Animation Guide and getting it to work in Skyrim (3ds Max)

[evilelf]

Awesome guide! Thanks for putting this together.

 

I've noticed exporting animations now takes an insanely long time in Windows 10.  Worked great on Win 7. Any insight into this?

[SirNibbles]

Awesome guide! Thanks for putting this together.

 

I've noticed exporting animations now takes an insanely long time in Windows 10.  Worked great on Win 7. Any insight into this?

 

Other then running 3ds max in compatibility mode...no idea sorry.

I'm still running the old stable Win7, so personally I don't have any experience with 3ds max on Win10.

[znaroks]

Awesome guide! Thanks for putting this together.

 

I've noticed exporting animations now takes an insanely long time in Windows 10.  Worked great on Win 7. Any insight into this?

 

 

 

Awesome guide! Thanks for putting this together.

 

I've noticed exporting animations now takes an insanely long time in Windows 10.  Worked great on Win 7. Any insight into this?

 

Other then running 3ds max in compatibility mode...no idea sorry.

I'm still running the old stable Win7, so personally I don't have any experience with 3ds max on Win10.

 

 

Oh, I thought this was just me...

 

The way I fixed the ''frozen export'' on my windows 10, is just that when I press export and it freezes, I open my task manager and terminate 3ds(select it and press "End Task") and re-open the same project and export again, it exports instantly, and it works for every single project for the rest of the day somehow(you only have to do it once). Works every time, for me at least.

 

Anyway, another question - If I have 2 animations in 2 different max files, one is 30 frames long, the other is 50 frames long. Can I import the animation from the first file to the other and combine them into one animation, that is 80 frames long total?

[znaroks]

Another question - How do I make it so that pink arm controllers don't move along with the pink ring body controller, every time I move it(so the arms stay in place as long the pink body controller doesn't go out of arms length range)?

[SirNibbles]

Another question - How do I make it so that pink arm controllers don't move along with the pink ring body controller, every time I move it(so the arms stay in place as long the pink body controller doesn't go out of arms length range)?

 

That's very simple.

Just click the the pink controller and hit the unlink button (they are linked standard with pornphile's rigs)

 

 

 

 

[znaroks]

 

Another question - How do I make it so that pink arm controllers don't move along with the pink ring body controller, every time I move it(so the arms stay in place as long the pink body controller doesn't go out of arms length range)?

 

That's very simple.

Just click the the pink controller and hit the unlink button (they are linked standard with pornphile's rigs)

 

 

 

 

 

 

And what If I want to link them back(besides Ctrl + Z) so they would behave in default way? 

[SirNibbles]

 

 

Another question - How do I make it so that pink arm controllers don't move along with the pink ring body controller, every time I move it(so the arms stay in place as long the pink body controller doesn't go out of arms length range)?

 

That's very simple.

Just click the the pink controller and hit the unlink button (they are linked standard with pornphile's rigs)

 

 

 

 

 

 

And what If I want to link them back(besides Ctrl + Z) so they would behave in default way? 

 

 

Then you can simply use the method I described in "3.d)"

Linking and unlinking can save you a lot of time.

[evilelf]

Thanks for the tip on quitting 3ds max in task manager to achieve normal export speeds in Win 10. Seems to work fine.

 

As a test, I also uninstalled and then immediately re-installed 3ds max 2012, only this time I did not apply any of the patches or hotfixes for the program. Now export speeds in Win 10 are back to normal even without using task manager. Not sure if skipping the patches worked or this was just another Win 10 quirk...but I'll take it.

[Guest]

I Can't seem to find 3DS Max 2012 on their site, and I've had a bad history with downloading cracks, any links to a good one?

[SirNibbles]

I Can't seem to find 3DS Max 2012 on their site, and I've had a bad history with downloading cracks, any links to a good one?

 

Sorry can't help you with this, but there are several links and downloads on the web.

Just keep your antivirus up to date and scan before you open up the downloaded programm and in most cases you should be good to go.

[Guest sirrinriss]

Hey, thanks for the tutorial.

