This sounds simple enough yet I can't find a way to get it working...

I used hkxcmd to convert hkx files, then import skeleton, meshes and kf animation into 3ds max without problem. But it only work for normal animation, not the horse riding animation (which is located under horse rider folder). Attempting to import kf file would make every bones dislocated, animations being twisted here and there

Does anyone here successfully import and view horse rider animation? I want to view new mounted combat animation Bethesda added after the patch 1.6

Apparently the mounted animations don't use Root Node, or it couldn't find one with the current skeleton

When I import the skeleton then animation into NifSkope, I got the message

couldn't find the animation's root node (NPC Root [Root] Male)

I'm getting close here, can anyone point me to the right direction? How to modify the skeleton for the horse riding animations

I answered your PM but now that I found this and know exactly what your trying to do I also know whats wrong ->< its the Converter was never set up to handle "TransformTracksToBoneIndicies" and that is how all of the Mounted Combat Animations are Mapped to Bones so your going to need a New Skeleton.hkx for the converter to be able to get that information into a .kf without mangling everything.

Although all of the Horse Rider anims are done this way so are you sure you were EVER able to get these converted and into Max because I can tell you this as these anims are now the Converter would NEVER have been able to convert them to a usable form with the default skeleton.hkx.

yes, thank you for the reply.

I thought as much. That why I set out to make a new skeleton for it. I hope you could point me to the right direction. Do I need to add new bones to the skeleton? How the NPC Root [Root] Male suppose to link to COM and NPC Root [Root] ?

The Tracks are being Transformed +1 so the node that is missing a Transform Track is the Root Node so what you need is a Skeleton.hkx without "NPC Root [Root]" so that the Converter can properly Map the Transform Tracks to the correct Nodes.

I don't know what I did wrong, but it also didn't work. Here are the steps I took:

• Use hkxcmd to convert skeleton.hkx to skeleton.xml
  
• Rename the string node "NPC Root [Root]" to "Old NPC Root [Root]" - 3 entries edited <---- I didn't remove the NPC Root [Root] because there are too many dependencies
  
• Use hkxcmd to convert skeleton.xml to skeleton.hkx
  
• Use that new skeleton.hkx to convert the mounted animations into kf files with hkxcmd
  
• Try to view them in Max, still the same problem. Animation/bones distorted

Another attempt:

• Fire up Nifskope & load Skeleton.nif (not skeleton.hkx)
  
• I tried to rename the node "NPC Root [Root]" to "NPC Root [Root] Male" in NifSkope
  
• Import mount animations (kf files converted by old and new skeleton.hkx)
  
• Animation run, but distorted as in 3ds Max, and give me more "couldn't find xxx node". But notably the "couldn't find "NPC Root [Root]" node

It seems to me that these animation files are asking for both nodes:

NPC Root [Root]NPC Root [Root] Male

I'm getting crazy here, how could that happen?

You need an HKX file that does not possess that node its name is meaningless as the Converter does not care what the Tracks are named it only does a 1 to 1 conversion it reads the Skeleton.hkx Skeleton Mapper from indices 0 - 98 and then just blindly assigns animation Transform Tracks to those nodes so your problem is this:

Skeleton.hkx Node 0 is NPC Root [Root] -> Changing its name is useless to the problem at hand.
Mounted Anims Transform Track 0 is meant for x_NPC LookNode [Look]

So what the converter is doing is assigning the Track to an incorrect Node and then it does this for every Track because it does not know how to correct this behavior because it does not read the TransformTrackToBoneIndicies block and there for the Program requires a Skeleton.hkx that matches the Anim Tracks.

Basically you need someone with Max/Maya/XSI to get the official Havok Exporter 2010.2.0 and have them create a new Skeleton.hkx that does not possess that node at all.

I understand the problem now, thank you for pointing that out.
It's more complicated that I thought

Do you know a book/guide/tutorial that get me started on this subject?

