RW Released [III/VC/SA/IV/V] GTA Chars And Anim Helper 0.91

[Shagg_E]

 "GTA Chars And Anim Helper" v0.91 Open Beta

 

 

For those who not very interested in all of this but wonder what is that sh*t from the title picture above ^^^ - it's just one experimental mod.

I don't know when it comes out, sorry.
But now you can do the same things with "GTA Chars And Anim Helper"! Or any other dope stuff.
Combine it with CarRec and you'll get something like Quantum Break plus Uncharted plus Resident Evil plus [insert your Favorite Game].

 

Now, if you're interested...

 

This is the MaxScript for Autodesk 3ds Max.

 

Description:
"GTA Chars And Anim Helper" gives you the ability to skip some boring moments of skinning and animation of the characters for GTA: Vice City and San Andreas.
SOME options potentially can be used for GTA 3/4/5 modding, or other games.

 

Installation:
Just place "GTACharsAndAnimHelperBeta.ms" into your "3dsmax/scripts" folder.

 

How to use:
Point to any button with the mouse cursor to see some extra info.

That's all, dudes.

 

 

 

 

Ok, here's the extended description for these buttons:

 

"Char Helper":

Spoiler

Every bone in GTA VC/SA bone hierarchy has some special properties(select the bone, click "RMB/Object Properties/User Defined" & look at them):

 

* BoneID:
A special ID number for in-game use. For example, 24th bone "holds" the gun(usually, it's a right hand's bone). Needs for IG(InGame, gameplay) models, doesn't matter for CS(CutScene) characters(but can be useful for opcode 0524).
* BoneIndex:
Just index from the Root bone(0) to the last bone in the hierarchy(look at scene hierarchy in Scene Explorer to understand, but only if it sorted by date). It's important to match the real index!
* FrameName:
Trash stuff that appears because of KAM's scripts. Actually, ALL of these parameters appears because of KAM's scripts, but this parameter is needless except for one little pointless renaming option called "Restore" in the "DFF IO" script.
* BoneType:
1 or 3 - bones that don't have children bones
0 or 2 - bones that have children bones
If there are a few children bones under the parent bone - all children bones must be 2 or 3, but the last one must be 0 or 1. If there's only one children bone - this children bone must be 0 or 1.

 

So, how this maxscript can help you with all of these?
Easy: you don't need to go to "RMB/Object Properties/User Defined" every time - just use "Set BoneID" field to set BoneID for each bone, then select any bone and use once "Calculate for all hierarchy" button to automatically calculate and set BoneType and BoneIndex parameters for all custom bone hierarchy!
Yep, you can create a completely new bone hierarchy from scratch(64 bones maximum for CS models and 24 - for IG, but remember - there's no limits, if you really want to do something new) by using "Create bones" buttons, then set all these bones' parameters, then skin your character with this skeleton by using 3dsmax "Skin" modifier, export and use in game!

 

From Max:

To Game:

 

Making of all-new characters is easy as Boom-Boom-Tap:

 

 

Edited December 16, 2024 by Shagg_E
restoring some pics

[Shagg_E]

"Anim Helper":

Spoiler

Well, you have a character and you want to animate him. Maybe these buttons will help you to do that much easier:

 

1) "Select bones" section:
"All" will select all bones the hierarchy if you have selected any one of these.
"Except Root" - all except Root, obviously.
"Only Root" - you got it.
Don't ask me why, but these buttons will help you when the time comes.

 

2) "Skin Mesh Triggers" section:
Sometimes you need to freeze your character's model to not select it while you trying to select a bone.
Sometimes you need to see through your model.
So:
Select the model or any of its bones and press "Freeze" to freeze your character's model.
Then select any bone(because now you can't select the model without going to the ass of 3dsmax) and press "Freeze" again to unfreeze the model.
Same instructions for "Transparency" button.

 

3) "Create/Delete HI Solver" section:
HI Solver is a History Independent inverse kinematic solution. It two words, this stuff will help you to ease of animation of the character's arms, legs and eyes. Normally it's impossible to use it for GTA animations, but you can do it with these instruments:

"One bone" creates HI Solver for selected bone.

