[Tutorial] Ripping Guide for Animal Crossing New Horizons

[Fluffy McMalamute]

So, have we worked out how to fix the skeleton structure, yet?

This is strange. The vertex groups are intact...mostly. Groups and weights are correct, though their group assignments are not. I was looking at the bone indexes in the Tools and their weights and names are correctly displayed. I never noticed a post saying as much in this thread, and searches did not show any results so apologies if this has been brought up before.

When comparing bone weights and group names, I noticed a pattern in a few that I looked at. Firstly, the bones that have weights also have an option enabled in their Bone Data: Use Smooth Skinning (screenshot attached), which has its own index number. That index number has been corresponding to the subsequent bone group assigned in the imported model. Here are a few of the bones I have tested:

Spine_2 (Index 9) uses Smooth Skinning Matrix Index #0, which happens to be nw4f_root, which is the name that that corresponding group was given in Blender.
Spine_3 (10) uses #1, which is Mdl_Root. Again, that is the name it is assigned in Blender.
Clavicle_L (11), #2, FaceBad
Arm1_L (12), #3, FaceGood
And, just to check the pattern, Neck (29), #16, Arm_2_LB

Is it possible that the Smooth Skinning Matrix Index is overwriting the Bone Index number when exporting? And, if so, is there any way to disable it? I tried disabling Smooth Skinning option, but poor Blathers still has the incorrect bone group names. Again, if this has been discussed elsewhere I do apologize.

Also: I am aware that Blathers has been submitted with proper vertex group names, I was just using him as a test. Thank you Ziella and all other submitters for your efforts