Miarmy Assets File Types

• Rig File
• Animation File
• Action File
• Original Agent Test File (OAT File)
• Original Agent File (OA File)

Simple description:

• Rig file: usually from users, or build from own rigging system. This file will be used for creating the Original Agent (OA) File and Action Files, finally this file can be remove from production
• Animation File: the rig file contain key frame animation data, use this generate Action node.
• Action File: the action node exported form animation file
• OAT File: use this file debug the agent logic, action transition, and perception etc…
• OA file (Original Agent) file: exported from OAT file, a very clean and ready to use agent file

Notice: we have the example files for each type of file, please find them in companion "assets example" folder

Rig File

Definitions & usage

• This file contains a character
• This character should be rest pose, like T pose.
• This character can be any bone structure, no matter how many bones
• This character can be controlled by all types of rig, constrains, expression, etc… (It support Human IK, TSM (The setup machine), Rocketbox Lib etc, all setup rig)

Limitations:

• Single Bone Chain: each bone's parent should be a joint
• Aim to Z direction
• If not a must, please don't contain the "scale" on bones

Limitations for Physics Simulation

• Each joint must have length. Another words, each joint must NOT be overlapped to another bone

Important

If you want to simulation a lot of agents in scene, such as 3000+, we highly recommend you make sure your character rig is simple enough, delete fingers, or other extra bones.

• Best Joint Number: less than 30
• Best Geometry Sum Faces Number: less than 3500
• Best Geometry Number: less than 8

Suggested Naming conventions

• <Agent Type Name>rg_crowd<version>.ma
• Man_rg_crowd_01.ma

FAQ:

1. If you have a character rig not one bone chain, please try to build another bone chain and constrain it to the main bone chain.

1. Character with weapons,

• Please make the weapon a length (not a single joint)
• Please parent the weapon to the hand or the root bone
• Character with weapon and Character without weapons are 2 different types of agent, they may have different bone structure and the animation should be 2 groups.

Animation File

Definitions & usage

• Each rig file can be duplicated to several times and come to animation files
• We key frame each animation files and save a piece of animation clip in each file, cycle animation should only be one single loop,
• Below 2 methods are the same but different approach to make animation:
  • Reference the "rig" file into a lot of Animation files and set key frames
  • Duplicate a lot of "rig" files and key frame them

So finally, there will be one "rig" file, and there are a lot of animation files using this "rig" files, and each animation file contains a piece of animation

Suggested Naming Conventions:

• <Agent Type Name>anim<Animation Name>_<version>.ma
• Man_anim_walk_01.ma
• Man_anim_walkToStand_01.ma

Special Conditions

Some animation lib contain 2 types of agent such as 2 agents fighting or other interactively. It's OK, for example Man fight with Orc. You just need duplicate it to 2 files:

• Man_anim_fight01_01.ma
• Orc_anim_fight01_01.ma (the same as the previous Man file but belongs to the assets of Orc)

Action File (exported)

Definitions & usage

• An action file exported from animation file
• This file only contains one node inside "McdAction" node
• This file will be always imported into the OAT (Original Agent Test) File

Suggested Naming Conventions:

• <Agent Type Name>action<Animation Name>_<version>.ma
• Man_action_walk_01.ma
• Man_action_walkToStand_01.ma
• Woman_action_jot_02.ma

OAT Files

Definitions & usage

1. The file generated from Rig file (rest or T pose)
2. The Geometry need to be transferred to the Original Agent File, and put into the Geometry_XXX folder
3. Important: please remove all Rig File contents and old geometries!
4. Please import all action files to this file and put to correct hierarchy. Also notice change the name of them
5. If need, build transition map in this file
6. And build some common logic in this file
7. Place and test simulation in this file and see is everything all right

Renaming Agent Type

The Original Agent must be rename to correct name, MUST be unique in your later production

Suggested Naming Conventions:

• <Agent Type Name>OATest<version>.ma
• Man_OATest_01.ma
• Woman_OATest_03.ma

OA File

Definitions & usage

This file is the only asset file for production

1. The file is exported from OAT file.
2. This file only contain the Original Agent, without any other extra node. If file contains, please clean them and save again

This file will be imported into the production shots file
Or, reference into the production shots file

Suggested Naming Conventions:

• <Agent Type Name>OA<version>.ma
• Man_OA_01.ma
• Woman_OA_03.ma