Talk:Main Page

From Moviesandbox

This is the Main Talk page. Please feel free to leave a message! --fiezi 21:07, 23 June 2007 (MEST)

I have a couple question about Moviesandbox, can you import static meshes and then rig them with the standard Unreal skeleton using the character creation tools? Sorry if this is not the place for this. --Andrew 05:53, 2 September 2007 (MEST)

Hi Andrew, no, this is the right place to ask questions, definetly. Right now, it's not simple to do. But in future updates, you will be able to attach props (and staticmeshes) to any bone you like. Unfortunately, the attach command isn't really working right now. Do you want to create a whole character just by attaching things on the bones? I could probably implement something like that. --fiezi 20:17, 3 September 2007 (MEST)

Actually, what I am wondering is if I can import a static mesh from a program like Blender and then do the skeleton set-up/rigging in Moviesandbox. Also, I was reading on the Wiki that there was some discussion of implementing "Puppet Show" from Georgia Tech in Moivesandbox. Has that been done already? Would it be hard to do? I have a puppetry background and really like the Puppet Show concept...I think it would be another great tool for Machinima creators. Thanks. --Andrew 15:14, 7 September 2007 (MEST)

Yes, the first puppet show prototype they did - Cactus Jack - was implemented and demoed using Moviesandbox. For more info, i'd suggest you contact Michael Nitsche from GATech already. Unfortunately, Unreal only allows very basic rigging functions, so the stuff that you're doing with your Panda Puppet controller (which is totally awesome by the way!) is a bit out of reach for moviesandbox per se. But there are ways to import staticmeshes from Blender and attach them to bones. It's a rigid body attachment tough, so real skinning and weighting cannot be done.
However, there are ways to import a fully skinned skeleton actor to unreal (and thus moviesandbox) and then Pose/Control it to a certain degree. I'm currently figuring out how to implement that so that it stays open and user friendly and you can still use custom skeletons. The next version will have a much more versatile skeleton with facial bones implemented, but i'm very open for suggestions...
--fiezi 02:30, 8 September 2007 (MEST)

I've found that the RenderToDisc function doesn't work when Moviesandbox is in full screen mode, but does work when it is in windowed mode. - Dxvid.

Thanks Dxvid, i'll add this to the version notes and bugs page! --fiezi 02:30, 8 September 2007 (MEST)

Another point someone might find useful - I couldn't get the console to open in Moviesandbox until I went into Moviesandbox configuration settings.ini and changed the ConsoleHotKey from 192 to 9 (backspace key) or 223 (key above backspace). I later found that 192 is actually ' on my keyboard, which will work, but think it preferable to have the console hotkey in the traditional top-left position. So if you want to change the key it is a simple thing to do in the present version (1370B) as "keypress" is shown top left of screen under "debug". The console commands add a huge amount of functionality and most UT sites have a list of them eg http://wiki.beyondunreal.com/wiki/Console_Commands You can use them to change the default resolution of Moviesandbox, and for many other things as well! - Dxvid

I have not had a chance to actually try Moviesandbox yet because I don't have a copy of UT 2004 (I ordered one off ebay the other day it should be here in a few days), does Moviesandbox work with the UT 2004 demo, or do you have to have the full version? Re: Puppet Show, I've had some discussions with Michael Nitsche before, so I will get directly in touch with him directly about that as you suggested.

From everything I have read here on the Wiki, this is almost exactly what I have been trying to do with Panda Puppet. Unfortunately the limitations with Blender's game engine has made the development of that quite slow and painful. Since Moviesandbox already has most of the basic functionality I've wanted for Panda Puppet and UT 2004 is a much, much better 3d engine than Blender, I would be very interested in folding the work we are doing in to the Moviesandbox project. Specifically, I am thinking of putting together a feature or plug-in that would allow scenes to be puppeteered and recorded and then exported to Blender where they could be edited, enhanced and rendered out. There are Blender to UT exporters as you mentioned so it should be possible. Are you writing Moviesandbox in C++? --Andrew 12:35, 13 September 2007 (MEST)