Modifying Animation Patterns - mosamadeeb/yakuza-gmt-blender GitHub Wiki

This article explains how to modify animation patterns for imported GMTs.

Animation patterns

Patterns are a set of poses that are used to make animation easier. They are usually present in GMT files inside the motion folder/par.

Patterns work by defining (at least) two keyframes on the timeline of the animation. Each keyframe contains an index of the pose it represents. When the animation plays in the game, the pose of the first keyframe will be applied on the model, and then as the animation plays, the pose will be interpolated (progressively changed) into the pose of the next keyframe. Once it reaches that keyframe, it will look exactly like that keyframe's pose.

This system was created so that some common animations (such as hand animations) can be easily reused without having to manually animate them for every GMT animation. Currently, patterns cannot be visually animated in Blender, so you won't see any difference while modifying them. They will animate correctly in the game, however.

Currently, only hand patterns are supported by the addon. There is a lot of other pattern types that are unsupported, but they can still be imported, modified, and exported. However, since their usage is unknown, no info about them will be included in this article.

Modifying patterns

Finding the pattern bone

In order to modify patterns, the armature you're animating needs to have a pattern bone. For older games, that bone is called pattern_n, and for newer games (Yakuza 0 and later) it is called pattern_c_n. You can find it in the root of GMD skeletons, in the same level as center_c_n and vector_c_n bones.

After selecting the pattern bone while in Pose Mode, you will be able to see the GMT Pattern Properties panel, if you go to the Bone Properties tab in the Properties Editor on the right.

From this panel, you can edit the pattern indices for the current frame for each hand. Opening the GMT Pattern Indices sub-panel will display the indices of patterns that can be used with hands, as well as their names. You can use this list as a reference when modifying patterns.

Editing pattern indices

You can animate patterns in the same way you animate any other property. Just change the index and set a keyframe. Keep in mind that poses will be interpolated between two different pattern indices only. If two consecutive keyframes have the same pattern index, then the pose will be constant in that interval.

In order to disable patterns, you can create a single keyframe at frame 0 with the value -1. This will disable patterns for that channel (hand) and allow the GMT's included hand animations (the ones you can see in Blender) to be used.

In the example below, right hand patterns are disabled (manual animation will be used) while left hand animation is using a pattern.

image

GMT pattern indices

Here is a list of pattern indices that can be used for animating patterns:

Each index has its name listed next to it. In the case of indices 14 to 17, these indices have a different name in Dragon Engine other than their name in Yakuza 0/Kiwami.

Pattern indices supported by each game (this list is incomplete):

  • Yakuza 3, 4: 0 to 8.
  • Yakuza 5: 0 to 13.
  • Yakuza 0/Kiwami: 0 to 17.
  • Yakuza Kiwami 2: 0 to 20.
  • Judgment: 0 to 24.
  • Yakuza: Like a Dragon: 0 to 25.