Dismounted Custom General Using Wrong Animation

**Darkstar** · August 03, 2010, 09:00 AM

Trying to use a custom battle model for one of our generals but having an issue with the animation. The custom battle model uses a one handed axe with shield. The bodyguard unit is the Norse Axemen unit which uses a two handed axe with shield slung on their back. The problem is on the battle map the general is holding the one handed axe like a two handed axe and seems to be using the two handed axe animation.

Here's the modeldb entry for the custom general which i basically copied from the other vanilla general entries. :

17 victarion_greyjoy
1 4
77 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Custom_General/victarion_greyjoy_lod0.mesh 121
77 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Custom_General/victarion_greyjoy_lod0.mesh 900
77 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Custom_General/victarion_greyjoy_lod0.mesh 2500
77 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Custom_General/victarion_greyjoy_lod0.mesh 6400
1
3 hre
84 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Custom_General/textures/victarion_greyjoy.texture
83 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Custom_General/textures/victarion_normal.texture 0
1
3 hre
56 unit_models/AttachmentSets/Final General_greyjoy.texture
53 unit_models/AttachmentSets/Final General_norm.texture 0
4
4 None
15 MTW2_Non_Shield 0
1
18 MTW2_Sword_Primary
0
5 horse
18 MTW2_HR_Non_Shield 0
1
18 MTW2_Sword_Primary
0
8 elephant
18 MTW2_Elephant_Crew 0
1
18 MTW2_Sword_Primary
0
5 camel
18 MTW2_HR_Non_Shield 0
1
18 MTW2_Sword_Primary
0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0

Any ideas?

Put this in text editing because it is likely a modeldb issue but can be moved to Skins, Models and Animations if the mods see fit.

Thanks,
DS

**Ishan** · August 03, 2010, 09:43 AM

Copy the animation entries of a normal dismounted general, a good example would be Dismounted_NE_Bodyguard.

**Taiji** · August 03, 2010, 10:04 AM

I don't see a problem.

That already looks like a standard general set.

Show us the EDU entry, maybe it holds a clue.

**Darkstar** · August 03, 2010, 10:09 AM

Here's the EDU entry for the bodyguard unit. It's the first entry in the EDU.

type Norse Axemen
dictionary Norse_Axemen ; Norse Axemen
category infantry
class heavy
voice_type Heavy
banner faction main_infantry
banner holy crusade
soldier Norse_Axemen, 24, 0, 1.2
attributes sea_faring, hide_forest, hardy, can_withdraw, general_unit
formation 1.2, 1.2, 2.4, 2.4, 4, square
stat_health 1, 0
stat_pri 11, 6, no, 0, 0, melee, melee_blade, slashing, axe, 75, 1
;stat_pri_ex 0, 0, 0
stat_pri_attr ap
stat_sec 0, 0, no, 0, 0, no, melee_simple, blunt, none, 25, 1
;stat_sec_ex 0, 0, 0
stat_sec_attr no
stat_pri_armour 7, 6, 0, metal ;slung shield +1 armour ;mail: armor -1 defense +1 stat_heat -1
;stat_armour_ex 7, 8, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0, metal
stat_sec_armour 0, 0, flesh
stat_heat 8
stat_ground 1, -2, 3, 2
stat_mental 13, disciplined, trained
stat_charge_dist 6
stat_fire_delay 0
stat_food 60, 300
stat_cost 1, 720, 45, 90, 70, 720, 4, 170
armour_ug_levels 3
armour_ug_models Norse_Axemen
ownership hre
era 0 hre
recruit_priority_offset 0

**Taiji** · August 03, 2010, 10:22 AM

I don't see a problem. Try giving them an officer with 1h axe and shield, and see what happens.

Edit:

Oh hang on, now I see the problem:

Code:

15 MTW2_Non_Shield 0
1
18 MTW2_Sword_Primary
0

Replace that with a set from a 1h axe and shield unit's entry. Solved

**Darkstar** · August 03, 2010, 11:23 AM

Will try that. Thanks.

**Nergui** · August 03, 2010, 11:47 AM

I have a similiar issue changing Tabardariyya into a kind of halberd unit like Swiss Guard. Their animations are right and they fight the same way, but they are still holding a two-hand axe rather than a halberd

EDU

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

BMMDB

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Would I need to change the animation file as well as these?

**Moon** · August 03, 2010, 12:45 PM

To give an axe unit like Tabardariyya an Halberd or any other weapon, you have to modify the mesh with Milkshape or 3Dsmax.

**Darkstar** · August 03, 2010, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by Taiji

I don't see a problem. Try giving them an officer with 1h axe and shield, and see what happens.

Edit:

Oh hang on, now I see the problem:

Code:

15 MTW2_Non_Shield 0
1
18 MTW2_Sword_Primary
0

Replace that with a set from a 1h axe and shield unit's entry. Solved

Hmm, that didn't work either.

