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[texel]

Ani2Pov v0.55 is available for Windows.
#  Several bugs have been fixed (.an8 files loading).
# Ani2Pov can now export animated sequences to the ASCII version of the MS3D file format of Milkshape 3D (also supported by Blender). Skinned meshes are not supported but you can convert animations such as the one of the "A Simple Walk" tutorial of the official Anim8or Web Site.

I have not made a lot of tests, so please report any bugs.

Ani2Pov:
http://texel3d.free.fr/projets/ani2pov/index.html

Bug report:
http://texel3d.free.fr/contact/index.html

MilkShape 3D:
http://chumbalum.swissquake.ch

[texel]

Do not forget to install the .NET framework and the Visual C++ Redistributable if ani2pov can't be launched on your machine.

[Raxx]

Nice! This is something I've talked to others about before (converting to ascii ms3d) so I'm glad to see you're doing it!

Are you planning on supporting skinned meshes in the future?

I'll test it out and let you know how it goes!

[Raxx]

Alright so I tried it out. Here's the problems I came up with:

1. No mesh smoothing even with normals exported (vertices are not welded)
2. Skeleton has incorrect rotation on the X-axis
3. Some animation data might be missing (can't really tell because the figure was messed up in MS3D but some of the bones weren't rotating when they should have been)

I posted this here so others can compare their results if they try it out, I'm also sending an email to you texel with the test files I used.

Sure it's buggy but it's a great start!

[texel]

Thanks for your feedback.
I know that i have release the MS3D converter without doing enought test, but i have found several bugs in the .an8 loader which have to be fixed (for povray, obj, ase), and the MS3D converter worked with the Robin model. So why not released it now to have feedback and find more bugs.

1. I can reproduce the problem.
2. and 3. I will do some test. Example .an8 file would help me a lot (the more simple it is the better it is for my test) because i am not a greate modeler and i have just started to use the animation in Anim8or (thanks, i have just receive your e-mail). And i don't know how to use Milkshape3D and Blender (i only see what seems to work)

It could take me some times to fix all problems and i don't know if i will wait to have corrected all of them before releasing a new version.

> Are you planning on supporting skinned meshes in the future?

First i will fix all problems of the current version.
After i will try to export animation in binary format (without skinned meshes).
After i will try to export skinned meshes in binary format (weights and influences).
Exporting skinned meshes in the ASCII format is not my priority, because this format only support 1 bone per vertex (the binary format seems to support up to 4 bones and weights).

[texel]

I think i know why face normals are displayed in Milkshape3D instead of vertex normals even if the "output normal" option has been checked in Anim8or:

MilkShape3D seems to compute normals by itself.
In Anim8or (and MilkShape), a vertex can be used by several faces. MilkShape compute the average normal of each face normal used by faces which share the vertex.

Because my exporter create 3 new  vertices per face, a vertex is never used by more than 1 face. And MilkShape 3d compute vertex normal with only one face normal. This is because MilkShape display face normal instead of smooth vertex normal.

This problem cannot be solved easily. I would have to create a new vertex only when needed (unsing smoothangle). But you can use an option in MilkShape3D to smooth normals.