Converting Animations

How to convert SLAL animation packs to SLSB format for SexLab P+.

Quick Start

To convert SLAL packs quickly:

1. Set up your development environment (see Environment Setup)
2. Place SLAL packs in SLAL_Packs/ folder with correct structure
3. Run execute_convert_full.cmd
4. Collect converted outputs from SLSB_Outputs/
5. Package and distribute

Detailed Conversion Process

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• The SLSB.Convert.Dev.Essentials downloaded and extracted
• All FNIS tools installed (see Environment Setup)
• Latest jsons from Automated.SLSB.Conversions in updated_slsb_jsons/
• SLAL animation packs to convert in SLAL_Packs/ folder

Step 1: Organize Your Packs

Place SLAL packs in the SLAL_Packs/ folder with the required structure:

SLAL_Packs/
├── BillyyCreatures/
│   └── SLAnims/
│       └── json/
│           ├── BillyyCreatures.json
│           └── [other animation files]
├── AnimationsByLeito/
│   └── SLAnims/
│       └── json/
│           └── AnimationsByLeito.json
└── [other packs]/
    └── SLAnims/
        └── json/

Important: Structure must be PackName/SLAnims/json/ or the converter won’t find the files.

Step 2: Run the Batch Converter

1. Open File Explorer to your dev environment
2. Double-click execute_convert_full.cmd
3. The script runs automatically and processes all packs

Step 3: Collect Output Files

After conversion completes, your SLSB conversions will be generated in SLSB_Outputs/:

SLSB_Outputs/
  └───conversions [yyyy.mm.dd_hh.mm.ss]
        ├───[Pack Name 1]
        |    ├───meshes
        │    │     └───actors
        │    │           └───[<actor>]
        │    │                ├───animations
        │    │                └───behaviors
        │    └───SKSE
        │          └───Sexlab
        │                └───Registry
        │                     └───Source
        └───[Pack Name 2]
             ├───meshes
             │     └───actors
             │           └───[<actor>]
             │                ├───animations
             │                └───behaviors
             └───SKSE
                   └───Sexlab
                         └───Registry
                              └───Source

Step 4: Package for Users

Create a mod / zip archive containing the output directories meshes and SKSE (including thier content) for each converted pack/module and distribute/publish the same.

Users will install this on top of the original SLAL animation pack (which are needed for animation meshes/assets).

What Gets Converted

The converter automatically extracts:

• Animation names - Display name and unique event hkx identifiers
• Gender/race tags - Actor requirements (male, female, creature, etc.)
• Creature info - Race keys for creature animations
• Animation stages - Which .hkx files play and timing/impact sound
• Actor offsets - Offsets and rotations for each participant
• Scene parameters - Stage timers, stage sound, etc.
• Tags/categories - Aggressive, Loving, Foreplay, etc. See Tagging Reference for official tags.
• AnimObjects info - All AnimObjects are incorporated as-is for each animation event.

Manual Adjustments

After conversion, you may need to make manual adjustments to the slsb.json and re-compile the .slr files thrught the SLSB tool through Import Project option.

Common Adjustments

When to Adjust

Most conversions work automatically, but you may need to adjust for:

• Animations with non-standard gender combinations
• Creature animations with unusual race pairings
• Packs with missing metadata
• Legacy packs with incomplete definitions

Testing Adjustments

After editing JSON:

1. Run the SexLab Scene Builder.exe.
2. Import the edited JSON project file and export.
3. Replace the generated .slr file with the one generated previously by converter.
4. Install the modified conversion; launch game and verify animations appear correctly.
5. Test with MatchMaker.s

Testing Your Conversion

Pre-Test Verification

Before testing in-game, verify your conversion:

1. Check output folder has the structure and content outlined in the section Package Structure below.
2. Verify manifest shows no errors
3. Ensure output files are not empty (check file size > 1KB)

In-Game Testing

1. Install the original SLAL pack (for mesh files)
2. Install your converted SLSB conversion distribution
3. Launch game and load a save
4. Open SexLab MCM → Registrations
5. Check if your animations appear in the list

Testing with MatchMaker

Use the MatchMaker tool to test animations without manual setup:

1. Open SexLab MCM
2. Go to MatchMaker
3. Select your animation pack
4. Choose actors and let MatchMaker start the scene
5. Verify animation plays correctly

Debugging Failed Conversions

If animations don’t appear:

Papyrus Logging

For detailed debugging:

1. Edit skyrim.ini:

   [Papyrus]
   bEnableLogging=1
   bEnableTrace=1
   

2. Check logs at:

   Documents/My Games/Skyrim Special Edition/Logs/Script/
   

Distribution

Package Structure

Your conversion package should contain:

[SLSB Conversion]
    ├───meshes
    │     └───actors
    │          └───[<actor>]
    │               ├───animations
    │               └───behaviors
    └───SKSE
          └───Sexlab
                └───Registry
                     └───Source

1. An SLSB Project JSON in SKSE/SexLab/Registry/Source/<PackName>.slsb.json.
2. A SexLab Registry SLR file in SKSE/SexLab/Registry/<PackName>.slr.
3. An edited FNIS AnimList in meshes/actors/<character>/animations/FNIS_<PackName>_List.txt.
4. Newly generated behaviour file in meshes/actors/<character>/behaviors/FNIS_<PackName>_Behaviour.hkx.

Documentation

Include a README noting:

• Required base pack (SLAL version)
• Installation order
• Any known issues
• Credits to original author

Permissions

Always check the original pack’s permissions before distributing conversions. Many authors require permission for derivative works.

Getting Help

• Discord: #slsb-and-pack-dev
• Tutorial: MissCorruption’s Guide
• Examples: Check existing converted packs for reference