**Ishan** · August 03, 2010, 12:53 PM

@Nergui
It's not a animation or text issue u have to edit the unit model itself if u want the unit to display a halberd instead of an axe.

Edit 1
Sorry didn't saw u posted already, Yes Moon is right.

**Nergui** · August 03, 2010, 02:21 PM

I've been playing around with it and discovered a couple of things.

While I can change the model thusly -

armour_ug_models Tabardariyya, Tabardariyya_ug1
to
armour_ug_models ME_Halberd_Militia_ug1, ME_Halberd_Militia_ug1

so that they look like pikemen. (the UG1 model looks way better than the base model)

I still have to add the halberd weapon entries under Tabardariyya in BMDB for them to behave like pikemen. That is, use the spearwall formation.

**Ishan** · August 03, 2010, 11:16 PM

Originally Posted by Nergui

I still have to add the halberd weapon entries under Tabardariyya in BMDB for them to behave like pikemen. That is, use the spearwall formation.

You have to add the attribute for it in it's EDU entry. ", pike"

**Taiji** · August 03, 2010, 07:24 PM

Well at least he has the correct anims in battle_models now...

Did you try adding an officer? Was that OK?

**Darkstar** · August 04, 2010, 06:53 AM

OK it seems like it's using the animation from the generic general model specified in descr_character.txt.

I changed this:

16 ironborn_general
1 4
78 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Ironborn_General/ironborn_general_lod0.mesh 121
78 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Ironborn_General/ironborn_general_lod0.mesh 900
78 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Ironborn_General/ironborn_general_lod0.mesh 2500
78 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Ironborn_General/ironborn_general_lod0.mesh 6400
1
3 hre
89 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Ironborn_General/textures/ironborn_general_hre.texture
92 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Ironborn_General/textures/ironborn_general_normal.texture 0
1
3 hre
57 unit_models/AttachmentSets/Final General_hre_diff.texture
57 unit_models/AttachmentSets/Final General_hre_norm.texture 0
4
4 None
11 MTW2_2H_Axe 0
1
19 MTW2_2H_Axe_primary
0

To this:

16 ironborn_general
1 4
78 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Ironborn_General/ironborn_general_lod0.mesh 121
78 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Ironborn_General/ironborn_general_lod0.mesh 900
78 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Ironborn_General/ironborn_general_lod0.mesh 2500
78 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Ironborn_General/ironborn_general_lod0.mesh 6400
1
3 hre
89 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Ironborn_General/textures/ironborn_general_hre.texture
92 unit_models/_Generals_and_Captains/Ironborn_General/textures/ironborn_general_normal.texture 0
1
3 hre
57 unit_models/AttachmentSets/Final General_hre_diff.texture
57 unit_models/AttachmentSets/Final General_hre_norm.texture 0
4
4 None
9 MTW2_Mace 0
2
17 MTW2_Mace_Primary
14 fs_test_shield 0

And now the custom general models are using the correct animation. Any ideas why the custom general would use the animation specified for that faction's generic general model?

**Taiji** · August 04, 2010, 07:28 AM

Well done for fixing it

I suppose that change_battle_model does not affect skeleton/animation settings.

Maybe you can add in the rest of the potential animation setups so that you can be flexible with unique generals, and then again maybe it's impossible.

Originally Posted by Ishan

You have to add the attribute for it in it's EDU entry. ", pike"

Nope, it's a formation. So it goes on the formation line, and it's called 'phalanx'.

As for 'Pike' on the attributes line, I don't know what it does beyond allowing the unit to be indicated in formations. Perhaps it helps the AI in some unknown way, but there are no settings related to it.

**Saladin** · August 06, 2010, 03:27 AM

unfortuately unique generals will only use the animations given to them that the generic faction general is set to.

**Ishan** · August 06, 2010, 04:52 AM

Originally Posted by Saladin

unfortuately unique generals will only use the animations given to them that the generic faction general is set to.

Sorry Saladin i don't get it?

Are u saying that if say the defualt general for England is Northern_general and in the CS we spwan a general with diffrent battlemodel say XY having diff animation set in the BMDB file entry.
So u are saying that XY will have Northern_general animations?

**Saladin** · August 06, 2010, 06:55 PM

i believe so, but im not sure about spawning via script, i think ive seen some units in call of warhammer that spawn during the game use their own unique animations, but im not sure i have to check it out. but as far say the giving the a general a unique battlemodel in the descr_strat, he will use the default general model's animation for that faction, which is whatever you have as a battlemodel in the descr_character file.

**Darkstar** · February 02, 2011, 03:58 PM

Just wondering if anyone has found a way around this problem. Essentially it means that all generals of a faction have to use the same weapon type/animation.

EDIT - Also, this should probably be moved to Skinning, Models and Animations forum.

**Taiji** · February 02, 2011, 04:21 PM

It's in the right place already, it's a coding issue, and apparently hardcoded. I see what you mean though, it has relevance for animators and modelers.