Animation Export

Common Guideline

Animations are stored in the .a2d format. To export an animation from 3ds Max, follow these steps:

1. Ensure Visibility: All layers containing bones, as well as the bones themselves, must be unhidden and visible.

2. Export Settings: Specify the starting and ending frames for the animation in the export settings. Automatic frame detection does not work.

3. Add Note Tracks: In the Track View▸Dope Sheet, add a Note Track to any of the animated bones.

   See also

   For more information on adding and editing Note Tracks, see Add Note Track.

   Add two keys to the Note Track:

   • At frame 0: set a key with the label start.

   • At the last frame: set a key with the label end.

   These keys correspond to the key_start and key_end parameters in the animtree.blk file of the unit. You can change the labels as needed.

   See also

   For more information, see .blk File Format.

4. Bone Consistency: The number of bones and their linking order must match between the target model (the one the animation will be applied to) and the bones exported to the .a2d file.

Asset Transfer Between Projects

When transferring assets between projects, shader discrepancies may occur, resulting in errors. To address this:

• Use F4 to edit the .dag files in FAR (configured for studio-specific settings) and ensure shader compatibility.

• Note that the dynamic_simple shader is universally available across studio projects and is recommended during the initial stages of asset transfer.

Custom Properties in 3ds Max cannot be adjusted post-transfer. Unfortunately, importing .dag files may cause skin data to break. However, you can modify the properties using Alt+F4 in FAR.

Warning

Be cautious with the syntax: errors in syntax will not trigger warnings, and unsaved changes will be discarded.

Limitations

• Bone Limit: A maximum of 200 bones per node with skin is supported. While theoretically extendable to 255, current shader limitations cap the limit at 200.

• Triangle Limit: A maximum of 65,534 triangles per node is allowed.

Project-Specific Custom Object Properties

Different projects may have unique requirements for Custom Object Properties to ensure proper generation of virtual assets. For example:

• Enlisted: Each skinned object must include the following properties:

  animated_node:b=yes
  collidable:b=no
  massType:t="none"
  

  Omitting these properties will result in general errors during dynamic model generation.

• CRSED: Such requirements do not apply.

  Tip

  If you have questions regarding this section, reach out to the author directly at a.vlasov@gaijin.team.

Animation Description in animtree.blk

Animations must be described in the animtree.blk of the corresponding block. For War Thunder-based projects, this involves two blocks:

1. AnimBlendNodeLeaf{} block:

   AnimBlendNodeLeaf{
     a2d:t="animation_file.a2d"  // Animation file name
   
     continuous{
       name:t="animation_name"   // Animation name
       key_start:t="start"       // Start key
       key_end:t="end"           // End key
       time:r=1                  // Playback duration
       own_timer:b=yes
       eoa_irq:b=yes
       addMoveDirH:r=-90         // Direction of unit movement
       addMoveDist:r=1.33        // Distance covered per playback time
     }
   }
   

2. hub{} block:

   hub{
     name:t="animation_file"  // Animation name
     const:b=yes              // Indicates whether the animation loops
   }
   

Remember that the animtree.blk is also an exportable resource. To see it in the game, you must perform a daBuild.

Animation Export Description in .blk

The export description for animations in .blk format:

file:t=some.a2d

opt:b=yes  // Conservative optimization
posEps:r=0.01
rotEps:r=0.2
sclEps:r=0.1

For .folder.blk files:

virtual_res_blk{
  find:t="^(.*)\.a2d$"
  className:t="a2d"
  contents{
    opt:b=yes  // Conservative optimization
    posEps:r=0.01
    rotEps:r=0.2
    sclEps:r=0.1
  }
}