Fallout 2 mod Custom FRM animation doesn't work

[Sabertooth]

Hi, guys, I followed the animation tutorial on wiki

Here are the bullet points for the steps I took:
- Extracted the critter FRM I was looking for from the critter.dat file (scorpion BK, the one where it gets vaporized when dying from an energy weapon)
- I converted the animation I wanted to gif format
- I then went ahead and replaced certain frames but kept the frame count the same
- Used an FRM animator tool to replace the South East animation with my gif, and then exported the FRM
- I deleted the original FRM within the .dat file and import the one I made (-- tested the game after this, still played the old animation for scorpion BK south east)
- I also added a copy of the FRM to the "Fallout 2\data\art\critters\" (-- tested the game after this, still played the old animation for scorpion BK south east)

** To insure that the .dat edit worked I opened the .dat viewer and extracted the file I added, I then went ahead and viewed the animation in an FRM viewer and my South East scorpion BK death animation was there

I loaded up the game and looked for scorpions around NCR. Once I found some I would position myself so that they where in the angle I anticipated my animation mod to be or near it, but nothing.

I've edited a few .pro files and even added a whole new version of an existing item, and I've been able to use them in-game so I'm assuming that changing .pro's and .FRM's will work regardless of where you are in the game.

Is there something obvious I'm missing that would get my edited FRM to work?

 

[Lexx]

I deleted the original FRM within the .dat file and import the one I made (-- tested the game after this, still played the old animation for scorpion BK south east)

Why? You can just put the file into the data folder and it will have precedence over anything in a .dat file.

"data\art\critter file\"

What exactly is "critter file"? Just a typo or something specific?

 

[Sabertooth]

What exactly is "critter file"? Just a typo or something specific?

It was a typo, my bad. I meant "Fallout 2\data\art\critters\"

I placed the edited FRMs in "Fallout 2\data\art\critters\" and it didn't work either. It plays the original animation. Do I need to change anything in critters.lst? I replaced an existing animation so I'm guessing I won't need to, but I'm honestly not sure.

Here are a few more details:
I'm using an alien blaster so I usually trigger an electrocution animation. I read a thread on here named "Indexing FRMs" to find the animations that I needed within the "critter.dat" file. I edited the scorpion death animations for mascp2BK.FRM and mascp2BH.FRM south east, both are electrocrip deaths. In mascp2BK.FRM the scorpion is electrocuted and vaporized out of thin air. In mascp2BH.FRM the animation ends with the scorpions' charred remains.

 

[Lexx]

The game takes the animations based on the file names. Nothing else needs to be done. If the game doesn't play the animation, then something must be wrong with the animation file.

Maybe rename it to an existing animation and see if it works.

 

[Sabertooth]

The game takes the animations based on the file names. Nothing else needs to be done. If the game doesn't play the animation, then something must be wrong with the animation file.

Maybe rename it to an existing animation and see if it works.

YES! Oh wow, this was the problem. I thought I had named it the same but I was off by a letter, it works now!

I appreciate the help Lexx, thank you!