Help Request: Idle Animations/Personalities/Armor connections

[Maclimes]

I'm working on the Playable Advent mod, and am currently attempting to allow customization of your MECs (specifically Main Armor Color at this moment).

Here was our previous set-up:

• The MEC was defined as a new CharacterTemplate (basically a copy-paste of the enemy MEC). The archetype it pointed to was a package that was a copy of the enemy MEC's archetype (including Skeletal Mesh, Material, and Textures).

• The equipped armor was a new armor called "MEC Armor". There were no options defined for the armor (no Torso or Arms or anything).

• AppearanceDefinesPawn was set to False.

The MEC would display correctly, and play the correct MEC idle animation. But because Armor Color is tied to theArmor pieces appearance, no customization is available: There are no armor pieces, just a base definition. In fact, selecting an armor color would just revert back to the default upon closing the color selection screen.

So I devised a new set-up.

• The archetype it pointed to was still a package that was a copy of the enemy MEC's Archetype. The Skeletal Mesh was a copy of the MEC's, but with almost all the pieces removed (in Blender), so it's just a small ball. (Basically, it's the "head" of a normal soldier, hidden inside the torso). The Bones and Sockets were untouched. The AnimSet for both is set to the MEC.

• 1 Torso style was added to the MEC Armor. It uses the basic "human torso" archetype, with the AnimSet set to the MEC. The Skeletal Mesh, Material, and Textures are from the MEC.

• AppearanceDefinesPawn was set to True.

Now, the MEC appears and has full, normal color customization, which works fine. But instead of playing the animations for the MEC (both in the Armory and in Tactical), it plays the animations for whatever his "Personality" is set to. Which looks ridiculous, of course, since he doesn't have the same bones. So his legs hover in the air behind him, his head is tucked into his chest, etc.

 

The Archetypes and Meshes for both the base character and the armor are all set to use the MEC animations, but obviously the Personality takes precedence even over those in this instance.

If I switch AppearanceDefinesPawn back to False, the animation is technically correct, but it's just the floating ball and weapons (held in the correct MEC pose). The armor is invisible.

 

I considered creating a "MEC Personality", but that gives a whole host of other problems. Can you imagine if your soldier was stuck on that animation set (arms and legs all broken and hovering) until they became Sergeants? It just gives us the same set of problems on new people.

 

So, my actual question: HOW do I force a unit to use a specific AnimSet (preferably pulled from the mesh or archetype), instead of his Personality animations? What I really need is "AppearanceDefinesPawn(ExceptForPersonality)". Is there any way I can achieve this?

 

Thanks so much!

Edited March 18, 2016 by Maclimes

[zingfharn]

I think the only way is using the forceappearance var in the character template. And as you say, your other units might get if you add a new one.

 

So I'd add a screenlistener to check units for that personality periodically and undo it if it's the case.

 

If not that, then you'd have to replace the class assigning personality.