Using Xidx, adding animations to game and unit scaling

[PROMETHEUS]

From a conversation I had with Vercingetorix I can summarize here the steps to create a full set of new animations for a unit , was hard to understand without his help , here is the summary....

1)

start make sure you have the latest version (just redownload it) of Xidx.

2)

from the zip extract:
xidx.exe xidxshell.bat extract_animations.bat extract_skeltons.bat pack_animations.bat pack_skeletons.bat
to you data\aniamtions folder

3)

Run extract_animations.bat and the extract_skeletons.bat.

4)

in windows copy fs_theunit_u_want_to_copy and rename the new skeleton.

5)

run xidxshell.bat

6)

type exactly:

chpath fs_newunitname copy all data/animations/
(one space goes here do not write this in parentesis) data/animations/fs_newunitname/
this will copy all the animations that the skeleton uses into data/animations/fs_big_indian_elephant/
remember that there must be a space between data/animations/ and data/aniamtions/fs_big_indian_elephant

7)

ok now there is a folder Data\animations\data\animations\fs_newunitname with all the files right?
now do up arrow so you have the exact same line you typed before but remove the word "copy" be sure not to run this twice!...
this told the skelton to use the new files that you copied instead of vanilla

8)

ok this is probably the most complicated, type exactly:

fork echo chpath fs_newunitname list all data/animations/ | xidx --shell >> anim_list.txt
this lists all the files we copied and saves then at the end of the file list_anim.txt. this is so when we run pack_animations.bat we will pack all the copied files...
should say if went ok ... idx extractor packer
version 96 mady by vercingetorix...

9)

now open data\animations\list.txt and on the last line type fs_newunitname then save the file...
in list.txt not list_anim.txt

(When copying an animationset that contains animations in the BI\data\animations\ folder then XIDX will not find those files.

ADD TO TUTORIAL: 9a: Copy the contents of list_anim.txt and add it to the end of anims_list.txt. XIDX will now include the new files into the packing process.)
10)

run pack_animations.bat then run pack_skeletons.bat
good now you should be able to use that skeleton in descr_model.txt and start the game

11)

so basically now you can take the copied animations in the folder of new fs_skeleton and place on the new edited animations
overwriting them everytime
the fs_skeleton will use always those in this folder
run pack_animatiosn to update the pack with your updated animations to make them work in game...

12)

repack everything.......


be always sure to have made a backup of all ur animations edited befoure making any change just in case you need them ....


Everytime you modify an animation idle keep a backup of it in max , then export and check if it works ....to check u need to repack everything everytime after having overwritten the original animation that is now in the newly created folder .....

Advice: I suggest not to edit the most basic animations or to keep edition to the minimum necessary since this can screw AI behaviour.... plus do not touch the turning animations , usually they cause a main problem with the repositioning of the units ....

PROMETHEUS


How To scale a unit ...

Use Idx tool by Vercingetorix and write this after running the Shell ...

type "scale" and the the scale size and filename

example : scale fs_prome_sword 1.1


needs to be the same scale so 1.1 in dmb.txt


Thankyou Vercingetorix....

[PROMETHEUS]

in cas doesnt work try

if u get that the LIS 01 Stand Idle.cas doesnt exhist then ....try to write this :

chpath fs_prome_yari "data/animationsfs_prome_yari/fs_prome_yari/LIS 01 Stand Idle.cas" "data/animations/fs_prome_yari/fs_prome_yari/LIS 01 Stand Idle.cas"

[Shogo]

when I try running skeletons.bat it fails to extract the skeletons

[Duke John]

BUG: When copying an animationset that contains animations in the BI\data\animations\ folder then XIDX will not find those files.

ADD TO TUTORIAL: 9a: Copy the contents of list_anim.txt and add it to the end of anims_list.txt. XIDX will now include the new files into the packing process.

[kleemann]

I use RTW v1.5 and BI v1.6

I tried to include animations from chivarly TW to XGM. I wanted to see what the fs_crossbow does. I had no sucsess with this tutorial. Even if i tried to add this to original animations.
Got some errors like: the animation /data/animations/fs_crossbowman do not exist

It is my first attempt to add new animations, and english isn't my native language..

