ai Packages and animations

[jonesjoshuar]

I am starting to make real headway in the town i am building. There is a mine where people goto work. There is a use item at in the ai packages window. how does this work? How can i call up specific animations? Like there is eating a mutton. Drinking. I want to see if there is something I can use that resembles working in the mine itself. Like using a hammer or pickaxe

[AzirAphale001]

Add the right 'anim object' to the NPC's inventory, and use the 'Use Item At' AI command to use that item.

[jonesjoshuar]

Add the right 'anim object' to the NPC's inventory, and use the 'Use Item At' AI command to use that item.

 

I figured that, but how does the ai know how to use what object? It is governed by animation, im sure. Either there is an animation for it or not. My question would be, how do I know what animations are available so i can make a plausible work environment?

[AzirAphale001]

As for that I'm not too sure. Animations and AI aren't my strong point.

[Pronam]

I don't know how much you know or not, so I'll give the full specific:

 

Some links about AI containing packages. But practice is perfect on these things... there are probably

some ai-tutorials floating around, but I couldn't find them 123...

 

 

What exact animations can be used,(Next to fighting) can be seen under Miscellaneous->AnimObject in CS

 

But that only for viewing.

 

The best thing you could do, is to find one of the fighters guilds in CS and look how it works with weapon-practice.

 

I'll give you an example (anvil fighters guild)

You probably have seen Rhano bashing that dummy every once in a while, when you passed him for the local FG quests.

What he exactly does is Use Item At like AzirAphale001 said.

If you look at the AI-section of him, you'll see his packages, containing 'FGAnvilRhanoPractice'

If you doubled on that, you'll see that the package type is UseItemAt in the upper right corner.

Here you can change the package type which defines what basically will be done

 

The Location tab says it specific on Xmarkerheadingof. This one decides where the npc will be going.

(Tells Rhano where he needs to fight and in which direction, just like doormarkers of course)

 

The Target tab here defines what exactly is going to be used, but also indirectly defining what is going to happen.

(note, this place is only useful if you use a specific place or item. So if you just want a npc to eat

use the package type 'Eat', If you want the npc to eat 'mutton' you use UseItemAt again. So the last one is for specifics)

 

I think you got it that far, you probably used it for chairs and such. But when you use UseItemAt with weapons.

You should use 'Any Object' with weapons as object type. Why? Cause you could do specific in Object-ID.

But for weapons object type-> Weapon(perhaps withmelee) would be enough,

unless you're want to use a specific weapon, npc having multiple in its inventory or such.

 

Only standard things are used there though. Something like a Rake is being defined at Object-ID again.

 

What it all does is target -> UseItemAt(weapons melee) at location-> Xmarkerheading

The object types has a short list with actions it has or better said, what kind of objects its going to use from his inventory or a target.

(You could target a weapon lying on a table too.)

the Object-ID again, is for specific items the npc has in its inventory.

 

Well that's the how....

 

For you specific:

 

I used the weapon-case, cause you probably could turn any pick-axe into a weapon, by switching meshes or so.

Then Object type should be sufficient, as it is a weapon you use either weapons or weapons: Melee (if you specified the weapon like that)

(any alternative would be some mod having pickaxes as weapons, or a official mod like

mehrunes razor

.)

 

A hammer though gives other problems, cause you probably want someone hammering closely.

Not from the ceiling down. That would require some animation skills or having the

SI expansion

or something.

That adds a hammering animation. (Still, you could change a hammer to a weapon, but not with the same results)

 

But next to that if none can tell how to evade this, these are your options.

 

Hope it helps some...

[jonesjoshuar]

I don't know how much you know or not, so I'll give the full specific:

 

Some links about AI containing packages. But practice is perfect on these things... there are probably

some ai-tutorials floating around, but I couldn't find them 123...

 

 

What exact animations can be used,(Next to fighting) can be seen under Miscellaneous->AnimObject in CS

 

But that only for viewing.

