[WIP] Animation Creation Blender Addon - We Can Now Make New Animations

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tomchk
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Joined: Mon, 26. Jan 15, 19:55
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[WIP] Animation Creation Blender Addon - We Can Now Make New Animations

Post by tomchk » Mon, 8. Nov 21, 17:32

I have created a Blender addon that lets you export new animations into X4, which may be a first outside what the developers use (and I believe those are not just Blender in Python like this). This could be a big deal, even after official tools are released. Here's a quick demonstration.

https://youtu.be/HcmOkxmkYWI

The addon is very much in progress/development, but you can try it here: https://github.com/tomchk/X4_gen_regions/

Here's the ReadMe as of now:

# X4_gen_regions
This is a WIP Blender addon that handles Blender animation exporting to X4 binary ani files. It also can generate randomized regions.

ANIMATION:

Most users should follow these steps:

(0) If adding animation(s) to a component with existing animations, please use this addon to import the animations for now: https://github.com/Cgettys/X4Converter/ ... rAddon.zip (there's a checkbox for import animations).

(1) Create an animation in Blender.

(2) Select the objects whose animations you want in the generated ANI file (the objects should have the same name as the component parts you want animated) (if step 0 applies to you, make sure you select objects with imported animations you want!).

(3a) While in Layout tab, click on the Generator panel/tab (press N if it's not visible, usually on the right).

(3b) Enter your desired target folder in the Generator panel.

(4) Click the last 2 buttons in order (first AniXML, then Ani) (naturally I can combine these buttons, but it's useful having them separate right now).

(5) The output anixml and ani files should appear in your target folder. You just need to place and rename them (typically like CLUSTER_100_DATA.ani or whatever the data folder is for the component).

(6) You should follow the vanilla pattern for adding the animations to your component XML--the information for that is in the metadata node of the anixml file. I have not tested what exactly can be omitted, but I suspect at least that you need to add "animation" to the "tag".

The other buttons are for creating randomized regions from a sectors.xml file (unrelated, just currently part of this addon) and generating orbits for things like planets. Let's get animating!



REGIONS:

Region generation is currently based on a sectors.xml file the user selects, and optionally based on an input file briefly listing what types of fields and resources are desired.



FUTURE PLANS:

Future animation plans may include more animation types than location and rotation, such as scale (assuming these will work) and possibly more automated generation of common animations, like rotations.

Future region plans may include porting over more of what I created in XSLT, such as field rings around planets, accretion discs, debris fields, etc.
Last edited by tomchk on Tue, 9. Nov 21, 15:54, edited 3 times in total.
Care to see what I've been creating? https://www.youtube.com/user/ytubrute

tomchk
Posts: 1294
Joined: Mon, 26. Jan 15, 19:55
x4

Re: [WIP] Animation Creation Blender Addon - We Can Now Make New Animations

Post by tomchk » Mon, 8. Nov 21, 17:54

Reserved for updates, etc.
Care to see what I've been creating? https://www.youtube.com/user/ytubrute

ZodiacExplorer
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu, 5. Aug 21, 20:12
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Re: [WIP] Animation Creation Blender Addon - We Can Now Make New Animations

Post by ZodiacExplorer » Tue, 9. Nov 21, 08:50

Wooohoooooooo!!!

Mystershow
Posts: 89
Joined: Tue, 11. Feb 20, 18:56
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Re: [WIP] Animation Creation Blender Addon - We Can Now Make New Animations

Post by Mystershow » Tue, 9. Nov 21, 23:43

Amazing !

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