Animation Improvements in ArmA 3

[Big Dawg KS 6]

I've recently been playing around with modifying the CfgMoves in ArmA 2 and what is immediately obvious to anyone else who has is how incredibly tedious and complex it can be to configure animations. BIS actually recored quite a few "forgotten" animations for ArmA 2 that just aren't used, but would have added to or made some of the sets of moves more complete. I've come to the conclusion that despite recording these animations it was just too much effort for BIS to incorporate them (and I can definately understand why).

So with mention of a "revamped" animation system in ArmA 3, I have created this thread for several purposes (realizing that it very WIP at this point):

1. To see if the devs can give any insight as to their plans for improving (or revamping) the animation system.
   
2. To discuss (intelligently) how the animation/moves system may be improved. The intent is for specific issues/improvements, not vague suggestions.
   
3. To take a break from struggling with configuring broken & missing animations and vent some of these potentially constructive ideas building up in my head.

I'll start with mine then, in a nice bulletized list. Note: I am not at all an expert nor overly familar with animating or modern animation technology.

• Seperation & blending of animations for specific parts of the model/skeleton. The most obvious one is seperating lower and upper body movement. This, opposed to the current system where there are individual animation states for all 8 directions for 3 different speeds for each of stance for each type of weapon AND transitions between much of them, would make things so much more manageable.
  
• Revamped linking of inventory items & moves/actions. Currently, there is a hardcoded template needed to be followed for weapon animations. It would be nice to be able to configure individual weapon classes to use specific move sets, and to remove or reduce the hardcoded distinctions between weapons of different types (launchers, rifles & pistols). This goes hand-in-hand with revamping the inventory to improve the hardcoded slot system. For example, a launcher weapon being able to share the same moves & animations as a rifle weapon.
  
• Use simpler to manage FSMs or heirarchical (definately heirarchical if seperate upper & lower body anims) FSMs to configure animation states and transitions. A graphical editor would be extremely valuable in configuring animations. BIS probably has some tool that automates some of the configuration, but completing Connect/InterpolateTo/From arrays manually is painful.
  
• Improve the consistency between the actions for players & AI. For example, AI don't use launcher moves when they select launcher weapons until they are ready to aim. Another example; AI can put handguns away.

Well that's my list (barely in list form too) for now. Of course I have no idea what BIS has in store for ArmA 3 so much of it might not be relevant, but it's stuff I needed to put out there.

Edited July 11, 2011 by Big Dawg KS

[vinc3nt 10]

I would like to be able to instantly stop an animation for another one.

Example: When getting an RPG out of your backpack, you hear gun fire so you stop getting the RPG and go prone quickly.

In ArmA 2 you have to wait for an animation to finish even if your screaming at the screen "Take Cover!" as an enemy aims at you. I hope in the new engine ArmA 3 will use, a way of transitioning an animation into another without it ending completely is found.

Edited July 11, 2011 by vinc3nt

[Big Dawg KS 6]

I would like to be able to instantly stop an animation for another one.

Example: When getting an RPG out of your backpack, you hear gun fire so you stop getting the RPG and go prone quickly.

In ArmA 2 you have to wait for an animation to finish even if your screaming at the screen "Take Cover!" as an enemy aims at you. I hope in the new engine ArmA 3 will use, a way of transitioning an animation into another without it ending completely is found.

This is already possible (and the example you used is also implemented). It's not used in all possible cases though as 1. that would be way too much to configure and 2. simply interpolating between some things would look bad, in which case you have to subdivide the animations and make tons of transition anims. Seperating animations into upper & lower body would probably eliminate the majority of these problems anyway.

[4 IN 1 0]

Ain't upper and lower body animation are already seperated now? Otherwise we won't be able to reload while moving

[maddogx 13]

Ain't upper and lower body animation are already seperated now? Otherwise we won't be able to reload while moving

Not quite. They implemented "gestures" with Arma2, which allow individual animation of just the arms (or more?). So with the exception of the prone stance, reloading is now a gesture. All other anims are still full-body though.

The "revamped animation system" will probably either expand on that, allowing animations to be limited to any part of the body, or it will be something completely new. (At least that's what I'm hoping.)

[dmarkwick 261]

An easy to import, er, import method too.

[Big Dawg KS 6]

Not quite. They implemented "gestures" with Arma2, which allow individual animation of just the arms (or more?). So with the exception of the prone stance, reloading is now a gesture. All other anims are still full-body though.

The "revamped animation system" will probably either expand on that, allowing animations to be limited to any part of the body, or it will be something completely new. (At least that's what I'm hoping.)

The problem with gestures is that they are currently stateless. This is why they cannot be used to implement changing of weapons on the move. So individual states for upper & lower body would be one way to improve on that.

of just the arms (or more?).

Gestures can be applied to the whole body (ex: spasms from AIS).

[=war cloud= 10]

I'm really interested to know more from BI about the PhysX revamped animations. I wonder if the devs have managed to utilise the PhysX with soldier movement, death animation and gear and cloth movement?.

[maddogx 13]

...death animation...

Ragdoll death anims are already confirmed.

[=war cloud= 10]

Ragdoll death anims are already confirmed.

PhysX Ragdoll or BI physics?.

[David Schofield 10]

war cloud, it'll hopefully be Red Dead Redemption style physics, lol.

