Sorry I haven`t answered you yet, been a busy weekend. I will try to look into this later today.

I`ve been trying to sort out the problems with the amrs first, because there is little point in getting programs to be able to make the animations before the converter will convert them correctly. I think I`m slowly making progress on this so should get round to other things soon.

last night i re-installed it and it didn't work or do anything else. i didnt post back because it was about 11:15 at night and my parrents were coming home soon so i had to get off the computer :P. i think that the files might be missing from the whole thing.

also, im a bit confused, all this is too technical for me (im more of a HTML person) and, so whats going on? we can edit the sims animations? could you explain some of this in laymans terms, please? i like to know whats going on.

so far the basic idea that i got was that you could animate the actual sims using milkshape or 3d max or something, but something is wrong with the arm?

actually we can with applications like SXi and MilkShape3D
there is a free version of Softimage (SXi) while the Milkshape is shareware

i have the newest version of milkshape (paid for) and maybe i'll go get SXi now. i wanna animate :D

i found their site and isnt it called XSI not SXi.

they say it's character animation, so im guessing it's that.

The program he meant is called "XSI mod tool" and the website is :http://www.softimage.com/products/Mod/v4/default.asp

However while this will save animations to smd files, at the moment you won`t be able to use them with the converter as the mod tool makes a number of changes to the way it saves smd files compared to how other programs do. I`ll be adding support to the converter for these later, but at the moment they are not supported.

ok, i just installed this before i read this :P

i gave up with animations.... if somebody could make some for me? ......

i would like to get my holdable pistol to work just make it so it looks like its fireing....

oooops

sorry for the request.

when i start the animation editor with the 3d engine the program tryes to open but suddenly closes

it opens then closes. here is the log....

[12:39:08] *********Axiom 3D Engine Log *************
Copyright © 2003 Axiom Game Engine Project Team.
Version: 0.7.0.19476
Operating System: Microsoft Windows NT 5.1.2600.0
.Net Framework: 1.1.4322.2032

[12:39:08] *-*-* Axiom Intializing
[12:39:08] OverlayElementFactory for type 'BorderPanel' registered.
[12:39:08] OverlayElementFactory for type 'TextArea' registered.
[12:39:08] OverlayElementFactory for type 'Panel' registered.
[12:39:09] Loaded plugin: OpenGL (Tao)
[12:39:09] Loaded plugin: Octree Plugin
[12:39:09] System.Xml.XmlException: The '\' character, hexadecimal value 0x5C, cannot be included in a name. Line 3, position 35.
at System.Xml.XmlScanner.ScanName()
at System.Xml.XmlScanner.ScanMarkup()
at System.Xml.XmlScanner.ScanToken(Int32 expected)
at System.Xml.XmlTextReader.SetLiteralValues(XmlAttributeTokenInfo fld)
at System.Xml.XmlTextReader.SetAttributeValues()
at System.Xml.XmlTextReader.ParseElement()
at System.Xml.XmlTextReader.Read()
at System.Data.DataSet.ReadXml(XmlReader reader, Boolean denyResolving)
at System.Data.DataSet.ReadXml(String fileName)
at Axiom.Utility.TechDemo.SetupResources()
at Axiom.Utility.TechDemo.Setup()
at Axiom.Utility.TechDemo.Start()

i also have the problem of it opening and closing after 2 seconds. however... i tryed changing paths and i think i found the conflict. this is the message the axiomengin.log gives me

[01:44:05] *********Axiom 3D Engine Log *************
Copyright © 2003 Axiom Game Engine Project Team.
Version: 0.7.0.19476
Operating System: Microsoft Windows NT 5.1.2600.0
.Net Framework: 1.1.4322.2032

