DogFace Dogface Posted April 29, 2022 DogFace Share Posted April 29, 2022 Arrays are used quite extensively in FS22. Arrays are used for a variety of elements in FS22, such as effects and crawler tracks. Arrays are a collection of paths stored as a relatively small DDS file (example below). Arrays can be created in Blender using Keyframes and then exported with the GIANTS Exporter. sharedArray.dds KEYFRAMES If you do not already know about Keyframes, I recommend watching the video below. It is a bit more detailed than you will need, so just watch it and come back to it for the details you need. You will not be animating objects, just points. Keyframes - Blender 2.80 Fundamentals https://youtu.be/SZJswvw9wEs You will add one Empty in Blender for each of the paths in your array*. You then set Keyframes along the path you want for your array. Note that in the video below there is a straight path, if you want a curved path you need to set the Keyframes in a curved path. *see the Numbers section below for how many empties to create. Step-by-step Blender Guide > select 'Add' > select 'Empty' > select 'Plain Axes' > on 'Timeline', move blue slider to the desired time (start at zero) > move the 'Empty' to the desired location > press 'I' on keyboard to get the pop-up 'Insert Keyframe Menu' > select 'Location' to set a Keyframe at that location > repeat moving the Empty and setting Keyframes until you have created the desired path > clicking the 'Play Animation' button on the top of the 'Timeline' will animate the path you have created VIDEO - Blender Keyframes FS22ArrayTutorialKeyframes.mp4 REFERENCE In order to create the path, I recommend that you first import any object into Blender that could be used as a scale reference. Also if you can create an in-game reference photo of a path similar the path you want to create, you could add that as a reference photo in Blender. EXAMPLE: in the video above, I was making an array for a spreader and I imported the spreader into Blender. Also I took a picture of a similar spreader effect and imported that reference picture into Blender. EXPORTING Step-by-step Blender Guide > open 'GIANTS I3D Exporter' > select 'Tools' tab > select 'Object Data from Animations' this will open 'GIANTS MOTION PATH FROM OBJECT TOOL' > highlight all Empties > select 'Load Selected' > set AmountRel & AmountFix (see numbers section below) > enter the name you want the output file saved as in the 'Group Name' box > select 'Create' > select 'Export Object Data Texture' > the array DDS will be saved in the folder that the .blend file was saved You're done, congratulations on your graduation into the secret society of array creators. VIDEO - Blender Exporting FS22ArrayTutorialExporting.mp4 NUMBERS Effects are controlled by an effects xml. Find the xml for your effect. Here is the path to the cultivator xml: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Farming Simulator 22\data\effects\cultivatorEffects.xml In the xml, under <effectMeshes>, you will see a number of lines with 'numRows' and 'rowLength'. 1) The number of Empties you create should be equal to one of the 'numRows' numbers. 2) Set AmountRel & AmountFix to one of the 'rowLength' numbers. 🙂 good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdbssb Posted April 29, 2022 Share Posted April 29, 2022 Awesome job @Dogfacety for this. This is a very powerful tool guys and gals. I’ve been using it to make some cool looking effects. With @Dogfaceinstructions this is how I made the effects for the stone picker I uploaded. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogFace Dogface Posted April 30, 2022 Author DogFace Share Posted April 30, 2022 I would like to give credit to Scooter’s Workbench for taking the time to explain the Blender Exporter process. And @bdbssb gets credit for doing a deep dive and figuring out the Numbers section. Thanks guys! 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogFace Dogface Posted May 3, 2022 Author DogFace Share Posted May 3, 2022 @bdbssb made a video tutorial of Array creation on his YouTube channel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogFace Dogface Posted January 26, 2023 Author DogFace Share Posted January 26, 2023 ADDENDUM: Explaining AmountRel, AmountFix and rowLength In Blender the number you set to AmountRel & AmountFix is the number of intermediate animation points created when you click "Create". For instance, if you set the AmountRel & AmountFix each to 24, Blender will create 24 intermediate animation points (see picture below). If you set AmountRel & AmountFix to 32, Blender creates 32 intermediate animation points. I assume the "Distance" number is the distance between the animation points. In-game this does not seem to affect animation speed, but it does affect animation density. The picture below is of two fertilizer spreader patterns each using a different array file. The array with rowLength set to 24 creates a pattern that is slightly less dense. Note that the distance between the arcs is greater than the 32 pattern. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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