New Tread Builder Script Bundle :)

yes i guess so

-korben

Ok folks, hot of the presses and ready for all you talented modelling type folks out there, its my new Tread Builder script Bundle. Attached is a .zip file containing three scripts.

Tread Builder.cs = Main script designed to build tank treads from a single tread link which you provide.

Link Animator.txt = Group script that goes into your main ‘Links’ groups that contain all the other links that make up a single tank tread.

Wheel Animator.txt = Group script that goes into the main ‘Wheels’ groups (if you use them) that contain all the wheels that make up a single tank tread.

You can find a tutorial for using the Tread Builder script on [img:11a9vpar]http://handwired.net/[/img:11a9vpar]
my website
under the 3DC Scripts section. There are also some short instructions for how to use the Link and Wheel Animator scripts there as well.

I encourage everyone to try this out and let me know what you think. I also would love to see the results from some of you more talented modelling folks. <!– s:) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!– s:) –> I hope everyone enjoys these scripts.

And finally, a quick pick of some very basic results..

[img:11a9vpar]http&#58;//handwired&#46;net/TreadBuilder/TreadBuilder13&#46;jpg[/img:11a9vpar]

Thank you Bobirov <!– s:) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!– s:) –>This is great! I’ll download it and start playing.

Later

James

great job bobirov, i can’t believe you actually did this.

-korben

I was thinking about changing up the animation scripts a little bit so that they could support acceleration of the treads/wheels and then writing some examples of how to script speed changes. Also, I don’t think the wheels are quite in sinc with the treads when spinning. I need to look at it some more but I couldn’t wait to share em any longer hehe.

Another thing, the tutorial doesn’t really make mention of it, but you can NOT change the name of the ‘Links’ group. The numbers the script writes in there are required by the animation script.

I also failed to mention anywhere that in order for the wheel animator to work, you must copy the ‘TR=#.####’ portion from the ‘Links’ group into the ‘Wheels’ group. Finally, you must write the diameter of each wheel into it’s group name preceded by ‘‘. An example of proper hierarchy is shown below.

[img:1xx90qx4]http&#58;//handwired&#46;net/TreadBuilder/Hierarchy&#46;jpg[/img:1xx90qx4]

Hope this helps.

Here is the actual tank used in the tutorial. This is saved right before running Tread Builder on it for the first time. You can move the link back out under the scene and start from the beginning or just run tread builder on the link and start from the gap fixing stage. Hope this is helpful.

[img:2q3fsqj1]http&#58;//handwired&#46;net/3DC/Tank&#46;zip[/img:2q3fsqj1]
Tank.3DC.zip

Looked at the wheels running at a slower speed and they indeed were not in sinc with the treads. Poked around for a few minutes and found the problem and fixed it (or at least greatly reduced it). I might need to change things around to treat drive wheels differently from ‘roller’ placeholder type wheels. Not sure yet and haven’t messed around with the wheels that much. Anyways, Attached is an updated version of the Wheel Animator script with proper looking drive wheels. Enjoy <!– s:) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!– s:) –>

Edit: I was right, if you try to place smaller ‘roller’ wheels into the group currently they will not be in sinc. I’ll need to decide on a way to distinguish between them and drive wheels to get everything in sinc. Weee, will it ever end? <!– s:P –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt="" title="Razz" /><!– s:P –> Hope you don’t mind the updates or anything.

P.S. Has anyone come up with a new tread yet? I’d like to see <!– s:) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!– s:) –>

is it possible to get a detailed tutorial on the animation scripts? also too maybe a little bit more should be added to the regular tread builder tutorial. i found myself getting lost a few times. any way thank you.

-korben

I figured a tutorial would be wanted for the animation scripts. But there really isn’t alot to it other than pasting it into the group script and changing the two values.

Const KeysPerSec = #
This is the number of keys per second of your animation (set in animation properties). You can get this with a scene object, but I don’t know how to do that it in a group script.

TreadRate = #
This might be a bit confusing as in the script I had a value like 4.578 / 4 as the rate. This is because my tread length was 4.578 and I was making a 4 second animation and wanted it to loop one full tread rotation. You can change this to however fast you want the tread to be travelling. But, if you want a loop animation, the rate will have to wind up being an even multiple of your tread length at the end of the animation. If this still isn’t enough I’ll try to come up with a tutorial.

Also, where exactly in the tutorial did you get lost so I can try to add detail?

EDIT:
Oops, just realized I had uploaded the wrong tank model. Its not that bad it just has the wrong size left wheels and their parent group was in the wrong spot. I have since uploaded the correct version so if you already downloaded it, you might wanna grab the right one.

Also, just to make it clear you place the scripts here…
[img:3s6lmg8e]http&#58;//handwired&#46;net/TreadBuilder/ScriptPlacement&#46;jpg[/img:3s6lmg8e]

well i got confussed on the actual set up process and also after you run the script all the links are in a seperate group. you then have to put all of those links into a group in which you can move them around as one. any way it is very cool, but i am also having major problems with the animation script. i can’t use it. i get a pop up that says something like it doesn’t include the ‘main’ line-or something like that.

-korben

The links are supposed to each be placed in a seperate group under the main ‘Links’ group. This is how the links are each positioned individually later on in the Link Animator script. You should NOT have to mess with any of the link groups at all. If you need to move all the links at once, place a cube under the ‘Links TL=..’ group and you can move it or select the hierarchy and move all the links at once.

Also, did you cut/paste the script into the ‘Group Script’ of the circled groups in the picture above?? It sounds like you’re trying to run the script from the menu, not as a group script in an animation. Also, I think animation scripts are a Pro only feature. Do you have the LP or Pro version of 3DC?

no i have the pro version. i’ll try it tommorow. thanks again bobirov.

-korben

Great job. I used it, and it worked fine. I needed something just like this. How did you do it?

I just came up with the math on paper and spent over a week coding it. Can’t really explain how I did it heh. Just suffice to say that it works <!– s:) –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!– s:) –>

okay i got it to work. and i just wanted to say i thought it might be easier making your own wheels and setting the rotation speeds manually- i thiught it was easier and had more control. also too instead of making a new tread…why not just copy the heirarchy? it makes a perfect replication of the first tread? i don’t know if you knew that or not. just trying to help. but that tread builder and animator are genius.

-korben