simple open/close animation

[noctara]

Hello everyone,

 

As I am new to modding I often get to a point where i am a little confused, on whether it is possible to achieve what i intend to do.

 

I am currently working on a mod which adds a new object with a simple open/close (basically like a door) animation to the game. So far I am almost done with modeling and texturing and intend to get into rigging soon. However, when browsing the web for tutorials, I ve found quite a few confusing statements about whether it is possible to import animations to skyrim using blender.

So for clarification, my questions are:

Is it at all possible to create a simple object-animation in blender and import it to skyrim via nifskope?

If not, is there a workaround? (like using other tools)

 

I would also appreciate if someone could lead me to a good tutorial, on how to import the animated object or the animation itself to skyrim.

 

I apologize for any noobish questions, but again I am really new to modding.

Btw, I know how to import the basic object itself (without animations) to the game.

 

Thx a lot for any helpful advise :thumbsup:

[Ghogiel]

Is it at all possible to create a simple object-animation in blender and import it to skyrim via nifskope?

If not, is there a workaround? (like using other tools)

Yes it is possible. The conflict in information is probably because they mention hkx files and character animation... which is still probably possible. but in the case of transform controllers embedded inside a nif such as doors, then they work in more or less the exact same way and uses the same exact blocks as it would if you were doing it for F3, which itself is pretty much the same as oblivion. tutorials for animating doors for either of those would be helpful imo.

 

The basic idea atm for creating content from blender is export as a F3 nif. And since the main difference between the 3 formats is the shader, collision and some other quirks, besides the user version itself, you can probably export from blender and fix it for skyrim in nifskope. Alternatively you can build the animation in nifskope entirely.

 

My best advise is look at this nif:

 

architecture\whiterun\wrdoormaingate01.nif

 

then try to understand those animation blocks at the top of the block list. If you can get animations to work in F3 or Ob you can do them for Sk.

Edited April 19, 2012 by Ghogiel

[noctara]

I greatly appreciate ur reply Ghogiel :thumbsup:

This is good news to me :teehee:

I already had a gutfeeling, that there might be a difference for characteranimations and those "transform controllers".

There are quite a few of tuts on this topic for oblivion.. so i am confident i will find something usefull.

 

Thx again

[born2bkilled]

you may want to look at using an existing object as a skeleton to paste your exported mesh on to.

 

i recently managed to use the orc end table, including the transform information, with my own tri strip data to make a different container that opens and closes with animations.

 

its all done in nifskope, and it just takes a little knowledge of the way nifskope works to do it.

 

is it a container you are making?

[noctara]

The object i am working on, is not a container. It is a static furniture - a coffin, which is supposed to open on activation.

 

So I better do the animation in nifskope entirely...?

Does it mean there is no need to render anything in blender?

Then I just need to find an existing furniture which already comes to close to the anim i wanne have.... i guess a prison/ cell door would come close to the desired anim.

 

Btw... as I still do not have a proper understanding of nifskope, except doing some really basic stuff, and i plan on creating some more objects:

 

If I would take the transform information of lets say a prison-door, would it be possible to adjust the transform information so that the door opens horizontally?

Ah well, I guess I should start to get a better knowledge myself :biggrin:

 

Ty for the input :thumbsup:

Edited April 20, 2012 by noctara

[born2bkilled]

as far as i know the transform information is linked to a specific node at the hinge of the door on the mesh. rotating that node by 90 degrees to a horizontal position "should" rotate the starting position of the transformation as well.

 

you just have to remember to connect all the links properly in nifskope. the transform data will have a target and a source. the source would be the root node "0" the target would be the trishape of the door i believe...... ill dig out the model i made and do a bit of research.

 

but basically, yes. :biggrin:

[Ghogiel]

the source would be the root node "0" the target would be the trishape of the door i believe......

 

Often the actual targets are the parent ninodes that mesh objects belong to. But you can target anything. And adjusting data in nifskope will probably be easier than scene animation and export for games if you don't already have a general understanding how to set that up for export. Mostly because itm doesn't come out the other end of the modelling apps perfect with 3rd party tools.

So yeah try mashing up stuff in nifskope to understand how s*** works on that side of things is always a good idea.

Edited April 21, 2012 by Ghogiel