Help on SKA Files

[Maxxxel]

Hi there,

I'm not a Spellforce 2 player or user, but I am the developer of the Battleforge Import/Export tool for Blender. As many of you might know, Phenomic used the DRS format for several games (including both Spellforce and Battleforge) and even shared classes (like CDspMesh) and SKA files across these titles.

We have successfully reversed-engineered most of the values to enable importing and exporting content to the game. However, one major challenge remains: the animations and the way they are interpolated. I am looking for any resources or exported examples of the SKA format that I can reference or get in contact with. Any help with this would be invaluable.

On a related note, I’d like to ask whether there is interest in a similar plugin within this community. If the format differences are minimal, I’d be happy to work on developing a tool that could benefit all of you in my free time (no promises).

Thanks in advance for any input!

[NeoX]

Hi,

I don't know if this may be of relevance to you, but we do extract that data via "DragonUnpacker" out of the pak-files in SF1 and 2.
For the Blender files we have an own import tool that a user created years ago:

https://github.com/leszekd25/spellforce_blender_plugins

Mayber this will be of use to you.

Code: Select all

spellforce_blender_plugins

all blender plugins i came up with regarding import/export of 3D stuff from spellforce 1

all of those should work with blender 2.78, probably some earlier versions too

new: there's also a set of plugins for 2.8, they are much better than the plugins below, so i recommend using those; read the readme file in the 2.8 directory above

everything below only applies to plugins in this directory, not to the 2.8 plugins
how to install plugins

open blender -> User Preferences... -> Add-ons -> Install add-on from file... -> choose plugin file (.py extension) -> enable plugin by checking the checkbox

read further for specific usage of each plugin
spellforce_import.py

you can choose any .msb file to import (and edit) in blender

requirements:

-textures have to be in the same directory as the .msb file (pulling htem from spellforce data is enough, look for texture names that are suspiciously similar to the .msb file name)

usage: File -> Import...
spellforce_export.py

any edited model can be exported to .msb file

requirements:

-all faces must be triangles

-no two points on any single UV map may overlap (edges and faces can intersect alright though)

usage: File -> Export...



spellforce_import_with_skeleton

if you have .bor file to associate with the .msb mesh file, you can import both as a mesh and skeleton

requirements:

-skeleton file (.bor) is in the same folder as mesh file (.msb)

-both files have the same name (except file format)

-mesh is in original, unedited form (as in, exact same mesh as it was bundled with spellforce)

same requirements as with base mesh import plugin

usage: File -> Import... (only select .msb file)

WARNING: meshes loaded with skeleton are no longer editable due to mesh transformations required for animations to work (more work on it in the future)

NOTE: bone orientations do not look properly in blender for now, but the model and skeleton receive transformations properly
spellforce_import_animation

you can choose any .bob file to open and edit in blender

requirements:

-selected object in blender is armature (skeleton)

-number of bones in skeleton and animation must match

for obvious reasons, animations only work with skeleton files imported with the spellforce_import_with_skeleton plugin

usage: File -> Imoprt...



spellforce_export_animation

any edited animation can be exported to .bob animation file

for same reasons, this will work properly only if animation was first imported using the plugin mentioned above

requirements:

-selected object in blender is armature (skeleton)

usage: File -> Export...

Greetings: NeoX

[Maxxxel]

I took a look.. unfortunately it seems that the Spellforce Animation files seem to be a lot simpler that Battleforge ones.

Guess I won't find any hints here.. thanks anyway for the support.

[Maxxxel]

Just saw the plugin is only for SF1 files? SF1 should be different to SF2 as far as I now.

[NeoX]

hi,

Just saw the plugin is only for SF1 files? SF1 should be different to SF2 as far as I now.

Its quite familiar and seems to work just fine.

Greetings: NeoX

[Maxxxel]

Well, are the Spellforce 2 files DRS and SKA? Can you provide me some examples please. I have some drs from SP2 found on the internet, but i dont know how old they are and i also miss ska files for my tests.

The DRS files tho are pretty much the same as in Battelforge i can instantly read them and make my Blender Plugin import them:

[Maxxxel]

BTW it should also be no Problem to export them back into game compatible format, if you guys lack such an solution?

[Xian]

Wow this is cool! Please keep up the good work!

The question you asked. I think SF2 was just on the technological edge when it came to that model design. Do you have a copy of SF2 to take a look yourself or do you want one of us to provide some files for you? For analysing.

[Maxxxel]

Hey there

Sadly I don't have a copy, I would need to look at gog or somewhere else.

I will also try the game. I love Battleforge and maybe I will also like SF2

[Maxxxel]

Got the Anniversary Edition.

figure_boss_gutram_gif (Gyazo link)