Metasequoia Script – Import MilkShape3D *.ms3d

Here is a script that imports a model from a MilkShape3D *.ms3d file.

The script uses Python 3 modules, syntax and objects so can only be used as is with Metasequoia 4.

Keynote *.mqx file format

The Keynote plugin for Metasequoia stores its animation data in an XML text file with the file extension *.mqx.

I created the following simple animation using the Keynote plugin to study the keyframe data stored in the *.mqx file.

The animation starts and ends with both bones pointing in the +Y axis direction.

Mikoto *.mkm file format

Mikoto can export its animation data to a text file with the file extension *.mkm.

I created the following simple animation in Mikoto to study the keyframe data stored in the *.mkm file.

The animation starts and ends with both bones pointing in the +Y axis direction.

About Rotations in Skeletal Animation

In skeletal animation, for every frame of an animation, the position of a bone’s origin (pivot point) and a bone’s rotation is stored for each bone in a hierarchy of bones.

The hierarchy of bones is also known as a skeleton.

In this article I will only discuss the rotations.

Like any 3DCG object you create in 3D modelling software, each bone has a local coordinate system defined by X,Y and Z axes.

For example I can define a bone as an object where the direction from the origin of the bone to its tip is in the positive Z axis direction and the the top of the bone is in the positive Y axis direction.

In essence I have created an object as shown below.

Mikoto2x instructions 2

Since I now have the TR4 Lara Croft Metasequoia character rigged using Mikoto’s anchor method [link] I wanted to see if Mikoto2x could export the dance animation I transferred to my character in the sixth part of the Mikoto tutorials [link].

The instructions for Mikoto2x are here [link].

From the screenshot below you can see that conversion was successful.

Animating with Mikoto – part 9

To use the spherical deformation method in Mikoto the name of the object containing the mesh to be deformed must begin with sdef:. Do not forget the colon :.

Unlike the bone deformation method, the spherical deformation method only works when anchor objects have been created to bind the vertices to the bones.

Change our skin mesh object’s name to “sdef:skin” and save the *.mqo.