K1 - Requesting Help Finding Animations

[Jenko 53]

Hi all,

 

I'm working on something - trying to recreate some of the particularly bad, low resolution BIK videos from the first game. When I was digging through K1's files, I found Malak and Revan's animations (m15aa_c01_char02 and m15aa_c01_char04) for the Dantooine Star Map vision.

 

I looked around a bit, and it seems like BioWare set the Dantooine vision up much like a stunt module - the same kind of naming conventions for the animations, character models, cameras. But it's a BIK video for some reason. Still, really useful stuff for what I want to do.

 

However, I couldn't find the animations from the "Revan's Death" cinematic. I'm just posting in hopes that they might be hidden somewhere obscure, and that someone may have come across them at some point. I figure it's a long shot - I never thought I'd find Malak and Revan's animations hidden away, but I guess you find something new everyday.

 

Thanks!

[Sith Holocron 2,403]

Best of luck with your project as it sounds quite interesting.

[N-DReW25 1,242]

You might want to check out the Brother Hood of Shadow Mod since that adds in the darth revan death cutscene in game (Mostly/Kinda)- http://www.nexusmods.com/kotor/mods/95/?

[Jenko 53]

Here's a pair of screenshots to showcase what I'm trying to do. I'm debating whether or not to release it as a new .BIK video or a stunt module... Still got a little ways to go, need some to finalize new LIPS and need to fix the timing of the star map opening via my script.

 

http://imgur.com/a/g2Gno

 

Basically, the camera and stunt animations exist in the game - just a matter of getting it to work in the game. Not easy, lots of trial and error. Been converting other animations from stunt modules to be useable for other applications and stumbled across these animations. Like I said, I was hoping someone found the ones from Revan's death somewhere. Or the revelation. It's possible they don't exist out there - but that's what I thought about these animations.

[Kexikus 990]

Looking good so far!

 

I would suggest to release it as a .bik movie since a stunt module / ingame cutscene would not have the vision effect that all pre-rendered vision cutscenes have. And I wouldn't want to miss that on your HD cutscenes.

 

For the other animations: The reveal is already an ingame cutscene, isn't it?

[Jenko 53]

I'd definitely do a less... Drastic vision effect. But still have something.

 

As far as the revelation goes - the mask removal is a stunt module. But the rest of it is a .bik movie. All of it appears to be animated just like this scene. Even Bastila talking on the Dantooine plains. But it isn't any of the regular animations.

 

Like I said, hopefully those animations exist somewhere. But it's equally possible that they do not, and I just got lucky to find these left behind for whatever reason.

[Sith Holocron 2,403]

Set up a poll in hour original post on whether to do it as a BIK, a stunt module, or both.

[tpiom 6]

I approve of this. I'd recommend a stunt module as it would allow people to still have their own textures and everything.

Why not release both like Obisdian did in K2 with the battle of Dantooine scenes?

[Sith Holocron 2,403]

Added the poll for you. (Refresh this page and add your vote, folks.)

 

The reason I chose stunt module over the other choices is that - for a stunt module - the player would be able to have their own skins and equipment choices be reflected in the scene. BIKs are pre-rendered, so you'll never get that option.

[Jenko 53]

Here's a rough WIP. I'm trying to fix an issue with Malak's face not animating, so one of the shots isn't quite there yet.

 

 

The camera and animations were hidden away - it seems as if BioWare maybe started this scene as a stunt module or something... I know the area underwent a lot of changes during development so who knows what BioWare was up to. Maybe this was an earlier version before they went to a BIK.

 

Either way, if the animations exist for other pre rendered scenes, it'd be awesome to eliminate the needless BIK files.

[Kexikus 990]

Looks good. Great job!

[Jenko 53]

Haven't forgotten about this. Went to revisit work on it, while helping JCarter426 work on cutscene animations for something else.

 

 

Anyone know how putting a new .BIK into the game works? Does it need to make the resolution of the others as well as aspect ratio? And do people want the same vision effect as the others from the game, or what?

[Sith Holocron 2,403]

JCarter can probably help you with that.

[N-DReW25 1,242]

Haven't forgotten about this. Went to revisit work on it, while helping JCarter426 work on cutscene animations for something else.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpHIB8qeI8U

 

Anyone know how putting a new .BIK into the game works? Does it need to make the resolution of the others as well as aspect ratio? And do people want the same vision effect as the others from the game, or what?

Can you make an optional stunt module version with this mod?

[Kexikus 990]

I'd think you just need to save the .bik with the same name as the original one and then copy it into the "movies" folder. The resolution and aspect ratio shouldn't matter I think (but I don't actually know).

 

And I'd want to have the vision effect.

[superSzym 155]

Isn't there a vision effect in game like a camera effect so that you could make it in both the stunt module and the BIK?

[JCarter426 1,192]

Anyone know how putting a new .BIK into the game works? Does it need to make the resolution of the others as well as aspect ratio?

 

Fortunately the game isn't so fussy about the format for these as it is for other stuff. For this one all you'd need to do is compile it as .BIK and then replace the old file. And I don't believe the resolution or aspect ratio matter. The game's videos are already different aspect ratios (legal stuff, trailers, etc are in 4:3; cutscenes are in 2.35) and the resolution is determined in an INI file and it doesn't seem to matter if what's playing doesn't actually match that; it will scale as necessary.

 

So... I'd suggest leaving it as 2.35 for cinematic purposes, but you should be able to increase the resolution to whatever you want. I'd go for 1920x816 myself.

[Sith Holocron 2,403]

Couldn't you release the cutscenes in both standard and widescreen formats - having two separate uploads?

[Seikan 22]

This makes me curious, when Sith specter animated the Revan's flowing cape, i remember him doing everything by hand, so was it impossible to use these animations as a shortcut and reduce the work or was it just that no one had found them yet?

[DarthParametric 3,705]

Only the specific cutscene animations exist (pacing back and forth, taking the mask off, etc.). That doesn't magically get you moving cape and belts animations for all the player combat, idles, walking, etc. animations. Those all had to be hand keyframed.

[Jenko 53]

Couldn't you release the cutscenes in both standard and widescreen formats - having two separate uploads?

 

That'll probably be the plan, along with a stunt module option... I have to finish another project before I can put any work into that. Mostly just need to create the stunt module and test things out to make sure it works during the course of the game. That way people can choose how they want to install it.

 

This makes me curious, when Sith specter animated the Revan's flowing cape, i remember him doing everything by hand, so was it impossible to use these animations as a shortcut and reduce the work or was it just that no one had found them yet?

 

Only the specific cutscene animations exist (pacing back and forth, taking the mask off, etc.). That doesn't magically get you moving cape and belts animations for all the player combat, idles, walking, etc. animations. Those all had to be hand keyframed.

 

That's right. Plus, cutscene animations are kind of janky and hard to work with. They're built entirely for the cutscene and can't really be used elsewhere. Even trying to take parts of the cutscene animations would be a ton of work. So i don't think if it would have helped making those animations at all. 

 

I did some more looking through all the game's files, as I was taking an inventory of all the cutscene animations for... projects, and I don't see anything that could contain any of K1's other pre-rendered cinematics. Unless I'm missing something. I'm still surprised that the animations existed at all for BIK 09, honestly.