So what exactly is a 'script'?

[Huff'Npuff]

The title says it all; I here people talking about them, but I don't actually know what they are or what they do. How important are they in the SFM movie making process?

Just a quick thanks to everyone out there who is willing to answer questions like mine! This community is amazing

[Nookyava]

A script is exactly what you would have in a movie. It defines what happens, what they will say or the scene. It helps to have everything outlined.

[Huff'Npuff]

Hehe, thanks, but I'm talking about the 'script' folders that usually are within source game files. Zachariah Scott was saying on one vid tutorial that he usually doesn't import them, but I was still wondering what they're for.

[R234]

There is one script that comes with SFM, and that's the simple biped IK rig script used with Valve biped character models, meaning it works with the nine TF2 classes, both standard and Hardware Morph, the HL2 characters and the four survivors from L4D2. It's called rig_biped_simple.

That's a bit technical, but I'll try to explain it simply: IK (Invert Kinematics) rig allows to move character's limbs in a more natural fashion, as opposed to the default (FK, or Forward Kinematics) animation method. For instance, if you move a normal character's (one you didn't load a rig script on) hand forward with the move manipulator, it will unrealistically stretch out his wrist, while his arm stays still in space. If you load an IK rig onto him first though, the arm will move with the hand, and the hand won't go past the arm's full extension, to ensure the arm's length doesn't change.

If you don't know about loading a rig script on a character, it means you didn't watch the official SFM tutorials, and I strongly recommend you do: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2B46DEB4157E67C4

Besides IK rigs, scripts can have other uses. A good example is the cloaking rig script, which you can find here: http://sfmbox.com/cloaking-script-fix/ This allows you to apply cloaking proxies to any TF2 character or hat model, to simulate the Spy cloaking effect seen in game.

So, to answer your question, it's fairly important you get familiar with the way the basic IK rig script works, but you can steer clear of custom made ones, at least for now.

[Huff'Npuff]

First of all, thank you!

I'd like to think that I know a fair bit about IK rigs and how they work (I use them quite a bit in my videos), I just didn't realize that they were scripts. Just a possibly stupid question: should I be importing the scripts from other games such as portal 2, alien swarm, ect?

Thank you again! It just irked me that I didn't know what scripts were, but I think I kinda get it now :P

[R234]

Ah, I see. Yeah, that's what they usually mean when a SFM user says "script". 'Cause technically the term can be as broad as "code that does something" :P

You can't really import Python scripts (that's the language scripts in SFM are coded in) from other Source games, as they don't have any. That's a purely SFM thing. It's like the LUA tools in Garry's Mod, they don't work in other Source games. You can find "utility" scripts on the net, like the cloaking one I put a link for earlier. Other IK rigs can be needed for some character models, usually the model's creator will include them with it.

And, you can create your own. I'm not the one to ask how though, I haven't had to look into that yet.

[Huff'Npuff]

Danke! I was actually wondering about Python as well. And yeah, I'm hoping that by the end of the summer I'll be able to make IK rigs for certain models (alien swarm aliens, other creatures, ect.)

[raptornx01]

basically, it's an external document that gives SFM bonus instructions. IK rigs are scripts, as are phenome tables used for lipsyncing. the sfmphys is a script that allows sfm to have natural looking physics (stuff falling, ragdolls, etc).

[Pte Jack]

Sorry, I'm a little late to this party, here is a link that discusses making Custom Rigs (which in fact are scripts).

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SFM/Making_custom_rigs

There are a few scripts from atlas to glados rigs, the Little Girl's Show That Shall Remain Nameless scripts (MLP which stands for Major League Player BTW, Ponies, what's is ponieses??? Golum!! Does we eats them???) to Dota2 model parts combining scripts out there.

I believe there is even a multipurpose script out there that actually updates itself as the author improves it. (I had it a while ago, but with all the tuts I've been doing and the constant reseach into other ppls questions and the mess I've caused myself in the background, I've lost it. I never had the chance to use it either). Check the OSFM group discussions, you may find a link to it there.

The NEW one everyone is excited about (pick me) is the SFMPhy script as Raptornx01 pointed out. Imagine, actual physics in SFM, with the promise that the physics will improve as the author moves forward. (Eventually I'll find an opportunity to check that one out.)

So Scripts Are as McSpammer Ham pointed out, they tell things what to do, what should be joined together in a Rig in an IKChain, how an object should fall to earth, how Glados should swing in her mechanism. Hopefully using Python, (if it hasn't been done already), we'll be able to actually script out camera movement or how a model or group of models move through a scene and interact with each other. (I like SuperTramp's "Dreamer" too!)

WOW!!!

[raptornx01]

The pony IK rig that comes with the overhauled models is actually very good. though because of how the models are made isn't perfect, but probably the best we'll get.

I'd like to see how he updates the sfmphys script. one option i'd like to see is the ability to have more shapes. right now you either get box or ball. the Hay video I did was originally going to be Barrel, since I had planned to use wine, I mean, cider barrels. but the script doesn't work with cylinders. one day I hope to have a version that can fit any model's shape.

another option, either for sfmphys or another script is wind effects. doing hair blowing in the wind can be a pain. be nice if it could be automated. and would lessen the need for particles, my mortal enemy (where the hell are people getting grass particles anyway?)

I need to grab his cloth model though and see what can be done with it. I can think of a few uses.

[Pte Jack]

Hmmm, hair blowng in the wind, for a really blustery day you could always turn the screen on a 90 degree angle and and shoot sideways... Hair hanging on gravithy... lol

Yes, the cloth, I wonder how he does that, Multi-bone or maybe jiggle bones. I just saw a post or a vid on making jiggle bone visible in the animation set editor by doing a procedural bake, I think it was. May even be a guide I saw, ah yes, it was a guide...

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=142071475

SFMPys doesn't work with cylinders??? But a sphere is as cylindrical as you can get... I have to spend more time doing than answering and check some of this stuff out... I was planning on doing something with cylinders, glad you told me before I wasted another few hours on something I can't use. (Donut eating uTub and its unfair copyright policies, don't get me going on that one again!!!)

[raptornx01]

there is another way. involves opening a model in the element viewer hitting the up arrow going under child and copying the model and then pasting it back in the same spot. or something. I actually did it on the carrots vid I did since one piece of one character's hair was annoying me. but I haven't been able to replicate what i did. even after finding the facepunch post (though looking now it appears they've blocked off all outsiders and become china)

what i liked about that technique was that it didn't disable the jigglebones which baking sometimes seems to do. and allowed them to be manipulated.

[Huff'Npuff]

Wait, so has the SFMPys script been released yet?

[Pte Jack]

Yes, a while ago... It's available here http://sfmbox.com/category/scripts/ (as well as a few others)

[Huff'Npuff]

You guys are the absolute best, thank you so much. I hope I can add to this community eventually!

[Pte Jack]

Please do, we need you to help keep up... You can be our script expert!!! lol