Select ONE bone/helper and push this button.
 "Bone + Joint" creates HI Solver for selected bone and its parent joint.
Select ONE bone/helper(foot or hand, for example) and push this button.
 "Eyes" creates HI Solver for selected eye pupils' bones.
Select ALL eye pupils' bones/helpers and push this button.
As you can see(SEE, hehe), you need to create eye pupils' bones and place them into eye pupils before animation. You can delete these bones after animation.

 

If you changed your mind and don't want to use HI Solver - use "Delete for all selected". It will delete selected HI Solvers or HI Solvers for selected bones.
Works only for HI Solvers that was created with this script!
Select all needed bones or/and HI solvers and push this button.

 

But if you have done your arm's/leg's/eyes' animation, you'll need
"Before Export: Bake HI anim" section:
"For all selected bones/solvers" button will create anim keys for all selected bones that use HI Solvers or for bones that use selected HI Solvers. HI Solver(s) will disappear, but all animation will be "baked" onto character's bones!
Works only for HI Solvers that was created with this script!
It will not bake any anim if you didn't make any anim with HI Solver!
Use this before animation export.
Select all needed bones or/and HI solvers and push this button.
"Detailed" checkbox - bakes more detailed animation by adding extra anim keys every few frames. Of course, you want to have detailed animation, so it turned on by default. Choose frame interval in the "Int" field(each 1.0 frame by default).

 

A simple demonstration of using HI Solver:

 

 

 

4) "Attach/Detach object" section:

Sometimes in cutscenes, you need to make your character to pick up some object. But you can't place this object into character's hand every frame, over and over again! And you can't attach this object in a classical way, because it will not save its animation.
So these buttons will help you:
"Attach to selected" attaches object to selected bone/helper/object.
Select ONE bone/helper/object and push this button.

 

If you changed your mind and don't want to use this attach - select "Detach". It detaches selected attached objects or attached objects for selected bones/helpers/objects.
Works only for objects that were attached by this script!
Select all needed bones/helpers/objects and push this button.

 

But if you have done your object's animation(or just created its first and last anim key), you'll need
"Before Export: Bake Attached" section:
"For all selected objects" creates anim keys for all selected attached objects or attached objects for selected bones/helpers/objects.
Works only for objects that were attached by this script!
It will not bake any anim if you didn't make any anim keys for your object!
Use this before animation export.
Select all needed bones/helpers/objects and push this button.
"Detailed" checkbox - bakes more detailed animation by adding extra anim keys every few frames. Of course, you want to have detailed animation, so it turned on by default. Choose frame interval in the "Int" field(each 1.0 frame by default).

 

5) "Change animation speed" section:
You have made cool animation, but realized that it will be even cooler if it will play a bit faster/slower?

Don't worry, just use "Increase..." button: it increases selected animation as many times as specified in right field.
If you want slow down the animation by 2 times, then choose "0,5" in that field.
Select all needed bones/helpers/objects, then select the needed anim keys interval or the first and the last keys of needed interval and push this button.
"Accuracy" checkbox: It will round-up the number of frames of the new animation range to the value that was chosen in the right field.
If you increased your animation that has 25,0 frames by 2,0 times then the new range will be 12,5.
But if THIS checkbox was checked and value "1,0" was chosen - the new range will be 13,0.

 

6) "Before Export: Delete anim keys" section:
You know this famous problem when some character in the game is "turning into a ball" for a split second or making a funny face when he's trying to play new animation:

   <<< All it happens because of "position keys" in animation.
All bones except Root bone must have rotation(green on the track bar) keys only(for correct animation), so you need to delete position(red) keys for them.
So use "Del Pos keys(all except Root)" button before animation export.
Select all needed bones(except Root) and push this button.

 

Ok, bones can have rotation(green, all bones) and position(red, Root bone only) keys but it's also recommended to delete scale(blue) keys for them.
Actually, I don't know how scale keys can damage your animation, because it seems the game doesn't read them. But I made this option for future purposes and also because I can.
Use(or not use) "Del Scale keys(not important)" button before animation export.
Select all needed bones and push this button.

