QUESTION: how to add unit effects?

[j_mie6]

it is actualy still moving at that time... It would need to be 0.09 -1.0 seconds or something... anyway if this was then added to the legion's files wouldn't it need to be implemented into the kfm because the kfm wouldn't have the fade in the first place... For that would I just copy the die fade lines of the praetorian kfm into the legionaire's kfm in the correct place of course changing the name of the file...?

 

[The_Coyote]

Nope, unfortunatly the Legion has a different Editable Mesh than the praetorian so the only thing that fades is his shield.. any idea on how to edit the fades into the legions animations bearing in mind the BIP and Bip01...

saw it a bit lat - had already my hands at this "rise from death" legions (and honestly, this time dind´t read the entire discussion). And iirc there is no fading, the only difference is that the units doesn´t go back to the idle position (there is already a "fade information" in for a mesh called legionary - but atm this is a node an not the mesh itself). But it seems, you already achieved something similar.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=9145322&postcount=10

for most DieFade animation you don´t need movement information for the bones - more important is the alpha controller from the NiMaterialProperty and the mesh name. More or less only the alpha value of all meshes is slowly changed from 1 (full visibility) to 0 (full transparency). And this animation in the kf (NiFloatInterpolator) is "called" by name of the corresponding NiTriShape/Strips (therefore the mesh name is important and only meshes with correct names fade)

You could of course add all this alpha changes (NiFloatInterpolator) to the kfs i did for all needed parts (legionary, weapon, shield, ?). Or use the pretorian diefade as base and change the affected bone names under controlled blocks

 

[j_mie6]

does the attached post apply to my legion?

 

[The_Coyote]

The files are for the legion which has also partielly worker animations. At least this unit had no DieFade animations, so i guessed it also yours (and i really hope that there are not more than one legionary without DieFade Animations released).

But even if this should be wrong, the second part is the generell descriptions how to add fade to a unit (without fading you could also use an "empty"* DieFade animation - the unit will stay in the last position of the die animation, because there is no new information which could "override" the old one)

* means only: NiControllerSequence, NiStringPalette and NiTextKeyExtraData

more or less:
first try the files i linked above - if they work you "only" have to add the fade informations to the kf, if not
look at the kfm if there are entries for the DieFade animations, if not add this entries
use one of the kfs (eg the die kf) and remove and delete every controlled block (afterwards there should only be the 3 nodes i wrote above in the kf)
set the stop time to 0.9667 in the NiControllerSequence and the text keys [there should be only two text keys, one at 0 with the following text: "start eventcode=1025" [2025 for DieBFade] and the second at 0.9667 with "end" as text (i think not every entry here is really that important, but it´s better to be close in sheme to a vanilla kf file)]
test this files
if they work, add fade if you like

 

[j_mie6]

well I added and it works when they die they STAY dead. I don't think they need the fade animations

 

[j_mie6]

Just finished the Great Phalanx! heres my two creations together!

 

[The_J]

And when will we see them in the database ?

 

[j_mie6]

you will see these in both 1.3 for my mod but also in the database when I complete the egyptian and carthagian warlords

 

[j_mie6]

in anycase I'm having problems with the Carthagian Warlord, the problem is that it isn't contructed in the same way as the praetorian/phalanx/celtic warrior. I need to know how I can work around this... I will attach the file.

 

[The_Coyote]

Not exactly sure what is your problem (the description was quite short ) - but the unit looked like a typical sceneviewer bone transplant (at least the praetorian.nif had two scene roots and the names of the transplanted bones were the same like the ones of the original skeleton - something nifskope really doesn´t like). Made the structure a bit more nifskope friendly (the transplanted bones got unique names and the mesh is now in the praetorian tree)

 

[j_mie6]

exactly what I needed thanks

 

[j_mie6]

well... I'm finished found out the carthigian swordsman was the Great Praetorian's conterpart which allowed me to make at sword drop animation for him too, however I'm not quite done yet... I have decided that I want a Celtic drop animation and possibly one for the Egyptian.

The celtic surrender animation is based on the celtic empire's unique units Celtic_Warrior_MD_Idle_Stretch or something so I was wondering where I would be starting the animation for it...

In fact I'll post post the files...

oh and I just found out during the carthagian animation the sword doesn't display... I checked the scale and it is correct... can you have at look at that as well, thanks

 

[SaibotLieh]

I guess you could try to drop the original axe instead of a new one, because the celtic doesn't move his right arm a lot after the first 0.75 seconds. At that time I would start the extra animation.

In the nif of the Carthagian Warlord the swords aren't children of the NiMultiTargetTransformController yet. Maybe it works after you have declaired them so.

 

[j_mie6]

Well I looked at the great praetorian and it appeared like I didn't add them either and that works... because when i put in the 22 it comes up with something else... have you got a screenshot of everything to do with that step?

Also thought you might want to see this! (also for The J)
Link

 

[SaibotLieh]

The nodes often have the different numbers, because NifSkope changes them all the time their sequence is changed. You'll always have to find the current number to work with them. I haven't modified your unit myself yet, so I can't provide you with screenshot for now. Tried to add the nodes to the NiMultiTargetTransformController none the less. I might solve the problem and shouldn't hurt at least.

 

[j_mie6]

I have the idea of making a new unit for the chinese that combines the skin of the Cho-ko-nu and then uses a box sort of thing which fires exploding arrows (like the hwacha) instead of a crossbow. So I have these questions:

1. Do I have to do anything special to change the crossbow into the box which is also ranged

2. How will the animations differ, I know that a reletivaly new animation will have to be made for the attack as it will include the match

3. what should I use for my box and how do I reskin it (just draw over it?)? I'm kinda thinking that somebody could blend of the top half of the hwacha and then I could scale it down and use that...

I also wanted to add in the grenadiers match to it

 

[SaibotLieh]

So you want to make (more or less) a hand-held version of the Hwacha, correct? For that I think a nifswap of the weapons with a rescaling of the Hwacha should work. Further you'll have to modify the NiTextKeyExtraData of the RangeStrike.kf. Look into the Hwacha one first. There should be some Effect entries that trigger the flying rockets. These must be put into the RangeStrike.kf of the Crossbowman instead of the Crossbolt effects. That should be it more or less (I guess), maybe some of the sound entries will have to be changed as well.

You can remove the lower part of the Hwacha by painting the alpha channel in the .dds file of these parts black. That should turn them invisible.

For the match you'll have to add the MatchStick node of the grenadier to the Crossbowman. But making a new animation for it might be a bit too difficult with NifSkope. I think you'll have to learn to work with Blender for that.

 

[j_mie6]

I tried paint both the TC and the Alpha black an it just turns the unit black... plus some of the parts I need to use are used in parts I dont want so cant you blender the box only off for me?

 

[SaibotLieh]

Hm, looks like the Hwacha is a bit more complicated. Importing and exporting it via Blender leads to the loss it's bone structure. Further the first row of rockets is lost. If you can live with not-disappearing rockets when shot you should still be fine, everything else can get quite messy as it seems.

I've attached the Hwacha with a separated box to this post.

 

[j_mie6]

it's fine about the rockets I should be able to add some in authough unfortunatly the "Snapped" hwacha doesn't except the standard art DDS for the Hwacha leaving it white... Any suggestions for re adding color?