Porting animations from other games

3ds Max can actually export frames as BMPs instead of AVI format. We thought the latter might be preferable originally since it produces a logical sequence with fewer files. But we need uncompressed AVIs so I don't think it saves us any filespace really (BMPs are also uncompressed).

ImageMagick can then convert those to GIFs, -adjoin them to an animated GIF and then -trim the blank space around the animations. So we'd need a batch script to do all that. We have the beginnings of an AutoIt/AutoHotkey script to then import those GIFs into BAM Workshop. Then we just would need to correct all the offsets with WeiDU (probably 5-10 lines of code) and we are done .

Does anyone know where to find detailed specifications on the animated GIF format? Namely, I need to know how the length of frame data is determined and indicated in the file. Wikipedia's spec sucks as it doesn't seem to really indicate this. Possibly the format does not indicate this in an logical way (like an index of offsets such as in BAMs).

Hi Miloch,

I found 3 files i have in my collection of stuff (file formats and development languages / tools etc) that might be of use to you.

Gif89a.txt, Gif89m.txt and a generic gif.txt containing file formats etc. Hope they are of use.

Does anyone know where to find detailed specifications on the animated GIF format? Namely, I need to know how the length of frame data is determined and indicated in the file. Wikipedia's spec sucks as it doesn't seem to really indicate this. Possibly the format does not indicate this in an logical way (like an index of offsets such as in BAMs).

gifsicle can supposedly extract frames, and decompile an animated gif into component frames. Maybe you can get the info by reading the source code (Alternatively, ask someone who understands C to help.)

These are some of the animations that are in the game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic:

Porting animations from this game is going to be very similar to porting them from NWN. Here is how I took these screen shots:

I exported the .mdl files with Kotor Tool (see other Skinning/Modeling tools for KotOR) which converted the models to ascii and automatically extracted and converted the textures to .tga images. I then viewed all >2000 models with NWN Explorer Reborn and took screen shots of the ones that showed up and were some kind of creature/droid. I don't think the actual movement animations are included in this, so one would still have to export (and maybe convert?) those.

The models can also be imported into 3ds Max (or GMax) using the NWmax plug-in pack. I hope this is helpful .

Hello Sam,

what about the possibility to import graphical assets from Pool of Radiance and TOEE ?,

I am thinking in particular (in addition to spells, tiles, etc ..., if its possible) to:
the Pool of Radiance Red-Dracolich

Concerning TOEE, and specially the spells effects :
I find the Particle System technology really well done, is it possible :
1) To import spells from TOEE and adapt it in the IE ?
2) Adapt the Steve Moret's particle viewer tool : V2Brute, for IE modding needs ?

source :
http://www.baldursga...html#post279670
http://www.co8.org/f...136&postcount=1
http://www.baldursga...html#post279559
http://www.baldursga...html#post279475

Edited by salomonkane, 31 October 2011 - 04:38 PM.

what about the possibility to import graphical assets from Pool of Radiance and TOEE ?,

I am thinking in particular (in addition to spells, tiles, etc ..., if its possible) to:
the Pool of Radiance Red-Dracolich

See this post earlier in the thread for all of the information I have on extracting animation files from Pool of Radiance (PoR). It's not much I'm afraid...

As for ToEE, can V2Brute save the particle files as other formats, or just display them? From the screenshots it looks like they may make use of alpha channels/translucency which I think would be a problem when trying to convert them to the IE's .BAM format.

Edited by Sam., 31 October 2011 - 09:23 PM.

V2Brute save the particle files as other formats, or just display them?

-Just display them,
-But, this tool is very ergonomic, if we could have a similar interface for the management of spells in IE, it would be great ...
-Of course if we could "hacking" proprietary spells TOEE format and export them in a usable format for IE with an V Brute improving to this end it would be even better ...

Anyone interested ?
Somebody interested to do it ?


source :
http://www.co8.org/f...0015#post110015

P.S :

use of alpha channels/translucency which I think would be a problem when trying to convert them to the IE's .BAM format.

-Why ? , TY .

Edited by salomonkane, 01 November 2011 - 03:58 AM.

I'd be interested in using TOEE spell effects in BGII ToB, provided I don't have to worry about copyright. Troika Games is deunct, so we can (legally) use their work?

