Level Design How do TWI or how could i make "animated" static mesh trees?

[Spaehling]

Hey guys,

since a while play a lot with maya and co. and since the Rising Storm update, there are these new Trees inside. and in Real-Time mode the leaves are moving
all a bit up and down.

i was able to reproduce this for my own trees with a bone on the leaves.
or the same with the rotor animation for my planes.

but importing it as static mesh doesnt really work, cause everything is static.
so where is the trick to "animate" an static mesh??

is the texture/material moving and i need to spend more time in material editor??

atm always when i import in skeletel mesh the sdk crashes for me.
got someone any tipps here? ^^

 

[Catalavos]

I'm pretty sure it's the material. I have a tutorial I will try to send to you, I think it talks about this.

 

[Spaehling]

I'm pretty sure it's the material. I have a tutorial I will try to send to you, I think it talks about this.

cool, yeah would be nice if you post it here for everyone

in 3d and animation forum i had the post about rotor animation. there are some links too. maybe they are the same, but never be enough posted

 

[-=}WoLvErInE{=-]

There is 2 ways of doing it. Either by creating material for it, as Catalavos mentioned, Or there is a wind actor you can put in your level, and set it up.

 

[Spaehling]

There is 2 ways of doing it. Either by creating material for it, as Catalavos mentioned, Or there is a wind actor you can put in your level, and set it up.

yeah i have wind for my foliage layer (gras). but for the trees? and how do it setup my static mesh, to get it react on wind? oO

 

[Spaehling]

This are the trees and leaves iam talk about.

on the leaves pictures its ingame moving up and down.

 

[-=}WoLvErInE{=-]

I believe those are my trees from Arad? If so , they should already be animated.

 

[Spaehling]

I believe those are my trees from Arad? If so , they should already be animated.

oh yeah true. that are your trees! didnt noticed that, sorry

good work btw. yeah so you did the animation stuff? via material i think so?

 

[-=}WoLvErInE{=-]

Yes they've been animated. It's not great tho. They're low poly.

 

[Spaehling]

Yes they've been animated. It's not great tho. They're low poly.

yeah i have build my own trees while ago for another game and animated only the leaves like your way.
but how do you impoted into udk?

do you made a bone for the leaves or do you only translate the leaves on (y/z) axis and setup the keyframes without a bone?

and only import as static mesh or something else?

 

[-=}WoLvErInE{=-]

No bones. Just apply the material. You're only moving the material.

 

[Spaehling]

No bones. Just apply the material. You're only moving the material.

so i should check out the material in the material editor?

 

[Nightingale]

Yes, these are all accomplished in the material editor. There is no need to set up things like bones. The WorldPositionOffset node can be made to be dependent on the WindDirectionalSource actor to simulate swaying trees. Open up the M_Tree_Bark_Master in RSGame, and copy-paste their sway network into your own material.

 

[Spaehling]

Yes, these are all accomplished in the material editor. There is no need to set up things like bones. The WorldPositionOffset node can be made to be dependent on the WindDirectionalSource actor to simulate swaying trees. Open up the M_Tree_Bark_Master in RSGame, and copy-paste their sway network into your own material.

righto! thanks a lot, i will try this out