What is a .IK file?
The .IK file extension stands for a CryENGINE IK Animation File. This type of file is specifically used with the CryENGINE software development kit (SDK), which is a collection of tools designed for creating 3D video games. The ".IK" in the file name refers to "inverse kinematics," a technique used in computer graphics to animate characters in a more realistic way. Inverse kinematics helps to determine how the joints and parts of a character should move in relation to each other.
When a game developer is working on creating or editing the movements and positions of a character's joints, they use .IK files to save this information. These files are part of the process of making characters move smoothly and realistically in the game world. The CryENGINE SDK includes a 3D application tool that allows developers to work on and edit these .IK files.
However, it's important to note that starting from version 3.3 of the CryENGINE SDK, the use of .IK files, along with .CAL (calibration files) and .SETUP (setup files), has been phased out. Instead of these separate files, CryENGINE now uses a single file type called .CHRPARAMS to handle the data that was previously stored in .IK, .CAL, and .SETUP files. This means that .IK files are no longer used in the latest versions of the CryENGINE software.
To open an .IK file, you would have needed the Crytek CryENGINE SDK, specifically a version before 3.3. However, with the newer versions of the software, this file type is no longer supported or used, as the information it contained is now part of the .CHRPARAMS file.
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