-Galactygon

Of course not, Atari is the owner.

But why the scruples now? After extracting and using NWN, Diablo and BIS assets.

Com'on Galag.,

Troika Games is deunct

After extracting and using NWN, Diablo and BIS assets.

,

-I'm pretty sure that from TOEE : with a good IE speel viewer (especially to see, test our own creations spell) and with a good TOEE spells editor (V2Brute adapted) we can do wonderful things ...

FYI :
http://forums.blackw...?showtopic=4931

Edited by salomonkane, 01 November 2011 - 04:27 AM.

Of course not, Atari is the owner.

But why the scruples now? After extracting and using NWN, Diablo and BIS assets.

Just because many mods infringe copyright laws doesn't mean I have to, even if it's not for profit. I'm always going to be on the safe side; at the very minimum I would cite the sources the animations come from and/or modify those animations. We have yet to see a mass-distributed IE mod that contains material from other companies' games. I don't count IA's NWN animations as one because it's mostly directed at the modders rather than the masses and hasn't received much scrutiny yet.

NWN is a different story; it was produced by the same company as the IE games.

-I'm pretty sure that from TOEE : with a good IE speel viewer (especially to see, test our own creations spell) and with a good TOEE spells editor (V2Brute adapted) we can do wonderful things ...

Unfortunately, I don't have the game or the time to tinker with extracting those animations. If someone is willing to do it, I am open to using it (and giving them credit where it's due).

FYI :
http://forums.blackw...?showtopic=4931

That thread is waiting for an update.

-Galactygon

In any case a good Spells-Viewer would be very welcome, in the case of V2Brut is a really nice to using the mouse wheel to scroll through the spells and to view them in real time ...

If we could have a similar tool that not only allows to see/edit the spells of differents game engines (like Arcanum, NW, Lionheart, TOEE, etc, ...& IE), but allow us too, to save/create them, "in-fine", in .BAM, ...,
How happy it would be for the testers / spells creators ...



http://www.baldursga...html#post279541
http://www.baldursga...html#post278939

Edited by salomonkane, 01 November 2011 - 11:17 AM.

Guest:

what's with the game "Pool of Radiance 2 - Ruins of Myth Drannor". Never played it, but some screenshots show interesting content and it's Forgotten Realms stuff

Miloch:

nab is, probably some sort of proprietary animation format. Can't find any details on it either, or anything at all on modding tools for the game.

-Just in case I extracted the animation folder of the dracolich from Pool Of Radiance, maybe one day we will open/use these files ...
[\Pool of Radiance\Data\Anims\dracolich\dra.cnb]


(at 1'10)

Edited by salomonkane, 02 November 2011 - 09:55 AM.

Hi everyone, sorry for posting in topic 6 years after last post... but I want to extract some graphics from Lionheart and I'm stuck. The models are in .mdl16 format so Granny can't open then - does anyone remember what needs to be done to be able to view these animations in Granny? Or do you have any better ideas of how to extract them after all these years? I'd be extremely happy if someone could answer

 

(I'm also working on converting arcanum animations to BAM files, maybe I'll post some news here in the future)

(I'm also working on converting arcanum animations to BAM files, maybe I'll post some news here in the future)

 

Just have a look here, you might recognize some of them.

Edited by Gwendolyne, 13 March 2017 - 02:30 PM.

(I'm also working on converting arcanum animations to BAM files, maybe I'll post some news here in the future)

 

Just have a look here, you might recognize some of them.

No. SparrowJacek needs to look at real animation pictures, aka here, not ... lines of nonsense.

Hi everyone, sorry for posting in topic 6 years after last post... but I want to extract some graphics from Lionheart and I'm stuck. The models are in .mdl16 format so Granny can't open then - does anyone remember what needs to be done to be able to view these animations in Granny? Or do you have any better ideas of how to extract them after all these years? I'd be extremely happy if someone could answer

There are a variety of threads on the topic, but a quick search turns up the following:

• Lionheart-Extracting the Maps
• [Help Offered] Extracted Lionheart Maps
• [Help Offered] Extracted Lionheart Resources

Edited by Sam., 14 March 2017 - 08:48 AM.