Custom Character Anim Problem

[JackyHann]

I've been using the extended character template to make my own character, but the abnormal shape of his head doesn't work with the mod's template. His head is either slightly too tall, or too wide, but it seems as though the original templates creater somehow edited the shape of the box which is counted as part of the head, resulting in the top, or sides of my characters head being clipped off. How do I edit these boxes myself, to cater to my characters strange head shape?

[WORLDSBIGGEST]

How tall does your character's head need to be? My first thought was using Wolfgangs 'mighty' anim file as a template instead of the ESC template.

[Aquaterion]

54 minutes ago, WORLDSBIGGEST said:

How tall does your character's head need to be? My first thought was using Wolfgangs 'mighty' anim file as a template instead of the ESC template.

actually I think mighty wolfgang's head is just scaled up in code, not in files, maybe he can do something similar

[JackyHann]

I know basic coding, like changing run speed, starting inventory, and stats, but I don't know how to make unique coding. I could take a look at the Wolfgang scripts, but I believe it would be much simpler to just change the field counting as a head. The character I intend to make also has no arms and digit-grade legs, so I would prefer using the same, or similar template. (Also changing just the template wouldn't work, it would still cut out pieces of the characters head. I think I need to change one of the files in the "Anim" rar file, but I don't understand any of that garbled nonsense. I might be needing something in Don't Starve Mod Tools, but I don't know about those either.)

Edited May 21, 2016 by JackyHann
Missing info

[JackyHann]

How do I edit the build.bin and anim.bin in the characters anim folder? I want to get rid of the cut off parts of my character's head, is pretty much the sum up of my problem. I want the character to look like it does below, without the limitations of the extended template characters little box.

[Kunomori]

What template are you using? Cause the extended character template I used didnt gave me this problem (gave me many others thou that are alike yours: id like to edit where the game construct some things, z-order, etc....)
From looking at your folders seems you're using the same template as I, but... 

This is the headbase area comparison from my mod to wilson's. This is the standard space i've got in the template... And from what i've seen in your mod, it should be enough for you too.

In any case, all you need to do is to edit the headbase image dimensions (not in spriter! the actual image, you open it in any image editing program and change its dimensions. When you reload the .scml file it will automatically give you the new dimension field for said image)
Here's an example:


And as you can see, it does work and it didnt clip anything.
The spriter body pieces field box is directly linked with the images dimensions used for those body parts, so all you'll need to do is make a image with slightly bigger dimensions. In my example I resized the head along with the dimensions, but of course this isnt necessary, it was just to show it works and doesn't clip anything.

Welp, hope this solves your problem~

Edited June 1, 2016 by Kunomori

[JackyHann]

Oh my god, thank you! I've made a character before(very poorly), but their head was a normal human size. I think the problem that I never accounted for was I believe I downloaded a repost of the "Extended Sample Character" because the one I used before wouldn't re-download. I guess the only question I have yet to have answered, is what good is the exported folder? Other than for use in spriter, I mean. Can I convert the folder into the atlas files required, or do I just copy paste each little picture from exported? (Sorry, btw. I couldn't find the answer myself, and I'm practically an infant when it comes to obscure problems.)

[Kunomori]

Your exported folder + .scml file acts as guide for the game to compile the final spritesheet for you.
The .zip file inside the animation folder is this compilation of the exported folder...
If you have the dont starv mod tools installed, each time you start the game you should se a cmd window popping up and verifiyng all of your mods before the actual game starts, and if there is any image needing to be converted, like .png or the extracted folder itself, it will do the compilation for you.
After this is done, you can even delete the exported folder if you wish (although for obvious reasons this wouldnt be exactly a smart thing to do....)
And remember that when you edit any image for your character sprites, to see de update you need to delete the .zip files inside anim and exported folders and then you recompile it, or else the game will think your images are already compiled and youll be stuck with this older version of your images.
-
Not sure if that was what you meant when you asked, but anyway, that's what the exported folder is for.

Edited June 2, 2016 by Kunomori

[JackyHann]

I followed what you said exactly, even going so far as to uninstall every mod, then use the auto compiler, but it's only creating the ghost_harvard_build. My exported folder branches into the harvard(my character) folder, and the ghost build folder. I'm was starting to get the hang of things, and then this problem came out of nowhere and threw me off track. How to I get the auto compiler to output the harvard folder instead of just the ghost one? (Sorry for asking a boatload of questions. It's just I'm really bad at this, and no-one else seems to have these problems.)

[Kunomori]

Most likely, inside the archive calling for your prefabs the reference name is wrong...
inside scripts>prefabs>[your_char]_none.lua, there will be those lines of code

Quote

 

local assets =
{
    Asset( "ANIM", "anim/[your_char].zip" ),
    Asset( "ANIM", "anim/ghost_[your_char]_build.zip" ),
}

local skins =
{
    normal_skin = "[your_char]",
    ghost_skin = "ghost_[your_char]_build",

 

(every [your_char] being your character's name)
This is telling dont starve wich animation to use. So lets say, in one of those lines is written "{ Asset("ANIM","anim/esctemplate.zip"), but your folder is anim>harvard and your .scml is also named harvard, the game will compile nothing, cause it will be looking for the esctemplate.scml since it was what was declared to be used for your character.

But well, I'm not exactly a mod expert, so it may be something else...

Follow this tutorial, it was what I used to learn how to use this template. Since the only really laborious part of modding is redrawing the sprites, you can start from scratch this tutorial and will be done in no time and will be pretty much error-proof~

Edited June 3, 2016 by Kunomori

[Aquaterion]

9 hours ago, JackyHann said:

I followed what you said exactly, even going so far as to uninstall every mod, then use the auto compiler, but it's only creating the ghost_harvard_build. My exported folder branches into the harvard(my character) folder, and the ghost build folder. I'm was starting to get the hang of things, and then this problem came out of nowhere and threw me off track. How to I get the auto compiler to output the harvard folder instead of just the ghost one? (Sorry for asking a boatload of questions. It's just I'm really bad at this, and no-one else seems to have these problems.)

if something is not compiling, it means it had an error compiling, probably some missing images or such.