SFM Model Animation to Crowbar for Compiling

[TotalChaos]

Anyone know how to get an animation for a model from SFM into Crowbar?
Crowbar keeps giving me this when I try to compile:
"could not load file '<my animations folder>\<my animation file>.dmx'".
"<my animations folder>" and "<my animation file>" are not the actual names.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
TotalChaos.

[TotalChaos]

I'm being serious... Is it even possible to do this?
Can .dmx files be converted to .smd with Blender Source Tools?
If so, then that could be a good workaround.

Please, somebody help me with this.
This NEEDS to be documented.
If it's already documented somewhere, please link me to the page so I can read up on it.

[Healisoulus]

I'm not sure I understand why you need this. What exactly is your goal here? Do you want to have your model's sequence available for importing later or...?

Originally posted by TotalChaos:

Can .dmx files be converted to .smd with Blender Source Tools?

And again here, why do you need this? DMX is basically a better version of SMD.

[LunaVTF.bsp]

oh you need to write the path into the qc and you need the animation file in a subfolder of the folder in which the smd model you want to compile is located.

i think it started with
$sequence

i havent done this for a while so i recommend the tutorials on youtube made by Pte Jack.

[TotalChaos]

Thank you both for replying.
<BLANK> Enjoyer (I'm not typing your name), I'm trying to restore the beta Pipebomb Launcher for Team Fortress 2, and I decided to modify the animations in Source Filmmaker.
Also, what exactly is the difference between DMX and SMD? Why is DMX better?

THEssSFM, I know how to compile a model with animations. I already have everything set up. My issue is that Crowbar keeps telling me that the file doesn't exist, when it does.
Which leads me to believe that Crowbar doesn't support SFM's DMX model animations.



Honestly, by this point, I think I'm better off trying to modify the weapon's animations in Blender.

Also, since we're on the topic of animation, I modified Demoman's thirdperson animations a bit to make them look a bit better with the Pipebomb Launcher, since it replaces the Stickybomb Launcher (replacing all Stickybomb Launcher animation references with Grenade Launcher animation references). And when I did that, his left hand gets placed near where his right hand is, making the animations look a little broken. Any idea what might be causing that?

[Healisoulus]

Originally posted by TotalChaos:

what exactly is the difference between DMX and SMD? Why is DMX better?

As far as I know, DMX stores all flex data, thus you don't have to define the flexes in the QC file, which can save you a lot of time if the model has many flexes. Additionally, since you're using Blender Source Tools, exporting the model as DMX can be set to Advanced, allowing you to write custom flex controller files which help you modify the flexes' properties. such as making them stereo, merging multiple flexes into one, etc. Lastly, if there are excessive weight links, I believe SMD will scream at you and refuse to work, but DMX will just warn you and compile anyway, provided you've set Weight Link Cull Threshold to 1.00 in Blender Source Tools.

[TotalChaos]

Thank you very much for the reply, <BLANK> Enjoyer.
Very useful information there. What exactly are "weight links", though?
And what is "Weight Link Cull Threshold"?


By the way, I did figure out how to get my animations into Team Fortress 2, but I did it through Blender.
What I mean is, I decompiled the Grenade Launcher model, made my edits to the bones (rotating), commented out the bones I didn't want to be moved, and recompiled. And it works just fine. Outside of the one issue where the barrel/chamber/whatever it is doesn't spin after firing.

Also, the last two parts of my last reply was meant for both you and THEssSFM. For whichever one of you that wanted to reply to that. Just clarifying.

[TotalChaos]

Update 12/30/2022: Forget about the Demoman's thirdperson animations. I got them working.
Turns out "ikrule" was causing issues. Commenting them all out seems to have fixed the animations.