Customizable HUD for own animations

[DarranDax]

Hey there. I´ve posted this to a very old related thread but it didn´t show up again so nobody will read it. So here´s my own thread:

Hi folks. I have built my own animations and have problems to implement them in a satisfying way. All animations are finished and working when played ingame. Many of them are couple animations though. I´ts a whole different thing to get these played together and aligned. I have tried to implement them into some high quality HUDs but had no luck this far.

My first choice was the "xcite!" HUD because it runs animations without poseballs or rezzing other items, so they can be used everywhere. I added them and edited the notecards. I was able to change everything, but when it comes to triggering the animations there is a necessary code for that.

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for example is a code that triggers a certain animation, no matter what other animation I selected from the menu, if this code is added to the related notecard. I really got no idea how to build a custom code from that for my custom anims. I had similar problems with several other HUDs I have tried.

So my basic question is: What HUD (free or not, I´d happily buy it if it works!) is HIGHLY customizable?

I have heard about ZHAO-II and MPLV2. May those meet my needs? What I really want is a HUD that I can add own couple animations to and delete others, change menus, etc.

Playing animations without rezzing objects or poseballs would be preferred, but not a must have. I have also seen some HUDs that can be weared (a ring or bracelet) to achieve this. Any proposals? I don´t want to buy them all just to spend time and lindens again and again. Many thanks for related answers.

[Innula Zenovka]

There are two ways to approach the problem.

The first is to use a system that doesn't need poseballs -- essentially, the same method basic hug/kiss attachments use.

The way these work is, a script in the hug/kiss attachment obtains the target's permission to animate their avatar.   Having obtained this permission, it notifies the main attachment script, which causes the wearer to move into position (more or less) in front of the avatar.   The two scripts then play their respective animations and then release the two avatars.

The avantage to this system is that you can use it pretty much anywhere, since you don''t need to be able to rez poseballs.

The disadvantage is that it relies on the avatars properly to position themselves.  Standard LSL can't rotate avatars (as opposed to the objects they're sitting on) and, while RLV can do this, it's not particularly accurate.   So successful positioning depends very much on how the hugger and huggee position themselves before initiating the contact.   A micromover attachment can help a lot, though.

The second method is to use MLPV 2 to make a hud.   This works exactly like an ordinary MLPV2 sex bed or something -- you set up the menus and positions using notecards, the hud wearer causes the hud to rez the appropriate balls, as you would with a piece of furniture, and then people just sit on the poseballs.

That's far simpler and allows for much better positioning, but can only be used where you're allowed to rez objects.

If you're looking for a free example of the former method -- no poseballs -- I think the OpenCollar sub-AO has this facility, though you would need to check if it depends on either party using an OpenCollar collar, too (I would think not, but you need to check).   I'm sure there are ZHAO huds that have this facility, too.   

For what it's worth, I've tried in the past to make no-poseball huds for playing couples animations and reluctantly come to the conclusion that if your couples animations require delicate positioning, then you really need to use a poseball hud.    Otherwise the results look silly and you end up with unhappy customers, who are going to blame you because it doesn't work rather than themselves because they can't correctly position themselves.    The scripting itself isn't particularly difficult for an experienced scripter, though it's not trivial, either, but you're up against the limitations of what can actually be done with the tools available in terms of accurately detecting avatars' rotations and so on.    You also have difficulties (or can do) with avatars colliding with each other, which complicates life.   

In answer to your last question, about rings and stuff, there's no difference between a hud and any other attachment.  A hud is simply an attachment you wear on your screen (well, actually on an attachment point that makes it invisible to other people but visible on your screen).  A hud is simply a prim with scripts in it, same as a magic ring.