 

For practice I opened up one of Leito's animation resources so I could make a slight adjustment and then import it to see if it works.

 

I'm having an issue with the export stage of the animation, where you are supposed to delete all of the female parts first to export the male, 3Ds Max won't allow me to delete the layers as they are just greyed out, like this:

Spoiler

 

Am I missing something obvious?

 

Thanks!

[SirNibbles]

4 minutes ago, sirrinriss said:

Hey, thanks for the tutorial.

 

For practice I opened up one of Leito's animation resources so I could make a slight adjustment and then import it to see if it works.

 

I'm having an issue with the export stage of the animation, where you are supposed to delete all of the female parts first to export the male, 3Ds Max won't allow me to delete the layers as they are just greyed out, like this:

  Hide contents

 

Am I missing something obvious?

 

Thanks!

It's important you delete the bones because this is what actually needs to get exported.

Just hide everything you want to keep, and then select everything and delete them by clicking the deleton button (the on on your keyboard I mean)

[Guest sirrinriss]

8 minutes ago, SirNibbles said:

It's important you delete the bones because this is what actually needs to get exported.

Just hide everything you want to keep, and then select everything and delete them by clicking the deleton button (the on on your keyboard I mean)

That's what I mean, it won't allow me to delete the layers at all, they're just greyed out and delete isn't an option for some reason

[Guest sirrinriss]

I've found a way I think, I have to right click on the parts I want to delete, hit select, and then only one it's selected fully can I delete it! If I just click on it I can't delete it lol

[Guest sirrinriss]

Ahrrrrg I've tried for an hour now to get this to work and I really don't know what I'm doing wrong, so I've gone back and taken a screenshots of every single thing I do:

 

So I download the required files and extract them, I originally had the hxcmd version 1.4  but that didn't work either, so this time I downloaded 1.0 to match the hktcnv

 

Spoiler

 

Then I use a random Leito source animation and make a few small changes so I can tell the difference if they work:

 

Spoiler

 

Following the tutorial I delete all the female parts of the animation so only the male parts are left, the only difference being the meshes with the Leito animation are kept in the top folder and not the meshes folder:

 

Spoiler

 

Now that the female parts are deleted I select export from the Havok Content Tools menu:

Spoiler

I follow the tutorial and make sure to select the skeleton that the animation uses:

Spoiler

I then unclick 'frame range':

Spoiler

When I get to 'write to platform' this is the bit that deviates from the tutorial, which might be where the problem is:

 

I try to save the file by clicking on the box but the file won't appear after I click save, no matter if I name 'simplename' or 'simplename.xml' it won't appear:

 

Spoiler

 

So I carry on anyway and click 'run configuration' and instead of saving the file Havok Tools Framework opens and show me the animation working fine: 

 

Spoiler

 

 

Since it's open I assume I have to save it but it gives me a few options to choose from, I know that I want this file to be an xml file but I save it a couple of ways just in case:

 

Spoiler

 

Since they both just show up as "File" instead of what I selected, I rename the file I saved as an xml file, 'simplenamemalexml' file to 'simplenamemalexml.xml' and it's listed in the xml format:

 

Spoiler

 

Then, finally, I open up the command prompt and run the cmd using the command provided:

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

And then it crashes lol:

 

Spoiler

 

It will crash the same way every time, and I've pretty much tried every file extension combination from the Havok Tools Framework and the Write to Platform stages I can think of!

 

Sorry for the long message but I wanted to show every single thing I'm doing with pictures to make it easier to read

 

If you know how to help I appreciate it but don't worry if it's too much work to figure it out, I'm only asking in case it's something really obvious that I've missed..

 

 

 

 

[SirNibbles]

Added a video showcasing how to export the scene when you're done since it's still a little confusing for some people.

[_SpaceHamster_]

Pulling a necro on this one, since I never got far in animating because of doubts I'm having.
 

Are there any future plans of updating this guide?
I made some small single human+human animations, but I wanna give Female + Horse a go, and maybe in the end put objects in. (If you know Animopron, you get what I'm trying to reach.) 

These are unfortunately the only 2 parts that were I assumed planned to be put here, but never really happened.

