Question about infantry animation files

[Bulletpoint]

On 11/17/2022 at 8:22 PM, RockinHarry said:

With CMRT battle pack now released and after reading @George MC ´s excellent  CM Panzergrenadier handbook from here...

...I came to think about some the games known idiosyncrasies. While the TacAI´s behaviors can´t be changed or altered, at least some the cover related things can. I loaded up CMRT´s SdKfz251/1 D model into Blender and bits of altered the crew members placements (excl. driver and radio operator) . That for better cover/protection when vehicle and grenadiers are not in "open up" state.

Secondly I used parts of my infantry animation mod to enforce the Panzergrenadiers always using kneel stance when firing and reloading handguns, while beeing in the vehicle and "open up".

Since it´s just a test I did the animation file swap just on the Kar98k guys. Anyway, the game doesn´t allow any lMG gunner to stand up and shoot across the vehicles board wall plate. Other weapon carriers (like MP40, Stg44 etc) are still uneffected in this little test mod.

So this is how it looks like with and without the tweaks.

Seated Grenadier footprint with default CM placements.

 

With tweaked positioning.

 

Default CM Grenadier shooting and reloading stances.

 

Kneel stance enforcement through animation file swap.

 

Also tried a different MG gunner animation file.

CM default.

 

Swapped for BS M320 rifleman.

and some inspirational footage

If you like testing these tweaks in your CMRT game, unzip the file into your data/z folder as usual.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/142dkk20m9ge33b/RHZ CMRT SdKfz251D test mod.zip?dl=0

Thanks Harry - finally a real life photo of how a halftrack gunner would actually aim down the sights and how (not) exposed he would be. The game has the gunners way too high and vulnerable.

[RockinHarry]

2 hours ago, Bulletpoint said:

Thanks Harry - finally a real life photo of how a halftrack gunner would actually aim down the sights and how (not) exposed he would be. The game has the gunners way too high and vulnerable.

That´s what one can suppose I think. Photo is from a UK reenactor group and it´s hard finding real WW2 combat footage unfortunately. The mod ain´t perfect as well and has to deal with same idiosyncrasies like original BFC setup. But it does the purpose IMO giving just the right amount of protection in appropriate combat situations. One can still take heavy losses if employing these WW2 IFV´s in wrong way (urban, close range engagements, side profile exposure etc). @George MC´s combat manual describes it all very well.

So here´s the graphical misalignments between (modded) machine gun and gunner object as mentioned earlier. Test shootings with CMRT V2.12

Default after "open up" (almost perfect, assuming the gunner targets something faaaar away)

 

engaging target at 400m straight ahead (mesh intersections)

 

target 100m straight ahead

 

400m straight ahead and up a 8 story high building

(black smoke is a test mod btw. Not part of the main mod)

it´s not nice but the "gunner mod" wasn´t intended to look nicer, but give a slight amount of better protection frontally! It still sucks from the side, but so is the game system putting the gunner up when he better should not.

[Bulletpoint]

53 minutes ago, RockinHarry said:

it´s not nice but the "gunner mod" wasn´t intended to look nicer

I personally find it actually does look much nicer. Not perfect, but an improvement.

[RockinHarry]

28 minutes ago, Bulletpoint said:

I personally find it actually does look much nicer. Not perfect, but an improvement.

I think so too. Also considering that during game play one doesn´t zoom into those details all too oftenly. You´re interested testing this mod btw?

[Falaise]

I will test this mod.
  I already use the lowered reload mod for cmNormandie which seems useful in hurdles.
Whatever happens I find it aesthetically better than vanilla
it always seems strange to me to see the heads protruding under fire and the shooter standing behind his shield while there are incoming shots is disturbing
in the unbuttoned position it seems more realistic to me too, it seems to me that the bren carrier is already using this original position
you should ask @Drifter Man to rate your mod this guy did a great job!!!
For the aesthetics I also use the mod de @Frenchy56 shooter mg 42 34 with the hand on the butt there is a small defect sometimes with the flame which appears higher but honestly in games you do not notice it

[Falaise]

I actually carried out the first tests, on a slope the shooter's head enters the machine gun
on the other hand, I am not in a kneeling position in the vehicle, maybe it is not in the test mod ?

the low position of the passengers in the vehicle is perfect

works on cm normandy!!!

Edited November 22, 2022 by Falaise
supplement

[RockinHarry]

4 hours ago, Falaise said:

I will test this mod.
  I already use the lowered reload mod for cmNormandie which seems useful in hurdles.
Whatever happens I find it aesthetically better than vanilla
it always seems strange to me to see the heads protruding under fire and the shooter standing behind his shield while there are incoming shots is disturbing
in the unbuttoned position it seems more realistic to me too, it seems to me that the bren carrier is already using this original position
you should ask @Drifter Man to rate your mod this guy did a great job!!!
For the aesthetics I also use the mod de @Frenchy56 shooter mg 42 34 with the hand on the butt there is a small defect sometimes with the flame which appears higher but honestly in games you do not notice it

Bonjour mon ami! Thanks for taking the time! In fact I haven´t looked at CW forces in CMBN yet. Same for other infantry carriers or IFV of other nations forces. Might have a look at them once finished with germans.

