Need help with descr_skeleton.txt

**Vercingetorix** · 03-07-2005, 20:48

Skeleton.idx and Skeleton.dat is simply descr_skeleton.txt in a binary format. Pack.dat contains only the animation .cas files not evt files. I don't think that there is a check going on because if you delete descr_skeleton.txt (and you have the .dat/idx of course) the game runs fine. It's funny why this would not work exactly like the events.dat and the descr_sound* files. In the case of sounds you delete events.dat/idx and it parses the sound txt files, I'm not sure why it doesn't work the same with animations.

The error messages of '-animdb' from the exe:

AnimDB: Could not build skeleton animation for anim '%s' in '%s' skeleton
AnimDB: Could not read parameters of anim '%s' in '%s' skeleton
AnimDB: Could not load - '%s'
AnimDB: Unknown animation - '%s'
AnimDB: %s - %i skeletons %i anims

For those not familar with sprintf, %s means string and %i a number...

**Bwian** · 03-07-2005, 21:19

Aww.....

So, from what V is saying.....we have everything we need ..IN THEORY, but in practice, the game just wants the files and isn't doing what it ought to do.

We have the animation CAS files
We have the EVT files
We have the skeleton dat / idx in the form of the descr_skeleton.txt

But the game CTD's because it is still looking for the archives, rather than just what they contain.

If that is true...there really isn't a way round this short of a patch from CA.

Mind you...all this doesn't really explain my '4 armed man' scenario. When I was trying to make a new skeleton for large creatures, I tried every permutation of change to animation cas files etc. but never managed to get a REALLY new skeleton. I tried to move the pivot points on both the game model AND the animation files, but never got a change that took effect.

**Vercingetorix** · 03-07-2005, 21:25

Yea the actual skeleton bone positions are in skeletons.dat

**Bwian** · 03-07-2005, 22:06

Ahh...thanks Vercingetorix :)

THATS what I need to change! I know the data for this is not part of the text file, since that just seems to provide a list of animations to use.

Any chance of being able to load up a completely new skeleton with new bone positions through your excellent editor? In truth, this is the only thing we CAN'T do right now

**SigniferOne** · 03-07-2005, 22:57

In truth, it'd be more important if we could change things other than mere skeletons. For example, as I said before, there's a lot of fascinating capacity written in descr_skeleton that we simply cannot do right now through mere skeleton replacement. If we could get access to that, it'd be a miracle that lots of people could take advantage of.

**Bwian** · 03-08-2005, 10:10

Ahh...'mere' skeleton replacement is rather understating what I want to do. At the moment, we have a set and finite number of skeletons. They are:

1) Human
2) Horse
3) Dog
4) Elephant

Thats all. Each has it's proportions rigidly fixed and immutable. If you wanted to make a barbarian with a broader chest...well...you can't. I have tried, but the fixed nature of the shoulder pivots means you are stuck. All ofthe 'warrior' models are teh same stature as the peasants. Thats Ok for ordinary troops...but for Heroes...well...I want some beefier General models, and I can't make tehm work right. All you an do is add a scaling factor. Take a look at the Middle Earth mod....it's Dwarves are a classic example of why I want to be able to do this. They don't look like short warriors...they look like children.

Then, of course, there are the non-humans. My Centaurs work fine until you kill them. Then you get bits of horse and body. Hit them hard and you get bodies popping around like popcorn! I can't make a centaur skeleton.

I also can't make dragons, hydra, cerberus ( with more than 1 moving head ) giant scorpions, trolls that look like I think they should, cyclops, Minotaurs etc. They end up as just 'bigger or smaller human shaped creatures' and I am unhappy with the results. I have put the 'Mythology Mod' on the shelf until this is cured.... so to me new skeletons are THE most important thing we could add to the game. We can already add new animations...we are just tied to the stock skeletons.

**SigniferOne** · 03-08-2005, 14:26

I don't know what you mean. You can go throuigh a few animations and change how broad the guy's chest looks, and it will look broader. You don't even have to change that many, just a few idle animations ones when the guy is stationary enough for people are likely to pay attention. During things like dodging or blocking it won't matter much anyway because the body is in motion and proportions are temporarily distorted, as it happens in real life. That's the solution I've adopted.