Customized animations cause crash

[WNG]

Hi.

I've edited some dragonian animations. I extracted the breathing animation and, with a text editor, changed the special effect of the breath. I've then put them in an archive and applied them to new heroes. The thing is, whenever they attempt to use this animation, the game crashes 100% of the time.

What could be causing this?

[nargil66]

Used Notepad++? Same problem here

[WNG]

I used a different text editor, the same one I use for other coding needs : Brackets.

I don't think the editor has to do with it, though. Clearly we messed up somewhere in the process 

[soa]

I can't really be of assistance on this matter, but maybe if you describe step by step what you did, and what exactly you modified in the .dbr (what lines, etc.), that would help.

[WNG]

1. Using ARCExplorer, extracted the .anm file.

2. Using a Text Editor, edited the CreateEntity field, to put in the special effect I had made.

3. Using ARCEncryptor, packed the .anm file inside an .arc file, wich is then placed at the root of my mod.

4. Using ArtManager, applied the custom animation to the enemy (in this case, a dragonian.) The mod is built afterwards.

With this done, the dragonian always cause the game to crash when it uses the animation.

[Bumbleguppy]

Here's my step by step (I have extracted all of everything from all archives a long time ago):

1. Change the effect path in the animation file's CreateEntity code in Notepad++. If it doesn't HAVE an existing Create Entity, add a line break after the very last "?" character in the animation file and put the createentity code there.
2. Save to my mod's Documents/CustomMaps/Mod/source/whatever directory (not working directory).
3. In ArtManger menu bar click on Archive -> Build.
4. Navigate to and add animation in the CharAnimationTable or the monster's animation slot.
5. Build mod.

I don't bother moving anything when I build, so when ArtManager prompts to delete animation files on the first build after booting it up, I just click "No to all".

If there's anything I want deleted from the archive, I click "No" on every one of the hundred or so animation files one-by-one until it prompts for the file I want to delete

Not efficient, but I don't delete much at this point.

[Endymion]

For starters you can try to test if the effect even works at all (eg. place the effect entity on the map in Editor and see if it crashes).
Other than that it's pretty hard too say without seeing the anm & effect for yourself.

[WNG]

Tested the effects in the Editor, and they would render correctly and the Editor wouldn't crash.

Included them the way Bumbleguppy mentionned, but alas it still fails.

I wonder where the problem could come from at this point 

[Bumbleguppy]

Try using the original animation file unchanged but save and build it as though it was the altered version (name and location).

[WNG]

Hmm, well now he could use it for one time without the game crashing, though this time its mesh was stretched a lot for a split second.

Next time he used it, he flat out dissapeared from screen. Now I'm really confused...

[Endymion]

Alright you piqued my interest. Upload the anm & fx (and related .dbrs) if you like, I'll take a look.

[WNG]

Here it is. It includes the effects, the animations, the monsters that use it and the skills.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/x8tcg666ouykp4d/animationsPackage.zip?dl=0

[Endymion]

Well the effects are fine. Animations however crash regardless of having anything attached or not, which is fairly odd.
Try extracting original anm from the beginning and edit it with Notepad++. Or use these.

[WNG]

Well, major progress has been done : the animation doesn't crash, the skill does inflict damage, but there's no effect displaying.

I checked the access paths and they look alright. The effect emitter still works in the Editor, though. 

[Bumbleguppy]

Could it be that the orientation of the emitter is pointing down? The orientation of the attachpoint could be an issue and the effect is hidden by the mesh maybe?