Doing scripts, reading behaviors files, adding new animations slots are my things, but skeleton, indices ... no. I need to get started on this

P/s: Beside, would creating new animations based on original skeleton.nif (not hkx) be compatible with mounted animation?
By compatible, I mean the indices mapping is not as messed up?
I thought I would be creating new animations with skeleton.nif and force them to play on horse. Would that cause any strange issue?


UPDATE:
I studied the skeleton.xml (converted from skeleton.hkx) and understand the hierarchy defined there.
If I were to create new skeleton in 3ds max with x_NPC LookNode [Look] as the node 0, what should I deal with the 'relationships' that being tied to the supposed NPC Root [Root]?

Havok gave out quite a few Docs with the DL most are in the form of source and a few example files beyond that there are a couple game specific tutorials available but they are generally wrong for Skyrim -&--#62; I gave out some Max files some time back with the exact export settings required for Skyrim Skeleton.hkx and Animation.hkx exports using HCT, I no longer have these as I no longer use HCT as my own personal exporter does this now.



No Idea to be honest I never tried but its my inclination that it would do something bad as Bethesda would NEVER waste their time going out of their way to set up this way of exporting Mounted Animations if it was not important in some way for that node to not be Controlled.


I have had all kinds of Issues trying to play Special Idles when in a Combat Stance most often they will play but they will also lock up the Actors current State making all other animations not play at all and forcing you to reset the actors state through script -&--#62; best practice here is to just give your scripts a try and see what happens.


As far as the Converter is concerned it should not matter, I would just delete the NPC Root [Root] and use x_NPC LookNode [Look] as the new root linking all of the old NPC Root children to it, then update your rig file to exclude the NPC Root.

Thank you for the detailed answers, seems like a lot to do
I will update my progress later should I have any questions



This sounds like you are trying to play an idle in combat-state, yes? I'm surprised that you could get the animation play, since idle and combat animations are defined in separated states of behavior file. I can tell you that there is nothing wrong with your animations, it just that behavior file was having a cross-states hiccup (due to calling 'global' animation event on sub-animation-state). As when the animation finishes playing, it will return to the most immediate state (in this case, idle-state) while you are expecting it to return to combat state

If you wish to play combat animations without issue, then you should have modded the combat-state of the behavior and add new animation event there instead. (not in the idle state).

This I am aware of I have edited my Behavior files to include Hurt Movement(not Bleedout), Mired Movement(think Swampy hip knee deep Snow or Mudy Waters) and Disoriented Movement(for Spells and alcohol), Dodging (Bethesda's just with different animations), Magical Teleport dodging, Rogue Opportunistic Dodging, XBows before Dawnguard, Throwing Potions, 1 Handed Spears, 2 Handed Spears, Sais, and several custom mounts with their own custom animations.

I was only reffering to when I first started trying to get SI's to be used for Combat situations, it did not go well although it is possible you can set up multiple exit transitions in the SI's so that instead of the Behaviors defaulting to trying to exit into the Idle State it can exit into the Combat state as well. You can even have the Behaviors lead to completely different Animation Events based on your current state if you want to conditionalize which AE to play without having to use Scripting.

It helps that I built my own Behavior Editor that allows me to view and edit the files in Hierarchy rather then in Text and it allows me to add entire Animation Sets Movement, Combat, Mount or Special Idles without having to worry about linking or transposing values on accident.

Ok, big success! I don't know how but I managed to do it, despite no experience in whatsoever

• Created/duplicated the skeleton.hkx
  
• I Deleted the "NPC Root [Root]" and make all old dependencies to the new npc_Look node
  
• Make sure the ragdoll bones are mapped to the new hierarchy properly
  
• Export the skeleton.hkx
  
• Use hkxcmd to convert animations.hkx to .kf with the new skeleton.hkx
  
• Volla, everything works, I can view them in 3ds max with no problem.

Apparently, only the upper half body was animated, only 1 or 2 animations (like sprinting) has lower half animated as well. Is it kinda strange?

Anyway, thank you for the right direction. Now on the way to make new spear-mounted combat