Help with animating.

[TurtlePoacher2]

This may seem like a beginner question but-I'm relatively new to modding outside of the creation kit. I've been using it for years now and find it very limited even with the broad amount of things you can add to the game. Now recently I've began to create a storyline mod and I've created a custom model in ZBrush with textures and everything, the character looks just the way I want it. The only problem is, I don't know how to get him into the game. I need to know how to apply current Bethesda animations to my character, and I'd like to know how to import my character into the game after I've given him animations. I know in the creation kit you can choose animations, so I'd like to know how to apply them to a 3D model I've made. I'm willing to download programs and I'm open to Skyping with people.

[fore]

This is practically impossible to do.

 

Between engine and animations is a layer called "behaviors" which contains all animation level logic. To create these behaviors Bethesda uses a licensed and game specific tool, Havok Behaviors. The tool is not available, and Bethesda has chosen not to release the HBT project files, which would allow us add animations to the game.

 

With FNIS you can add some types of animations to the game. But FNIS hacks into the game data, and therefore needs a working behavior system to start with.

 

So the only thing you can do when you want to add a complete new character or creature, then you have to build that by changing the copy of an existing one. Make the model (which has to be a nif mesh, a nif skeleton which has to have the same bones as the existing base model you use, and dds textures).

 

Then you can make animations by changing the existing ones. Or make some additional ones and include them with FNIS. But for making animations you most likely need 3DS Max, which is another licensed tool.

 

So that's pretty tough for a beginner, as you can see.