Charactor Animations/Responses in Hal 6

[rokusan2001]

Hi, I have been trying all night to put in different animations and responses for charactors as described in an article by Dr. Benway and DuskRider:

http://www.zabaware.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2268

Of course, I realize that the version of Hal is different than the one they were using, but I can't figure out how to adapt it.  Or I could be dead wrong and they are the same (both version 6) and I just have been barking up the wrong tree.  I'm new to all this, so a little guidence would be really apriciated.  
Thanks!

[Carl2]

rokusan2001,
  Before discussing this in more detail frist you said you have Hal 6, second thay are discussing Haptek characters and not MS agents and third you have the Haptek expansion pack from Zabaware. I'll check back and go into more detail after your reply.
Carl2

[rokusan2001]

Hi, Carl2
Let me see if I understand your questions here.  Like I said, I'm a little new to all this, so I might not understand all the terminology and such.

Yes, I have Hal6.  As to the difference between Haptek charactors or MSAgent charactors, I am attempting to use it with a charactor I purchased from Desktopmates.com.  I don't know which they use.  Third, I don't have the expansion pack.  

I thought they were editing the brain code for Hal 6 to get the animations to work, but if this is in the programing of the charactors themselves, then I guess I'm barking up the wrong tree.  They are refering to where to put the "trigger words" into the Hal brain, but can't find where to put the "trigger words".  

Thanks in advance,
Rokusan2001

[Dr.Benway]

Characters from DesktopMates are always MSagents (Microsoft) and are entirely different from Haptek characters. Duskrider and I discussed Haptek characters. MASH is a good program for experimenting with msagents.

[rokusan2001]

Forgive the newbe!

I think I'm seeing the problem here.  I thought you could just drop in the code and have the animations customized, but it's dependent on what type of charactor it is.  Am I right?

So, if I used MASH or Haptek, to program the animations into the .htr files, then I could use them for the specific type of charactor (MSAgent or Haptek)....

But where do you insert the code to call the animations?  I can't find where it is calling them from.  I've been up and down the brain code, and don't see an animation file call.  The best I can find is the EmotionalReaction area, but it doesn't call the animations.  How do you do that?  I know the Defalt.psn is related to the calling, but as far as I can tell, I can't add custom animations...

So confused...

I have done some programming (2 and a half years in college) But I am a little rusty.  

Thanks for any help/straightening out/strangling in advance! :->
Rokusan2001

P.S. Message board here is great, I've learned alot already, even though I've only had Hal for 2 weeks.

[Art]

You can't use htr files with MSAgent only with Haptek characters, AFAIK.
The HAP files can be dragged and dropped on the Hal character window and depending upon the character should result in an animation or emotional / facial response.

[rokusan2001]

Starting to get it now.  Sorry about being such a newbe.
I didn't see anything in the forums discussing the difference's between the Haptek charactors and MSAgents.  I guess I'll need to switch to Haptek charactors for this to work.  

Now if I do that, is there a way to call the animation files from the brain with a trigger word?  Idea is the same as the above mentioned thread, but like I said in the previous post, I don't see how to call the animation when certain words are said.

EX.
"Be afraid of STRANGERS" and she act's affraid. (STRANGERS being the key word)

Or should I not be calling the animation files from the brain, but elsewhere?  

Thank you,
Rokusan2001

[Art]

In Hal's main brain database, if one curses Hal, Hal will "pick up" on that word or words and respond accordingly, usually with a cautionary statement and often showing anger. If the user persists, Hal will get emotional and often stay that way until the user apologizes.

It is from the "trigger" words in the text file that Hal see from the user input.

Open the Brain editor and look through the text of Hal's brain. It's not all that difficult to scan through it and see how various action / reaction responses are achieved.

Good luck and welcome aboard!

[Carl2]

rokusan2001.
  See you've received quite a bit of help, Much earlier I tried a desktopmates character, tried a few of the MS agents and went to Hapteks Sandy. I reciently switched to a fullbody character which allows control of body parts as well as facial expressions. I put some scripting in so she gets sad if "mistake" is mentioned and I have to tell her to "just relax and be happy" for her to return to normal, this worked in ver5 and since that time I installed ver 6.  There is scripting in both versions of the brain to send mood files to the haptek character but since I don't swear at her, tell her I hate her or insult her there isn't a lot of change in moods that I can see. I recently started thinking of changing some of these to disaproval, sadthings ect.
Carl2

[rokusan2001]

Okay... I just figured out something...
One of the problems was getting her to respond to the trigger words.
If I put the trigger word "Strangers" she wouldn't even respond to the word with the predefind text repsonse.  But it was because I was keeping the brain in the EXPERT MODE.  The second I changed back to the standard mode in the brain editor, she started responding.

It seems that if you save the brain, and leave it in the EXPERT MODE, she won't respond to the custom responses.  
Thank you all!!

It's really amazing how customizable this piece of software is.  I definately can see how everybody loves it.

I have gotten a full body Haptek charactor, but it seems to be the wrong one to work with the animation files I got from the previous forum.  So, just have to match up versions, I supose.

Now, one other question.  If this is the wrong forum for it, I'll appologize in advance.  I will be switching over to the Haptek charactors for the animations, it looks like you need to have the People Putty software.  Does anybody know how expensive the full body charactors are?  And is it as easy to use the software with full body charactor animations, as it is for just head animation?

Thanks again!!!  
Rokusan2001

[Art]

Haptek's People Putty is a pretty fun program to play with creating various HEAD characters but that's where the fun stops.

One can not use PP to create torso or full body characters!

The full body characters "clothing" can be changed or modified via a paint program like paint, PSP, PhotoShop, etc. One basically uses an existing template to paint over using either flesh tones or a variety of textures for anything from sweaters to denim to swimsuits, etc. You get the picture (no pun).

Haptek does have a program that allows one to model or create props or other objects like glasses, hats, etc., for the characters.

Just the license for a custom full body creation is really prohibitive for the average, aspiring user. Hopefully Haptek will see that there is a potential market and either lower the price or create another program that will allow us mere mortals to be...more creative!

[rokusan2001]

Thanks all for the helpful advice!  Got the responses working after changing back to the standard mode in the brain editor.  

Rokusan2001