CompuServe Thread

Hi Jonas (and fellow 3DS programmers…) I have written a .P3D keyscript program, using The Script Extension. This script writes a text file, similar to an .ASC file. The difference is that my files contain the vertex/face list for EACH frame in an animation. This info is then read into a real-time rendering application, and animated in real time. In using The Script Extension, I have run into some peculiar behavior, which I believe is a reflection of peculiarities in 3D Studio itself. Here is what I have found so far, in attempting to read the POSITIONS of objects (these lists are not exhaustive, they only reflect what I've tried so far): Calling the keyscript function GetVerts works correctly for 1. mesh objects which don't move 2. mesh objects which are keyframed, with keys for position or rotation 3. mesh objects which are hierarchically linked to another object The correct vertex position information is returned for each frame Calling the keyscript function GetVerts does NOT work for 1. mesh objects which are morphing into another object The initial vertex values are (incorrectly) returned for each frame Calling the keyscript function InterpolateKey works correctly for 1. omni lights which don't move 2. omni lights which are directly keyframed, with keys for position The correct x,y,z position information is returned for each frame Calling the keyscript function InterpolateKey DOES NOT work correctly for 1. omni lights which are hierarchically linked to another object The initial x,y,z values are (incorrectly) returned for each frame When I look at an animation in the Keyframer, I see the meshes doing the right thing. However, when I use GetVerts and InterpolateKey to write out the multi-frame ascii file, I see something quite different (sometimes). The keyframe scripter is not "what you see is what you get." This inconsistent behavior is difficult to work with. Nowhere in the documentation for 3DS R4, or for T.S.E., can I find a list which explains precisely what keyframe information is accessible by the functions (i.e. GetVerts and InterpolateKey), and what information must be manually calculated within a script. So I have two questions: 1. How can I access (or calculate) the vertex list of a mesh that is being morphed? And more importantly, for future programming, 2. Where can I get a list that clearly explains what the keyscript functions do, and what they don't do? Thanks, Mike