 

"Bone Hierarchy Conversion":

Spoiler

 

 1) "Biped" stuff is not finished yet, but trust me: it will be cool. Converting Endorphin anims is just one example of using this.

I don't know when it comes out, so this is the reason why I publish this 0.9b version of the script now.

Before v.1.0 happens, you can take a look at @Wesser's "GTA Animation XML IO". It will help you to convert anims between GTA bone hierarchy and Biped.

 

2) "Bones System settings" section:
Don't use it, if you don't know any advantages of proper bones system.
Based on "Helper Manager" script by Lorne Brooks.
This section may disappear in the next versions of the script because of uselessness("Biped" stuff will be much better).

 

WARNING! Replacing Bones Hierarchy to Bones System will lead to impossibility to export your character to the game later!
This replacing is needed for easily animation only, so SAVE or BACKUP YOUR CHARACTER BEFORE REPLACING HIS BONE HIERARCHY!

 

"Replace With Bones System" - duplicates a picked hierarchy with a new Bones System. If any skinned meshes are found, it will re-skin them to a matching hierarchy of point helpers that are constrained to the new bones. The skin helpers will be added to a new scene layer called #__SkinHelpers__# then frozen.
"X-Axis Aligned Bones" checkbox: The existing hierarchy is aligned so that joints point down the X-axis. This is the default alignment for a newly created Bones System.
"M" checkbox: Display a message when X-Axis Aligned Bones is turned off and Replace With Bones System is pressed.
"Create Display Bones" checkbox: Display bones will be created between the real bones. They will be added to a new scene layer called #__DisplayBones__# then frozen.
"Keep Original Hierarchy" checkbox: The original hierarchy will not be deleted after the new bones have been added.
"Skin Mesh "X-Ray" Mode" checkbox: Sets Skin Mesh transparency after bones replace will be done.
"Show bones as boxes" checkbox: Displays new bones as boxes(some versions of 3ds Max doesn't display new bones in wireframe mode, so check it if you have this problem).

 

"Info":

Spoiler

Really? Ok, here's some info:

Made by Shagg_E, 2019.
http://newrockstar.do.am
https://youtube.com/user/NewrockstarGames

 

Some parts of the code of "Helper Manager" by Lorne Brooks have been used in this script.
Email: [email protected]

 

Also, I want to credit these people:
@Kam - for his incredible scripts,
Yelmi and @Deniska - for all their animations researches,
@The Hero - for "RW File Converter" and @Mr. Jago - for "Moddable cutscene actors for Vice City", which helped me a lot to learn CS characters' structure,

@Wesser - for his Endorphin research, which inspired me to work with Biped stuff,
and many other guys who made all this possible!

 

This script is not copyrighted, please feel free to modify or distribute.

 

And now - that's all, dudes.

 

Oh, wait...

DOWNLOAD

I don't know, what's wrong with GTAGarage(can't submit any file), so it's temporary hosted on my site.

UPD: Old v0.9 you can find here.

 

 

In addition 1 - GTA 3 animations:

Spoiler

Unfortunately, I don't know anything about .anm/.ska file format(cutscene head animations) except this, but for IFP you can use this instruction:

Download this file first.
How to use:
1) Open gta3player.chr in 3ds max 2009(or newer)
2) Run Kam's "IFP IO", select "Load ifp" and choose peds.ifp
3) Select player parts
4) Select needed anim in the script, then press "apply animation"
5) Edit anim as you want
6) Select player parts again and select the "Replace" button in the script.
That's it, anim was saved, you can go test it.

 

In addition 2 - Cutscenes:

Spoiler

I'm currently working on cutscenes tutorial for VC. Most of its part(maybe full) will fit for SA. Some of its parts will fit for III/IV/V. I don't know when it comes out, but 100% after GTA Chars & Anim helper 1.0 release.
But if you already know how to make in-game animations and you have the scene in 3ds max - all you need to do is to export characters' animations as usual in-game anims through "ANPK Tool", then look this example(code has detailed comments) to find out how to activate it in the script/mission.
You can also use my fix for ANPK Tool (it's still WIP, but usable).
 

