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MrsLanaBearington
Joined: 01 Jun 2011 Posts: 295 Location: USA
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 11:01 am Post subject: Need help replicating stairs to make animations......... |
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Hello,
I am an extreme beginning at making animations. I want to learn how to make a walking up and down stairs animation, preferably in 3ds Max but I would like to know how to build a replica of the stairs that I want to make the animation for so I can test it in 3ds Max. Can someone tell me what program or programs I need to do this?
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Jaleman31
Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Posts: 11655 Location: USA - WA
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 1:05 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: | I am an extreme beginning at making animations. I want to learn how to make a walking up and down stairs animation, preferably in 3ds Max |
presuming you have max cos of what you said here...
make similar stair mesh . _________________
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MrsLanaBearington
Joined: 01 Jun 2011 Posts: 295 Location: USA
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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I have no idea how to even start and I've been told recently that Sketchup is easy to make stairs also. I don't know which one to use for sure. Any advice? |
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EnglishTiger_disabled_334 
Joined: 16 Jan 2009 Posts: 4543 Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 1:27 pm Post subject: |
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Although it is probably true that somebody new to mesh making would find it easier to create a staircase in SketchUp you would need to export it from SketchUp to Max so that you can use it to build and test your animation.
Unlike Max there are fewer constraints on what size you can make your model/mesh, quite a lot of SU Users actually make their models/meshes in SU using real world sizes and then scale them down to an IMVU compatible size before exporting them.
However, when it comes to exporting from SU to Max you have to rescale the mesh from a SU compatible size to a Max compatible size to compensate for the scaling that occurs when a mesh is exported from Max.
Having said that there is some relatively good news. Whilst the dimensions of the staircase you would need to build and test the animation are important the mesh itself does not need to be detailed to the same level as one you would be submitting to the IMVU catalogue. |
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MrsLanaBearington
Joined: 01 Jun 2011 Posts: 295 Location: USA
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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I would only be using the stair mesh to test my animation. I have existing stairs that I want to make the animation for. |
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Jaleman31
Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Posts: 11655 Location: USA - WA
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 1:34 pm Post subject: |
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if you thinking of making animations and if you can still get them; max 7, 9 or 11.
are fully functional.
be adware even if max is so expensive , it take months or years to learn.
I never try sketchup cant help you much there but it is special made to make houses / furniture . _________________
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MrsLanaBearington
Joined: 01 Jun 2011 Posts: 295 Location: USA
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 1:38 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, I have downloaded the latest student version of 3ds Max just so I can practice my technique and make my final decision on whether or not I want to buy it. I realize that I won't be able to submit anything to IMVU using that version but I am only practicing.  |
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Jaleman31
Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Posts: 11655 Location: USA - WA
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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mnmm even for an experience mesher replicating some one else mesh this way is going to take some work.
if I was you I `ll make a simple mesh and adjust it for each step of few of them first and then replica them when I get the size of one , presuming all of them are the same size.
but I think this will be the easier part , the animation is going to be the fun part. _________________
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MrsLanaBearington
Joined: 01 Jun 2011 Posts: 295 Location: USA
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 1:46 pm Post subject: |
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Good advice. I've seen a ruler in the shop.....I think it's used to measure things in a room, like stairs and other things. I'm thinking about buying that so I can measure the existing stairs in my room so I can make my temp mesh. What do you think about doing that? Good idea or bad? |
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Jaleman31
Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Posts: 11655 Location: USA - WA
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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if I have max I can make the ruler
but if you have the student version of max and cant export your meshes to imvu. nothing I said will help you much anyway. sorry
cos all you really need is to make one plane, get the height of the first step and then using the array tool / snap angles get the rest.
few edits and you `ll get shape of the stairs. _________________
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MrsLanaBearington
Joined: 01 Jun 2011 Posts: 295 Location: USA
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 1:53 pm Post subject: |
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I'm talking about buying the ruler so I can measure things in my existing room. Like you said, since I have only the student version I can't export to IMVU. I think it will be a good investment. |
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Elaini
Joined: 28 Dec 2009 Posts: 9373 Location: Finland
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 6:44 am Post subject: |
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If you notice the scalers though which use the master root, the steps might no longer match the stairs. Such avatars will either hover or cut though.
My solution was to make a simple standing spot in the middle. _________________
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Keef
Joined: 22 May 2005 Posts: 7242 Location: USA - CA
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 7:20 am Post subject: |
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MrsLanaBearington wrote: | I'm talking about buying the ruler so I can measure things in my existing room. Like you said, since I have only the student version I can't export to IMVU. I think it will be a good investment. |
Buying one won't really help. You need to make one and then upload it so you have the same ruler in your meshing program and in the client so you can reference between the two. _________________ You can now find me at the PixelPusher Community Forums!
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MrsLanaBearington
Joined: 01 Jun 2011 Posts: 295 Location: USA
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 7:42 am Post subject: |
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The company that I hired to make some walking animations came into my room and measured the stairs and then made the animation for me. I am running out of money to pay them for any more work so I thought I would try to learn it myself. All I need is a dummy set of stairs to test the animations on. Nothing to upload to IMVU, at least not til I perfect my technique and get the full version of 3ds Max. |
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nerseus
Joined: 27 Mar 2007 Posts: 2008 Location: USA - AZ
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2015 8:36 am Post subject: |
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Once you have the full version of max you can easily make your own "climbing stairs" animations. The following shows how to build a spiral staircase (as a test) and have a biped walk nicely up the stairs. All in 8 minutes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP8QxNP6HPk
IMVU provides an avatar that's rigged with Biped so this example becomes almost trivial - if you have max.
The trouble with measuring real life stairs is that the things in imvu aren't in the same scale. Some basic assumptions about how tall an avatar might be and some basic math can translate for you - but if you're wanting an avatar to climb a set of steps - biped makes it super easy and no math/translation needed
-ner |
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