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Effect and MCX question

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unitedstates
I know how to attach an effect to a static model but can you attach an effect to an animated model and have it move with the model? Thanks in advance for the help.
 

arno

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Hi,

It can be done, but not very easy. You have to manually tweak the X file so that the attachpoint is inserted at the right location in the scene graph. There are some threads describing this.
 
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unitedstates
I have an airport beacon that I made and it rotates. I want to attach a green light effect to the green lens side of the beacon and a white light effect to the white lens side of the beacon and have the effects move with the beacon. I have the effects created but when I try to attach them now they don't move with the beacon.
 

arno

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Hi,

Attachpoints made in MCX are always attached to the root node of the scene. So therefore they are not moving, then the attach point needs to be placed under the animated node. Like I wrote before this can't be done in MCX yet, it's on the wishlist. You would manually have to edit the X file.
 
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unitedstates
Thanks. I will give the manual edit a try and look forward to the upcoming feature. :)
 

arno

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I just Googled a bit for it and it seems a drag and drop of nodes in the hierarchy editor should not be too hard to implement, so I'll try to give it a try soon. Just not now, since it is time to go to bed and get some sleep now.
 

=rk=

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Did you check the linked thread above?
THIS IS EXPERIMENTAL AND ABSOLUTELY NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Unless it's already common knowledge, here's a short how-to on how to add an effect to a specific part in a hierarchy. This is especially useful for adding lights to flexing wings or moving parts.

I've successfully managed to attach a nav and strobe light to each flexing wingtip of an aircraft with this procedure, using nothing else but Notepad2 and MCX.

You really need to be comfortable with editing very large text files, finding stuff in MCX' hierarchy editor and, of course, adding effects in the attached object editor. A text editor with syntax highlighting, especially for bracket pairs is almost mandatory.

Well, here it goes...
 
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unitedstates
I did check that out. Hopefully today I will have some time to experiment with this and see what I can do.
 

arno

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I have also started implementing the new MCX functionality to move nodes in the hierarchy.
 
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us-texas
I have also started implementing the new MCX functionality to move nodes in the hierarchy.

I can imagine the possibilities of making retractable landing lights with the new dynamic lightning effect!!!!
 

arno

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I have just finished the node moving in the hierarchy editor, so it will be in the next development release.

I'll try to make a quick video demonstrating the feature as well.
 

arno

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Hi,

You can drag the attach points to any node you want and that will become the parent node. What do you mean with further down?
 
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canada
I can only move them within the first 16 nodes that are displayed. I can't move an attached point to a node further down the list that I have to scroll to.
 

arno

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Ah, now I understand. I guess I'll have to let the list scroll when you reach the bottom.

Another option would be to add a cut and paste shortcut.
 

tgibson

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Hi,

I move them one page at a time. Drag it as far as you can, then let go. Then scroll. Then drag again. A pain, but I don't know of another way. Copy and paste might be an option, or let the list scroll when you drag the object below the bottom.
 
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