Weird Wish - Please chance Avatars back to Original - Possible Reward

[Guest kekle3]

I will try to make this a short message...

 

I loved the way your charecters looked in the old BG 1 and Icewind Dale, but when I installed Their Expansions or Sequels I was given a fully new avatars and look of them...

 

Easy to say, I was very displeased, and I have tried for a long time ago, to chance thee´m back, but to no avail...

 

Therefore am I sending a plea to anyone ,who might be able to restore the avatars in my BG 2 game, so they appear in the same style as BG 1.

 

I Know that there are things like dual weilding that will crash, but you might be able to make it so that thoose animations will be using the new models.. Even though it will be looking awfull.

 

I am hoping for some responses, and If anyone is able to make a !solid working! "Chance Back avatars Pack" I will be willing to pay:

 

SHOCK SHOCK

30 $ via Paypal

SHOCK SHOCK

 

Please, I really mean it...

 

It has bugged me for five years now, so im rather desperate :'(

[Lysan Lurraxol]

It's already been made

 

http://www.shsforums.net/index.php?automod...amp;showfile=81

 

there's the link. It changes all BG2 inventory avatars and items into the BG1 versions

 

Have fun

[Guest Guest]

Nooo, Thats just like the inventory screen, I mean the models ingame!

[Miloch]

Yeah, there's been some discussion of this over the years. It'd be a lot of work.

[berelinde]

After hearing everyone say how difficult it would be to replace all the BG2 animations with BG1 animations, you at least deserve to hear a reason why it is so difficult.

 

This would require that all the game animations from BG1 be exported and copied into BG2, overwriting their BG2 counterparts... except that it isn't as easy as that. There were quite a few changes between BG1 and BG2, so they don't quite match up. An artist would have to step in and adjust each one individually. Since a single animation typically has multiple BAMs, each with dozens of frames, and each frame would have to be adjusted individually, it really would take an enormous amount of work. And most of the inventory BAMs would need replacement as well.

 

1PP and Moinesse's Avatars do a lot with the animations, but neither quite does everything you want. All I can tell you is check both out, and see which you prefer.

[Guest Guest]

Thx Berlinde.. Hmm..

 

I tried once to take all the old animtaions from bg 1, and smacked them into bg 2 overwrite folder..

 

Thats looked weird I tell you! Some of the animations fitted, but when Walking my avatar would lay down...

 

But shouldnt there be some way in the code to like, reset the charekter values? If I would uninstall Heart of Winter, would it then automaticly delete Icewin Dale too?

[Miloch]

But shouldnt there be some way in the code to like, reset the charekter values? If I would uninstall Heart of Winter, would it then automaticly delete Icewin Dale too?

Not sure what you mean. If you're asking if the original animations should be restored after you uninstall a mod that changes them, then yes, that's what WeiDU is all about (what most mods are packaged with these days).

 

And if you're interested in more details as to technical difficulties, the IESDP gives some more info.

[berelinde]

Thats looked weird I tell you! Some of the animations fitted, but when Walking my avatar would lay down...

And that's why a simple mod that makes a one-for-one substitution is impossible. Each animation would have to be evaluated individually, by hand. The coding isn't tough, but it's tedious. Verrrrrry tedious.

 

Here's what the IESDP has to say about animations:

'BG1 character animation style'

These animations have [E] files for eastern orientations. There are only 8 orientations of which 5 are in the first file, 3 are in the second file. Both files have the full 8 orientation slots, but only 5/3 are useful.

 

Convention:

 

[Animation ID][(optional) Single-letter weapon ID]Gn[(optional) E for +180 - +360 degrees]

Example: The sirine animation MSIRG1.BAM (unarmed/creature, "left" animation), MSIRBG1E.BAM (bow, "right" animation).

 

 

'BG2 monster animation style'

These got no secondary files for mirrors. There are 9 orientations for each action, the 7 eastern orientations are generated. All animations are 'G<number>'

 

G1 = Stand combat? (sequences 10-18, min 16 frames)

G11 = Walk (sequences 1-9, min 8 frames)

G12 = Stand Peaceful?

G13 = Hit?

G14 = Hit?

G15 = Twitch (dead)

G2 = Attack

G21 = Attack

G22 = Attack

G23 = Ranged Attack?

G24 = Same as G23

G25 = Casting? Build-up of Spell?

G26 = Release Spell?

 

As you can see, the animations don't match up. Not even close. Also, you need to keep in mind that some creatures might not have all the animations they are supposed to have, even for BG1.

 

If there was a way to automate the process, it would have been done by now.

[Miloch]

'BG2 monster animation style'

We're probably talking about the character format lower down.

'BG2/IWD character animation style'

These animations have no [E] files for eastern orientations. There are 9 orientations for each action, the 7 eastern orientations are generated by code. Melee animations are 'A<number>', CA-cast, 'SX'-xbow shot, 'SS'-sling, 'SA'-bow. Weapon overlays are in separate files.

But in reality, it probably makes little difference, as it'd be similarly complex either way.

If there was a way to automate the process, it would have been done by now.

Oh, I don't know about that. There's always more as-yet-undeveloped automated tools that could help us, even in the seemingly tapped-out world of IE modding. But I don't know if it could be completely automated - certainly partially automated though.

[berelinde]

You volunteering?

[Miloch]

I lack the time and the skills .

[Guest Guest]

Try I say! You shall recieve my bounty if you do!

 

[Miloch]

At best, even if I had the time, I have only the skills to work on such a project as a supporting contributor. It would need essentially three skill sets:

1. the ability to convert existing animations from one game format to another (Cuv and Galactygon have done this)
   
2. the ability to create and edit complex animations (Erephine and Moinesse, and the latter has been gone for some time)
   
3. the ability to create tools to assist with automating animation disassembly and conversion (anyone, but Seifer, igi and Avenger spring to mind)
   

I highly doubt you're going to get people with all those skills on board for such a project, but that doesn't make it impossible. Especially if you recruit new talent or try to learn some of these skills yourself - and this is how most modders start. Just a note though - most modders probably won't be motivated by small donations, or they wouldn't be modding for free in the first place. Now, a huge under-the-table "contribution" might be another story, but modders with ethics (or at least fear of legal reprisals) might refuse even that too.

[Fyorl]

GemRB may be the answer. I don't really know much about its inner-workings but it could conceivably be possible to have it load the BG animations and use them in a BG2 game.

[Guest Guest]

Fyorl, please tell me more about this thing.. Gonna read about it..