If anyone will have some questions about cutscenes in VC - write to me anytime, I'll try to help as soon as I can.

 

Also here's sad news: yelmi.com site(pioneer of cutscene modding) has died. Yelmi don't want to recover it, but he tells me he will try to publish all useful stuff(tutorials and tools).
Before my tutorial comes out, you can download an archive with Yelmi's, Andrew's and my notes. They're random, they're in Russian, but maybe they will help somebody.

Also, take a look at Andrew's OAD Exporter 1.2.3 for GTA IV.
As you see, all VC/SA stuff looks disorderly: that's why I want to make it much easier and more automatic and that's why I need to finish my maxscript before making tutorial: for me it's much easier to make some processes automatic("Char Helper" in this maxscript) than trying to explain them.

If somebody will make another tutorial before mine - it will be great.

 

Edited December 16, 2024 by Shagg_E
restoring some pics

[firedihm]

Thank god you only used 0.0000000000000000000001% of your power

[deltaCJ]

The great and divine GTA gods have given us their only son...Shagg_E, thank you for this wonderful script! Going to be making a ton of animations  too bad GTA 3 is too much work

[Shagg_E]

4 hours ago, deltaCJ said:

too bad GTA 3 is too much work

Added some info for GTA 3. But yes - it really more difficult than VC/SA.

 

 

 

22 hours ago, firedihm said:

Thank god you only used 0.0000000000000000000001% of your power

Like,

Spoiler

 

 

Edited February 8, 2019 by Shagg_E

[Vadim M.]

Huh, this is cool!

[Delatom Vione]

We can finally make cutscene animations now. 

Edited February 9, 2019 by Delatom

[Not Available]

This looking like some Resident Evil type sh*t. Nice job! 

[fastman92]

Thanks for the work you've done.

It's gonna be useful. 

[Jinx.]

Niiiiiiiice. This is really cool!

 

Shaggy ultra instinct

[Braindawg]

This is incredible, Shaggy! Any chance you can make a video explaining how to import endorphin anims using this plugin?

[Shagg_E]

19 hours ago, Braindawg said:

This is incredible, Shaggy! Any chance you can make a video explaining how to import endorphin anims using this plugin?

Yeah, I'll make it in the cutscenes tutorial.

 

 

Guys, I very appreciate that you like it, but I want to ask you report me if you find any bug or problem or maybe annoying grammar mistake(English isn't my native language) or just want to give some ideas. Please write here in the topic or in PM.
I'll try to respond as soon as I can.

[deadasfuqboi]

LORD SHAGG_E HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!!

(dead meme incoming)

It's over 9000!

[El'azar]

Ok so I basically rig skins and make animations for san andreas. Is there any possibility I can perhaps add more bones to be used in game? Like maybe extra moveable fingers or something?

 

[Shagg_E]

For cutscenes - yes, of course!

 

For in-game peds...

In VC you can do it, in SA - I don't know, but I think - theoretically yes.

 

1) The thing is, all peds in VC must have the same bone hierarchy as cop.dff(first ID after the player in default.ide). So you need to make a new bone hierarchy(for example - add new bones, 64 bones max) for this model cop.dff, and then you will be able("must", actually) to make the same bone hierarchy to every other ped model in the game(or they will be broken).
2) OR just use The Hero's vc_anim.dll, that makes it all much easier - with it you can make unique bone hierarchy for every ped, without cop.dff replacing.
Of course, you'll need to do special anims for these peds, but that's another story.

 

So, because no one made the same plugin for SA, all you can do is to follow the first way: find "base" model(first ID after the player in peds.ide - male01.dff, I guess), add new bones to it, and only then change every other model. For a test, you can just try to replace this model to any cutscene model, and when you'll succeed - make your own bone hierarchy.

