[Colonol Dekker]

Is there any standardised guide/thread on creating them in line with SCP (formats channels etc)
My forum search turned up squit.

[Col. Fishguts]

The old school (and inefficient) way is to create an ANI (with anibuilder)

The better way is to have the single frames in DDS format, and animate it with an EFF file.

Fromt the WIKI:

Animated Textures

Freespace 2 SCP also supports two kinds of animated file format. The first is the standard .ANI extension as used by Freespace Retail, you can convert these using the AniBuilder program from the Descent Tools package. The Second format is the new .eff file. This allows multiple single images to be chained together into an animated texture. All .EFF image files must be in the same format, but can be in any format Freespace SCP supports, and must have an underscore and their Frame number added onto their name as a 4-digit number starting at 0000, for example RunningLights_0000.DDS, RunningLights_0001.DDS etc. Now simply create a new text file for your animated texture with the same Base name as your texture and a .EFF extension (in this case, RunningLights.EFF) and simply enter the following text.

$Type: XXX - Defines the type of file being used, can be DDS, TGA, PCX or others

$Frames: XX - Defines the number of Frames in the total (looping) animation.

$FPS: XX - The Frame Per Second speed of the animation.

[Colonol Dekker]

Pardon my ignorance, Let me just double check, ok so i save each frame as a DDS, (im using PSP7 so it shouldnt be a prob right?) I have Animation Shop 7 so i can save as an EFF right?

Many thanks on the answer by the way.

[Col. Fishguts]

EFF are just simple text files. You leave the single DDS frames just as they are, drop them in your effect folder together with the EFF file.

[Colonol Dekker]

How simple?

[Nuke]

just 3 lines of text with the already mentioned variables.

[Colonol Dekker]

Hate to be a pian could you post an example,
Many thanks in advance.

[Col. Fishguts]

Open up notepad, write

Code: [Select]

$Type: DDS
$Frames: 71
$FPS: 23

And save as name.eff, where 'name' must be the same string as the single frames withouth the 000x numbering.

Btw, I've found that FPS doesn't do what it should. It's not frames per second, but more some kind of delay between frames, meaning higher FPS values result in slower playback. Or am I seeing things ?

[Colonol Dekker]

Yet again, thank you final two questions.


1-EFF are easily saved right? IE i can save via PS i dont need to convert frm another file fomat?

2-I apply the EFF or DDS to my COB/Pofs and best way?

[Col. Fishguts]

1 - Read through the thread again. Repeat if necessary.

2 - Animated textures are treated exactly like normal textures. You can replace any texture with an animated version.

[Colonol Dekker]

Wit Regards to 1, i'm happy with it (at last )

2- I just apply the filename minus the 4 digits to the model Ie Runninglights.DDS?

[Col. Fishguts]

Exactly. You have your frames named RunningLights_0000.DDS, RunningLights_0001.DDS, RunningLights_0002.DDS, etc.

So you make a text file called RunningLights.EFF

[Colonol Dekker]

lol i understood that, I apply the text file to the cob?
(can feel Fishguts rage rising)

[Col. Fishguts]

GNNNGNGNG ..... *takes deep breath*

Wether a texture is animated or not has absolutely nothing to do with the model itself. Just UV-map it normally in TrueSpace or whatever you're using. Use a placeholder map while mapping it.

The EFF file is ONLY for FS, so that the game knows that this specific map should be animated, you don't have to apply anything specific to the model to enable animated maps.

[Colonol Dekker]

Ahah!
So i sppy a dummy tex named "runninglights" (no numbers)
then convert to pof.
Chers fishguts

Good to know tht Col's can help each other when they are mongtarded toward some stupid subject

Salutes