 

The best thing you could do, is to find one of the fighters guilds in CS and look how it works with weapon-practice.

 

I'll give you an example (anvil fighters guild)

You probably have seen Rhano bashing that dummy every once in a while, when you passed him for the local FG quests.

What he exactly does is Use Item At like AzirAphale001 said.

If you look at the AI-section of him, you'll see his packages, containing 'FGAnvilRhanoPractice'

If you doubled on that, you'll see that the package type is UseItemAt in the upper right corner.

Here you can change the package type which defines what basically will be done

 

The Location tab says it specific on Xmarkerheadingof. This one decides where the npc will be going.

(Tells Rhano where he needs to fight and in which direction, just like doormarkers of course)

 

The Target tab here defines what exactly is going to be used, but also indirectly defining what is going to happen.

(note, this place is only useful if you use a specific place or item. So if you just want a npc to eat

use the package type 'Eat', If you want the npc to eat 'mutton' you use UseItemAt again. So the last one is for specifics)

 

I think you got it that far, you probably used it for chairs and such. But when you use UseItemAt with weapons.

You should use 'Any Object' with weapons as object type. Why? Cause you could do specific in Object-ID.

But for weapons object type-> Weapon(perhaps withmelee) would be enough,

unless you're want to use a specific weapon, npc having multiple in its inventory or such.

 

Only standard things are used there though. Something like a Rake is being defined at Object-ID again.

 

What it all does is target -> UseItemAt(weapons melee) at location-> Xmarkerheading

The object types has a short list with actions it has or better said, what kind of objects its going to use from his inventory or a target.

(You could target a weapon lying on a table too.)

the Object-ID again, is for specific items the npc has in its inventory.

 

Well that's the how....

 

For you specific:

 

I used the weapon-case, cause you probably could turn any pick-axe into a weapon, by switching meshes or so.

Then Object type should be sufficient, as it is a weapon you use either weapons or weapons: Melee (if you specified the weapon like that)

(any alternative would be some mod having pickaxes as weapons, or a official mod like

mehrunes razor

.)

 

A hammer though gives other problems, cause you probably want someone hammering closely.

Not from the ceiling down. That would require some animation skills or having the

SI expansion

or something.

That adds a hammering animation. (Still, you could change a hammer to a weapon, but not with the same results)

 

But next to that if none can tell how to evade this, these are your options.

 

Hope it helps some...

most of this i knew, but i did not think about the animobject thing thanks. As for animation i dont know how perfect it will have to be all i can do is test and see. The pickaxe or hammer as a weapon is a good idea, just five an attack value of o or something.

[Vagrant0]

I've been using the pickaxe weapon idea myself. It works, but only kinda. The problem with this method is that you need to specify a specific location where you want that package to be used at, so for something like a mine, each rock needs a separate package for that rock. If you have unique actors who are doing the mining, this isn't that big of an issue, but if you are trying to create something which can be used by random actors in any interior, it becomes much more difficult. Unfortunately, both instances where I've done something like this aren't things I've completed/uploaded, or are things which cannot be shared (like in the Colored Rooms). I would however be willing to upload the weaponized pickaxe meshes as a resource.

 

Another alternative might be to just create an idle listing which uses the forward powerattack animation, and link up an idle object mesh that uses the pickaxe with the correct orientation. I think it was one of the topics reaper started on this which might be useful in explaining it. The advantage would be that the animations used would be a bit more consistent, as opposed to how the NPC's combat style might choose what animations to use.

[jonesjoshuar]

I've been using the pickaxe weapon idea myself. It works, but only kinda. The problem with this method is that you need to specify a specific location where you want that package to be used at, so for something like a mine, each rock needs a separate package for that rock. If you have unique actors who are doing the mining, this isn't that big of an issue, but if you are trying to create something which can be used by random actors in any interior, it becomes much more difficult. Unfortunately, both instances where I've done something like this aren't things I've completed/uploaded, or are things which cannot be shared (like in the Colored Rooms). I would however be willing to upload the weaponized pickaxe meshes as a resource.

