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Two sets of animation per hero

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 2:15 pm
by wagromph
So I had an idea that an Asajj Ventress unit could be able to swap between having two sabers, to a saber staff.
Is there a way to set mauls saber as an alternate weapon, then have her animations and combos change to accommodate it ?

Re: Two sets of animation per hero

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 3:20 pm
by Marth8880
If you're asking whether a unit can have two different combo weapons, I believe the answer is no. I could be wrong though.

Re: Two sets of animation per hero

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 3:35 pm
by wagromph
so there is no real way of switching between two sabers and the saber staff ?

Re: Two sets of animation per hero

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 4:36 pm
by thelegend
You can. I never tried that before but you first would need the following:

Ventress Sabers working on Aayla's animations working (If there are others, take them. I believe you are referring to her two sabers).
Ventress Sabers connected on Maul's animations working.

I don't know if you have these assets but for the first one you need a working venrtess sample with her two sabers. Then the same but letting her use Maul's weapon instead (only if you don't have her assets; where she connected her sabers as a staff).

Now the tricky part. But first some background knoweldge is required.

Every melee or saber weapon in Battlefront II uses animations from certain animation folders. You don't need to when you add any saber to any unit. They will use stock animations either (which look "slabby" though). Your saber is being loaded as an odf. This odf refers to your saber .msh and animation .combo file. This file is the most important one when adding sabers to units.

Alright for example. Darth Maul uses cis_weap_doublesaber. This weapon reads a combo file: cis_hero_darthmaul.combo
This combo file reads Darth Mauls MUNGED animations in data_XXX/Side/cis/munged.
Okay now when you want to add aayla's sabers and darthmaul's saber to one unit do the following:

Replace your unit's weapon section with these:

Code: Select all

WeaponName1           = "cis_weap_doublesaber"
WeaponAmmo1           = 0

WeaponName2           = "rep_weap_lightsaber_aalya"
WeaponAmmo2           = 0
Now replace your AnimationName with this one:

Code: Select all

AnimationName 		= "ventress"
Now go to data_XXX/Animations/SoldierAnimationBank and create a new folder called "Ventress".
Now go to Assets/Animations/SoldierAnimationbank/aalya and copy all files from there into your venrtess folder.
You do the same with maul's animations. Copy them all into your Ventress folder.

When you are done go and rename all .msh files inside your Ventress folder like these:
aalya_sabre_sprint_full to ventress_sabre_sprint_full
aalya_sabre_stand_attack1c_full to ventress_sabre_stand_attack1c_full
maul_sabre_sprint_upper to ventress_sabre_sprint_upper

IMPORTANT: Keep the basepose.msh there. Best you use Mauls since Aaylas will have unecessary nulls attached to her skeletion due to her tentacles.

When you are done edit the munge.bat and change the last three letters into your side name.
Example:
@call ..\munge_animation.bat "/keepframe0 /dest maul.zaf /comp_debug 0 /debug" Sides/CIS
to
@call ..\munge_animation.bat "/keepframe0 /dest maul.zaf /comp_debug 0 /debug" Sides/REP

By the way when you use a 64bit system add the following line above the @call... line:
@set path=C:/windows/system32

Now copy all .msh, .odf, .tga, .option AND .combo files into your side's folders. Or use the ones you already have when you have Ventresses assets.
Now when you are done you have:
-New munged animations which contain Aaylas and Mauls.
-A new odf reading your new Animation name and two weapon names.
-A side folder containing your new, already tested, functional weapons.
-A lot of patience.

Now your unit reads a new animation set so two saber weapons can read them.

Re: Two sets of animation per hero

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 6:13 pm
by wagromph
What do I do when renaming things
maul_sabre_stand_block_left2_full
aalya_sabre_stand_block_left2_full

I assume I have to get rid of one of them as they both cant be Ventress_sabre_Stand_block_left2_full

also when munging I have to change the last 3 letters to a side, I assume its the side I have ventress put in so it should look like this ?

@call ..\munge_animation.bat "/keepframe0 /dest maul.zaf /comp_debug 0 /debug" Sides/CIS
to
@call ..\munge_animation.bat "/keepframe0 /dest maul.zaf /comp_debug 0 /debug" Sides/CIS

Re: Two sets of animation per hero

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 7:34 pm
by thelegend
Hm...I must have forgotten something. I think I forgot to mention how the name of the animation works at all.

maul_sabre_stand_block_left2_full

maul is the name of the animation set.
sabre_stand is a sabre animation in standing pose
block_left2 Left block animation
full Full body will be animated

It might be good idea to take a look at the jedi_creation guide in your documentation folder.
To have two animations at once you would need to rename (example this:

aalya_sabre_stand_attack1c_full

to this:

ventress_sabre_stand_attack1e_full

Then go and open rep_hero_aalya.combo (combo file of aaylas lightsabers) and search for the following line:

Code: Select all

[i]State("ATTACK3")
{
    Posture("Stand");
    Animation("stand_attack1c")[/i]
and change it to

Code: Select all

[i]State("ATTACK3")
{
    Posture("Stand");
    Animation("stand_attack1[b]e[/b]")[/i]
You wouldn't need the exact same name. Just stand_attack1e or stand_attack1f or stand_attack1g...
Just note down the names somewhere and rename these two things. It takes some time but it should work somehow.

I am not even sure if two sabers can be hold by one unit. It might be a good idea to test it only with a stock animation set being loaded. For example: AnimationName = "aalya" and give her (Ventress) her (Aayla's) and Mauls sabers. The game won't crash if you do the following to Maul's weapon (cis_weap_doublesaber):

Code: Select all

ComboAnimationBank  = "human_sabre melee cis_hero_darthmaul"
to

Code: Select all

ComboAnimationBank  = "human_sabre melee rep_hero_aalya"
Now you will have aayla's animations but with two different weapons. It will look buggy but for now two lightsabers may be loaded. It could also not work. I never tried having a unit with two different lightsabers (as weapon classes). So first try this and if it works we can work together on getting both indiviual animations working.

=EDIT=
wagromph wrote: @call ..\munge_animation.bat "/keepframe0 /dest maul.zaf /comp_debug 0 /debug" Sides/CIS
to
@call ..\munge_animation.bat "/keepframe0 /dest maul.zaf /comp_debug 0 /debug" Sides/CIS
I forgot to tell that maul.zaf (In the middle) needs to be replaced with ventress.zaf. But first try testing two sabers using one animation set to see if the game can load two sabers at once per unit.

Re: Two sets of animation per hero

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 8:07 pm
by wagromph
I gave her both sabers but cant switch between them. I have her regular sabers as her first, and mauls as her second, I can see it come up listed in her equipment when in the selection screen, but I am unable to actually switch between them. I tried another weapons (CIS shotgun) and I get the same results.

EDIT
HOEVER , if I make the shotgun the first weapon, and the saber second, I am able to switch between them freely.