Tutorial/Import animations into Blender

This guide assumes that you already have all the required files extracted, see Required Files. If you do not yet have these files extracted then you can extract them using Dynaomi’s OverTool (Instructions).

This guide assumes that you are using Windows, but it should work fine for wine as well.

Using SEAnim Files

As of version 1.10.0.0, OverTool creates SEAnim files next to the raw .006 animation files. They are easier to set up than SMD animations and support bone scaling (among other things).

Required Files

• Character Model
• SMD Refpose (next to OWMDL files)
• SEAnim files (in Animations folder)

Required Tools

• Blender
• Dynaomi’s OWMImporter for Blender
• Blender Source Tools
• SEAnim Importer for Blender (download by clicking Clone or download > Download ZIP or by clicking here)

Installing Blender Plugins

If you have not already done it, download Blender, the Blender Source Tools, and the SEAnim Importer for Blender above.

Importing the Model, Skeleton, and Animation

Importing the Model

Importing the Refpose

Binding the Skeleton to the Model

Select both the model and the skeleton manually by right-clicking on the model first and the skeleton second. It is vital that you select the skeleton last (lighter orange outline around it). Press CTRL + P and click on Armature Deform. It is normal that nothing seems to have happened – the skeleton is currently in the same pose as the model.

Importing the Animation

To import the animation, first select only the skeleton by right-clicking on it. Then, go to File > Import > SEAnim (.seanim), select the animation file you want to use (they are usually in Animations > MODEL ID > 160), and press Import SEAnim. This will import the animation but also put you in Pose Mode; to exit that mode, click on the box that says Pose Mode at the bottom left of the viewport and select Object Mode.

If you have done everything properly, you should now be able to play the animation by pressing ALT + A or by clicking the Play button below the timeline.

Using SMD Files

Required Files

• .006 Animations
• .smd Refpose

Required Tools

id-daemon’s Animation Converter

Make sure that you know which file contains the character you want to import. You can see which file to import by importing all .owmdl files in Blender (it usually is the largest file, or second largest)

• Extract the downloaded files somewhere
• Place the refpose for your model ( 00000000XXXX_refpose.smd , which OverTool extracts by default) in the same folder as the tools and rename it to refpose.smd
• Open a cmd in the same folder (shift+right-click empty space in explorer -> Open command window here )

You can now use overwatch_anim.exe ". \Eidgenossin\Animations\000000000000\00000000413A.006" to convert .006 files to .smd animations. Make sure to replace the path with your path.

Some animations might throw an error, just ignore it and move on to the next file.

The 000000000000 usually contains the highlights. The folder 0000000006E9 contains animations for the 0000000006E9.owmdl file, etc.

Import .smd files into Blender

I assume that you already have the OWMImporter for Blender and the Blender Source Tools installed , if not then install them now (linked above).

Import your .owmdl using the OWMImporter (you should know how to do this)

• Press space and search for Import OWMDL
• Select your .owmdl model
• You can also import additional models (like the weapon) if you want
• Leave the settings and click import

Import the .smd animation using Blender Source Toos

• Press space and search for Import SMD/VTA, DMX, QC
• Select a .smd animation generated by overwatch_anim.exe
• Change the Bone Append Mode to Make New Armature

Add the imported animations to the existing model

• You’ll need to rotate the model exactly 90 degrees on the x axis, type r x 90 to do so. (Rotate, X, 90)
• Select all the meshes (shift + left-click), make sure to select the animated skeleton last!
• Select the imported animated skeleton and (with your mouse inside the 3D viewport) press ctrl + p and select Armature Deform

You can now delete the first skeleton/armature (Right click -> Delete Hierarchy ), or don’t, it doesn’t matter.

You should now be able to play the animation by pressing alt + a or clicking the play button underneath the timeline.

You’ll also notice that some models use real time physics, so you’ll have to simulate those using Blender’s cloth physics (or some other way).

Importing fbx animation into blender

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Import animation of an FBX model

I've tried to import an animated FBX model in blender, but as result I've obtained just the model itself with its skeleton but without animation. How am I supposed to import the model so that I can obtain the animation as well?

Blender FBX importing of animation is rather limited - only handles baked animation (that is, animated curves that are a bunch of points with linear interpolation between them), for transform (loc/rot/scale of objects and bones) and shape keys influences.

Beyond that, not sure which version of the FBX addon you are using, but FBX importer often finds many 'animation stacks' compatible with an object in FBX file, it converts them as Blender actions, and (at best) randomly affect one of those actions to the object. So suggest you check the Action Editor, and re-assign the desired action to your object.