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MDD File Format


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Hi All

We're working with MDD import for EI. It's designed as a free plug-in, EI8 compatible. We hope to finish it in first half of February. Although mdd format is pretty simple, we've some problems caused by FACT data representation is different compare to others apps. Thus your help would be very wanted. For testing we need:

1) mdd files

2) corresponded FACT files

Note that "1" makes no sense without "2" because mdd stores vertices but nothing more. The FACT should be a single file that corresponds exactly to one of mdd frames (typically first).

Thanks

EIAS3D Team

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Is there a 1:1 correlation to the fact and the mdd?

iirc, I should have a fact cube and mdd cube animation in my way-back archives. I thought I provided that (via beta platter) though?

Cj

Hi All

We're working with MDD import for EI. It's designed as a free plug-in,

EI8 compatible. We hope to finish it in first half of February. Although

mdd format is pretty simple, we've some problems caused by FACT data

representation is different compare to others apps. Thus your help

would be very wanted. For testing we need:

1) mdd files

2) corresponded FACT files

Note that "1" makes no sense without "2" because mdd stores vertices

but nothing more. The FACT should be a single file that corresponds

exactly to one of mdd frames (typically first).

Thanks

EIAS3D Team

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Hey Splitpoint..

we are ready to complex scenes!!!

Log on in our FTP:

User uploads via web browser are enabled.

http://electrichideout.doesntexist.org:8080

An FTP client can also be used

ftp://electrichideout.doesntexist.org

User: UserFTP

Pass: EIAS

Go to BUGS folder and to corresponded sub-folder inside it.

- MDD Folder

In top tool bar click "Browser Uploader" to upload your archive.

Thank you

Tom

So, are you guys looking for simple mdd's for simple object animation or are you ready to test something complex with deformations and 100,000 points?

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Hey Splitpoint..

we are ready to complex scenes!!!

Thanksss

Tom

Ok, I'll whip something up in Houdini for you then. So, for the fact files: I'm guessing that I'll need to export my geometry to obj and convert to fact using polytrans. I'll also include an fbx file of the original geometry so that you guys can have the source geometry in a couple of formats to get a better handle on what's going on. Anything else like maybe a quicktime of the completed animation so that you can see what it's supposed to look like? Finally, should I just upload to the same place as bug reports?

Al

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I went ahead and uploaded a zip file containing a simple object with some fairly complex animation paths.

Included in the zip are the original obj, fact converted using Polytrans, the mdd file and a small video showing the original animation for reference. The filename is houdini_mdd.zip and I dropped it in the mdd directory on the ftp site. I tested the mdd with the obj file in Modo and the animation came in perfectly. Good luck with your testing. I'll upload something more complex soon.

Al

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Amazing, that is a loooong waited funcionality for the people trying to do Character animation in EiAS.

How is the Modus Operandi?

I think the modells are .obj and are animated like that and, after that, exported to fact and aplyed the .mdd file. No problems with the point order?

Conversion with obj2fact?

Great work!!!

FelixCat

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Not only do I find the development fast, but I really like the open communication here -- letting us know what is being worked on, showing us samples, and giving us a vague idea of when to expect it is GREAT!! It's so much better than being left in the dark wondering if anything is being done at all on your favorite 3D package.

Good work all!

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I dont think i have ever seen such close and personal communication between developers and users. I have to say every post i have read on this forum has been helpful. I have rarely ever seen a post for The Igors and i see a response from them everywhere here. I have to say this is a beginning of a great new start for EIAS. I havent felt this close to a product in a long time and it makes me happy. All i can say is great work The Igors and tom and all the admins here. I really look forward to reusing EIAS properly again, and mostly because it feels very personal to me. The future looks bright for us EIAS die hards.

Yeah, this rocks, I'm liking it...

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Just downloaded and i like how you added video on how to use the plugin. It would be great if every plugin came with a video like this. it you bring down the learning curve for every socket in EIAS. awesome work ! thank you team EIAS.

Ola,

We just released MDD free plug-in!!!

http://www.eias3d.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=102

Thanksss

Tom

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Hi. Great to have importing MDD file format. Something that could be useful too is exporting MDD. Maybe i´m saying nosense but i was thinking in export an animation from EiAS in MDD. Strip all the bones and etc from the model and apply the MDD file backit as a baked animation... may this reduce the calculation times in rendering?...

Just thinking aloud.

FelixCat


Hi,

I just posted this in the TAFA forum, to Mac Reiter, the TAFA creator...

Hi, MAC

The MDD import in EiAS3D works pretty well, when you have a Mac TAFA count me in!

Thinking aloud and messing with other people´s business... I think if TAFA and EiAS could have a more strong relationship could make a good business sense: Besides his strong hard surface rendering caracteristics, EiAS has many and severe weakness in the character animation side, the facial morphing is horrendous and there is my interest in TAFA, if TAFA have a strong interoperativity with EiAS (even the hability of reading Fact format) I think could be great for both. A number of new users for TAFA in Mac and PC and better posibilities for EiAS3D in the market expanding his field of action.

Both are little companies ruled by the people that makes posible the app, and that is a strong point...

Sorry for my bad english.

FelixCat

P.S. I will paste this post in the EiAS3D forum... maybe useful.

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Hi I Have downloaded Blender and have spend about 6 hours on learning the interface so far , need to spend a lot more time with it . Blender sure has grown since last time I looked at it about ten years ago. So far I haven't noticed anything about the MDD format yet , and as I have no experience with this I have a few Questions about how this works. Is MDD just a export format that turns any animation into Mdd , or is it a certain way you have to make your animation like how when making animation with morphs you have to make base model and morph target models . Thanks Mark

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Hi, Mark

..Questions about how this works. Is MDD just a export format that turns any animation into Mdd , or is it a certain way you have to make your animation like how when making animation with morphs you have to make base model and morph target models .

MDD is just a "baking" of existing/created animation, not a way to create it. EI MDD reader can interpolate data between stored frames and play animation in arbitrary order/sequence - but it remains same animation essentially.

Not everything can be stored in MDD because it requires exactly same count of stored vertices per frame. Thus no way for animations with mutable geometry, such as particles and RealFlow meshes. Another limitation is that vertices normals should be always recalculated and it can be a problem for some models (for example coming from NURBS).

With all these limitations it can be a usable thing :rolleyes:

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