The Brawl Expansion Project

[superstarfy64]

MY PROBLEM HAS BEEN SOLVED (just in case anybody else finds this problem) The first times I did this I had the CSS Expansion and the CSS Code (CSS Expansion is better of course). The second time I did it (without the CSS Code) I forgot to put in the ExModules. I just put them in and that solved the problem!

[Power Marshall]

For some reason, I have my CSS to support ZSS, Samus, Squirtle, Charizard, Ivysaur, Zelda, and Sheik to have their own CSP; however, the problem is that although it works, as it gives me stand alone characters, their CSPs aren't affect. E.G. Zelda and Sheik still share a CSP no matter who is selected, same with the three Pokemon. Is there something I didn't or need to include? Or do I just have to edit the CSPs myself?

EDIT: I do have to edit it lol. No problem haha Looked at Project M's CSPs.. ha

[yadayada]

I haven't been really following the Smash modding scene, but lets say I wanted an entirely custom, unique, roster. Could I use this to remove all the regular characters from the CSS and only display custom characters? If I didn't need more slots than the original 40 (or whatever it is), would it be better to just replace pre-existing character slots, or would more issues arise from that than if I were to just add them as customs and display only the custom characters on the character select screen?

[ShinF]

I haven't been really following the Smash modding scene, but lets say I wanted an entirely custom, unique, roster. Could I use this to remove all the regular characters from the CSS and only display custom characters? If I didn't need more slots than the original 40 (or whatever it is), would it be better to just replace pre-existing character slots, or would more issues arise from that than if I were to just add them as customs and display only the custom characters on the character select screen?

Well, you could always replace all the originals and add new ones if you wanted.

[yadayada]

Well, you could always replace all the originals and add new ones if you wanted.

Like, no exaggeration, I stopped modding SSB when the model importer was about 4 days after release and I had played with it for a little while, just lost interest. Is replacing the standard characters with alternate meshes/bones/animations any sort of complicated thing (aside from the obvious modeling/animating etc). In other words, do we have the full capability to import an entire mesh and bones and create custom animations to go along with a moveset, or are we limited to the given bones?

EDIT: Perhaps someone could point me in the right direction. I'm wanting to do a total revamp of the entire roster and basically create a new slew of characters, but not just mesh replacements. Total animation changes, new meshes, new bones, the whole deal. What threads should I be looking at at this point? Like I said, it's been a while...

[ShinF]

Like, no exaggeration, I stopped modding SSB when the model importer was about 4 days after release and I had played with it for a little while, just lost interest. Is replacing the standard characters with alternate meshes/bones/animations any sort of complicated thing (aside from the obvious modeling/animating etc). In other words, do we have the full capability to import an entire mesh and bones and create custom animations to go along with a moveset, or are we limited to the given bones?

EDIT: Perhaps someone could point me in the right direction. I'm wanting to do a total revamp of the entire roster and basically create a new slew of characters, but not just mesh replacements. Total animation changes, new meshes, new bones, the whole deal. What threads should I be looking at at this point? Like I said, it's been a while...

It's possible to make movesets that don't even resemble the original characters, with totally custom animations and attacks. It's a lot of work of course, and there are still limitations (mainly the inability to create new articles) but there are quite a few PSAs that do this. If you want to se an example of what's possible (though very difficult to create), check out Project M's Mewtwo:

Project M Roster Reveal - Mewtwo!

Or the Mega Man PSA:

[SSBB Hack] Megaman joins Brawl

Actually replacing the movesets is just like replacing costumes - copy and name the files properly and it's done. It's creating them that can be difficult.

If you want to find PSAs, just use the advanced search on the Vault and search for Character -> PSAs. You'll find quite a few.