 

Another alternative might be to just create an idle listing which uses the forward powerattack animation, and link up an idle object mesh that uses the pickaxe with the correct orientation. I think it was one of the topics reaper started on this which might be useful in explaining it. The advantage would be that the animations used would be a bit more consistent, as opposed to how the NPC's combat style might choose what animations to use.

 

In the mine there are the gold and silver viens. I merely have to direct it there. It wont be random, thank god, but a majority of the town works at the mine, so some...organization will be required. I thought it would lose value to just use the wander or explore. Though they will work in shifts so it will cut down on the number of markers needed. As far as the weaponized pickaxe. Is it just simply a mesh switch or did you have to do something different? If its a mesh switch i can simply do it myself, no need for you to go through the trouble.

 

As for the powerattack that is a good idea, I will use the regular one first and see how it flies. If that doesn't suite me...then i go foward and seeing if the powerattack looks better.

[Vagrant0]

I've been using the pickaxe weapon idea myself. It works, but only kinda. The problem with this method is that you need to specify a specific location where you want that package to be used at, so for something like a mine, each rock needs a separate package for that rock. If you have unique actors who are doing the mining, this isn't that big of an issue, but if you are trying to create something which can be used by random actors in any interior, it becomes much more difficult. Unfortunately, both instances where I've done something like this aren't things I've completed/uploaded, or are things which cannot be shared (like in the Colored Rooms). I would however be willing to upload the weaponized pickaxe meshes as a resource.

 

Another alternative might be to just create an idle listing which uses the forward powerattack animation, and link up an idle object mesh that uses the pickaxe with the correct orientation. I think it was one of the topics reaper started on this which might be useful in explaining it. The advantage would be that the animations used would be a bit more consistent, as opposed to how the NPC's combat style might choose what animations to use.

 

In the mine there are the gold and silver viens. I merely have to direct it there. It wont be random, thank god, but a majority of the town works at the mine, so some...organization will be required. I thought it would lose value to just use the wander or explore. Though they will work in shifts so it will cut down on the number of markers needed. As far as the weaponized pickaxe. Is it just simply a mesh switch or did you have to do something different? If its a mesh switch i can simply do it myself, no need for you to go through the trouble.

 

As for the powerattack that is a good idea, I will use the regular one first and see how it flies. If that doesn't suite me...then i go foward and seeing if the powerattack looks better.

The mesh is changed a bit, made one hand and two hand versions. The tip is made more narrow and longer, the back is a bit broader, and it's mounted on an axe handle instead of just a plain wooden one. The normal pickaxes are configured more for being for just digging and not for splitting rock, so they have a short, wide tip and a back that is configured more for being used as a hammer than a counterweight. I'm probably wrong on this, not being an expert on mining and all, but it seemed to make sense to me. Also makes a neat weapon.

 

http://thecoloredroomsproject.googlepages.com/SkeleMiner01.jpg

 

Can't see it too well, but should give an idea what I'm talking about. I believe that's the 2 hand version.

 

As for the animation, you may even be able to set it up as an activate animation for those kinds of rocks.

[jonesjoshuar]

The mesh is changed a bit, made one hand and two hand versions. The tip is made more narrow and longer, the back is a bit broader, and it's mounted on an axe handle instead of just a plain wooden one. The normal pickaxes are configured more for being for just digging and not for splitting rock, so they have a short, wide tip and a back that is configured more for being used as a hammer than a counterweight. I'm probably wrong on this, not being an expert on mining and all, but it seemed to make sense to me. Also makes a neat weapon.

 

 

Can't see it too well, but should give an idea what I'm talking about. I believe that's the 2 hand version.

 

As for the animation, you may even be able to set it up as an activate animation for those kinds of rocks.

 

Hmmm. Also make the tip long will give more freedom in animation. (less space between actor and object) I will take you up on that Vagrant0. I assume you are the creator? So I can apply it to the credits. Thanks vagrant0