Animation Doubt

[RichardUther]

I was doing some new placeables, but I couldn't keep my mind from thinking about a certain creature. So I started modeling it. I've done animations before, but not for NWN2, so I've read everything there is to read about the subject, and I think I got the basics, but I still have a doubt:

 

I can't access the RWS forums because of an issue with my isp, so I can't go and re-read their tutorial about importing NWN1 models, so hopefully someone around here will be able to help me out. I do remember that it's mentioned that you can't use the animations, and that's where my memory gets fuzzy: Is it just a matter of exporting the model, then tweak skeletons and what not in order to work? Or are they really unusable in NWN2?

 

In which case I'm wondering: Why? is it Granny related, in the sense that they would look funky when imported into the game? Or something I can't figure out because I'm new to the system? I have some more questions, but no point in making them if the answer is: You can't use them at all.

 

Thanks in advance for any replies, guys

[Tchos]

I'm looking at the NWN1 to NWN2 export tutorial now (which is here, for others interested), and although I don't have the necessary background to understand it, I can relate what it says about importing the animation.

 

For this tutorial you will need:

NWN1

NWN2

3D Studio Max version 7 or 8

Nwmax (to import NWN1 creatures into Max / Gmax)

http://nwmax.dladventures.com/

NWN compDcomp (for converting MDL files to ASCII for import)

http://nwvault.ign.c....Detail&id=1312

NWN explorer (for exporting creatures from nwn1)

http://nwvault.ign.c...r.Detail&id=248

Exportron (for exporting creature to NWN2)

http://nwvault.ign.c...ns.Detail&id=68

Animations

8. with the skin still hidden. Select c_cube_skel. go to the modifier tab and select the NWN1 animation that is closest to the NWN2 animation you need. in this tutorial we are only exporting Idle so select cpause1 and click zoom

http://www.robinsonworkshop.com/tut/monster/anim.jpg

 

This will zoom in only on the cpause1 animation and allow you to export it.

select everything visible (skin should still be hidden ) and go to file, export selected, select Gr2 as the file type and name the file c_cube_idle. Make sure your settings are as shown

 

http://www.robinsonworkshop.com/tut/monster/anim2.jpg

 

then click export.

(repeat this step and export the same animation as c_cube_una_idle this will be used by the toolset as the default UNArmed animation. )(see animation description for details on the bold letters)

So what I'm reading is that you can import the NWN1 animation.

Edited May 27, 2012 by Tchos

[RichardUther]

I'm understanding the same thing, so unless we both can't read, it would be awesome news. The next question is a bit more complicated:

 

I don't hate the PC animations in NWN2, but there are a few I'm not particularly fond of (I.E: the walking animation) The ones in Hordes of the Underdark were pretty awesome though, so, if importing animations in the game is possible:

 

Wouldn't it be possible to import those animations and replace the default ones in NWN2? Or would I need to go through every single mesh, follow the steps above for each one, etc?

 

In this case I think logic dictates de latter, which would explain why nobody went for it before, especially after all the complaints about PC animations when the game came out.

[Tchos]

There are numerous animations in NWN2 that I'm not fond of. I especially dislike the standing idle animation, with its awkward posture and dipping head. I've looked, but no one has apparently hated it so much, and knew enough about the technical matters, as to replace it.

 

I know that when the game came out, there was no means of exporting models or getting them into the game, and there was a long delay before such tools became available. That could explain why nobody went for it before. Just a guess. I'd love to hear about the results of a test, successful or not.

[RichardUther]

The problem is that I only have 3dsMax 9 in this computer.

It's all my fault, if I thought of all this back on thursday I could have 3dsMax 8 installed by now, and NWN1. But Friday was a holliday down here, and the person who has both of things went out of town for the long weekend, so I'll have to wait until Monday.

 

Oh well, lets just hope that Hellfire or someone more versed on the subject decides to read this and say "it can be done, it's just that nobody had the patience to do it" or "It can't be done" so I don't spend Monday night chasing windmills.

[Moonshadow666]

The problem is that I only have 3dsMax 9 in this computer.

It's all my fault, if I thought of all this back on thursday I could have 3dsMax 8 installed by now, and NWN1. But Friday was a holliday down here, and the person who has both of things went out of town for the long weekend, so I'll have to wait until Monday.

 

Oh well, lets just hope that Hellfire or someone more versed on the subject decides to read this and say "it can be done, it's just that nobody had the patience to do it" or "It can't be done" so I don't spend Monday night chasing windmills.

 

It is probably not as easy as you think.

 

I am currently looking at the NWN2 skeleton and animation files to try to import them to the Blender open source modelling package. In NWN2 , the skeletons are described as a set of linked joints from a central point in a model ( e.g. hip links to pelvis, knee links to hip etc ). Each animation file consists of a set of motion curves for each of these joints. The standard human skeleton file has 88 joints defined. An animation file has up to 6 motion curves for each joint.

 

Unless NWN1 skeletons match NWN2 skeletons, it is unlikely that their animation data would be that useful ( the attachment shows what an NWN2 "joint" skeleton looks like imported into Blender and rendered as bones ). It will probably be easier to import the NWN2 animations to 3DSMax and modify them to match those in NWN1.

 

M.

Edited September 12, 2012 by Moonshadow666