[Closed] Character Assembly Load/Save Animation Error

Using 3ds Max 8. I was attempting to do the Chef Dance Character Assembly save/load animation tutorial (straight out of the tutorial section)– except that rather than save the file as .ANM (as the tutorial stated) I wanted to save it as a .XML animation file because I want to become familiar with .XAF and the motion mixer for Max Bone rigs… anyway…

When I click on the Save Animation button in the Character Assembly rollout… it starts the XML save process but then gives me the following error messagebox:

–Unable to convert: #(50.0) to type: String

and it brings up the XMLIO.ms script and highlights the last line in the default “else” statement in the function: fn array2xml arr arrElem = (…) block of code. The line “else > str = arr as string”

fn array2xml arr arrElem =
(
	 local str
	 if isValidNode arr[1] then
	 (
		 arrElem.setAttribute "type" "object"
		 str = "#("
		 for i=1 to (arr.count-1) do str += "$" + arr[i].name + ","
		 if arr.count > 0 then str += "$" + arr[arr.count].name
		 str += ")"
	 )
	 else
	 (
		 if arr.count > 20 then
		 (
			 str = "#("
			 for i=1 to (arr.count-1) do str += arr[i] as string + ","
			 if arr.count > 0 then str += arr[arr.count] as string
			 str += ")" 
		 )
		 else
			 str = arr as string
	 )
	 arrElem.text = str
),

If I use the File Menu > Save Animation option it does write out an .XAF file but then when trying to use the “Insert Animation” on the Character Assembly rollout– it says it fails to open the file.

Can someone tell me what the problem is, or what I’m doing wrong, and/or how to fix it? Is there a problem or error in the script? Or a problem with that Chef tutorial character that causes the save to fail?

Someone please advise…

Here is the errors posted to the Listener from this failed save:

-- Error occurred in array2xml(); filename: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3dsMax8\stdplugs\stdscripts\baseLib\xmlIO.ms; position: 6042
 
-- Frame:
 
-- arr: #(50.0)
 
-- str: undefined
 
-- arrElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- called in i loop; filename: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3dsMax8\stdplugs\stdscripts\baseLib\xmlIO.ms; position: 8886
 
-- Frame:
 
-- ctrl: undefined
 
-- sc: MAXObject
 
-- Prop: #(50.0)
 
-- i: 1
 
-- cls: ArrayParameter
 
-- saElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- called in subAnims2xml(); filename: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3dsMax8\stdplugs\stdscripts\baseLib\xmlIO.ms; position: 9189
 
-- Frame:
 
-- propsElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- animElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- anim: Controller:Orientation_Constraint
 
-- subanims: #(#weight, #relative, #local_world)
 
-- called in ctrl2xml(); filename: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3dsMax8\stdplugs\stdscripts\baseLib\xmlIO.ms; position: 7062
 
-- Frame:
 
-- ctrl: Controller:Orientation_Constraint
 
-- keysElem: undefined
 
-- valueElem: undefined
 
-- kpElem: undefined
 
-- keyMap: undefined
 
-- animElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- ctrlElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- called in i loop; filename: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3dsMax8\stdplugs\stdscripts\baseLib\xmlIO.ms; position: 9178
 
-- Frame:
 
-- ctrl: Controller:Orientation_Constraint
 
-- sc: undefined
 
-- Prop: (quat 0 0 -0.707107 0.707107)
 
-- i: 2
 
-- cls: undefined
 
-- saElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- called in subAnims2xml(); filename: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3dsMax8\stdplugs\stdscripts\baseLib\xmlIO.ms; position: 9189
 
-- Frame:
 
-- propsElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- animElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- anim: Controller:Position_Rotation_Scale
 
-- subanims: #(#position, #rotation, #scale)
 
-- called in ctrl2xml(); filename: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3dsMax8\stdplugs\stdscripts\baseLib\xmlIO.ms; position: 7062
 
-- Frame:
 
-- ctrl: Controller:Position_Rotation_Scale
 
-- keysElem: undefined
 
-- valueElem: undefined
 
-- kpElem: undefined
 
-- keyMap: undefined
 
-- animElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- ctrlElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- called in i loop; filename: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3dsMax8\stdplugs\stdscripts\baseLib\xmlIO.ms; position: 9178
 
-- Frame:
 
-- ctrl: Controller:Position_Rotation_Scale
 
-- sc: undefined
 
-- Prop: SubAnim:FK_Sub_Control
 
-- i: 43
 
-- cls: undefined
 
-- saElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- called in subAnims2xml(); filename: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3dsMax8\stdplugs\stdscripts\baseLib\xmlIO.ms; position: 9189
 
-- Frame:
 
-- propsElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- animElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- anim: Controller:IKControl
 
-- subanims: #(#PosXActive, #PosXLLimited, #PosXULimited, #PosXLimited, #PosXLLimit, #PosXULimit, #PosYActive, #PosYLLimited, #PosYULimited, #PosYLimited, #PosYLLimit, #PosYULimit, #PosZActive, #PosZLLimited, #PosZULimited, #PosZLimited, #PosZLLimit, #PosZULimit, #RotXActive, #RotXLLimited, ...)
 
-- called in obj2xml(); filename: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3dsMax8\stdplugs\stdscripts\baseLib\xmlIO.ms; position: 9999
 
-- Frame:
 
-- obj: $Chef_Bone_LPalm
 
-- chkTransform: true
 
-- chkCustAttrib: true
 
-- nodeElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- tmElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- chldElem: undefined
 
-- parentElem: IXMLDOMElement
 
-- tmc: Controller:IKControl
 
-- objElem: undefined
 
-- chkModifiers: true
 
-- modsElem: undefined
 
-- recurse: true
 
-- postCallback: postSaveCB()
 
-- chkBaseObject: true
 
-- called in c loop; filename: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3dsMax8\stdplugs\stdscripts\baseLib\xmlIO.ms; position: 11644
 
-- Frame:
 
-- c: $Chef_Bone_LPalm
 
>> MAXScript Rollout Handler Exception: -- Unable to convert: #(50.0) to type: String <<