[roberthammer 582]

war cloud, it'll hopefully be Red Dead Redemption style physics, lol.

NO - ArmA 3 won't use Euphoria , just tweaked Physx Rag Doll

[metalcraze 290]

I hope BIS will finally make leaning right. Not your gun leaning, but your body leaning with it. Because watching the gun taking a 45 degree angle is not comfortable and it's hard to predict where the bullet will land at 200m+

[=war cloud= 10]

war cloud, it'll hopefully be Red Dead Redemption style physics, lol.

Keyboard Cat Redux, ahahaha lol.

[Big Dawg KS 6]

I hope BIS will finally make leaning right. Not your gun leaning, but your body leaning with it. Because watching the gun taking a 45 degree angle is not comfortable and it's hard to predict where the bullet will land at 200m+

Erm, that's already how the leaning works (entire upper body). The camera just doesn't rotate (which IMO is correct).

[metalcraze 290]

When you lean you can clearly see that that body does lean too as well as head. So why not camera?

[nodunit 397]

Because when you lean or twist your head your sight remains level.

[Mr. Charles 22]

Because when you lean or twist your head your sight remains level.

wat? I must be some kind of a mutant :eek:

[Haystack15 10]

An easy to import, er, import method too.

+1 :D

+ 5 Characters

[Opticalsnare 12]

The current animation system is horrible, sometimes you kill an enemy and it plays a animation and keeps playing that animation then the killed animation after you shot em 20 times it looks wrong.

Im not sure but when i was trying make the player more fluid and remove the entire sluggish controls and clunkyness to the game i went thru everything..... The Man class is a sub-class of the Vehicle class, which is odd so it trys to be a human but its class is infact a vehicle based errrrh anyway i went on modding it out coudnnt fix it, but about the animation system it may be related to the animation system and how it plays the animation which causes the clunkyness feel to it.. As its trying to play the animation at its time and when you change direction it waits till that animation has finished playing and then plays the animation for the next action. For example your running running then you hit sidestep or something or you just want to STOP and it waits till it plays the end of the running animation then stops problem is you might have wanted to stop just that little bit before but because its still playing the run animation you get that delay feeling because it doesnt CUT the animation out and STOP. Its all to do with making the animations blend together which imo is wrong cause you might wanna do something else but cant, like when you accidently hit V to step over something your FORCED to wait till the animation has finished.

Sorry for the wall of text :/

Edited July 13, 2011 by Opticalsnare

[David Schofield 10]

The current animation system is horrible, sometimes you kill an enemy and it plays a animation and keeps playing that animation then the killed animation after you shot em 20 times it looks wrong. Im not sure but when i was trying make the player more fluid and remove the entire sluggish controls and clunkyness to the game i went thru everything, the Man class is a sub-class of the Vehicle class, which is odd so it trys to be a human but its class is actually a vehicle based errrrh anyway i went on modding it out coudnnt fix it, but about the animation system it may be related to the animation system and how it plays the animation which causes the clunkyness feel to it as its trying to play the animation at its speed and when you change direction it waits till that animation has finished and then plays the animation for that action, for example your running, running then you hit sidestep or something or you STOP and it waits till it plays till the end of the running animation then stops problem is you might have wanted to stop just that little bit before but because its still playing the run animation you get that delay feeling because it doesnt CUT the animation out and STOP. Its all to do with making the animations blend together which imo is wrong cause you might wanna do something else but cant, like when you accidently hit V to step over something your FORCED to wait till the animation has finished.

If you think that's bad, mow down a platoon with a ZSU-23 AA Tank. they fly into the air with their guns in hand and come down like they're taking a nap...

[=war cloud= 10]

The current animation system is horrible

ArmA 2 is imho one of the best games out there man. ArmA 3 will improve on what is already a top notch thinking mans game. Take a clear look at some of these so called AAA games recentley that have millions of £$ pumped into em, they have nothing on ArmA series, in fact i would say a lot of these newer titles are a quick trigger blast yes but crap in comparison to ArmA series, imho.

The animation system in some newer games are even worse.

[Maio 293]

ArmA 2 is imho one of the best games out there man. ArmA 3 will improve on what is already a top notch thinking mans game. Take a clear look at some of these so called AAA games recentley that have millions of £$ pumped into em, they have nothing on ArmA series, in fact i would say a lot of these newer titles are a quick trigger blast yes but crap in comparison to ArmA series, imho.

The animation system in some newer games are even worse.

The animations themselves are good , but the procedural animation system is ... awkward ?

I cant wait to see the new one and how it blends with Physx :)

[Opticalsnare 12]

ArmA 2 is imho one of the best games out there man. ArmA 3 will improve on what is already a top notch thinking mans game. Take a clear look at some of these so called AAA games recentley that have millions of £$ pumped into em, they have nothing on ArmA series, in fact i would say a lot of these newer titles are a quick trigger blast yes but crap in comparison to ArmA series, imho.

The animation system in some newer games are even worse.

What the hell are you on about? Where did i say i dislike the game. Hey MAN how about you go back READ what i posted and maybe then your UNDERSTAND that i actually did explain why the current animation system is broken and maybe affecting other aspects of the game. :j:

Edited July 14, 2011 by Opticalsnare

[dmarkwick 261]

Nothing