I'd love to know if I should either quit 3dsmax and move on to Blender or wait untill you can update this guide.
And the images used in here are unavailable, so maybe those can be updated as well

[SirNibbles]

52 minutes ago, SpaceHamst3r said:

Pulling a necro on this one, since I never got far in animating because of doubts I'm having.
 

Are there any future plans of updating this guide?
I made some small single human+human animations, but I wanna give Female + Horse a go, and maybe in the end put objects in. (If you know Animopron, you get what I'm trying to reach.) 

These are unfortunately the only 2 parts that were I assumed planned to be put here, but never really happened.

I'd love to know if I should either quit 3dsmax and move on to Blender or wait untill you can update this guide.
And the images used in here are unavailable, so maybe those can be updated as well

Didn't noticed the domain I've hosted my images on got deleted.

I've chosen a new domain and reuploaded the images/gifs.

 

And I'll try to find some time soon in which I can describe the objects+creatures, I've got some spare time on my hands anyways the following week.

[_SpaceHamster_]

12 minutes ago, SirNibbles said:

Didn't noticed the domain I've hosted my images on got deleted.

I've chosen a new domain and reuploaded the images/gifs.

 

And I'll try to find some time soon in which I can describe the objects+creatures, I've got some spare time on my hands anyways the following week.

Thanks Nibbles, really appreciate it.
 

[SirNibbles]

4 hours ago, TMcad3rs said:

anyone have the same problem where the penis mesh would only attach to the female rather than the male?

If you take a look at point 3, animating (3.a optional)

I've explained there on how to change to bones to the ones you want to, so it moves with the actor you want it to move.

[SirNibbles]

8 minutes ago, TMcad3rs said:

sorry to be a pain but i followed the guide thoroughly, positioning and then ticking the male mesh in the manage layers but it still attaches to the female rather than the male for some reason and i cant find a way to correct it. i had it working yesterday by following your guide and today i do the exact same thing but it doesn't add to the male mesh body for some odd reason.

After importing the penis mesh, click on it so it's high lighted and then change the bone it's attached to which I've highlighted here:

 

https://image.ibb.co/iAqkGx/21.png

 

1. This is the part you should click to get these options after clicking the mesh.

2. This is the part where you add/remove bone, just remove the bone called pelvis that's currently attached.

3. After clicking the add bone button, the window at 3 opens up, in here click the pelvis bone you want the mesh to be linked to and will move with this pelvis bone (with un-edited rigs, the pelvis ending with the part "Ctrl_M" is for the males, whilst the "Ctrl_F" is for females)

[TMcad3rs]

how do you keep the females hands locked so it doesn't move when she bounces?

Spoiler

 

[_SpaceHamster_]

16 minutes ago, TMcad3rs said:

how do you keep the females hands locked so it doesn't move when she bounces?

  Hide contents

 

Use the locks option

 

Spoiler

 

Check these 3 boxes.

 

U should end up using these a lot. It's a great feature.

[TMcad3rs]

9 hours ago, SpaceHamst3r said:

Use the locks option

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Check these 3 boxes.

 

U should end up using these a lot. It's a great feature.

thank you very much

[coldloc]

would like to discuss and ask the knowledge on the animation file format conversion workflow. 

 

below highly encountered file format: (skyrim)

 

.kf    ( hkx->kf   via hkxcmd.exe ) ,  with right skeleton the animation can be played in 3ds max very helpful to adjust weight painting and skinning result.  however,  if searching for methods to use imported kf to regenerate hkx,  hardly find any tutorials that will work in game on this reversed approach.  

 

.xaf ( 3ds max can save animation in xaf  format   ---  mentioned in pornphile's video tutorial 6'01'' ,  is this a mandatary step ? )

 

.xml (  Max 2012 - Havok Content Tools + input XPMS RIG 1.6c Full Bone.txt  => to export as xml format )

 

.hkx  ( xml -> hkx  via   hktcnv.exe  )  

 

.hkx modified (  hkx -> hkx  via  hkxPoser.exe tool   , pose anim only  )  

 

 

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