[01:44:05] *-*-* Axiom Intializing
[01:44:05] OverlayElementFactory for type 'BorderPanel' registered.
[01:44:05] OverlayElementFactory for type 'TextArea' registered.
[01:44:05] OverlayElementFactory for type 'Panel' registered.
[01:44:05] Loaded plugin: DirectX9 (Managed DX)
[01:44:05] Loaded plugin: Octree Plugin
[01:44:05] System.Xml.XmlException: The 'FilePath' start tag on line '3' doesn't match the end tag of 'EngineConfig' in file 'file:///C:/Documents and Settings/jamsey/My Documents/editor/EngineConfig.xml'. Line 4, position 3.
at System.Xml.XmlTextReader.ParseTag()
at System.Xml.XmlTextReader.ParseBeginTagExpandCharEntities()
at System.Xml.XmlTextReader.Read()
at System.Data.XmlDataLoader.LoadData(DataRow& row, DataTable parentTable, Boolean[] foundColumns)
at System.Data.XmlDataLoader.LoadData(DataTable parentTable)
at System.Data.XmlDataLoader.LoadData(XmlReader reader)
at System.Data.DataSet.ReadXml(XmlReader reader, Boolean denyResolving)
at System.Data.DataSet.ReadXml(String fileName)
at Axiom.Utility.TechDemo.SetupResources()
at Axiom.Utility.TechDemo.Setup()
at Axiom.Utility.TechDemo.Start()



i think that there is something missing when it gives this message=
[01:44:05] System.Xml.XmlException: The 'FilePath' start tag on line '3' doesn't match the end tag of 'EngineConfig' in file 'file:///C:/Documents and Settings/jamsey/My Documents/editor/EngineConfig.xml'. Line 4, position 3.

there is nothing to match it to so i was wondering if its looking for something that isnt there

Both of those logs suggest that there is something wrong with your config file. That you don`t have it set up correctly, ie pointing to the correct path.

If you post your config file then I might be able to see what is wrong.

here is my config file. miche i have tryed everything and cannot see whats wrong. mabe you will have more luck

Does the animation editor work for hair meshes too? If so are there any tutorials on how to animate hair?

Has anyone tried taking the indivisual poses from The Sims 2 that make up the current animation and rewrite a file using the indivisual poses that sims 2 already has, to make a new animation file?
Example:
Text Lists:Adult Animation 0x7FF616DO
Filename Anims-Adults
String 0x0008
" "Start la la la
a2o-window-lookDownLeftPose
" "End la la
Filename Bunny Hop Locomotion
String 0x0000
0x0001stepInPlace-alt(stepInPlace),Bunny-Hop(walkshort) and so on.

If I am reading the file correctly bunny-hop should be a pose, and then stepInPlace-alt(stepInPlace) should be another pose. So by useing sims 2 current poses, wouldn' it be possible to compile a new animation with these.
Like creating a new textlist.
Are something simular to this?

If you're talking about text list 0x81 in your object, they're not just played in order from that list. Those are just the names of existing ANIM resources, which can be referenced using the object's BHAV files.

While it is true that you could play several of these existing ANIMs in a particular order using a BHAV, most of them wouldn't join up right with each other most of the time.
Additionally, most of them aren't just poses, they're movements based around that pose. For example, the locomotion ones listed above the the animations for the social bunny moving from place to place (all the locomotion animations are various segments of people moving from one place to another). However, they're cut into segments (say, one hop is an anim, stopping and turning around 45 degrees is another, etc) so animations of different lengths can be made by repeating the relevant segments.

So it seems to me that if u could find all these animation that go with the behaves it will take a lot of time to do . So u mite be better off just making up new ones

I have yet to use the converter. I have taken a look at some of the smd test files. Wounldn't it be possible to export the sims animation and poses then alter and rename them to make new poses and animation. And then write them to a new text file.
I also see where the behavior and animation are linked, I haven't really gotten a good look at how the handling is working.


When I used to write animation for a couple other programs,<--(Just for fun!) the text file looked something like this;
The ShoulderO is a joint
I am not sure if the sims skeltons and muscels are simular to below.

Just a rough example;
________________________________________________

m_nPostureDistDance := 0.1
m_nSpeedDance := 0.00025
m_PosturesDance := \
{#__da1,\
#__da2,\
#__da1,\
#__da2,\
#__da1,\
#__da2,\
}, \ NIL}
______________________________
The above file would tell the animation order speed and so on.
The Below file would give each posture.