 

But it's just my hunches, you know... I'm not a SA expert.

Edited May 5, 2019 by Shagg_E

[El'azar]

On 5/4/2019 at 10:36 PM, Shagg_E said:

For cutscenes - yes, of course!

 

For in-game peds...

In VC you can do it, in SA - I don't know, but I think - theoretically yes.

 

1) The thing is, all peds in VC must have the same bone hierarchy as cop.dff(first ID after the player in default.ide). So you need to make a new bone hierarchy(for example - add new bones, 64 bones max) for this model cop.dff, and then you will be able("must", actually) to make the same bone hierarchy to every other ped model in the game(or they will be broken).
2) OR just use The Hero's vc_anim.dll, that makes it all much easier - with it you can make unique bone hierarchy for every ped, without cop.dff replacing.
Of course, you'll need to do special anims for these peds, but that's another story.

 

So, because no one made the same plugin for SA, all you can do is to follow the first way: find "base" model(first ID after the player in peds.ide - male01.dff, I guess), add new bones to it, and only then change every other model. For a test, you can just try to replace this model to any cutscene model, and when you'll succeed - make your own bone hierarchy.

 

But it's just my hunches, you know... I'm not a SA expert.

Thanks for the details but i'm still confused. I learn better by video examples, reading a lot just confuses me. It goes through my eyes and exits my brain at the back of my head or something. 

So say I have a character model fully rigged and the bones are custom named and I have bones for each individual finger and eyes and stuff. How do I proceed? 

[Shagg_E]

7 hours ago, Lord Kiri said:

Thanks for the details but i'm still confused. I learn better by video examples, reading a lot just confuses me. It goes through my eyes and exits my brain at the back of my head or something. 

So say I have a character model fully rigged and the bones are custom named and I have bones for each individual finger and eyes and stuff. How do I proceed?  

If you have less than 65 bones, then you should set up their properties, as explained in "Char Helper" part in the first post.
Then try to export this character to VC's dff. Why VC? Because I'm 100% sure that it will work and you will understand the system.
1) So, export your character and rename it to cop.dff.
2) Replace cop model in VC. Now you can see in-game, that all characters are looked f*cked-up(even cop model), but it works! No crash!
3) Now you can replace any other character(player.dff, for example) with the same character or the character with the same bones. It will also looked f*cked-up, but also will work.
4) Now you ready to replace original animations with the new ones, that will be made especially for the new characters. Now all characters in VC will f*cked-up EXCEPT the new ones!
5) Now you ready to replace any other characters and animations.

I THINK you can do the same thing in SA, but I don't know which "base" SA model is(in VC it's "cop.dff"). I THINK it's the first ID after the player in "peds.ide"("male01.dff"), because in VC "cop.dff" is the first ID after the player in "default.ide". But I'm not sure.
That's why you should try this method in VC and only then(after you succeed) try it in SA.

Edited May 6, 2019 by Shagg_E

[El'azar]

1 hour ago, Shagg_E said:

If you have less than 65 bones, then you should set up their properties, as explained in "Char Helper" part in the first post.
Then try to export this character to VC's dff. Why VC? Because I'm 100% sure that it will work and you will understand the system.
1) So, export your character and rename it to cop.dff.
2) Replace cop model in VC. Now you can see in-game, that all characters are looked f*cked-up(even cop model), but it works! No crash!
3) Now you can replace any other character(player.dff, for example) with the same character or the character with the same bones. It will also looked f*cked-up, but also will work.
4) Now you ready to replace original animations with the new ones, that will be made especially for the new characters. Now all characters in VC will f*cked-up EXCEPT the new ones!
5) Now you ready to replace any other characters and animations.

I THINK you can do the same thing in SA, but I don't know which "base" SA model is(in VC it's "cop.dff"). I THINK it's the first ID after the player in "peds.ide"("male01.dff"), because in VC "cop.dff" is the first ID after the player in "default.ide". But I'm not sure.
That's why you should try this method in VC and only then(after you succeed) try it in SA.

yes it works with male01. But when i export using kams max script and reimport the dff with the added bones it gives me some undefined error and nothing imports. So i think maybe the process im doing is wrong? I basically add children bones using the maxscript you provided. Then clicked on the bone and pressed *calculate for all hierarchy" and exported using kams maxscript.

