Importing a simple animation into UDK

[Dvoyles]

I'm trying to import a simple animation into UDK, but an unsure of how to go about it.

I've looked at a number of tutorials, as well as the gems offered here, but most of them simple talking about importing animations for vehicles or bipedal creatures.

I'm using Max 2012, and the current version of UDK. My animation simply consists of a ladder folding into itself, in a vertical fashion. Remember those ladders from the Mega Man games that go up, one tick at a time? Exactly that. I've animated it in Max, using 30 frames and haven't had to use an sort of rigging.

1) Do I need to rig it to import the animation?

2) I understand that I can import animations through the FBX pipeline, which I've been doing for static meshes, but it seems that the animations only go over if it is a skeletal mesh. Is that correct? That's why I ask about rigging, above.

I would take a video of it, but for some reason I can't get fraps and Max to work together. I've included photos to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

Ladder1.jpgLadder2.jpgladder3.jpg

[darthwilson]

you need several bones and to skin it. Then you can animate the bones and export everything as an FBX file. Remember to include animations and it will work fine.

For something as simple as a ladder I would recommend importing your modular ladder pieces, adding them as "interpactors" and finally animating it through matinee.

[Lexluthor1]

I'm trying to import a simple animation into UDK, but an unsure of how to go about it.

I've looked at a number of tutorials, as well as the gems offered here, but most of them simple talking about importing animations for vehicles or bipedal creatures.

I'm using Max 2012, and the current version of UDK. My animation simply consists of a ladder folding into itself, in a vertical fashion. Remember those ladders from the Mega Man games that go up, one tick at a time? Exactly that. I've animated it in Max, using 30 frames and haven't had to use an sort of rigging.

1) Do I need to rig it to import the animation?

2) I understand that I can import animations through the FBX pipeline, which I've been doing for static meshes, but it seems that the animations only go over if it is a skeletal mesh. Is that correct? That's why I ask about rigging, above.

I would take a video of it, but for some reason I can't get fraps and Max to work together. I've included photos to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

Ladder1.jpgLadder2.jpgladder3.jpg

Download this biped and ladder rig, (climb) on my goodies page and import the fbx into 3ds max or any modelling programme to see how I did this..There's a UDK map also included with the ladder rig in action

[Dvoyles]

Thank you very much for the info guys, I appreciate it.

I figured that was my best bet for the movable ladder - importing pieces into UDK and animating it there in Kismet. I went ahead and starte to do it that way, but wasn't sure if it was the "half-assed" way around it it or not.

Lex! Always helpful, I love your tutorials, been a fan for a while. I'll take a look at that today, thank you.

[zen-tex]

Just add bones to the ladder and skin it then import that to udk using actor x and then makee ur animation and import that through actor x ( dont worry i've done this millions of times)
So then make new anim set in udk import psa( animation file) then click import button in content browser look for the psk file of the ladder and then your done if u need more help for this just ask me

[darthwilson]

@zentex it's much better to use matinee since its a simple animation. If it was a more complicated mesh then a small rig plus animations may be viable since it costs more than a static mesh set as an interpactor.

You would still have to setup kismet and matinee anyway.

[Lexluthor1]

@zentex it's much better to use matinee since its a simple animation. If it was a more complicated mesh then a small rig plus animations may be viable since it costs more than a static mesh set as an interpactor.

You would still have to setup kismet and matinee anyway.

No you wouldn't need to use matinee! I didn't for the scene I created !

[darthwilson]

Setting up SK meshes to play anims without matinee?? Elaborate my friend ?

[Lexluthor1]

Setting up SK meshes to play anims without matinee?? Elaborate my friend ?

Its extremely simple..You set up your sequence in max or maya and then in the UDK once everything is imported you right click on your mesh in the viewport/map and choose the animset and anim to play...Takes five minutes and avoids the somewhat cumbersome matinee completely!

[darthwilson]

You sir!!!!! That's awesome! Does the anim just loop? I'm not at my machine to check

[Lexluthor1]

You sir!!!!! That's awesome! Does the anim just loop? I'm not at my machine to check

You can check the looping box if you want it to loop and adjust the play rate too
There's quite a few parameters to play with

[jasonseabaugh]

Another note is that you do not have the skin the mesh to bones. You can import it as a skeletal mesh without a skin and as long as all the children eventually link back to a single parent. On import you choose Import Type: "Skeletal Mesh" and check the "Import Rigid Animations" checkbox. Also, don't check the Combine meshes checkbox.