Weapon Animations via 3ds Max?

[NieaV]

I have heard about the limited slots problem... it doesn't concern me much. I am not looking to add a slew of new weapons, just replace the default weapons with higher quality/better weapon choices. As a result, all I need to do is animate the animations associated with the 9mm for example if I wanted to replace it with a Luger or something.

 

I guess there is something awry with your importing process because I was able to import the skeleton, meshes, texture data, and skins modifier without a problem. I was also able to rig up the skeleton with a simple and intuitive controller system that does not change the hierarchy of the skeleton and changes the kinematics to IK (while preserving the hand orientation). This results in a easy to use skeleton and it shouldn't be harder than using my Source engine rig in regards to animation and posing.

 

I have reasoned out this work flow for creating the animations:

 

-Rig body and weapon skeleton

-Attatch weapon to body gun bone, set up idle pose

-For anims where only the body skeleton moves (idles, draw) I will hide the weapon skeleton and mesh, and export.

-For anims where both move, I will hide export, unhide, and repeat vice versa.

 

Ill post pictures of the rig in max when I get home.

[NieaV]

Here are the pictures I promised:

 

http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/1409/fonvrig1a.jpg

 

-Uses IK for arms.

-Controller for hand placement and rotation are integrated and the hand's rotation is independent of IK.

-Has bones exposed in the hand for animating fingers.

-Has controllers for shoulders and upper spine.

-Uses mostly constraints so the hierarchy of the skeleton bones is untouched.

-Mesh applied to skeleton to aid in animation (I used a female one as I am a female).

-Camera set where head is and set to 75 FOV

 

Basically made really simple and hard to break. Im not sure if it exports appropriately... if anyone has experience in this sort of thing I would appreciate it if they could take a look at it.

[ecksile]

are you using the first person skeleton or the 3rd person? The first person skele has a bone for the 1st person camera. Im not sure if its actually used or not though..As I've been wanting to animate the 1st person animations as well but haven't been able to figure out how the camera in game works for first person and iron sights... Edited November 20, 2010 by ecksile

[NieaV]

I imported the 1st person skeleton (and applied body and 1st person hand meshes + their skin mod data). When I imported it, a camera was created (I assumed the Niftools importer created it) but it was aimed down at the ground. I rotated it 90 degrees so it was facing ahead. I have imported a weapon and animations on to the skeleton and watched the anims with the camera and it seems to match up with the ingame visuals.

 

In regards to iron sights I think there is a bone (node) that one needs to place so the camera changes to that node or something.

[vashts1985]

I imported the 1st person skeleton (and applied body and 1st person hand meshes + their skin mod data). When I imported it, a camera was created (I assumed the Niftools importer created it) but it was aimed down at the ground. I rotated it 90 degrees so it was facing ahead. I have imported a weapon and animations on to the skeleton and watched the anims with the camera and it seems to match up with the ingame visuals.

 

In regards to iron sights I think there is a bone (node) that one needs to place so the camera changes to that node or something.

 

the sighting node is attached to the individual weapon and not its animations. the camera will just snap to it. only thing you got to worry about is having it perpendicular to the sights. tip of the front post or what not.

 

 

btw i like where this thread is going.

[TallgeeseIV]

I'm following this as well. I have the skeleton.nif in max 2010 with a full running animation ready to export, i just can't seem to get the settings right. can't wait for someone to just tell us how this works, i can't find any decent tutorials...

[simplywayne90]

I'm going to follow this thread as well as link it a thread for mod beginners or those having trouble with certain things, I've recently decided to take up modeling and my first project well be creating Guilty Spark from the halo series for fun, So I'm interested in any possiblity of new animations and skeletons.

 

Heres the thread I've linked your thread to:

How To Become A Modder

If you do not want it linked to there message me and I will re-edit the post

 

Edit: Also I read a thread that sounded relevant to me right after I posted this,

It may be useless, but I'll leave that up to you.

Creature Variants

Edited December 3, 2010 by simplywayne90

[joefoxx082]

What I do when Exporting animations...

 

When the animation is done and exported as a .kf file, example, testfirerightis.kf, I open it up via nifskope and I open the vanilla 1hpattackrightis.kf via nifskope as well.