[the98pika]

I can't seem to make the CSPs, CSS icons, etc to work for Brawlex...I tried to do what the tutorial said in the OP but still no changes at all. (trying to have tabuu CSPs CSS icons to work over ganondorf) Here's the link to my files if anyone wants to help me it would be awesome:  https://www.mediafire.com/?knxnh3ifanz0wo5

I also changed something inthe cosmetic file in hexedit like in the tutorial but I don't know if that's for dolphin only or something...

[yadayada]

It's possible to make movesets that don't even resemble the original characters, with totally custom animations and attacks. It's a lot of work of course, and there are still limitations (mainly the inability to create new articles) but there are quite a few PSAs that do this. If you want to se an example of what's possible (though very difficult to create), check out Project M's Mewtwo:

Project M Roster Reveal - Mewtwo!

Or the Mega Man PSA:

[SSBB Hack] Megaman joins Brawl

Actually replacing the movesets is just like replacing costumes - copy and name the files properly and it's done. It's creating them that can be difficult.

If you want to find PSAs, just use the advanced search on the Vault and search for Character -> PSAs. You'll find quite a few.

While those mods to exhibit functionality I would like to tap into, to my understanding, those models use pre-existing character skeletons, correct? If I'm wrong, please tell me. I think thats the thing I'm most hung up on. Custom skeletons; Do they work properly (assuming you make your own animations for them and whatnot)?

[ShinF]

While those mods to exhibit functionality I would like to tap into, to my understanding, those models use pre-existing character skeletons, correct? If I'm wrong, please tell me. I think thats the thing I'm most hung up on. Custom skeletons; Do they work properly (assuming you make your own animations for them and whatnot)?

The only real limit I'm aware of (other than the obvious file size limit) with skeletons is that it can't have fewer bones than the original. Even then, you can just have bones that are unbound to any vertices. I know for sure Mewtwo has a custom skeleton. It's so different that it won't even work with a model bound to Lucario's original skeleton. (Lucario being the one he was cloned from, even though they have their own slot.)

[yadayada]

The only real limit I'm aware of (other than the obvious file size limit) with skeletons is that it can't have fewer bones than the original. Even then, you can just have bones that are unbound to any vertices. I know for sure Mewtwo has a custom skeleton. It's so different that it won't even work with a model bound to Lucario's original skeleton.

Thanks for your assistance.

[Eternal Yoshi]

Custom Skeletons will work fine provided you do your bone hiearchy edits in Max or Maya BEFORE you rig the model.

Project M's Mewtwo and my Simon Belmont PSA are the best examples, as they use existing bone Hierarchies but add bones and modify translations and rotations to allow animating the tail and whip respectively, while having their own proportions.

Oh and like ShinF said, you need to make sure that you don't have less bones than the original character.

[yadayada]

Custom Skeletons will work fine provided you do your bone hiearchy edits in Max or Maya BEFORE you rig the model.

Project M's Mewtwo and my Simon Belmont PSA are the best examples, as they use existing bone Hierarchies but add bones and modify translations and rotations to allow animating the tail and whip respectively, while having their own proportions.

Oh and like ShinF said, you need to make sure that you don't have less bones than the original character.

So would you say that simply modifying existing skeletons is probably the best approach to take? There's many different angles to approach something like this, I'm just trying to pinpoint the best/easiest one.

[Eternal Yoshi]

Sorry this reply is delayed, but yes, just get a normal Brawl character model and skeleton in Max or Maya, erase the regular character model, start editing the boneset, hiearchy, and whatnot to fit it around your new character, then rig.

If you're using Max, be sure that the scale of the import is 1 instead of 0.39____.

[yadayada]

Sorry this reply is delayed, but yes, just get a normal Brawl character model and skeleton in Max or Maya, erase the regular character model, start editing the boneset, hiearchy, and whatnot to fit it around your new character, then rig.

If you're using Max, be sure that the scale of the import is 1 instead of 0.39____.

Thank you~ Off to play around with some skeletons.

[Lillith]

Thank you~ Off to play around with some skeletons.

You're aware of how creepy that sounds, right? XD