There are sound events in animation files, but I don't know how to import a sound into the game. However, since TS3 already has a piano jazz state machine and piano animations, I bet that it also has piano sounds. You'll just have to dig!

It does? Well, we're getting pianos in the new EP anyway, so it doesn't matter. There are still a bunch of possibilities: A more convincing guitar animation, a Ferris wheel, animations to go with that weapons mod, DDR (Okay, that's basically dancing), other instruments, and more. This is one of those things that you don't know you need, but you wonder how you've lived without it after you finally get it.

Ouch, I was hoping it would take less time...I'll use the time digging a little more into TS3 modding

news from this program?

if ANYONE makes an animated object with this mod i'll test it to see if it works and keeps working

OK, I am about to release the software, and I would like some input about design. The following is a list of features and their time cost. Note that I might release in 4 hours (this is unlikely) or even in a week (also unlikely), so please do vote for what you want in this release now, or it won't be included!

1. Export to Milkshape (currently, animations can only be edited in the software's UI) - Cost: 1 Week
2. Support for editing the actor/slot section (this enables IK targets) - Cost: 25-60 minutes
3. Support for clip files larger than 250 MB - Cost: 2 weeks
4. Support for adding events at a given keyframe (a.k.a. slider position) - Cost: 3 Days

My personal preference would be

1&4

2 is obvious, due to the less time needed.

...but I'm not yet skilled enough to fully take advantage of them, let's hear who can start animating from now

3 isn't important... maybe 1 and 4...
like n@meless-one said..

Why can't you just edit the animations within the software? I have an interface that is much better than Milkshapes, and if I use Milkshape, representing IK animation will be impossible, as Milkshape doesn't support that in the complexity that is necessary. On top of that, Milkshape doesn't support particle effects, so eventual support for those won't be possible, either. Are you guys sure about this?

So.. Has anyone made anything yet? Can someone just make some really simple animation just to show that it works? I'd love to see something like that :D

Lets keep this topic alive! Lots to be done here :D

@rothn: didn't know about the MS shortcomings, please listen to some skilled animator or simply judge by yourself what's better. Personally I'll wait for the final release anyway

I’m no expert but just a thought… would it be ez’er or even possible to draw up some algorithms and find a few people to just script this for you. It may free up some of your time on this and may even speed up project time. This also could give you reasonable time to produce more than one version that can use different interfaces; giving the modding community more options; which would produce more variety of mods in shorter time. I’m sure there are enough modders out there that can do some script writing and would like be willing to just credit for being a scripter while you still hold the title of creator on the project. Just a thought but as I said I’m not an expert so I don’t know if this would work.

I would like to try editing within the software but I don't know enough to really get started. So I have a few questions that aren't clear to me. I am a real beginner at this.

First, what is rigfile.txt and where do I find it?

Here is what I have done so far.

1. Opened Animator
2. Clicked on Clone Animation
3. Selected FullBuild0
4. Clicked Open (having done that, Getting Started - Quick and Easy** has disappeared.
5. Selected Animations Folder to put animations in
6. Clicked OK
7. Grabbed cup of coffee as suggested

Now I have the 2 boxes pictured below.

8. Selected a2o_butterfly_catch_nose_x.animation and exported to Animations Folder
9. Clicked Clip to SMD
10. Selected file from Animations Folder and clicked open

Now I have a "rigging needed" box that says rigfile.txt not located. Do you want to locate a rigfile manually?

Where to I find a rigfile?

**Edit**

OK I found a rigfile here:

http://linna.modthesims.info/showthread.php?p=3056270

I changed it as specified in step 1
Now what?

I am very confused. From the what I read here I thought all I needed to make an animation was this program. But I don't see how. Is this something you are going to make the program capable of in the future?



Thank you for your time.

Has anyone made anything yet? :O I just heard about this tonight and I'm THRILLED. Also, if anyone knows of any new animations that would be hosted at the sister site... please let me know. I'm of age. :D

Here is a tutorial:
http://www.simswiki.info/wiki.php?t...stom_Animations

Also, note that the release of my next version of TS3 Animator has been postponed, as I ran into some problems with Milkshape.