4)
in windows copy fs_theunit_u_want_to_copy and rename the new skeleton.
Qestion: What i should copy? the skeleton and the skeleton folder? Where to?
fs_crossbowman.* and fs_crossbowman folder..?

5)
run xidxshell.bat

6)
type exactly:

chpath fs_newunitname copy all data/animations/
(one space goes here do not write this in parentesis) data/animations/fs_newunitname/
this will copy all the animations that the skeleton uses into data/animations/fs_big_indian_elephant/
remember that there must be a space between data/animations/ and data/aniamtions/fs_big_indian_elephant

Qestion: As i see this is used to copy the animation files from somewhere to the specified folder. Do i need to make this coping by xidxshell? Can't i just copy it to data/animations/data/animations/fs_crossbowman/ folder?

7)
ok now there is a folder Data\animations\data\animations\fs_newunitname with all the files right?

now do up arrow so you have the exact same line you typed before but remove the word "copy" be sure not to run this twice!...
this told the skelton to use the new files that you copied instead of vanilla
Question: why not twice? what it does?

Question: Am i correct, this chpath updates skeleton file, tells the skeleton to use files in data/animations/data/animations/fs_crossbowman/?
If i-m not using the shell to make copy, what i have to write into command line?
chpath fs_crossbowman all data/animations/(space)data/animations/fs_crossbowman/

8)
ok this is probably the most complicated, type exactly:

fork echo chpath fs_newunitname list all data/animations/ | xidx --shell >> list_anim.txt
this lists all the files we copied and saves then at the end of the file list_anim.txt. this is so when we run pack_aniamtions.bat we will pack all the copied files...
should say if went ok ... idx extractor packer
version 96 mady by vercingetorix...
Question: as i can see it is possible to just copy/write this to the end of the file if you have this writen in diferent animation file
Some mistake i noticed: thare is a file anim_list.txt and not list_anims.txt :)

9)
now open data\animations\list.txt and on the last line type fs_newunitname then save the file...
in list.txt not list_anim.txt
Question: Must this new animation be the last entri for sure?

Can you re-view your tutorial and include real example doing this step by step..

[Monkwarrior]

I think your problem, kleemann, is that the animations from Chivalry TW are developed for RTW 1.2.

I tried also adding the crossbowmen animation, and failed , whereas I was able to include RTW 1.5 animations without problems following the tutorial.

My advice is: try to use the tutorial with some well-known and tested 1.5 animations (I would recommend SigniferOne 0.8 or the new EB pack of animations). If you succeed, then the problem is not your skills, but the version of the animation you are trying to include.

Cheers.

[kleemann]

Thanks for advice, i will check this out..

Actually the Chivarly crossbowman model works fine with fs_crossbow skeleton. "Fast shooter"
i won a battle where battle odds where 1:5 penalty for me. Julii attacked and lost the battle. My crossbowmens had missile attack only 2 or 3. of course i had 1600 weak crossbowman

[PROMETHEUS]

BUG: When copying an animationset that contains animations in the BI\data\animations\ folder then XIDX will not find those files.

ADD TO TUTORIAL: 9a: Copy the contents of list_anim.txt and add it to the end of anims_list.txt. XIDX will now include the new files into the packing process.

this was already specified in the tut....

[kleemann]

I think your problem, kleemann, is that the animations from Chivalry TW are developed for RTW 1.2.

I tried also adding the crossbowmen animation, and failed , whereas I was able to include RTW 1.5 animations without problems following the tutorial.

My advice is: try to use the tutorial with some well-known and tested 1.5 animations (I would recommend SigniferOne 0.8 or the new EB pack of animations). If you succeed, then the problem is not your skills, but the version of the animation you are trying to include.

Cheers.

You were right, adding XGM skeletons to BI animations works fine. Actually now i know how this thing works and this tutorial is ok. Sometimes i just must read untill i get the point..

