Anyone use fragmotion?

Is there a way of importing animated 3D models into blender? the directx one only seems to import the mesh.

Heres what would be ideal:
X(with bones!) B3D(blitzbasic) BVH(poser) MS3D(milkshape) or UGH(fragmotion)

I’ve got all the apps you listed and used them earlier this year while I was working on a DirectX game. I didn’t have much luck exporting animated meshes from/to Blender, so I ended up moving the models to 3DS Max and finishing the project there.

Right now, AFAIK, the only formats with animation that Blender supports are .X, .X3D/VRML, and .MD2 (I think). I haven’t worked with this in a while, so I’m not sure what the current state of the scripts are.

There’s also the “ColladaBlender” project, but AFAIK, not much progress has been made and it doesn’t currently support animation.

I haven’t tried the latest version of Fragmotion yet, but when I tried using the last version (this summer) my game engine didn’t like the .X files Fragmotion was making. I noticed there’s a new version, maybe he fixed this.

BTW, Brad at Ultimate Unwrap 3D is a super guy and his program is well worth the $49 I paid for it. He was a big help when I was trying to get the different “flavors” of .X files to talk to each other. AFAIK, UU3D supports all the formats you listed and his export/importer is rock solid.

Hope this helps…

Hmm…
I’ve been able to export very successfully md5 and x files, with bones, weights, constraints (baked and not), and all stuff.

And know of people using very successully cal3d. collada, I dunno, but seems is gonna be a great option if not already.

is just not directly easy, as most in blender, but imho the power is there. And…I’d say: way more power in animation than Fragmo, even being this a nice really powerful tool.

I have also Unwrap3d, and yup, is great. But this days you can deal with blender only. Specially if can affor to use *.md5, imho.

Am also a Max user and a many-packages user.

D-graphix: have you tried md5 importer? Der_ton made it. You can surely find it at doom3dworld.org forums, blender section or art tools section. Be sure to grab allways the latest. I have not tested, but it indeed seem to be importing all, weights, bones, animation. You can export an md5 out of max with der_ton’s also exporter, it does work (again, attention to detail,formats stuff is allways complex, as all in 3d) , can export from maya and xsi also , in these two cases you need to have doom3 game installed I think.

Oh, a poorer option worked for me: improted md2 files, went ok. And even edit and reexport as md2 or md3.

Usually in blender you gotta dig for the plugins here in forums or google even, and even be prepared to need to use an older blender as often plugins arent updated.

Der_ton’s are usually up to date and in my experience, freaking easy and problem free to use. there’s a need to read his notes and info about it , as with any , of course.
Not meaning other formats doesnt work. Just I inform you of my experience.
Indeed, I could export quite well, md3, md2, ase, obj, x, b3d, etc.

And import…I usually use blender as an animator, so I tend only to import as OBJ with its mtl and all stuff, or directly wings file if wings format is in the list(is not in every build).

To mention that the control over limiting angles of joints, weights, constraints very advanced and a huge sum of features…Tome, makes blender…simply incredible. You need a lot of effort, but for me, the price worths it. And I can tell you, I’ve never been a fan boy of blender; never will, am usually forced to use Max at jobs, which I love for animation…And am a Wings3d modeler.

So, imho, is unbiased opinion of somebody that also like you, know well gamecomunities like the Blitz3d ones :wink: