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[3ds Max] [Skyrim] Video: Animation Tutorial


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Hell, put the M+F rigs to use for my second one. Some issues with floating and such since i wasn't sure where the "floor" was exactly, but hey. http://www.loverslab.com/topic/18461-post-your-sex-screenshots/page-480?do=findComment&comment=1267293

 

There's a storm on the horizon. A very lewd storm. c:

 

Gotta say, it's kinda awesome being able to do this now. No need to MacGuyver something halfway together with unrelated poses, i can just go "no, fuck you, imma make the poses i need myself" and actually get that done.

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Hm. How would i go about duplicating the female rig so i can have a F+F rig? Would make lining certain animations up a lot easier :P.

 

Is it literally just "clone the female rig and good to go", or is it gonna take some fiddling around?

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Hm. How would i go about duplicating the female rig so i can have a F+F rig? Would make lining certain animations up a lot easier :P.

 

Is it literally just "clone the female rig and good to go", or is it gonna take some fiddling around?

Could work. Max will rename the skeleton and controllers upon cloning. The skeleton would need to be renamed back prior to exporting. Removing the suffix with the rename tool should be enough.

 

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I don't know if somebody has posted this before, but this really helped me with moving parts in animation. 

 

 
Pink crosses are the IK (Inverse Kinematics) controllers. To change the movement (i.e make the movement smoother), first click on one, and then to the right
you will see a tab, with lots of buttons. Click on the modify button (rainbow button), look down and you will see a tab called "Custom attributes", underneath this tab it 
tab has a modifier for the IK/FK blend. You can change this to allow movement or make movement smoother for your skeleton part.
 
The Green controllers are the FK (Forward Kinematics) controllers. These control the joints and such directly. You can change the movement by doing what was said
above about that IK controllers. 
 
  FK controllers means you rotate everything manually, which can be kinda slow and fiddly
  IK controllers are the crosses, you just move them and the respective limbs move around with it as per their constraints
 
  - Blarrgh 
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So I've been trying to make female/creature animations and everything works until I test them in game. I've only testing using the idle animations and the female works fine, but the giant flips out with his idle animation.

 

What I've done (I use 3ds max 2012)

1. open a blank file and import the female skeleton rig, then import the meshes on top of it, then save to a .max file and exit

2. open a blank file and import giant skeleton from the meshes.bsa (meshes>actors>giant>character assets>skeleton.nif), then the meshes from more nasty critters, giant_nude.nif. save and exit

 

3. open the giant file first (the skeleton and meshes are on the same layer, if they are on different layers the next step screws everything up) then using reference>xref scene I import the female .max file. Also If I open the female file first then import the giant using the xref it doesn't work

4. make the animation

5. skip 4:00 - 6:40 of your video tutorial

 

6. save and exit

7. open the file from step 6 and delete the giant layer, then copy everything you do from 6:40 till the end of the tutorial

8. open the file from step 6 again and delete everything except for the giant layer

9. After opening havoc content tools the only thing I change is under "Create Skeletons" > "Build rig" because I can't use the female rig for the giant, right? Other than that I followed it exactly.

I changed http://i.imgur.com/7yUM0EW.jpg

to http://i.imgur.com/giVUzoL.jpg

 

 

After I replaced their idle animations, the female idle follows the animation I did in 3ds max but the giants body warps and goes all mental when play it's idle.

Anyone got an idea?

 

Thanks

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After I replaced their idle animations, the female idle follows the animation I did in 3ds max but the giants body warps and goes all mental when play it's idle.

Anyone got an idea?

 

Thanks

Do you get any errors when you run configuration? You may need to supply your own bone rig.txt.

 

Use hkxcmd.exe and put the giant skeleton.hkx in the same directory then run:

 
hkxcmd.exe dumplist skeleton.hkx

This will output more hkx files. Rename their extensions to txt. One of them should be a bones list. Plug this into HCT in place of XPMS RIG 1.6c Full Bone.txt

 

I've only tested on canines and the workflow is the same as normal. Maybe there's something peculiar about other creatures.

http://gfycat.com/SpectacularInfatuatedBufeo

 

Also ask someone who's successfully exported giant animations.

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Using the txt file from the dumplist helped a bit. The animation looks normal but the fingers go mental.

 

 

As for error messages, this shows up after I "run configuration". Which I guess explains why the fingers don't animate correctly in game...

 

 

--- Configuration: Animation ---
     Create Skeletons Filter
        Root Node Name:NPC Root [Root]
        Num Bones: 79
     Create Animations Filter
        [0xabba1ae0] Warning : No float track data found for 'Weapon'. Did you forget to create/animate it?
        [0xabba1ce2] Warning : Missing float track data in scene. No float tracks added to this animation.
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Forearm [RLar] has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Hand [RHnd] has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L ForearmTwist1 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L ForearmTwist2 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Index1 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Index2 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Index3 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Middle1 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Middle2 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Middle3 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Pinkie1 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Pinkie2 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Pinkie3 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Ring1 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Ring2 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Ring3 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Thumb1 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Thumb2 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Thumb3 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC R Middle2 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC R Middle3 has invalid skew/scale
         Animation
            Length: 3.333333
            Frames: 101
            Annotation: absent
     Extract Motion Filter
        Motion extracted using 101 samples
     Spline Compression Filter
         Compression
            Number of blocks: 1
            Size of largest block (PlayStation®3 SPU): 19728 bytes.
            Original Size: 510656 bytes. Compressed Size: 19716 bytes.
            Compression Ratio: 25.900589:1.
     Footstep Analysis Filter
     Loop Animations Filter
     Prune Types Filter
        Removing hkxEnvironment ("Environment Data")
        Removing hkxScene ("Scene Data")
        Removing Resource Data completely.
        Removing 1 skeletons.
        Removing 0 mesh attachments.
        Removing 1 Transform and 0 Float  identity binding index arrays from 1 bindings(s)
        Removing 0 skins.
     Write to Platform Filter
        Wrote layout for [Tagfile] to file [..\giant skeleton\idle.xml].
    Finished in 00:00:00
 

 

 

 

EDIT: Btw that dog dance is hilarious

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Using the txt file from the dumplist helped a bit. The animation looks normal but the fingers go mental.

 

 

As for error messages, this shows up after I "run configuration". Which I guess explains why the fingers don't animate correctly in game...

 

 

--- Configuration: Animation ---

     Create Skeletons Filter

        Root Node Name:NPC Root [Root]

        Num Bones: 79

     Create Animations Filter

        [0xabba1ae0] Warning : No float track data found for 'Weapon'. Did you forget to create/animate it?

        [0xabba1ce2] Warning : Missing float track data in scene. No float tracks added to this animation.

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Forearm [RLar] has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Hand [RHnd] has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L ForearmTwist1 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L ForearmTwist2 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Index1 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Index2 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Index3 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Middle1 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Middle2 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Middle3 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Pinkie1 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Pinkie2 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Pinkie3 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Ring1 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Ring2 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Ring3 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Thumb1 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Thumb2 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Thumb3 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC R Middle2 has invalid skew/scale

        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC R Middle3 has invalid skew/scale

         Animation

            Length: 3.333333

            Frames: 101

            Annotation: absent

     Extract Motion Filter

        Motion extracted using 101 samples

     Spline Compression Filter

         Compression

            Number of blocks: 1

            Size of largest block (PlayStation®3 SPU): 19728 bytes.

            Original Size: 510656 bytes. Compressed Size: 19716 bytes.

            Compression Ratio: 25.900589:1.

     Footstep Analysis Filter

     Loop Animations Filter

     Prune Types Filter

        Removing hkxEnvironment ("Environment Data")

        Removing hkxScene ("Scene Data")

        Removing Resource Data completely.

        Removing 1 skeletons.

        Removing 0 mesh attachments.

        Removing 1 Transform and 0 Float  identity binding index arrays from 1 bindings(s)

        Removing 0 skins.

     Write to Platform Filter

        Wrote layout for [Tagfile] to file [..\giant skeleton\idle.xml].

    Finished in 00:00:00

 

 

 

 

EDIT: Btw that dog dance is hilarious

To fix skew/scale errors, use Reset Stretch/Scale in Max bone tools:

 

Select the topmost parent bone you want to edit. In this case, it would be NPC L Forearm [RLar]

From the menu, Animation-->Bone Tools. Click Bone Edit Mode button. Then at the very bottom, click Reset Stretch/Scale. Exit Bone Tools.

post-8195-0-91554000-1439467790_thumb.jpg

 

Re-run configuration and look at the warnings again. You may be able to select multiple bones and Reset Stretch/Scale all at once.

(As an aside, NPC L Hand [RHnd] and NPC L Forearm [RLar] naming convention looks unusual here. [RLar] I would think to mean Right Lower Arm. [RHnd] = Right Hand)

 

It's also warning about a missing 'Weapon' node. If you noticed in your other scene when you used 'Build Rig', the bone count is 80. In this one, it's 79. Maybe you can add a dummy node and rename it 'Weapon' so HCT doesn't complain. Might export just fine without it. I don't know.

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Using the txt file from the dumplist helped a bit. The animation looks normal but the fingers go mental.

 

 

As for error messages, this shows up after I "run configuration". Which I guess explains why the fingers don't animate correctly in game...

