| QA1 | The File dialog box in the SGI version of NIFFeditor |
| QA2 | Skipping frames during animation preview, etc. |
| QA3 | What is the data format for animation? |
| QA4 | Is 2Cycle Mode supported? |
| QA5 | Can multiple files be handled at the same time? |
| QA6 | Can textures be fine adjusted? |
| QA7 | Referring to original texture data... |
| QA8 | Animation with simultaneous movement and rotation... |
| QA9 | Development problems outside the root account |
| QA10 | Vertexes shared between objects |
| QA11 | What is NDR_OBJ _dummy_obj in nd? |
Q1 I'd like to display the filename without the path name in the Files item of the File dialog box in the SGI NIFFeditor.
A1 I'm not exactly sure what it is that you want here, but I think it would be difficult to accomplish since the dialog box basically uses the library just as it is.
Q2 While previewing animation, is it possible to temporarily stop the animation or to skip frames?
A2 It is possible to skip frames using ANIMATION->STEP in n64prev, or using the R button in nvfview distributed with NIFF2.0.
Q3 In what formats are animation data stored in NIFF? If I prepare the data with LightWave3D, what procedures do I have to follow?
A3 Presently, the niff2gfx converter and the n64prev previewer both support full frame as well as key frame animation data. These have parameters like translation, rotation and scale needed for Mtx calculations, and the "key" and other data necessary for playback of key frame animation. For details, see the part about Anim data in the NIFF document of the Allmanual.
Animation, such as IK, etc., is fairly powerful in NIFF 2.0. Refer to NIFF Navigator 2 for details.
If you are going to create the NIFF data with LightWave3D, you need the LightWave3D plug-in, which is being officially distributed for LIGHTWAVE3D 5.5. For details, contact the Sales and Support Agency, D Storm. You can get their contact information from the Development Tools section on our web site (www.noa-engineering.com).
Q4 Will the 2Cycle Mode operate properly?
A4 Yes it will. However, Fog and other modes which are specific to the 2Cycle Mode are for use with NIFF 2.0 and later.
Q5 Is it possible to load multiple files and display them all at once on the screen, and then switch between them and edit them with the editor?
A5 It is possible just to display multiple files by starting multiple NIFFeditors and viewing them at the same time. A Preview command also is possible. The data for multiple files cannot currently be edited as one group of data, but this is planned for future versions.
As with the Windows version and the SGI version, multiple NIFF editors can be opened, and copy & paste or cut & paste operations are possible using the Edit menu or the right-click menu.
Q6 Can textures be fine adjusted in this editor?
A6 This would actually be difficult since this would mean fine adjusting the st values. However, we are currently preparing a way to correct the texture image data themselves.
Q7 Can I possibly view the original data of a texture which has been pasted in the editor.
A7 It is possible to display the textures in the SGI NIFFeditor ver. 1.20 and later. There is no method yet for the Windows version, but one is planned.
Q8 There are variables in AnimList->AnimGroup->Anim for including the values for movement, rotation, and scaling, but, while I have been able to create animation in which, if it is moving it can only move, or if it is rotating it can only rotate. When I set it so that it moves and rotates at the same time, the animation completely fails. Why does this happen? In addition, what should I do in this format if the key framing is different for movement and rotation.
A8 Separate frames are often set up for animation of movement and rotation, but with NIFF, movement, rotation, and scaling are all synthesized, and then only the necessary frames are created.
Q9 In compile environments, including the NIFF Editor, when a program which has been compiled once already in the root direction has a make done in a different account, all of the .o files, executable files, and rom files are deleted and then the compile is not run. A Permission Error occurs with makerom and the make is not completed.
A9 Since files are written to the n64prev directory as you go, it is impossible in specifications for multiple users to use the files on the same machine under /usr/local/n64kit/niff. In this case, consider using the files copied so that they are written into the above directory. Try copying files into separate directories for each user under niff.
Q10 I have a question about the NIFF data structure. Can vertexes which are shared by two objects, as the joints of a person's body, etc., be expressed in NIFF files? To the extent that I've seen the data format, it seems that they can't.
A10 NIFF 2.0 and above are compatible with envelope. This is a function that allows vertexes which are shared by multiple objects, such as joints, etc., to be animated.
Q11 This is a question regarding the rendering manager nd. NDR_OBJ_dummy_obj exists in the Object Structure in the file model.c which is output by NIFF Editor for previewing, but what is the significance of the existence of this dummy data? For what intent is it added?
A11 dummy_obj is provided at the beginning of development as a 0th object so as to prevent links from being broken when there are invalid objects in the NIFF data which has been output from CG Tools. Therefore, dummy_obj does not need to be used as a conversion result. In addition, dummy_obj itself becomes unnecessary if the output from CG Tools is correct. Since there are currently tools which are under development, you should leave dummy_obj in place for a while as a converter.