I'm just wondering, and no I'm not a modder, so forgive me if this is a really ignorant question, but I have modded games in the past and I'm familiar with a lot of the concepts... so anyway, here's my question:

Are the animations in TS3 *that* different than TS2? I mean, in format, in ammount of detail, etc.? I would immagine that perhaps there's more points of movement, etc. to be played with, and so the files might be a bit more extensive, but I'm just wondering if there's any feasible way of converting a TS2 animation to TS3, or even designing a program to do this...

Because... if so... and if we make some modability breakthroughs sometime soon, wouldn't it be possible to incorporate objects like the TS2 hottub, ect. into TS3? I mean, I imagine the hard part would be the animations for these objects, but if there were some way to convert said animations from TS2... maybe it would be possible?

Also, I've heard that one of the difficulties with modding the new game is that mods need to be in one big file (like Pescado's awesome mod), and not in tons of tiny hacks like in TS2... If this is true, then maybe a program that compiles various specific mods into one file would be in order... Like a Mod Manager...

Anyway, just thought I'd start a conversation since I'm really eager to start seeing some great custom content... (I know, I know, it's only a week since the game's been out, but still!)

From what I recall, Wes has said that the bone structure is pretty darn different. And the default pose is different too. So converting animations automagically from TS2 to TS3 wouldn't be all that straightforward - assuming we even were able to do anything with TS3 animations yet, which, to my knowledge, nobody has even begun to figure out in any way.

And yes, you're correct on Highlander Rule - there can be only one big hack file, not lots of little ones. Various solutions are being looked at as a workaround for that, but part of the issue is that modders know there is going to be a patch soon that may undo all of their efforts, so exactly how it will be done remains to be seen. But fixing that "one hack and only one hack" issue is more important now than actually making hacks themselves, so hopefully a useful solution will be figured out soon.

From my experience (which is minuscule), I think modeling animations is one of the much harder things to do in modification. Meshes are already a nightmare within themselves, and that's still being worked on. I think that if animations were plausibly easy, even in the Sims2, we would have been seeing more "new dance packs!" "belly flops and pool animations!" and god knows what else, much more than what we do see. I don't actually recall any sims 2 custom animated content, but was not on the pulse of the community, so maybe.

As for conversions.. I don't know. Doesn't this game do a lot of coding differently? Most conversion requests have been met with an astounding and rightful giggle from people in the know.

Not that I wouldn't love to have a hot tub. Oh, if only, in a perfect world.. EA would give us tools for everything, and the secrets of sim life and programming. *wistful sigh*

Edit: Oh, I type slow. What HP said.