POSTURE "__da2"
325 326 7 Neck
0 0 0 _eyel_r
0 0 0 _eyel_l
0 0 0 _eye_r
0 0 0 _eye_l
175 343 20 Hipschest
180 0 25 OriginHips
0 358 0 ChestNeck
323 0 346 RightShoulder
327 353 3 LeftShoulder
50 0 24 RightElbow
49 0 10 LeftElbow
0 80 0 RightWrist
0 80 0 LeftWrist
25 309 9 RightHip
0 50 340 LeftHip
46 0 0 RightKnee
32 0 0 LeftKnee
16 24 359 RightAnkle
0 344 0 LeftAnkle
0 0 0 RightToe
0 0 0 LeftToe
0 0 0 RightShoulder0
0 0 0 LeftShoulder0
0 0 0 head_hair
x,y,z

POSTURE "__da1"
331 28 354 Neck
0 0 0 _eyel_r
0 0 0 _eyel_l
0 0 0 _eye_r
0 0 0 _eye_l
180 14 344 Hipschest
176 0 340 OriginHips
0 0 0 ChestNeck
326 354 2 RightShoulder
323 0 349 LeftShoulder
50 0 11 RightElbow
49 0 24 LeftElbow
0 80 0 RightWrist
0 80 0 LeftWrist
2 41 344 RightHip
22 318 7 LeftHip
36 0 0 RightKnee
48 0 0 LeftKnee
4 349 0 RightAnkle
17 21 359 LeftAnkle
0 0 0 RightToe
0 0 0 LeftToe
0 0 0 RightShoulder0
0 0 0 LeftShoulder0
0 0 0 head_hair
x,y,z

The sims 2 doesn't use text files for its animations, they are stored in a custom format. Enough of that format is known to be able to make certain new animations, but there is still a lot which isn't known (how to get a event to fire at a certain point during the animation for example, plus a number of other things). It is much harder to convert from the animation files to smd files than the other way round because of those thing we don't know about. When converting a smd file, there is no need to put all the extra things in a animation file, so we just create the basic file without the extras. Another one of the things which makes converting from sims animation files to another format is that a lot of the animations in the game use IK handles. As far as I know, nothing (or very little) has been decoded related to these.

The way the animations are stored in that format is by keyframes (kind of like you poses, but other information like the IK and events can be stored in the middle of the keyframes) but they aren't just a text list of poses/keyframes. Each joint is listed in turn (this is different to smd files, where each keyframe is listed in turn with all the joint position/rotations for that keyframe) and the keyframes for that joint are listed, listing the positions/rotations that it will be in, for that keyframe. Then it moves onto the next joint and repeats.

So while you could convert these to a different format like smd (taking in to account that there are some parts of the file we don't understand yet), and then you could rearrange the keyframes. You would also need to use a 3d program to rearrange the keyframes as they wouldn't be stored in text format. It would then still need to be converted back into a Sims 2 animation file.

Since Maya is the 3D program that Maxis used, has anyone tried new animation with this program? They have the learning program that comes with the animation program. Maybe learning how Maya animation is written could give insight to the Sims 2. I haven't skills in this area of reading code or knowing how to get into the code of a program. But it does seem a logical thing to try.

I was looking through some of the files with SIMPE, and I did noticed that the sims animation file descriptions had a huge amount of joints and the antomy was much larger then most 3d charectors.
Is the stored custom format the 5AN files?

I have tried importing the a sims model into milkshape to work on some animation but after about 5 to 10 min of working with the animtion milkshape wants to crash.

Has anyone tried using poser for animation, I am fairly sure it come with a large amount of premade anima's and if I remember correctly it was very easy to use.
Does the converter support poser animation file type?

IDK but is anyone using fragmotion? It has been good so far for me it hasnt crashed or anything but the only problem is i dont know EXACTLY how to do somethings, simple things like how to make the skeleton move up and down (Like squating) without thinking it'll make them stand on air. And also the Help doesnt work, so i cant get any advice or anything on it. So if there are simpler programs to try then tell me but also is there a tutorila on this site for MAKEING animations, cuz so far the only one is for the animation converter itself.

If I create an object with new animation, is this the only tool to do it? I am so confused.
Unfortunately I can't open the editor. Probably it is because the line in the xml file is wrong. I don't understand the src thing. What is it? If I place the editor in c:/My Document/Animation editor, what should I write in the line in the "Engine_config.xml" file -'<FilePath type="Folder" src="D:\animation_editor\Release\sim_editor"/> ?
Plz help.Thx!

