Adding Bowstring animation

[Raritу]

I. Introduction

RTW Bowtring is an animation for Rome Total War, which add the bowstring effect to archers when they shoot.
This is made largely based on vanilla animations, so it can fits most current mods better. RMK version may come soon.

Learning from the excellent tutorial and tool by wlesmana, my version of bowstring animation is finished and ready to be used. Perhaps how I did it was different from wlesmana, but we have the same goal nonetheless.

For more informations, please go here for the main thread:

Bowstring animation ver. 0.6 - Released

II. Requirements

- Basic knowledge on modding RTW
- Vercingetorix's IDX extractor
- 3DS max and basic knowledge on modelling RTW models.
- 3Ds max .cas import/exporter

III. Installing

1. Unpacking the animations using Vercingetorix's IDX extractor.
2. Download the animations here.
3. In Bowstring/bowstring animation/data/animations of the download folder, copy everything to your data/animations.
Copy everything in add to anim_list.txt to anim_list.txt and add to list.txt to list.txt
4. Pack the animations also using IDX extractor.

IV. Implementing models with bowtring animation

Step 1: Import base_skeleton.cas inside the folder. It consists of a modded skeleton, an arrow and a bowstring.

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Step 2: Import the archer model you wish to implement the animation. I'll take the longbowman from Rome Medieval as an example, because it will make this tutorial more completed than other RTW ones in some ways.

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Step 3: Select the string mesh. Under Modifier List, choose Editable Mesh, move, scale the verticles until it fits the existing bow. Delete the bow's original string if there is one.

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Step 4: Attach the string with the bow. Don't do vice versa. Now with the string mesh selected, right click and choose Hide Unselected so we can work with the bow separately.

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Step 5: Under Modifier List, choose Skin, Hit Edit Envelopes, tick on Vertices. Under Bones, choose bone_bow. Select every vertice of the bow mesh, except ones at middle of the string.
Under Weight Properties, Abs. Effect, press 1, then Enter. Now we're done weighing the bow.

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Step 6 (Optional): The string being imported from one model to another may not match new texture perfectly. To fix this, hit Editable Mesh, in Menu Bar, choose Modifiers, UV Coordinates, Unwrap UVW. Now under parameters hit Edit

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In Edit UVWs window, move, transform the string's vertexes to a more suitable area.

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Close the window, click Unwrap UVW to unable it.

Now the bow is ready, right click and choose Unhide All. The consequences is pretty obvious.

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Step 7: Now select the arrow in the right hand. It is called primary weapon, on purpose. As you can see the texture is messed up as well.


So you may want to do the same as Step 6.

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Of course, you're free to give it a better texture, but I won't be talking about it here.

Step 8: Since the bowstring animation has removed 2 cloak bones, if the model has a cloak, you'll need to assign all the verticles that used to belong in bone_cloak_mid and bone_cloak_bottom to bone_cloak_top to avoid problems exporting.

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Step 9: The model is basically done. You can export it, preferably with a new name (rarity_bowstring.cas or stuff like that).

Step 10: We have the .cas model now. We just need to get it in game. In data/descr_model_battle.txt, go to the unit's entry, replace old model with the new bowstring'd ones.

Remember the skeleton line must be:

skeleton			fs_archer_sidebag_right_HYW, fs_bowstring_swordsman

, or the unit will appear silly in game.

Now you should have a readied model to test in game:

Final Results

Any bugs/comments/questions about the animations, please ask in the main thread.
For questions or trouble installing, you can ask here.

Merry Christmas!

[Conclamatus]

I've one question, when I imported the base_skeleton.cas, there wasn't any bowstring there... Is there any way to fix it?
btw, once again, good job!

[Raritу]

I've one question, when I imported the base_skeleton.cas, there wasn't any bowstring there... Is there any way to fix it?
btw, once again, good job!

My bad, looks like the string has too few vertexes to show up when importing. This should be fixed in the new download link.

[Conclamatus]

Awesome!! It works!! nice job!

[Conclamatus]

Sorry to bother you again....
but this is what happened when I tried to export the model.

[Raritу]

The primary weapon (arrow) automatically has bone_arrow as it's parent, so that error normally shouldn't exist, unless you have somehow accidentally unlink the mesh, or the primary weapon mentioned in the error is the bow.

Looking at your model, I'm guessing it's the latter. Remember that you have to attach the bow to the string (select the string first, right click, select attach then left click at the bow) instead of doing vice versa, which will lead to the error.

Also you may want to move the bow mesh (should be done via Editable Mesh and with Selection) so it looks attached to the hand.

[Conclamatus]

Ok thanks, I'll try it
btw, do I have to do anything like deleting the model's bone when I import it?

[Raritу]

Ok thanks, I'll try it
btw, do I have to do anything like deleting the model's bone when I import it?

Ideally you don't, as the meshes are designed to use only the bones of the model you first import (which should be the base_skeleton.cas).

Also this raised a problem with unavailable cloak bones, so I updated the tutorial with Step 8.

[Emperor Domitianus]

Is there a way for units to use this animation without using 3DMax?

[Raritу]

To use this animation? You can install and use it without the need 3ds max, there's a roman auxllia archer unit in the download pack for you to test out. However to apply the animation to other models, you must edit them, which requires 3ds max.