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I converted Sims 3 animations to Sims 4
I converted Sims 3 animations to Sims 4 Apr 22, 2016 12:02:23 GMT -5 orangemittens, brujah, and 9
more like this
Post by nukael on Apr 22, 2016 12:02:23 GMT -5
I succeeded in setting up a pipeline that allows me to convert Sims 3 animations to Sims 4. So far I've
only converted 2 and I don't plan on doing any more. It was more a bit of a personal challenge project
nukael during my down time between professional engagements.
Member
I converted two magic animations from the magic book that is sold in the Sims 3 online store. You can
view them here (the stuttering was in the video file and not in the game or animation itself):

Click here to watch the animation video!

I could not have done this without Sims 4 Studio and its export to Blender feature. This allowed me to
get the animation into Motionbuilder and use its convertion tools to retarget the animations to the Sims
4 rig. Because just copying the Sims 3 animations over to the Sims 4 does not work. The origin points
of the bones are different which makes for very interesting (and buggy) results if the animations aren't
properly retargeted.
Posts:
12 It's a very involved process, though not overly complex (now that I've nailed down all the steps).

Some observations I've made while working with the Sims 4 Studio exported Blender files: there seem
to be some flipped edges in the meshes that are exported, causing 3ds Max 2015 to crash upon export
when going from Blender to 3ds Max. Earlier versions of 3ds Max don't crash but just give a warning
message (weird that the earlier versions can handle it, while later ones can't). But it's all good, I use the
2012 versions of the software and these work.

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I hope that the animation tutorials are forthcoming (like for the animated grandfather clock), because
I'd like to try my hand on some new custom animations with custom interactions attached to them.
Mathcope
Moderator

I converted Sims 3 animations to Sims 4 Apr 22, 2016 14:24:02 GMT -5 orangemittens likes
this
Post by Mathcope on Apr 22, 2016 14:24:02 GMT -5
That is amazing! The animations look perfect, sure it is a hard process. Thanks for sharing!

E=MC
Posts: 1,769

fufu508
Moderator
I converted Sims 3 animations to Sims 4 Apr 22, 2016 20:52:58 GMT -5
Mathcope likes this
Post by fufu508 on Apr 22, 2016 20:52:58 GMT -5
Hi nukael , I'd love to try doing some conversions!
Could you please list the steps & tools involved, at least in summary to start
with?
It looks like at least Motionbuilder is available to try out, going to see if I can
get it set up.
Check out my post (in my
avatar)! ;)
Posts: 352
Last Edit: Apr 22, 2016 20:56:28 GMT -5 by fufu508
nukael
Member

I converted Sims 3 animations to Sims 4 Apr 23, 2016 12:05:37 GMT -5 fufu508, Mathcope, and 1
more like this
Post by nukael on Apr 23, 2016 12:05:37 GMT -5
Hey fufu508 ! I'm thinking of throwing together a quick video. I was writing out the steps, but it's
gobblediegook without any pictures.

Posts:
12

nukael I converted Sims 3 animations to Sims 4 Apr 24, 2016 5:37:18 GMT -5
Member Post by nukael on Apr 24, 2016 5:37:18 GMT -5
Hey, so I tried making a video tuturoail using 3Ds Max 2016 and Motionbuilder 2016 but it keeps
crashing (I use 2012 versions of the software). So it seems unnecessary to make a tutorial since the
current versions of the software don't work.

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Posts:
12

thepancake1
Member

I converted Sims 3 animations to Sims 4 Apr 26, 2016 5:05:56 GMT -5

Post by thepancake1 on Apr 26, 2016 5:05:56 GMT -5
I'd like to know more about this, even a written tutorial for the old versions is fine. It seems
really exciting to be able to port animations from one game to another!

Posts: 30

schnapps
New Member
I converted Sims 3 animations to Sims 4 Apr 30, 2016 8:45:59 GMT -5 thepancake1 likes this
Post by schnapps on Apr 30, 2016 8:45:59 GMT -5
Wanted to chime in on this, I have been messing with retargeting sims 3/4 animations using
Motionbuilder also. While I have been able to successfully retarget sims animations for use in
Unreal and Unity, I am still having issues getting sims 3 animations into Sims 4. I believe the
culprit is importing the retargeted sims 4 animation into Blender.

Could you share your Import settings?

Posts: 3

I converted Sims 3 animations to Sims 4 May 11, 2016 4:36:25 GMT -5

Post by nukael on May 11, 2016 4:36:25 GMT -5
schnapps
nukael Are you going from Motionbuilder straight into Blender? I've found that it doesn't work if I do that. I
Member have to first send the Motionbuilder file over to 3Ds Max (through File => send to => 3Ds Max). I also
bake(plot) the animation to the Control Rig (NOT the skeleton!) in Motionbuilder before sending it
over to 3Ds Max.
In 3Ds Max I then export to an FBX file. The default profile "Autodesk multimedia" (something like
that I think it's called) should be fine. Just make sure that "convert dummies into bones" is checked, but
it should be checked by default.