[Monkwarrior]

You were right, adding XGM skeletons to BI animations works fine. Actually now i know how this thing works and this tutorial is ok. Sometimes i just must read untill i get the point..

Glad to be of help.

[PROMETHEUS]

Updated with Unit scaling ...

[PROMETHEUS]

Updated with Suggestions....

[Ra-az]

This is a query about the BI part of your tuto (fs_crossbow)!!

I'm sorry I must be dumb but.....

Shouldn't I copy the animations(step6) in the ..\animations\BI\data folder also?

7)
ok now there is a folder Data\animations\data\animations\fs_newunitname with all the files right?
now do up arrow so you have the exact same line you typed before but remove the word "copy" be sure not to run this twice!...
this told the skelton to use the new files that you copied instead of vanilla

If I can't do this twice I won't have the BI animations, right?

9)

now open data\animations\list.txt and on the last line type fs_newunitname then save the file...
in list.txt not list_anim.txt

(When copying an animationset that contains animations in the BI\data\animations\ folder then XIDX will not find those files.

ADD TO TUTORIAL: 9a: Copy the contents of list_anim.txt and add it to the end of anims_list.txt. XIDX will now include the new files into the packing process.)

Where does this list_anim.txt file come from?

Don't get me wrong, I think your tuto is great. Thanks partly to you I was able to create multiple skeletons based on fs_crossbow with their own shooting/aiming animations. Only now I want to move them to the RTW folder.

My goal = To start BI.exe in RTW mode and still be able to use bucellarii based models

And I succeeded ! Tutorial will follow when I can find the time

[PatricianS]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

From a conversation I had with Vercingetorix I can summarize here the steps to create a full set of new animations for a unit , was hard to understand without his help , here is the summary....

1)

start make sure you have the latest version (just redownload it) of Xidx.

2)

from the zip extract:
xidx.exe xidxshell.bat extract_animations.bat extract_skeltons.bat pack_animations.bat pack_skeletons.bat
to you data\aniamtions folder

3)

Run extract_animations.bat and the extract_skeletons.bat.

4)

in windows copy fs_theunit_u_want_to_copy and rename the new skeleton.

5)

run xidxshell.bat

6)

type exactly:

chpath fs_newunitname copy all data/animations/
(one space goes here do not write this in parentesis) data/animations/fs_newunitname/
this will copy all the animations that the skeleton uses into data/animations/fs_big_indian_elephant/
remember that there must be a space between data/animations/ and data/aniamtions/fs_big_indian_elephant

7)

ok now there is a folder Data\animations\data\animations\fs_newunitname with all the files right?
now do up arrow so you have the exact same line you typed before but remove the word "copy" be sure not to run this twice!...
this told the skelton to use the new files that you copied instead of vanilla

8)

ok this is probably the most complicated, type exactly:

fork echo chpath fs_newunitname list all data/animations/ | xidx --shell >> anim_list.txt
this lists all the files we copied and saves then at the end of the file list_anim.txt. this is so when we run pack_animations.bat we will pack all the copied files...
should say if went ok ... idx extractor packer
version 96 mady by vercingetorix...

9)

now open data\animations\list.txt and on the last line type fs_newunitname then save the file...
in list.txt not list_anim.txt

(When copying an animationset that contains animations in the BI\data\animations\ folder then XIDX will not find those files.

ADD TO TUTORIAL: 9a: Copy the contents of list_anim.txt and add it to the end of anims_list.txt. XIDX will now include the new files into the packing process.)
10)

run pack_animations.bat then run pack_skeletons.bat
good now you should be able to use that skeleton in descr_model.txt and start the game

11)

so basically now you can take the copied animations in the folder of new fs_skeleton and place on the new edited animations
overwriting them everytime
the fs_skeleton will use always those in this folder
run pack_animatiosn to update the pack with your updated animations to make them work in game...

12)

repack everything.......


be always sure to have made a backup of all ur animations edited befoure making any change just in case you need them ....

I compiled all this in a single tool: Adding animations
So you don't have to write those complex commands all the time anymore... (Personally I always had some typos in them )