Posts from Apply an effect to a creature via animation. Auto-translated

Hello, I decided to experiment with creatures and remembered an interesting thing like effects. I decided to apply them using animation, but I really don't like that they are always somewhere above or to the side of the creature.

Where and how can I change the position of the effect? For example, I remember that you can do something similar through the skeleton, but how?

 

I would be glad for any help😃

You again? 🤣 You create new topics but forget about the old ones. We were discussing how to attach it to an existing model; we created a new effect and a new model instance. So, if you look at image 10, don't pay attention to the red arrow; the main thing is what is written on the right half of the screen. This is the third line - position, and below, x, y, z; this is the offset of the effect along the axes. Y is forward, X is to the right, and Z is up. Below is the rotation around the axes. This kind of thing exists in both the glowing effects and the light sources.

Hello again!

I haven't done this in a while, so I forgot what and how things work. I remember the old question, but I couldn't find it. Thanks for your help again!

Added after 1 hour 14 minutes

Another question: how do I insert the "Effect" itself, and not the model?

I don't know how to phrase the question correctly, but I mean that in the folder with the animations, for example, in the "idle" animation, instead of an effect, a line is created in "Model" instead of "Effect".

Poison552
Just open your profile, and there's a button that says "find all messages from this user" ))). You don't have that many messages there, I think...

I'll tell you everything in detail this evening.

Here are three images – the first shows me entering the effect settings, where there are 2 options: crystal models and the light around the crystals. Next, I indicated where in these files you can adjust the offset along the axes. If you want to attach it to a bone, see how I explained it here. There, I provided a link to a video explaining how to find the bone name, but I didn't explain how to find the skeleton. If you have problems with that, let me know

When trying to change the rotation, the weapon changes in size and flies off to who knows where. Is this supposed to be related to the rotation?

Sorry for the late response, I've been very busy.

it's normal to slightly adjust the distortion by changing the "w" value. For example, when rotating by 90 degrees, you should write 0.71 in the rotation line, and to correct the distortion, you should also write 0.71 for "w".

Rotations with larger values lead to greater distortions, which are already difficult to correct.

So, I think I've figured that out, but can I save the model separately from the creature? As far as I know, I need to delve into the map files, but I'm not sure exactly how, and another question: to change the appearance of an artifact or creature, for example, its thickness, or make it hook-shaped, or separate the shoes, do I need to modify the model itself, right?

I also had an idea: take a creature model and separately cut off parts of its body, for example, arms with armor, and make them as separate creatures or dummies, or is there another way?

And I assume that with each animation, I need to do some tweaking, or can I just attach it to a bone?

I would also like to know what the Custom value means and what it is used for?

So, I think I've figured this out, but can you save a model separately from the creature?

I don't understand the question. Do you mean, for example, changing a goblin and then making it a separate unit?

 

As far as I know, you need to dig into the map files, but I'm not sure. And another question: to change the appearance of an artifact or creature, for example, its thickness, or make it hooked, or separate the shoes, you need to change the model itself, right?

Yes, you need to extract the model, modify it, and upload it back.

I had another idea: take a creature model and separately cut off parts of its body, for example, arms with armor, and make them separate creatures, like dummies, or is there another way?

Cutting pieces off and turning those pieces into units is strange, but it has happened. In NCF, there was a unit without a bow, and swords without an owner.

And I think that with each animation, you need to do the same, or can you just attach it to a bone?

You have an effect in the idle animation; just copy it into all the other animations.

I would also like to know what the value "Custom" means and what it is used for?

I don't know

Understood, regarding the first question, yes, I want to create a kind of neutral goblin subtype that, after a battle, for example, when they deserted out of fear, decided to run away from everyone and become neutral, or maybe another upgrade, depending on how it turns out.

I will have more questions, I'll write them, thank you very much for your help!

 

This is what I got from the artifacts, it's not great, but if I repaint it, it might work. I just don't remember how to remove the weapon; as far as I know, you can simply delete the textures.

Understood, regarding the first question, yes, I want to create a kind of neutral goblin subtype that, after a battle, for example, when they deserted out of fear, they decided to run away from everyone and become neutral, or maybe another upgrade, depending on how it works out.

There will be more questions, I'll write, thank you very much for your help!

Okay, first of all, you need to create a new creature in NCF, because you can't create new creatures in the game, and modders have created new executables that increase the number of creatures.

How do heroes work? terribly

The diagram shows an approximate structure of the units.
So, why is the NCF mod needed? It has an engine and the NCF_core file.
In it, in the \GameMechanics\Creature\Creatures\Neutrals folder, there are approximately 800 empty units, file-cameras, and files for the map editor - this is the root of our branched file tree.

Thanks to the new engine, the game sees all this and doesn't crash, but if you just want to practice, use the Yeti.

Now about the file tree... how does it all work? very stupidly

through... text links


Here's a goblin - it has links to a file for the map (AdvMapMonsterShared) and a file for the main game (CreatureVisual). If you change the path and, most importantly, create such a path with a file at the end in your mod, the unit will become partially independent of the game... why partially? because for complete independence, you need to create new paths for all files.

This problem is partially solved by Zahar's file system.


Zahar created a system in which you don't need to change a bunch of file paths; all that is needed for it to work in the game is to change two lines in the characteristics and one line in the file for the map editor (he explains there how to link your system to the latnik).

But there is a small problem for a completely beginner modder - in Zahar's system, there is a peasant, but how do you put a goblin there? You can manually rewrite the contents of the files, or you can go with the method of a gardener-chaotist - cut off branches of the file tree and graft new ones onto their place.

The peasant model, as can be seen in the first picture, has paths to the geometry, skeleton, and materials.
We remove the creature-Geom, creature-Skel files, and the material folder from Zahar's system.
We take all the materials, textures, skeleton, geometry, and model from the goblin's files and put them into Zahar's system, rename T1a_Goblin.xdb to creature.(Model).xdb, and that's it, Zahar's system starts to consider the goblin as part of itself, the branch is grafted.

The same needs to be done with the animset - in the animset folder, move the goblin's animations and animset, rename T1a_Goblin-arena.xdb to creature.(AnimSet).xdb, and the goblin's animations are grafted.

Such a goblin will be independent of the vanilla game

Damn, it's a shame you didn't ask earlier about how creatures are arranged; I figured out that the Heroes creatures are arranged in a specific way as soon as I started working with them. But overall, I knew most of it before, I just didn't fully understand the sequence, except for the visual aspect. But thanks for the explanation! Now I'll make this goblin and try to make another one with a bow. XD

here, by the way, is the document from which I cropped the image; I'm afraid to read it – it's full of text – but it might be useful to you.

Unfortunately, it says the file was not found... But I've already done almost everything; it turned out to be simpler with the weapons – it's a separate line, and if I remove it, I hope everything will work as it should.)

And in the meantime, I'm creating a recruitment building to test the creature; I just haven't set the stats yet and all that.

Added 5 minutes later

Oh, by the way, I also wanted to know where I can get the creatures from the NCF in the map editor? I open it as I should through the appropriate .exe, but I only see the standard creatures.