NWN PC Animations -> BG2

[Grim Squeaker]

I know this sort of idea has been discussed and partially implemented before (Here for example). However, this has mainly just been for large creature animations like Pit Fiends. I was wondering if it would be at all possible to convert the regular PC animations (e.g. humans, elves, dwarves) for BG2. This would mean seperating the animations for the creature and the animations for the weapons they are holding, which could be rather unpleasant.

 

I mean, I guess its a matter of personal taste but I quite like the animations for your characters in NWN. Obviously the graphcs aren't great if you zoom all the way in (infact they are pretty damn bad), but you won't see that in BG2. All you'll see is the fairly zoomed out view which looks pretty good I reckon. The way I see it, the models would have to be exported, have textures added to match the bright green, purple etc colours used in BG2 animations for Major Colour, Minor Colour, Hair etc, and then they need to be exported into the individual frames.

 

The possible advantages of this I can think of:

- Better animations (though that's personal preference)

- Much cooler dual-wielding animations if they could be adapted to work (i'm not sure how BG2 handles dual-wielding animations, but they don't look great...)

- WHIP ANIMATIONS

 

So, would this be at all possible?

[devSin]

I think NWN uses a component animation system, such that there aren't full character models for PCs (rather, just partial models that are assembled in-game to create the whole model). I've never looked into it, but this would make it a lot harder (if not impossible) than the generic creature models that have so far been imported into BG2.

 

Expect me to be wrong, though.

[Grim Squeaker]

I think NWN uses a component animation system, such that there aren't full character models for PCs (rather, just partial models that are assembled in-game to create the whole model). I've never looked into it, but this would make it a lot harder (if not impossible) than the generic creature models that have so far been imported into BG2.

 

Expect me to be wrong, though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm pretty sure you're right. So in order to do something like that you'd have to decide on what a 'standard body' would look like, choosing the correct head etc. But I'm not sure you could put it all together outside of the game...

[Andyr]

- WHIP ANIMATIONS

 

You, Sire, are obsessed!

[BigRob]

Could a capture movie of the ideal model be made of the model going through various paces in-game? That movie could then be picked apart on a graphics program to get the frames of the new animations. Would be a hell of a lot of work doing it that way though.

[Grim Squeaker]

Could a capture movie of the ideal model be made of the model going through various paces in-game? That movie could then be picked apart on a graphics program to get the frames of the new animations. Would be a hell of a lot of work doing it that way though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I suppose that would work, assuming you set it up to so the character would be against a 'blue screen', making it easy yo remove the background. The problem is it could be difficult to split apart one animation from the other. You'd have to use invisible weapons and characters to capture the other part of the animation e.g. to capture just the character, use an invisible weapon, and vice-versa to capture the weapon animation.

 

Assuming someone had the patience, it could work.

[Seifer]

It's a rather messy way of doing it though.

[Grim Squeaker]

It's a rather messy way of doing it though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

True. But do you think trying to manually put all the bits together in a 3d modelling program will be easier?