[LukasPJ]

You have to admit that you used quite some tricks for this resource, you rebranded existing animations and datablocks, but at least your weird shotgun looks good, even though it is amateurishly modeled.
Where did you get the sound files from?

Duion please stop that tone, it's fine that you don't think it's a good model, I think it's good. If you think something could be improved, feel free to post tips, suggestions or point out specific flaws. No one can use "it is amateurish" for anything.

[Duion]

The model is good, my critic was a bit to his false advertising saying that it is fully animated, but he used a trick and just used the existing animations.

[Jason Campbell]

I would like to address those remarks, I'm not offended.

I mentioned on the GG forum post that this is my absolute first 3D Model that I have ever created and so I admit that I am an amateur but am relatively happy with this first effort.

I readily admit that I reused MIT resources to create the animation effect. I thought that it looked rather seamless with the other weapons since it uses their existing animations. I am not trying to take credit for anything except the 3D Model.

Before I start another project I want to learn about replacing the FPS arms and adding new weapon animations. Creating this resource really helped me to understand how everything works and gets me closer to better reaching my goal.

I would have loved this resource when I first got into T3D. The archive that contains all the files that need to be changed to create a new FPS weapon would have been real handy.

I put a lot of time into this resource on my free time it was more then just copying the lurker.cs and adding a model. Learning about weapon states for instance or learning how to skin/weight the bolt, clip and pump action to make the animation occur.

Finally, thank you Duion! I totally forgot to attribute the sounds! I re-upped the files and they now contain a README.txt with Attribution to the original sounds for the fire and pump action sounds. Both sounds are free to use under Creative Commons in any way as long as you attribute the sounds. Everything you need is in the readme.

Edit: False advertising? It is fully animated, some people lack the knowledge or tools to skin the weapon to the nodes and export correctly to make those animations work. I think it was pretty straight-forward and creative.

If you still think this shotgun is unrealistic here is a picture that isn't a air rifle.


and another

[Duion]

Ok, I admit that you were right with the shotgun. And yes it takes a lot of time even for simple things, but I would have been amazed if you really had made a fully animated shotgun.
Once I tried to make an animated weapon with integration, but it was a pain and I gave up. Torque's system is just very complicated with that, you need first person animations, third person animations, animations for the arms, animations for the weapon etc and the soldier is not very modding friendly.

[Jason Campbell]

I agree. I certainly have a lot to learn but I have made some gains on the FPS arms but no matter how well I weight the mesh it still deforms weirdly. I may have to suck it up and buy the Soldier Pack, I heard they have the original files included.

Seriously, thank you again for reminding me about the sounds!

[Duion]

The best way would probably to start from scratch with a new character and a simpler weapon system, but this involves a bunch of work.

[Gibby]

@

Jason Campbell:

Thanks for this! Mind if I include it in my upcoming resource? Every pilot needs a shotgun

Would you care to share how you used the Lurker anims? I thought to do the same as you've done here by adding my weapons to the existing anims, given that I'm still learning MAX and am not quite up to doing the anims from scratch.

[Jason Campbell]

@Jason Campbell:

Thanks for this! Mind if I include it in my upcoming resource? Every pilot needs a shotgun

Would you care to share how you used the Lurker anims? I thought to do the same as you've done here by adding my weapons to the existing anims, given that I'm still learning MAX and am not quite up to doing the anims from scratch.

Use it anyway you like.

Just be mindful of the sounds being CC Attribution 3. This just means that you can include the readme.txt I placed in the archive with your resource and it is legal. CC 3 means you can do anything commercially or not just as long as you give some credit, though I wonder who Sun of RA is?

I could go into more detail about getting your weapon animated but right now I'll be brief. This is what I did.

Created the Shotgun and saved it as a .max file.

Imported the FP_Lurker.DAE into MAX using OpenCollada.

Increased Animation frames to 692

Rotated and resized the Shotgun until the handle, trigger, and muzzle lined up with the Lurker.

Selected the Lurker mesh and deleted it. Unfortunately you have to delete the muzzle flashes. They don't export correctly. Something I am trying to learn.

I then added a skin modifier to the shotgun mesh and added the four nodes(bones) called bn_Ammo, bn_Bolt, bn_Grenade Launcher and bn_Root.

Then I selected edit envelopes and "ticked" vertices. I opened up the weight tool. It's the wrench by the weight table.

I selected bn_Gun_Root in the bones window. Selected all vertices by dragging the mouse over the whole model, and pressed the 1 in the top right corner of the weight tool.

I selected the bn_Ammo_Clip in the bones window and selected as many vertices as I could easily do and set them to 1.

Then I opened the Weight Table and scrolled through until I saw where I had given some vertices a weight of 1 and made an educated guess as to where the clip started and stopped. I selected that group by dragging my mouse to highlight the bunch and selected one in the group and turned it to 1. All selected turned to 1.

I then selected the bolt and isolated it vertices and gave it weight and likewise for the grenade launcher. The shotgun was pretty easy to isolate the vertices.

Through trial and error I got it and then when I played the animation it cycled through all the animations of the lurker.

I exported using OpenCollada making sure that animations were included and that it went to 692 frames.

All the animations are set and separated in the FP_Lurker.cs or in this case the FP_Shotgun.cs, then you have to mess about with the weapon states.

I have to go to bed.

Anyway, it would be easy enough to use a m16 or ak47 in the same way.

Enjoy.

[Nils]

Selected the Lurker mesh and deleted it. Unfortunately you have to delete the muzzle flashes. They don't export correctly. Something I am trying to learn.

I thought it had to do something with a custom Collada exporter used by GG and not available for the public. But I could be mistaken...

[Duion]

One little flaw is left, missing pump animations in Third Person, so not fully animated yet