 

From there, I just copy/paste the data from the test file to the vanilla file.

 

Example:

 

Let's say I changed the rotation on the 'spine' bone on the skeleton, then export as test.kf

open test.kf and vanilla.kf files via nifskope

 

on the test.kf file, Expand NiControllerSequence

then expand Controlled Blocks

look for Bip01 Spine [x] and expand

click the blue clockwise curve arrow, on the Interpolator line, which should take you to the spine's animation data, then press Ctrl+C

 

then on the vanilla.kf file, Expand NiControllerSequence

then expand Controlled Blocks

look for Bip01 Spine [x] and expand

Do Not click the blue arrow, but highlight the Interpolator line, instead then press Ctrl+V

 

This will change the transform and rotation data on the spine from vanilla to your custom made one.

 

The old interpolator data is still in the vanilla file though, so just, err, (what's the opposite of expand, sorry bad english) close the NiControllerSequence then you will see the replaced interpolator data is below that (if you change a lot of data, there will be more under that) and CTRL+DEL them all, EXCEPT NiControllerSequence.

 

Save and Exit.

 

Hope this helps

 

ADD:

just to add, there's some unused reload animations for FONV that was used in FO3. for pistols, there's 6 unused reload animations, although there's the danger that those may be used in some upcoming FONV DLC.

Edited December 19, 2010 by joefoxx082

[NieaV]

I rigged up the 10mm using the reload KF as my ref and tried to animate a reload for the 10mm. I exported using the Gamebyro exporter as well as the NifTools one. The animation does not show up ingame. Either the gun doesn't move or it disappears depending on the exporter used.

 

I will have to take the above posters info in to account and re-try!

 

Also, does anyone know how the first person camera wobble is animated? What files those are stored in?

[invalidfate]

What I do when Exporting animations...

 

When the animation is done and exported as a .kf file, example, testfirerightis.kf, I open it up via nifskope and I open the vanilla 1hpattackrightis.kf via nifskope as well.

 

From there, I just copy/paste the data from the test file to the vanilla file.

 

Example:

 

Let's say I changed the rotation on the 'spine' bone on the skeleton, then export as test.kf

open test.kf and vanilla.kf files via nifskope

 

on the test.kf file, Expand NiControllerSequence

then expand Controlled Blocks

look for Bip01 Spine [x] and expand

click the blue clockwise curve arrow, on the Interpolator line, which should take you to the spine's animation data, then press Ctrl+C

 

then on the vanilla.kf file, Expand NiControllerSequence

then expand Controlled Blocks

look for Bip01 Spine [x] and expand

Do Not click the blue arrow, but highlight the Interpolator line, instead then press Ctrl+V

 

This will change the transform and rotation data on the spine from vanilla to your custom made one.

 

The old interpolator data is still in the vanilla file though, so just, err, (what's the opposite of expand, sorry bad english) close the NiControllerSequence then you will see the replaced interpolator data is below that (if you change a lot of data, there will be more under that) and CTRL+DEL them all, EXCEPT NiControllerSequence.

 

Save and Exit.

 

Hope this helps

 

ADD:

just to add, there's some unused reload animations for FONV that was used in FO3. for pistols, there's 6 unused reload animations, although there's the danger that those may be used in some upcoming FONV DLC.

 

The Niftools' support for fallout is a disaster... The kf exporter is a bug that it losting the controller field in the nif header, but you can export it to Oblivion one without this bug...Then use kfupdater(you can found on this site) to make the version of the kf file to be the same as it of fallout one. Notably, kfupdater distroies the priority of nodes in kf file, and this is ok for pose animation (SpecialIdle animation). For moving/aiming/attacking animation to work properly, you need set everything (mainly priorities) right, or otherwise your actor will look weird.... After rewriting kfupdater to make it not distroy the priorities, I've successfully created my own non-pose animations like the video below , but she is still WIP, and it's a huge project....I want to make a replacement of ED-E (not just flyable but also the functions)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyEgw7LmPoo

 

mm.. that is the "Enhanced enemy detection perk" she will give you;

http://www.newvegasnexus.com/downloads/images/39399-1-1296183580.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z72hICeR5NU