I am completely lost. I have no idea what this bone buisness is about. You all are high on the knowledge scale. Maybe one of you could give a "For dummies" tutorial. Please?

sorry to bug you folks, but although I tried really hard to figure out what`s going wrong with my animation editor, I still do not have a clue. It would vanish for 2 seconds and then disappears again. I really admire your skills in creating new tools that enables us to alter ea data- but it drives me crazy, that I just won`t succeed in running animation editor. I posted my log file, hoping that maybe someone can figure it out. thank you
P.S. I also downloaded mdxredist.msi data. Unfortunately no changes.
[05:53:33] *********Axiom 3D Engine Log *************
Copyright © 2003 Axiom Game Engine Project Team.
Version: 0.7.0.20182
Operating System: Microsoft Windows NT 5.1.2600.0
.Net Framework: 1.1.4322.2032

[05:53:33] *-*-* Axiom Intializing
[05:53:33] OverlayElementFactory for type 'BorderPanel' registered.
[05:53:33] OverlayElementFactory for type 'TextArea' registered.
[05:53:33] OverlayElementFactory for type 'Panel' registered.
[05:53:34] System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Ein Aufrufziel hat einen Ausnahmefehler verursacht. ---> System.NullReferenceException: Der Objektverweis wurde nicht auf eine Objektinstanz festgelegt.
at Microsoft.DirectX.Direct3D.Manager.get_AdapterCount()
at Microsoft.DirectX.Direct3D.Manager.get_Adapters()
at Axiom.RenderSystems.DirectX9.D3DHelper.GetDriverInfo()
at Axiom.RenderSystems.DirectX9.D3D9RenderSystem.InitConfigOptions()
at Axiom.RenderSystems.DirectX9.D3D9RenderSystem..ctor()
at Axiom.RenderSystems.DirectX9.Plugin..ctor()
--- Ende der internen Ausnahmestapelüberwachung ---
at System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceImpl(Boolean publicOnly)
at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, Boolean nonPublic)
at Axiom.Core.PluginManager.LoadPlugin(ObjectCreator creator)
[05:53:34] Loaded plugin: Octree Plugin
[05:53:34] FileSystem codec for D:\animation_editor\Release\sim_editor created.
[05:53:34] System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: Der Index liegt außerhalb des gültigen Bereichs. Der Index darf keine negative Zahl und muss kleiner als die Auflistungsgröße sein.
Parametername: index
at System.Collections.SortedList.GetByIndex(Int32 index)
at Axiom.Collections.RenderSystemCollection.get_Item(Int32 index)
at Axiom.Utility.TechDemo.Configure()
at Axiom.Utility.TechDemo.Setup()
at Axiom.Utility.TechDemo.Start()

Ok I am haveing problems with the animation editor crashing. It worked a couple times no problem but it just recently start going crazy it will open for a minute and then down it goes. Any hints?

Shouldn't it be searching for the string in C:\ instead of D:\?
Ok I changed some lines and I am DL NetFrame 2.0 SDK to see if that helps.


[07:18:13] *-*-* Axiom Intializing
[07:18:13] OverlayElementFactory for type 'BorderPanel' registered.
[07:18:13] OverlayElementFactory for type 'TextArea' registered.
[07:18:13] OverlayElementFactory for type 'Panel' registered.
[07:18:13] Loaded plugin: DirectX9 (Managed DX)
[07:18:13] Loaded plugin: Octree Plugin
[07:18:13] FileSystem codec for D:\animation_editor\Release\sim_editor created.
[07:18:13] System.IO.DirectoryNotFoundException: Could not find a part of the path "D:\animation_editor\Release\sim_editor".
at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String str)
at System.IO.Directory.InternalGetFileDirectoryNames(String fullPath, String userPath, Boolean file)
at System.IO.Directory.InternalGetFiles(String path, String userPath, String searchPattern)
at System.IO.Directory.GetFiles(String path, String searchPattern)
at Axiom.FileSystem.Folder.GetFilesRecursive(String path, String pattern, ArrayList files)
at Axiom.FileSystem.Folder.GetFileNamesLike(String startPath, String pattern)
at Axiom.Core.ResourceManager.AddCommonArchive(String name, String type)
at Axiom.Utility.TechDemo.SetupResources()
at Axiom.Utility.TechDemo.Setup()
at Axiom.Utility.TechDemo.Start()