39 replies to this topic

[Erephine]

I'm releasing this because it was a lot of fiddling before this was working as well as it is now. This is something for all those of you... that also think BG2's paper dolls are really, really tasteless. And while I was at it, I got rid of the spell effect I hated most in BG2.

Basically, what this does is:

a ) Replace all the paper-dolls with the BG1 ones (which were quite lovely, at that). Note that the positioning has been completely fixed (by setting BAM coordinates and altering some of the paper doll graphics), so they will work as they are supposed to.

[edit: Dead image removed]
(ahh, feels good to see BG1's Imoen again (red one))

b ) Replace the odd white sphere effect with a nice & clean blue one.

[edit: Dead image removed]

There should be no issues whatsoever with it. The only problems i'm aware of are:

- Some swords are still one pixel off the left hand (i.e. inserted into the shield slot); this will eventually be fixed

- Some helmets er.... 'obscure' the view of the character a bit (lol, it looked pretty funny when I was first messing around with it)

- Shields, some helmets & ingame avatars do not match up anymore (can't really be fixed, sadly)

- BG2's left-hand weapon graphics are still horrible. This however, I should be able to fix. ^^

Here's the download: [edit: Dead link removed]

-edit: Oops; to install, simply drop all files into your override directory.

Edited by Lightspeed, 23 August 2005 - 06:20 AM.

[Thorium Dragon]

'tis really a pity you can't use BG1's in-game avatar animations with BG2 

Are you sure you can't? It would probably take some doing but it might be possible.

Here's a bit of weirdness I noticed a while back that might provide a clue...

When I change my PC's avatar, using ShadowKeeper, to that of a monk (BG1 monk- the ones with the full body robes) and then equip him with a shield, the shield assumes the look of the BG1 sheilds.

Perhaps there is a way to find out why this is and duplicate the effect with all avatars?

Attached Images

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Edited by Thorium Dragon, 04 July 2004 - 07:18 AM.

[Erephine]

Thats.... very interesting. Maybe shields are indeed backwards-compatible.

Characters technically cannot work, as the engine supports new stuff (two handed fighting for example). I always thought this would also include shields.

Though, this monk thingy has me intrigued - i'll definately run some tests.

Edited by Lightspeed, 04 July 2004 - 07:37 AM.

[Thorium Dragon]

If you equip the monk with an off-hand weapon it will crash the game.

This is because the program is looking to run an animation sequence that isn't there. (An offhand weapon animation was never made for this avatar - and also the skeleton avatar which can work the same way)

However, since the BG1 Monk has a spellcasting animation and all the fighting animations, if you avoid an off hand weapon it is stable. And it is completely stabe as a PC avatar in BG1 since it lacks off-hand weapon capability.

If I had the ability, I would have made my first project to create a two-weapon animation and a paper doll for the BG1 Monk. Just so I could continue the PC look I'd come to love in BG1.

[Erephine]

Okay, I tested and it's definately not compatible. In order to get BG1 shields/helmets/characters (PCs) to work as in-game avatars you'd have to redo the whole animations.

Ah well

[NiGHTMARE]

If you only use the BG1 monk animation with monks then it should be fine, since monks can't use off-hand weapons anyway .

[Thorium Dragon]

If you only use the BG1 monk animation with monks then it should be fine, since monks can't use off-hand weapons anyway .

Have you tested this?

I figured game could call the monk's kick animaiton and cause it to crash. That's just speculation though.

[Thorium Dragon]

Okay, I tested and it's definately not compatible. In order to get BG1 shields/helmets/characters (PCs) to work as in-game avatars you'd have to redo the whole animations.

How did you test it?

I'm just curious of what your process is- this is a learning experience for me too.

[Erephine]

Well, this is the way paperdolls n' stuff work in BGII:

BGII searches for a PLT file (great new format - blah) - if it doesnt find one or it is corrupt it reverts to BAM (the one and only file format for BG-graphics).

Now, when you described your 'monk' situation I had the suspicion that it could work the same way with the in-game avatar BAMs. BG2's new animations use the filenames WQ+size+ani.BAM rather than WP+size+ani.BAM as the BG1 animations do. So, I thought, there are no WQ animations for the monk, so BG2 uses the BG1 standards (which are still present in BG2's biffs - yet unsuitable due to the new positioning, features and BAM references).

Now, to test the whole thing, all i needed to do is put some corrupt WQ animations into my override (like I did with the PLT to make the game revert to the BAM ones) and test it in-game. However, it crashes. So, the game does not revert but crash as it fails to load the WQ graphics.

Using the WP animations as a replacement for the WQ ones directly is not possible because they're set up completely different (different animations, and different parts in different sequences, etc. - as well as different movements due to the different character avatars). So, anyway, no workey either way.

To get that to work, someone would have to completely redo the WQ animations (with the BG1 ones as a template) - but if someone ever tackles the job it'd be best to also do the actual character animations as this would only make things easier (and the ported shield graphics wouldnt have to be redone twice.).

Edited by Lightspeed, 04 July 2004 - 02:56 PM.

[SConrad]

Oh, my. We have a new avatar-expert. And you guys certainly don't grow on trees...

[Gabrielle]

A great idea. I always found the paperdolls to look ugly in BG2. Great job.

[NiGHTMARE]

As I said, monks can't use items in their off-hand, so you wouln't need to waste much time messing around with shields and stuff.

[Rabain]

I'm currently working on bringing the round shield animation back to BG2.

It's going slowly to say the least. Rebuilding the bams frame by frame!

I miss round shields!!

Rabain

[Erephine]

Well, that's more work than I have time available, so - I hope you get finished, and if you do; don't forget to give us all a ring

I'd REALLY like to see good in-game animations again. Someone should port all the character animations too

[Immortality]

Ohhhh... this is very cool, I'm SO going to play with this

[MagusWizardo]

The Helm of Baldurdan sits a little above the head on the paperdoll... I've only seen this with a Male Elven Cleric, though (although now that I look, I can see it on the third image from the right in the top post). On the whole, though, WAHOO!

[Alandrea]

Shouldn't you put this in completed mods or something on the main page, or at least somewhere where it won't be lost to the backboards of the forum?
It deserves attention.

I downloaded it and it works wonderfully

[Quitch]

Some before and after shots for the papers dolls would be good. It was a nice touch for the sphere.

[Immortality]

Shouldn't you put this in completed mods or something on the main page, or at least somewhere where it won't be lost to the backboards of the forum?
It deserves attention.

Agreed