Alright, so I'm trying to get a better understanding of how the game works in the first place so I have a better idea myself about how to customize it. I've noticed what animations a weapon uses before and my assumptions were that:

"Attack Anim" affected how the weapon works.
"Reload" affects how the PC reloads the weapon.
"Animation Type" affects equip/unequip and how it's gripped.

But apparently I'm missing something. The grip makes sense (like how the Pitt's Auto Axe is held and used the same way as a 2-hand melee) but the reload animations are starting to confuse me, as some very different weapons are using the same reload (like the minigun and missile launcher). I looked into it and came up with a list of what each weapon uses:

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m315/Kaileo/Fallout%203/FO3WeaponAnimationInfo.jpg

[EDIT:] Also, I shaded weapons that don't actually reload in grey, but some still have different settings (like the Chinese Officer Sword and Switchblade using ReloadE) and I wasn't sure if the reload mattered for grenades/mines, or if that was "equipping" a new one each time, so they're in red. The rifles are most confusing, particularly the Animation Type (what I named "Grip") and they are the only weapons to use HandGrip1/2/3 (all others use DEFAULT).

Something else - how does the GECK know whether a weapon does damage with projectiles or itself (melee)? I tried making a custom model for the minigun by replacing the barrel with spinning blades (similar idea to the auto axe) just to see if I could do it, but when I "hit" people with it, nothing happens.

So, can anyone tell me how animations work? :blink:

There is one animation set per animation type (so 1hp has its own AttackLeft, AttackRight, AttackLoop separate from 2hr, separate from 2ha). You know, you could've just looked at the files to figure it out.
Grip controls the left hand, and is only of use on rifles where the foregrip is different shapes.
As you can probably guess, grenades and melee weapons do not reload.

If your weapon is a gun (i.e. not the 1hm/2hm set) then its projectiles have to hit someone. Just take a laser projectile nif, strip out the graphics, and use that as your weapon's projectile.

Yes, thank you, but I don't know where the .kf files are.


Alright, so... you mean use an invisible projectile and set the range to like, 10, to create the effect of only doing damage from close range?

So, I assume, because all animation types/attacks are listed at all times, and you just have to choose the right combination. Which would mean choosing a type/attack combo that isn't use would cause the GECK to just load no .kf at all, right?

Are the Reload animations unique to each animation type as well? In which case, I'm still confused by some melee weapons using ReloadE.

And one more question... are the other animations attached to the animation type/attack combination? Like jam, aim...

They are located within the BSA's and will need to be unpacked to be altered.



Yes.



The GECK does not load animations when you edit weapon entries it only loads them when you open an Actor or Ragdoll entry -> and as thus the GECK lists ALL possible animations NOT all existing animations.



Yes, each Animation Set has thier own version of every Reload/Jam/Equip/Movement/Attack/Idle/Aim... Every Animation Sequence available is available for each individual Animation Set -> this DOES NOT mean that they all exist because about 70% of all the possible animations do not exist !...

Also Animation Sets have a defaulting breakdown IE: if an animation does not exist within the catagory your character is currently in IE: Jumping while using a 2 Handed Weapon ->2HMJumpLoop<- the game will default to using the MTJumpLoop animation if neither exist the game will ingnore your attempts to jump -> Same is true for weapons Attacks, Reloads/Jams and all the other anims some will default to using a lower priority anim (if it exists) and others will just ignore your settings and do nothing.

Ok, at least that makes sense. Thanks a lot guys, both of you. I did get it to work with your idea Toaster, and it does indeed appear to hack people to pieces.

It's still good to understand how it works though, and not just to make it work, period. Thanks again guys. :celebration: