Please Help: Trying to View Custom anim in game

[treeboy]

so i've successfully imported my custom animation into UED and copied a mesh from the official packages on which to use it. However I'm having a very difficult time figuring out how to use an Actor to view the anim using the in-game engine (its for an animation demo reel to illustrate animation in-game)

At the moment Im just trying to get an actor to stand there and cycle through an idle animation so i can fraps it. I'd also like to eventually get a walk cycle animation and demonstrate the character moving (even in just a straight line)

The level consists of just a simply textured box with a few lights to illuminate the scene.

Im banging my head against the wall and at a loss for what to search for exactly in terms of tutorials or other information out there.

edit: I've tried using a SkeletalMesh Actor, but i get errors looking for a PhysicsAsset, which the package ive put together has, but i guess theyre not associated with one another? /sigh

[ffejnosliw]

You need to use Matinee with an AnimControl track and you must assign the AnimSet that the animation is contained within to the group's GroupAnimSets property in Matinee as well. You can assign the PhysicsAsset to the SkeletalMeshActor in its properties in the level. The property is aptly names PhysicsAsset.

Hopefully that will at least get you started. Come back here with any specific questions.

[treeboy]

Getting into matinee mode is also something I've been unable to figure out, there's no mode button in the upper left of the editor. I don't even see SceneManager under Info Actors

[ffejnosliw]

Matinee is accessed through Kismet. You might want to go over this page to familiarize yourself with the basics before trying to dive in.

http://www.hourences.com/book/tutorialsue3mover.htm

[treeboy]

thank you ffe, give me an hour and ill have it down for as much as i need it

Just started using UED this afternoon

[treeboy]

reminds me a bit of shake actually

[treeboy]

ok, the one problem im running into now is its not playing. Like the character spawns and is on the appropriate first frame of the selected animation, but doesnt move at all. Does matinee not work in preview at all?

The other issue is the character spawned is unlit despite the presence of several point lights.

[ffejnosliw]

There shouldn't be anything special you need to do to get it to play the animation.

1. Add SkeletalMeshActor to map.
2. Create new Matinee.
3. Create new group in Matinee with SkeletalMeshActor selected in viewport.
4. Add animSet to GroupAnimSets array of the group in Matinee.
5. Create new AnimControl track in Matinee
6. Create a new key and choose the animation to be played.

That's the basic process from what I remember. You do need to trigger the matinee at some point, possibly with a LevelStartup event and you may want to set the Matinee to loop and make sure the length of the matinee sequence is equal to that of the animation. Other than that it should play in Matinee or while testing the map in the editor.

For the lighting, you either need to set your lights to use the Dynamic LightingChannel or enable the LightEnvironment of the SkeletalMeshActor in it's properties.

[treeboy]

ok i was trying to make it way more complicated than it needed to be, which didnt seem right

edit: and you're incredible, i might be in love with you

[Lord_PorkSword]

Sweet! ...the exact thread that I needed!
Thanx ffe! [insert beer here]

EDIT: **** that was waaay easier than what I thought it would be!