[Shagg_E]

Yeah, I had these problems when I used Max 2009. Try to use another version of Kam's scripts(if you already did it - try to use the old one) or another version on 3ds Max, or just another exporters(1, 2)...
Unfortunately, I don't know what else to advise except checking "BoneID" parameters(they must be unique for each bone).

Edited May 6, 2019 by Shagg_E

[El'azar]

18 minutes ago, Shagg_E said:

Yeah, I had these problems when I used Max 2009. Try to use another version of Kam's scripts(if you already did it - try to use the old one) or another version on 3ds Max, or just another exporters(1, 2)...
Unfortunately, I don't know what else to advise except check BoneID parameters(they must be unique for each bone).

oh haha well it was because of the bone id's............I completely forgot to change them mb. Thanks for the response man  this plugin can honestly work to remaster these games. Replace peds with fully boned models and stuff! I like it.

[Takei01]

https://i.imgur.com/gfVcni5.png

 

i made this models to test but when i Export it normal and i test it work but i import again it have this issue 

[Takei01]

[img=https://i.imgur.com/sdbW6uV.png]

and this pop up when i try to import please someone help me 

 

[Shagg_E]

3 hours ago, Takei01 said:

https://i.imgur.com/gfVcni5.png

 

i made this models to test but when i Export it normal and i test it work but i import again it have this issue 

 

On 5/7/2019 at 3:47 AM, Shagg_E said:

check "BoneID" parameters(they must be unique for each bone)

 

[Takei01]

ok i see the prop tks 

[Shagg_E]

1 hour ago, Takei01 said:

ok i see the prop tks 

You don't need to go to bone properties. You can set it in the script, as explained in "Char Helper" part in the first post. It is much, much easier!

Edited May 12, 2019 by Shagg_E

[Takei01]

4 hours ago, Shagg_E said:

You don't need to go to bone properties. You can set it in the script, as explained in "Char Helper" part in the first post. It is much, much easier!

Tks bro this script help me so much. You a god bro Shagg_E :))))

[Weaita]

On 5/12/2019 at 7:33 AM, Takei01 said:

Tks bro this script help me so much. You a god bro Shagg_E :))))

How to add the modifier "Skin"? I tried to create the hierarchy and then put the Skin modifier on top of the editable mesh, but when exporting it gave me an error

[Shagg_E]

On 6/22/2019 at 6:47 PM, Weaita said:

How to add the modifier "Skin"? I tried to create the hierarchy and then put the Skin modifier on top of the editable mesh, but when exporting it gave me an error

After you made a new hierarchy, you should set bone properties, as explained in "Char Helper" part in the first post.
Then you need to apply Skin modifier on the mesh and skin it in a classical way.

 

OR you can skin your model and THEN set bone properties - it doesn't matter what order you will work. Just don't forget the properties.

[Weaita]

9 hours ago, Shagg_E said:

After you made a new hierarchy, you should set bone properties, as explained in "Char Helper" part in the first post.
Then you need to apply Skin modifier on the mesh and skin it in a classical way.

 

OR you can skin your model and THEN set bone properties - it doesn't matter what order you will work. Just don't forget the properties.

After having tasted 20 times I was finally able to export it!

 

3ds max showed me the error on the screen --Unable to convert: undefined to type: Integer, I managed to solve it by adding the SPunknown = 4 to the bone property.

 

 

 

(Exported by Kams Scripts originals and 2018)

[Shagg_E]

4 hours ago, Weaita said:

 

3ds max showed me the error on the screen --Unable to convert: undefined to type: Integer, I managed to solve it by adding the SPunknown = 4 to the bone property.

(Exported by Kams Scripts originals and 2018)

Can you tell me with what bone you did it and to what game?
I've never had to deal with this problem when I did my characters to VC with classic Kam's scripts.