Making a custom race use a custom skeleton

[92abcdefgh]

I figured out a way to do it, mostly by examining how the PC Exclusive animation path works. I'll post a tutorial here, but if I've made any mistakes, or there's a better way to do it, please let me know. I was using xp32's max compatibility skeleton.

 

Here's how I got the idea:

 

 

By default, the game looks for new animations in this folder:

c/program files/Steam/Steamapps/common/Skyrim/Data/meshes/actors/character/animations

And any if finds there are used to replace the vanilla animations.

PCEA creates another folder inside the /animations folder filled with the vanilla animations, and creates seperate esp files for every race telling them to look in that folder for its animations. This only works because it is inside the /animations folder. (At least so far as I know.)

So custom races look in the /animations folder for their animations like all the others, but with PCEA installed only they are using the default location.

 

We're going to make the custom skeleton work the same way.

 

You're going to have to install it manually, though.

 

 

Open c/program files/Steam/Steamapps/common/Skyrim/Data/meshes/actors/character

and create a new folder called "character assets" (no quotation marks) if there isn't one already.

This is where custom skeletons go.

 

Open the new folder and create another new folder inside that. Call it something you'll remember (like xp32 skeleton if that's the one you're using)

 

Copy the custom skeleton into

c/program files/Steam/Steamapps/common/Skyrim/Data/meshes/actors/character/character assets/xp32 skeleton (or whatever you called it).

 

 

Now we need to use the Construction set.

 

Open it up and set your custom race mod as the active file.

 

When it loads, locate your custom race in the "Race" section of the menu on the left, right click the name and click 'edit'

 

In the new window that opens up, you'll see the "skeleton" path looks in

c/program files/Steam/Steamapps/common/Skyrim/Data/meshes/actors/character/character assets

 

for a custom skeleton. There isn't one there, so it'll use the default. All the other races will too.

 

 

Click 'edit' next to that line, and set it to look in

c/program files/Steam/Steamapps/common/Skyrim/Data/meshes/actors/character/character assets/xp32's skeleton (or what ever one you're using)

 

then save.

 

That should make your custom race the only one using the custom skeleton.

 

 

Now, this worked for me, but will it work for everyone? Have I gotten something wrong? Is there another, better tutorial on how it's done? I've never tried anything like this before.

[xillus]

is this possible with enemy npcs as well?

[dragonslayer2k12]

This has been bugging me for a while now about what to do for using things like cbbe and related mods. What I don't understand is why can't default races each have their own animation and skeleton? There was a mod on the nexus last year that showed the use of all the different custom body types active in one mod at the same time. This is ultimately what I am going for if it is possible. Such a mod would make the game much more interesting since other hair besides the most popular apachii sky hair could be used. There could even be mods that make old people look and move more realistically old like use walking sticks and complain a lot etc.

[xillus]

ok well im gonna go ahead and give this a try with multiple animations if possible