Re Bren carrier could likely be that it´s affected by my infantry animation mod (Re-Animate) already. Considering animation/pose files are reused for all nations forces in a CM game. At least for vast majority of them. That if I understand you correctly. I.e Kar98 ani file is not just used for K98k guys, but also for other bolt action types like SMLE or Mosin Nagant etc.

Yes, @Frenchy56 did a great discovery there! Have it in use as well. Might include an adapted version in my next full set of animation file swaps. If he doesn´t mind off course.

4 hours ago, Falaise said:

I actually carried out the first tests, on a slope the shooter's head enters the machine gun
on the other hand, I am not in a kneeling position in the vehicle, maybe it is not in the test mod ?

the low position of the passengers in the vehicle is perfect

works on cm normandy!!!

Yep, that´s what I´d shown in pics further above. Default position is ok, but larger angles do the mesh intersections which can´t be avoided. Beside visual it shouldn´t have ill effects though.

Kneeling files weren´t included in last dropbox download yet. Just the changed MG gunner one. Remaining files are still under test, but will likely upload these later today. What you can do is loading the Re-Animate file set, then followed by the 250/251 set (load order in z folder). This should work basically. That for bits of testing. For new file set I changed and added a couple of things so Re-Animate will be obsolete then. This then will work better for open topped vehicles as well. (some the unarmed idle kneel poses are shared by both, normal infantry and OT vehicle crews i.e)

thanks again mate! In case you notice any bad effects like i.e higher passenger vulnerability in certain cases, then let me know ASAP. I can´t see a vehicles hit- or bounding boxes in Blender, but at least made sure all passengers remain within protective vehicle geometry. That from best of my judgement.

Yes...files should work well in all WW2 titles. At least the infantry poses. For vehicles I got to make sure to only mod latest versions in specific titles, which currently are CMBN, CMFB and CMRT. Can´t test in CMFI since I don´t own this one. Cheers

[RockinHarry]

Took me a bits of longer to test and pack this one up. I name it Version 0.9 since it´s not completed yet, at least what german halftracks concerns. I´ll add these at later time, but Infantry stance changes seem complete now, unless I get some error reports or something. Halftracks are same as in previous upload and just complete set of infantry animation files are added in this version.

Note: This was tested and made for !CMRT! (v2.12) but would likely work in CMFB and BN as well. Haven´t tested yet but you could try. In case you´ve installed my previous infantry animation mod (Re-Animate), then load the Halftrack one AFTER it in your data/z mod folder. They do work together and overlap in large parts, but the Halftrack changes should supersede to make it work as intended.

Feedback, reports on issues and f*ck ups (on my part) highly welcome. Thanks!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2ndvbc3v1907e62/RHZ SdKfz250-251 Ani Mod V0dot9.zip?dl=0

 

[Falaise]

@RockinHarry little problem comrade (light!!)
it seems that the file is common in cm normandy between allie and german
Suddenly, the gunners bow on their cal 50

[RockinHarry]

8 hours ago, Falaise said:

@RockinHarry little problem comrade (light!!)
it seems that the file is common in cm normandy between allie and german
Suddenly, the gunners bow on their cal 50

Merci mon ami! Yes that was to be expected. Until I maybe find a solution for CMBN later, just delete "unarmed-standing-in-hatch-gunner-kneesbent.ani" file from "Z\RHZ SdKfz250-251 Ani Mod V0dot9\Animation\HT lMG gunner" in CMBN again. For US/UK I got to check and make special adaptions to crew positions (lowered) anyway. When I come to it later. ATM I try completing file set for CMRT/FR then maybe followed by BN and FB. Since CMRT includes the lend lease HT (M3 etc) I´ll check this in short.

Let me know about any other oddities and issues as well if you find some.

[Falaise]

I chose to keep it , the general look of the shooter is good this is only a problem with the place of the hands
I played the Desert scenario where the sdkfz are engaged from the start
I always had a lot of mg shooter losses
I found that it was better cashed with the mod, although it could be a coincidence

[RockinHarry]

17 hours ago, Falaise said:

I chose to keep it , the general look of the shooter is good this is only a problem with the place of the hands
I played the Desert scenario where the sdkfz are engaged from the start
I always had a lot of mg shooter losses
I found that it was better cashed with the mod, although it could be a coincidence

I´ll see if I can "improve" the M3 gunner´s position somewhat then. Pity we don´t have individual crew animation files for the many vehicles here, since so many got shared.

Yes, if HT tactics get applied in sane ways the SdKfz gunner should have better days. Unless enemy fires come in sideways. Then he´s doomed unfortunately. Something for BFC to think about for a more refined "open up" system.

Thanks again! A further update for remaining SdKfz will come very soon. It´s another half dozen or so. You playtested with an Africa mod sort of btw?