The FBX I exported from 3ds Max I import into Blender. BUT! Make sure you're using Blender 2.77 to
import (I leave all options to default). 2.70 does NOT support animation on FBX files, so it will lose
the animation. Even though Sims4Studio needs 2.70 installed, you can have both versions installed of
Blender along side each other (just give them different install folders). And Sims4Studio has no
Posts: problem importing 2.77 Blender files I've noticed.
12
I've found that the Blender animation preview is a good gauge on whether the animation will work in
game or not. Basically if your mesh isn't moving in Blender, but you see deformation helpers (the
aforementioned "dummies") animating, the animation won't work. If you see bones and the mesh
moving (even if the mesh is all screwed up), the animations have worked fine in the game.
schnapps I converted Sims 3 animations to Sims 4 May 16, 2016 18:19:35 GMT -5
New Member Post by schnapps on May 16, 2016 18:19:35 GMT -5
I followed your advice and did the animation plotting to the control rig then imported into 3DS
max > Blender 2.77.

What I finally figured out what the biggest issue was,in Blender with the retargeted animation I
need to go in and remove all the location and scale keys on the rig for everything other than the
bind_root bone. This is a real time consuming process so far. I'm fiddling around with Blender's

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UI to see if there's an easier way to do it.

Posts: 3

schnapps
New Member

I converted Sims 3 animations to Sims 4 May 16, 2016 18:48:48 GMT -5

Post by schnapps on May 16, 2016 18:48:48 GMT -5
jeesh, I completely ignored the search button in the dopesheet interface. Well there goes another
complicated step cut down!

Posts: 3

nukael
Member
I converted Sims 3 animations to Sims 4 May 18, 2016 5:44:28 GMT -5
Post by nukael on May 18, 2016 5:44:28 GMT -5
That's interesting... What problems were you having when you didn't delete the the location and scale
keys on the rig?

So that means you can export from 3Ds Max to FBX? What version are you using? Because with me
only 2012 works. 2015 crashes when I'm trying to export to FBX.

Posts:
12
Last Edit: May 18, 2016 5:45:14 GMT -5 by nukael
I converted Sims 3 animations to Sims 4 May 18, 2016 7:41:24 GMT -5
Post by thepancake1 on May 18, 2016 7:41:24 GMT -5
thepancake1
Member

May 18, 2016 5:44:28 GMT -5 nukael said:

That's interesting... What problems were you having when you didn't delete the the location and
scale keys on the rig?

So that means you can export from 3Ds Max to FBX? What version are you using? Because
Posts: 30 with me only 2012 works. 2015 crashes when I'm trying to export to FBX.

Also tried doing this, and it crashes upon exporting to FBX. I wonder why?
nukael I converted Sims 3 animations to Sims 4 May 18, 2016 9:37:47 GMT -5
Member Post by nukael on May 18, 2016 9:37:47 GMT -5

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May 18, 2016 7:41:24 GMT -5 thepancake1 said:

May 18, 2016 5:44:28 GMT -5 nukael said:

Posts: That's interesting... What problems were you having when you didn't delete the the location and scale
12 keys on the rig?

So that means you can export from 3Ds Max to FBX? What version are you using? Because with me
only 2012 works. 2015 crashes when I'm trying to export to FBX.
Also tried doing this, and it crashes upon exporting to FBX. I wonder why?
As far as I can tell, the way Sims4Studio exports the meshes is in a way that the new 2015 FBX can't
handle. It's something to do with edges being flipped and vertice assignment (is my guestimate). So are
you still using the 3Ds Max pipeline or going from Motionbuilder straight to Blender? Or do you do it
all in Blender now?
sammoyke
Studio
Member
I converted Sims 3 animations to Sims 4 May 19, 2016 16:33:32 GMT -5
Post by sammoyke on May 19, 2016 16:33:32 GMT -5
Man this is super awesome. I am not a creator in this sense so I can't really offer anything
constructive I just wanted to gush over it a little. I miss so many of the sims 2 animation ( i never
played s3) and I keep hoping something like converting animations from previous games would
be possible for certain mod objects , this gives me hope to see something like that in the future
by someone. Awesome job.

Posts: 811
nahuel3d
New Member

I converted Sims 3 animations to Sims 4 Nov 9, 2016 21:16:56 GMT -5

Post by nahuel3d on Nov 9, 2016 21:16:56 GMT -5
Awesome. Glad i found this, i was trying to use Merge Animation from 3Ds Max and that thing
is terrible! I'm going to try to do this, i'll tell you if it works. Thank you!

Posts: 3

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