 

 

--- Configuration: Animation ---
     Create Skeletons Filter
        Root Node Name:NPC Root [Root]
        Num Bones: 79
     Create Animations Filter
        [0xabba1ae0] Warning : No float track data found for 'Weapon'. Did you forget to create/animate it?
        [0xabba1ce2] Warning : Missing float track data in scene. No float tracks added to this animation.
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Forearm [RLar] has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Hand [RHnd] has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L ForearmTwist1 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L ForearmTwist2 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Index1 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Index2 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Index3 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Middle1 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Middle2 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Middle3 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Pinkie1 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Pinkie2 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Pinkie3 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Ring1 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Ring2 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Ring3 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Thumb1 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Thumb2 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC L Thumb3 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC R Middle2 has invalid skew/scale
        [0xabba3a95] Warning : Animation for bone NPC R Middle3 has invalid skew/scale
         Animation
            Length: 3.333333
            Frames: 101
            Annotation: absent
     Extract Motion Filter
        Motion extracted using 101 samples
     Spline Compression Filter
         Compression
            Number of blocks: 1
            Size of largest block (PlayStation®3 SPU): 19728 bytes.
            Original Size: 510656 bytes. Compressed Size: 19716 bytes.
            Compression Ratio: 25.900589:1.
     Footstep Analysis Filter
     Loop Animations Filter
     Prune Types Filter
        Removing hkxEnvironment ("Environment Data")
        Removing hkxScene ("Scene Data")
        Removing Resource Data completely.
        Removing 1 skeletons.
        Removing 0 mesh attachments.
        Removing 1 Transform and 0 Float  identity binding index arrays from 1 bindings(s)
        Removing 0 skins.
     Write to Platform Filter
        Wrote layout for [Tagfile] to file [..\giant skeleton\idle.xml].
    Finished in 00:00:00
 

 

 

 

EDIT: Btw that dog dance is hilarious

To fix skew/scale errors, use Reset Stretch/Scale in Max bone tools:

 

Select the topmost parent bone you want to edit. In this case, it would be NPC L Forearm [RLar]

From the menu, Animation-->Bone Tools. Click Bone Edit Mode button. Then at the very bottom, click Reset Stretch/Scale. Exit Bone Tools.

attachicon.gifskew.JPG

 

Re-run configuration and look at the warnings again. You may be able to select multiple bones and Reset Stretch/Scale all at once.

(As an aside, NPC L Hand [RHnd] and NPC L Forearm [RLar] naming convention looks unusual here. [RLar] I would think to mean Right Lower Arm. [RHnd] = Right Hand)

It's also warning about a missing 'Weapon' node. If you noticed in your other scene when you used 'Build Rig', the bone count is 80. In this one, it's 79. Maybe you can add a dummy node and rename it 'Weapon' so HCT doesn't complain. Might export just fine without it. I don't know.

 

 

 

 

 

I've been playing around with the and it seems to be working in regards to getting rid of the errors. But in game they are still warped but don't flicker.

 

Its frustrating because the fixing one finger breaks another. When I open up the skeleton and use the edit bone mode on all bones it fixes all the errors in HCT (except the weapon). After i animate, back to the bone problems again. I got all of the left hand fingers to co-operate, but the right hand seems to be a problem, which is where the "weapon" is.

 

I made a dummy called weapon... but now I don't know how I did it... uped the bone count to 80 but it had an error that said something like "Bone has replicated root" or "2 bone have a root". I don't remember exactly what it said. I didn't copy/paste the message...

 

 

Found it, it says;

 

 

 

 Gathering Filter Changes for Footstep Analysis
     Create Skeletons
        [0xabba44f4] Warning : Skeleton "NPC Root [Root]" has multiple roots.
        [0xabba44f4] Warning :   Extra root found in bone : "Weapon"
        Root Node Name:NPC Root [Root]
        Num Bones: 80
     Create Animations
         Animation
            Length: 3.333333
            Frames: 101
            Annotation: absent
     Extract Motion
        Motion extracted using 101 samples
     Spline Compression
         Compression
            Number of blocks: 1
            Size of largest block (PlayStation®3 SPU): 18448 bytes.
            Original Size: 517120 bytes. Compressed Size: 18436 bytes.
            Compression Ratio: 28.049469:1.

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, the jaw doesn't display errors but flickers in game. Apparently Falmer and Draugr have the same problems but I haven't tested them myself.

 

BOOM! http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/8-13-2015/onD8ys.gif

 

Thank you pornphine, I would have never figured any of that out on my own.

The bone tool works but it is very annoying to use, as fixing one thing breaks another. I figured out where the dummy tool was then linked it to the root bone which made HCT show no more errors. Linking from the bone to the dummy does not work, it just creates more problems.

