Adding Animations

[aeronwen]

I've been playing around with the Sit Down mod and have ended up with what might be a confusing system if I'm not careful. When using the mod "right out of the box" a newly created character does not use the sitting/lying down animations, but instead has access to a number of different idle animations, such as the more relaxed "hand on the hip".

Cut for screenshot:




There is also a looking around animation, one of reaching up and touching the side of the character's head, a hand on the chest with head bowed animation, and a few others. And although I installed this mod for the sitting animations, I really like being able to use these idles. So, New Aeronwen #1 is set up with a copy of the "fresh out of the box" Sit Down mod.

I then installed a version of the mod that has the player character edited in the CS so that the sitting animations are attached. Note: I NEVER have both Sit Down mods checked at once.

New Aeronwen #2 was made using the edited Sit Down mod, which means the mod works properly, allowing her to sit, kneel and pray, and lie down. She can do things like use the bed in her cottage.

Cut for screen:



What I think I'm going to do is use one New Aeronwen for the main game and use the other as a "Stunt Double". The question is, which should be which?

I'll be spending some time jumping into the game and playing around on both but I have a feeling that the one who can sit/lie down will be the stunt double, while the one who has access to the idles will be the main game. It just seems to me that I would use those idle poses more often than the sitting/lying down/praying animations.

We shall see. Whatever the case, it's nice that she can do more than just stand there at rigid attention.

edited to add: It seems like the "Idles Aeronwen" can be used more spontaneously. As she wonders around I can see her stopping to look over her shoulder, or do the animation that looks like she's pushing her hair out of the way. It could feel tedious to be playing the "Sitting Aeronwen" and have to bring in the Idles Double anytime I want her to look over her shoulder or place her hand on her chest as she draws a deep breath.

It's much easier for her to be in a situation where she would sit/sleep and then momentarily load the Stunt Double save and place the double in the same environment to get the screenie.

Lastly; her updated hair is now in fact her hair and not a wig. Now she can wear items from the necklace mod without loosing her beautiful golden waves.

Comments

[darth_eldritch]

Interesting. I might try this out.

With the Faylyn's Necklaces, I changed all of the necklaces to right pauldrons or something so they work with wigs.

[aeronwen]

During one of my test plays it was raining hard along the Bitter Coast. Aeronwen was dressed in a green robe with the "Hooded Hair". I happened to have her stop near a tree with moss hanging down all around her and had her to the animation where she placed her hand on her chest and bowed her head. Then she briefly closed her eyes. In that moment she looked SO sad, tired, and alone. I almost expected to see tears trickle from the corners of her eyes.

While the image was a sad thing to see, it really summed up how she feels after she has been banished and has not yet figured out how she's going to survive.

[darth_eldritch]

Wow. that's immersive.

I don't understand, I'm reading the mod page, which esp do you use with witch version of Aeronwen. Do you use that extra lua mod? Does it conflict with Animated Morrowind?

[aeronwen]

I used the Sit Down-Singleplayer.ESP. Since I was starting entirely over I did not use the included "Save Game Patching" file. Nor did I use the included "Patch for those not using the AnimKit". All I did was add the items in the Meshes folder and the Singleplayer ESP.

Now here is where it can get confusing because the needed instructions to make the mod work properly are not included in the Read Me. I found them by reading the comments.

By just adding the meshes, the esp and making a new character, the included amulet makes the player character perform idle animations. To make them actually sit or lie down you need to open the mod in the CS, find "player" in the NPC list and attach the "VA_sitting" animation to the player character. It also helps to change the player's default race and gender to whatever you intend the player character to be (this could admittedly be a pain for anyone who plays more than one character).

With that extra step the mod works as it should. By skipping the step of editing the mod in the CS you just get the idle animations.

So far I have noticed no conflicts with Animated Morrowind.


Oh, another thing that needs to be done is to run the Morrowind Code Patch's Improved Animation Support fuction, which I did a long time ago when I first installed the Code Patch.

So, Aeronwen #1, who just does the idles, I check the version of the mod that I did NOT edit.

Aeronwen #2, who can do the sitting animations, she uses the version of the mod where I did edit the player character. I have this one renamed "Sit Down-Singleplayer Edited. esp.



Hope all of this makes sense.

[darth_eldritch]

Thank you so much. This clarifies so much.

Sometimes reading the comments on a mod page can be confusing.

[aeronwen]

You're welcome. I was really afraid that I would end up making this as clear as mud.

The player edit instructions really need to be pasted into the Read Me and on the mod's main page.

[pasque]

Oh, wow, that's going to be so useful for storytelling! I've always been really impressed at how much expression you draw out of the characters in your pictures, what with Morrowind characters being so static, but this already looks like it's on a whole new level!