VFX Statues
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These statues are created using model effects, rather than freezing a creature model.

The advantages of model fx statues over creature statues are:

- They can be placed in non-walkable parts of an area
- They can be raised above floor level, or sunk down into the floor
- They have low processing overheads
- No scripting required
- File sizes are exceptionally small (unless you use custom models)

The disadvantages are:

- You generally can't have them hold weapons (except for 'torch' poses)
- * The models can't be scaled as placeable effects
- You can't include some armour accessories (shoulder pads, bracers)
- They sometimes cast strange shadows (*fixed* - made skin FX 1% transparent)
- They can not be interacted with (although you can use a separate collision box)
- They run through their animation once before stopping. If they're in view
when a player enters their area for the first time, you might catch them moving.
Very short animations tend to be over before the area is fully loaded though.

[* Model effects CAN be scaled if applied as a special effect to a non-static placeable.
Floor placeables are ideal for indoor areas, where you can hide them -0.1 below ground
level.]

The statue effects can be placed in an area by putting down a placeable effect,
then changing the FX reference to one of the statue SEF files included:

- fx_statue_armour_attention.sef (a suit of armour)
- fx_statue_armour_halberd.sef (suit of armour holding a halberd)
- fx_statue_female_conjurepty.sef (robed woman in one of the casting poses)
- fx_statue_female_staff.sef (robed & hooded woman holding a staff)
- fx_statue_male_conjureatt.sef (robed male in a casting pose)

*V2 Update* - added the following deity blueprints:
-fx_statue_abbathor.sef
-fx_statue_auril.sef
-fx_statue_chauntea.sef
-fx_statue_clangeddin.sef
-fx_statue_ilmater.sef
-fx_statue_malar.sef
-fx_statue_solonor.sef
-fx_statue_vergadain.sef

*V3 Update*
-fx_statue_redknight.sef
-fx_statue_fenmarel.sef


Also included are some of my new skin effects.
Put these in your override folder, or in a HAK file:

- fx_bronze_skin.sef
- fx_gold_skin.sef
- fx_marble_skin.sef
- fx_silver_skin.sef
- fx_skin_ice.sef
- fx_stone_skin_rough.sef
- fx_stone_skin_smooth.sef
- fx_stone_skin_weathered.sef
- *V2 Update* fx_skin_wood.sef

The statue examples here can be modified using the visual effects editor included
as a plugin with the toolset. Any combination of bodies, heads, hair, helms,
boots, gloves, etc can be used, with any skin effect you want applied to them
(each body part can have a different skin effect if required). You can also leave
the model parts without an SEF (such as the suit of armour examples), in
which case you can tint each model part in the visual effects editor.

Each body part needs to have a skeleton and an animation defined for it.
If you use human male bodyparts, for instance, then the skeleton will be called
p_hhm_skel. Female human bodyparts would use the p_hhf_skel skeleton.

The model effect statue will run through its defined animation once and then stop.
Many animations end up back in an idle pose, but there are plenty to play with
that stop in different poses (the casting animations, for instance).
Each body part needs the animation defined for it separately. You'll generally want
all body parts using the same animation so that they end up in the right place.

Take a look at the examples included here in the visual effects editor and experiment
with changing the model parts, skin effects, and animations. Be prepared to 'waste'
a lot of time exploring all the different combinations possible!

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Dann Pigdon 2012