 

I also had to create a new layer underneath the layer with all of the bones or else it says you must put weapon under the root.

 

No idea why the jaw fixed itself, but hopefully I won't run into that problem again...

 

is there a way to test the files (idle.xml or idle.hkx) without having to replace their in game idles, re run fnis, and load up the game?

 

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Hi and thanks for all of this you have here for us.

 

In a nutshell. I go through every step as described and just fine with no issues, im not new to 3ds max and modding skyrim with my own creations.

 

But in regards to animating i am, but its not hard for me to pick on things so its  not a learning curve. the issue is no matter how i follow your steps/or leito's since i have Max 2012 i end up in a t pose in skyrim

 

I tried a loop animation and then a static pose and still the same results.

 

My question is this, can this be due to me using your files, max scence, rig etc and me having a different skeleton in game? I use the latest XPMSE HDT skeleton. is that the issue? that the bones from the rig are maybe not the same as the skeleton i use?

 

 

Any reply is welcomed, thanks.

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Hi and thanks for all of this you have here for us.

 

In a nutshell. I go through every step as described and just fine with no issues, im not new to 3ds max and modding skyrim with my own creations.

 

But in regards to animating i am, but its not hard for me to pick on things so its  not a learning curve. the issue is no matter how i follow your steps/or leito's since i have Max 2012 i end up in a t pose in skyrim

 

I tried a loop animation and then a static pose and still the same results.

 

My question is this, can this be due to me using your files, max scence, rig etc and me having a different skeleton in game? I use the latest XPMSE HDT skeleton. is that the issue? that the bones from the rig are maybe not the same as the skeleton i use?

 

 

Any reply is welcomed, thanks.

I run XPMSE. Skeleton isn't an issue.

 

Try exporting from the scene in the work files. You can also upload your Max scene file.

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Hi and thanks for all of this you have here for us.

 

In a nutshell. I go through every step as described and just fine with no issues, im not new to 3ds max and modding skyrim with my own creations.

 

But in regards to animating i am, but its not hard for me to pick on things so its  not a learning curve. the issue is no matter how i follow your steps/or leito's since i have Max 2012 i end up in a t pose in skyrim

 

I tried a loop animation and then a static pose and still the same results.

 

My question is this, can this be due to me using your files, max scence, rig etc and me having a different skeleton in game? I use the latest XPMSE HDT skeleton. is that the issue? that the bones from the rig are maybe not the same as the skeleton i use?

 

 

Any reply is welcomed, thanks.

I run XPMSE. Skeleton isn't an issue.

 

Try exporting from the scene in the work files. You can also upload your Max scene file.

 

 

My Scene Files.zip

 

So, zipped in there is both my before i dope sheet and after which i usually save like that during anything i do.

 

Hey, thanks again for replying and taking the time on this.

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attachicon.gifMy Scene Files.zip

 

So, zipped in there is both my before i dope sheet and after which i usually save like that during anything i do.

 

Hey, thanks again for replying and taking the time on this.

 

From the 'After' file. All I did was go to Havok export, run configuration, and then converted.

mt_idle.7z

My guess is you've messed up exporting somewhere. Describe your set up(HCT version) and export process. Do you get errors when you run configuration?

 

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attachicon.gifMy Scene Files.zip

 

So, zipped in there is both my before i dope sheet and after which i usually save like that during anything i do.

 

Hey, thanks again for replying and taking the time on this.

 

From the 'After' file

attachicon.gifmt_idle.7z

My guess is you've messed up exporting somewhere. Describe your set up(HCT version) and export process.

 

 

 

Okay so that was something else i was worried about, specifically when i export I SHIFT RIGHT CLICK on the folder that contains hktcnv.exe since i cant get it to work through the method you show in your vid. When I SHIFT RIGHT CLICK i choose "OPEN COMMAND WINDOW HERE" and then proceed to enter the syntax as seen in your vid. it does convert to HKX, and as I see now from what your converted the way I did it is at a lower compression.

 

So thats how i did it, not sure how it impacts it all in the end though.

 

 

attachicon.gifMy Scene Files.zip

 

So, zipped in there is both my before i dope sheet and after which i usually save like that during anything i do.

 

Hey, thanks again for replying and taking the time on this.

 

From the 'After' file. All I did was go to Havok export, run configuration, and then converted.

attachicon.gifmt_idle.7z

My guess is you've messed up exporting somewhere. Describe your set up(HCT version) and export process. Do you get errors when you run configuration?

 

 

My HCT version is 2012 2.0.1 btw....also the errors i got during the HCT export window were the same you had in the video btw.

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