Do models NEED bones?

Do models NEED bones?

Do models NEED bones? I'm making a cage with a padlock and everything..and I don't know how to use bones. If I REALLY NEED bones, then I'm out of luck, so, yes or no?

What program are you using???....also i heard somwhere that you can get by without bones but im not really sure,try it out. To use bones in say gmax,or 3ds max. do this......simply click on the systems tab under create. then click on bones and click and drag in the view port to create them. Go ahead and click on the mesh that youd like to make move etc. then click on your modifiers drop down menu. Click the skin modifier. Then double click the little plus sign to get an envelope option, choose that. Then choose add option which adds the bones that you want to your mesh, keep in mind you gotta create these bones before they can be added to your mesh. Now choose as many bones from the new list that you want added to your mesh. When you do this you will get a wire frame that surrounds your mesh. The wire mesh represents your mesh being affected by the bone for animation. Make sure you make the cage completely envelope your mesh otherwise when you go to export your model the animation wont work. After your done with the envelope you can then animate your model by selecting the bone and choosing to move that during animation only!!! the mesh should now move along with the bone.

Bones are needed for animation. You can do without bones if you're making a non-destructable doodad.

I'm specifically working on a cage unit. Only the door opens\closes on the cage, and the stand animation has the padlock swaying in the breeze. It is a UNIT. Only an empty cage. Are bone..really needed..on this?

Bones are ONLY needed for animations. If its going to be a cage that doesn't move or do anything, then you don't need bones. If its going to do something, like break or even have something sway in the wind, it'll need bones

I'm using Gmax, and I can animate it without the bones, but when I export it with 'Dex Script then the file turns out being less that one Kilobyte...

EDIT: Can I please have a more detailed tutorial?

There is one more thing you can use. It's called pivot. Here's a full anim tut for both pivot and bones. I use bones. I think it's easyest.

http://www.wc3campaigns.com/showthread.php?t=67285

Thanks a lot, Cold_raider!

np