New Animations, and how to create them from scratch

[picollo]

Let's say I've been thinking about completely replacing existing animations in BG2. I'd love to see, and check if it would be possible to convert BG to something closer to something from rpg maker games. How would one approach this?
All static elements like gui, maps, and some simpler animations should be quite easily doable, so these I can figure out on my own.

But I only understand basics of animations. I've checked format on iesdp, but I absolutely do not undersand how to start editing these. Are there any good tutorials about adding animations? I'm especially concerned about a few things:
 

• Palettes Is it some way to convert animation into paletted version? IF there is some converter, this should be much easier than manually editing these.
• Weapon/shield animations. What do you have to remember when you're adding these- do you have to have some offsets in animation, or their relative position to the character is calculated automatically?
• Tools. Are there any recommended? I recall some BAM workshop versions, but it was always followed with the comment that these aren't really  stable tools. What are the limitations, what parts of these should be done in which tool?

Thanks in advance.