if you want.

-It exports animations as named scenes in the MDL7 format.

-It can convert bone to vertex animation while exporting MDL7 (but it can't read vertex animation from MDL7 files, see below)

-The forum open to feature requests and suggestions. The developer's dedication is impressive, and he uses to include new features as they are requested.

-Lots of formats.

 

EVIL:

-The keyframe editor is very primitive yet. Deleting chunks of frames and cleaning up sequences is a pain. The developer is working on this.

-The alpha channels in textures are not preserved (yet).

-Vertex animation is not supported. (Although MDL7 files can be converted from bones to vertex animation at exporting time).

 

 

 

The greatest feature, to me is the ability to clamp textures in a single image when exporting to mdl7. This way you can have a PATCH IMAGE for a repeating group, i.e. the foliages of a tree, and another for the trunk. Both patch images will be joined side to side and correctly UV mapped in the MDL7 file.

 

I use patch decals a lot. You can make impressive textures for walls, metal pipes, wood, leaves, everything, using this time-and-memory inexpensive method, like on these samples:

 

 

 

 

It's worth trying.

 

Regards,

[triath5147]

interesting I might try it. I have a pretty good/reliable pipeline now, betwen AM Unwrap and MED, but I guess theres always room for something new, although I may wait till they make it more user freindly.

[Emilio Le Roux]

interesting I might try it. I have a pretty good/reliable pipeline now, betwen AM Unwrap and MED, but I guess theres always room for something new, although I may wait till they make it more user freindly.

Oh, now that you mention it, I forgot to say that fragmotion has UV tools too.

 

Well, the important thing is that you get your pipeline working. I almost have mine too, and I think it will involve fragmotion (and probably NOT involve MED ) But then, I want to texture directly into AM.

 

 

Regards.

[dborruso]

I can attest to the value of this great little program fragmotion. It really saved me.

 

I was having so much trouble getting rid of the frames in between my keyframes. When i did it in a:m the action wouldnt export it anymore and i couldnt easily get it exact in 3dgs med. It took me a bit to figure it out but once I did it was a breeze in fragmotions keyframe editor.

 

It is no substitute for a:m but for editing to get it to game studio it is great.