Issue Exporting Animations from Blender to The Sims 4

[xXxLukasWXx]

Hi, I hope you can help me with an issue I’m experiencing while exporting animations from Blender to The Sims 4.
 

I’m trying to create custom animations for Wicked Whims, and I follow the normal process for creating and exporting animations. After finishing the animations in Blender, I export them "normally" and import them into Sims 4 Studio (S4S) as instructed. Before continuing with the rest of the process, I test my animations as if they were a basic animation package.

However, when I load the game and try to use the animations, the Sims always remain stuck in the T-pose when the animation is supposed to play.

Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

1. Re-saving the animation file and exporting it again.
2. Completely recreating the animation from scratch.
3. Using various Blender versions (3.3 to 4.2).
4. Following the exact steps in the tutorial blog by TurboDriver, including using the provided edited rigs for animation creation.
5. Using the "STAR" version of Sims 4 Studio, as recommended.
6. Exporting the "rig" by selecting the entire skeleton and the keyframes as instructed in tutorials.
    

Despite all these efforts, the issue persists, and the Sims stay in the resting T-pose instead of executing the animation.

I’d really appreciate it if someone could point me toward a potential solution or let me know what I might be doing wrong. Thank you so much in advance!

[Lewd_Snail]

Not very helpful but best I got is
Quick Checklist for Fixing T-Pose Issues:

• Use a verified rig with proper bone names and structure.
• Ensure every frame has keyframes for all required bones.
• Export with FBX 7.4 Binary, -Z Forward, and Y Up.
• Preview the animation in Sims 4 Studio before testing in-game.
• Clear cache files and isolate the mod during testing.

[xXxLukasWXx]

11 hours ago, squidboi2662 said:

Not very helpful but best I got is
Quick Checklist for Fixing T-Pose Issues:

• Use a verified rig with proper bone names and structure.
• Ensure every frame has keyframes for all required bones.
• Export with FBX 7.4 Binary, -Z Forward, and Y Up.
• Preview the animation in Sims 4 Studio before testing in-game.
• Clear cache files and isolate the mod during testing.

Thank you very much for your help, however the problem is still there but I will keep looking into how to solve it!

[xXxLukasWXx]

On 12/15/2024 at 9:20 PM, xXxLukasWXx said:

Hi, I hope you can help me with an issue I’m experiencing while exporting animations from Blender to The Sims 4.
 

I’m trying to create custom animations for Wicked Whims, and I follow the normal process for creating and exporting animations. After finishing the animations in Blender, I export them "normally" and import them into Sims 4 Studio (S4S) as instructed. Before continuing with the rest of the process, I test my animations as if they were a basic animation package.

However, when I load the game and try to use the animations, the Sims always remain stuck in the T-pose when the animation is supposed to play.

Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

1. Re-saving the animation file and exporting it again.
2. Completely recreating the animation from scratch.
3. Using various Blender versions (3.3 to 4.2).
4. Following the exact steps in the tutorial blog by TurboDriver, including using the provided edited rigs for animation creation.
5. Using the "STAR" version of Sims 4 Studio, as recommended.
6. Exporting the "rig" by selecting the entire skeleton and the keyframes as instructed in tutorials.
    

Despite all these efforts, the issue persists, and the Sims stay in the resting T-pose instead of executing the animation.

I’d really appreciate it if someone could point me toward a potential solution or let me know what I might be doing wrong. Thank you so much in advance!

I finally found the solution to my problem,  the issue arises because Sims 4 Studio (S4S) needs to know which version of Blender you're using to correctly handle animation files. If the Blender path in Sims 4 Studio doesn’t match the version of Blender you are currently using, the animations will not work properly, and Sims will remain in a T-pose.
 

Here’s how to fix it:

Step 1: Open Sims 4 Studio and Go to Settings

1. Launch Sims 4 Studio on your computer.
2. Once it's open, look for the "Settings" tab, usually found at the top of the program or in the main menu options.

 

Step 2: Update the Blender Path 

1. Under the "Settings" tab, locate the Blender Path section. This tells Sims 4 Studio which version of Blender to use for animations.
2. Click the Browse or Change button next to the Blender Path field.
3. Navigate to the folder where the version of Blender you’re currently using is installed. Typically, Blender installs itself in a directory like:
   • Windows: C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender <Version>
4. Select the correct Blender executable file (blender.exe for Windows

 

 

Step 3: Save the Settings

1. Click Save or Apply Changes (depending on your Sims 4 Studio version) to confirm the updated Blender path.

Step 4: Re-Export Your Animation

1. Open your animation project in Blender and make sure everything is ready for export.
2. Export the animation as usual, making sure to include the skeleton/rig and keyframes.

Step 5: Import the Animation Back into Sims 4 Studio

1. Go back to Sims 4 Studio and import the newly exported animation into your animation package.
2. Test it in-game to confirm that the issue is resolved.

Edited December 18, 2024 by xXxLukasWXx