OK, I just finished the export to milkshape feature that was asked for. I ended up doing some fancy stuff here (you'll see when its released) so that all of the interaction between milkshape and TS3 Animator is done in memory so that the end user doesn't have to worry about exporting a file from TS3 Animator and importing it in Milkshape. Instead, the user needs only select the tab for the animation that the want to edit in Milkshape, click the "Edit in Milkshape" button, in Milkshape, click the "Get Animation" button in the Animate menu, edit it, and press the "Commit Changes to Animator" button in the Animate menu.

Note: though the GUI is not as impressive as I had hoped, TS3 Animator will be released soon, with a completely new (and better) UI as well as the feature I have just mentioned.


Another note: when I finished the GUI, I realized that a major feature (IK target support) hadn't yet been implemented. Though you probably won't see this in the first release (as it is notoriously unstable) it will be there as a broken part under a hood that hides all. I want to do this right, so it may take some time. Meanwhile, you still have the first release of the tool!

So, has anyone been able to make something with this yet?

Can't wait to see some animation mods. I would love some more (realistic!!) violence in this game.

EDIT:
Hmm, I'm finding the tutorial very confusing, not a whole lot is explained. Is there a more explaining tutorial on animating out there?

[QUOTE=rothn] the user needs only select the tab for the animation that the want to edit in Milkshape, click the "Edit in Milkshape" button, in Milkshape, click the "Get Animation" button in the Animate menu, edit it, and press the "Commit Changes to Animator" button in the Animate menu.

I think it might be the "edit it" part of that sentence that some people, such
as myself, are wondering about. Does anyone know of a link to a tutorial
on how to edit the animation within milkshape somewhere? I tried it, but
just ended up distorting the bones.

I keep getting an error: jtCount of 322 detected, limit is 256. This happens when trying SMD to Clip or animation to package.

Currently, the TS3 Animator is really coming along. There are, however, problems with skeletal distortion (which is more apparent in the animations than in the rig). Had I used a rigfile.txt as did the previous builds, I would've been done a long time ago, but when this is released, it will be able to edit any animation in the Sims 3, assuming that the appropriate grannyrig (which is usually aurig) can be located.

Let me start this off with a huge THANK YOU. While there may not be a nice fancy-looking and easy to understand format, you've done something that NO ONE else has thus far. You've taken a giant leap in helping the modding community to realize some dreams, no matter how innocent or deviant they may be.

Now, to the feed back part of this reply...

So I looked at your screen shots and it looks like you are indeed making some nice progress. Good work. My only 'gripe' (it's not really a complaint to be fair) would be the file list on the right. Most of us read left to right and most programs are laid out left to right. Not sure how many of the other modding programs are laid out (as I'm still reading the information on modding [because I'm sick of the lack of certain mods]), but perhaps a switcheroo of the file list and the preview would make it more streamlined? Not sure what word I'm looking for here.

But either way, you're knowledge is powerful and highly desired. You're doing good work. Please, take your time and don't push yourself. I know we'd all prefer a working product that we had to wait for versus a rush application that constantly needs updating.

I'm gonna keep my eye on this and see how it progresses. I'm hoping by the time you have this gem polished (and plumb bob cut. lol ) I'll be able to make use of it. This is my goal and dream; to assist the modding community with my plethora of interest desire to make the things that fill the gaps in this community. You be well and take care of your self, dude. *thumbs up*

To the previous thanks posting, I would like to mention that Wes coded the first animator (not me). Although his version certainly isn't as fancy, the credit goes to him for being first. Importing and stripping grannyrig files for use in Milkshape 3D will be possible with the release of this tool (instead of a rigfile.txt, the user will be able to simply export a rigfile from fullbuild0.package for use as the rig). This will enable animations of all objects, not just sims. Basically, everything is finished. Every aspect of the clip files (that matter to the game) are editable, and now I am only waiting on WesHowe to explain some math (exactly what to do with the animation frames before dumping them into MS3D), as I can't understand his code (when I read his source code, I feel like some sort of reverse engineer). Anyway, let me show you the rig file (or at least how it looks in MS3D vs. how it looks in the Granny Viewer (the official grannyrig viewer from the granny people).

For some reason, the animations I export make the sims look like (see screenshot). The screenshot I exported is with a modified aurig that I have put into the game while playing a custom smile animation. For some reason, though, the sims look very strange. Something I am doing is distorting their faces, making them way wider than they should be, etc. All the math is right! I am just so confused!

Either way, I'm sure the new version will be done soon.

RothN

man you're doing a fantastic job!!! :D