Messiah and Blender workflow

[froo]

Hey everyone.
So, I am working on a workflow for Messiah and Blender:

1a: Model in blender, export to Messiah, rig and animate.
1b: export MDD file, attach MDD file to mesh in blender
1c: add physics simulations and materials
1d: render
1e: Other steps

2a: model in blender, export to Messiah, rig, and animate
2b: create physics sims in blender, render to file(s)
2c: perform compositing in another application
2d: other steps

Yesterday I learned how to export and attach a MDD file to a mesh in blender.
I had issues with some meshes blowing up; I will try a solution today. This occurred with the trueSpace crazyBob mesh, and .lwo (lightwave object) files. Interestingly, the crazyBob mesh worked after I opened the .obj file, saved and closed it. The same process did not yield similar results for other files.

[Steinie]

I'm glad your posting your findings here, I am interested in learning.

[froo]

Cool Steinie. I got fired up about animation again.

So this is what I learned.

I think I understand what the problem with the mangled mesh was: I exported as a .OBJ file. But, I suspect the mesh in Messiah is originally a .lwo. So, if I were to compare the face/vertex data in the exported OBJ file with the .lwo version, there would be a lot of mismatches. So when I apply the MDD to the OBJ file (imported into Blender), I get the garbled mess due to this dis-order.

To avoid this, I enabled the .lwo import option in Blender, and imported the .lwo Dinosaur mesh directly, as opposed to exporting to OBJ from within Messiah. I then applied the MDD file to the .lwo imported mesh in Blender. Worked fine.

When loading into Blender, and applying the MDD file, the animation playback causes the character to move along a different axis. A Messiah user reported this is a bug that has persisted in Blender since version 2.49. Here is a patch for Blender to resolve that issue:

https://developer.blender.org/T28311" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You have to rename: init_.py to: __init__.py for Blender to recognize and load the file.

[pugman 1]

Hi froo why do you not do it all in blender its more than capeble?

[froo]

Hey Pugman. That is a possibility; I have not yet investigated IK rigging in Blender. That is on my list. Although the setuptab.com website has issues with the training videos (usually you can't download some of the ones you pay for), Messiah is also a very powerful animation tool. IK rigging and animation directly in blender may make things easier; have to see.

On another note:
If you do choose to use Messiah for character animation, save your character as: .lwo (Lightwave object) format; not OBJ format. When I have tried applying MDD data to a OBJ file it blows up.

[froo]

Oh, one thing I am keenly interested in, in Blender, is the ability to lock the foot to the ground to avoid the floating/sinking foot.

[froo]

Started working on the ultra-beginner tutorial on building a character from scratch, from a simple plane, today. Almost have the face done.

[clintonman]

You should post some picts.

[froo]

Thanks Clinton.
Here's the character face in work. Not advanced yet; learning the tools of Blender.
Turns out, a trackball mouse doesn't work so well for me when working with modelling heh. I should get another classic mouse.

[froo]

Ok I'll post pics later; I finished the character mesh, ultra simple lighting, and texturing. Now on to rigging and animation, in Blender. But, I want to rig and animate in Messiah as well. We'll see how it goes.