hey, im kinda new to meshing, etc. but i was wondering if there is a way to create an animated object?

To the best of my knowledge the answer to that question is no.

Wes_h is testing an animation tool here: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=375945

So if you are interested in testing his tool, I'm sure he would welcome your feedback.

That tool is not for objects...it is for Sims.

thanks Ghost sdoj and orangemittens, ill have a go at the tool in the near future

Actually, it was designed for both objects and sims... they use the same file format. But I only ever built a rigging file for adult sims. The rigging file is certainly not for anyone that does not understand skeletons and joints, but it is a configuration file, no C++ knowledge required.

Still, you have to read the docs... how primitive.

"Actually, it was designed for both objects and sims... "

Thanks for correcting my statement Wes. I forgot you had said this before...and I can't even blame my granola :p

Is it ok to post a question about the tool here?



This. My settings are how you said they should be but still her wrist gets all thin if I try to turn her hand. How to fix?

I think most of the animations twist the hand by rotation the next joint up... I think it is the wrist joint instead of the hand. The skin weights should gradually change as you move from the wrist to the upper arm, spreading the twist over a longer area, instead of all in one spot.

Thank you for explaining, I think I understand the principle you're describing. I'm confused about the wrist joint though. The joint called "wrist" is a red dot (with no green dots below it) halfway along the shaft of the forearm bones. I've never been able to do anything with joints like that which doesn't seriously distort the Sim. This isn't the joint I should be looking to rotate is it?

Although the answer to that seems self-evident to me in Sims 3 my assumptions about how something works are frequently incorrect so I'm asking anyway. :P