CopyMesh and Copying Animation

I've read through many threads on the subject of copying animated models, but I cannot find the definitive answer.

Basically, I don't want to LoadAnimMesh for 22 models as loading takes too long.

If I load the master mesh and use CopyEntity I am unable to change the surface colours or textures for each individual entity.

If I use CopyMesh I can change the colours/textures of the individual models but it doesn't copy the animation. I tried using LoadAnimSeq(player1, "originalmesh.b3d") but this gives the error "Entity has no animation" when I try to animate it.

Am I doing something wrong?

You shouldn't have any issues changing the entitycolor or textures for a copied mesh.

Just create a brush, assign a colour and texture and use paintsurface.

What model format are you using btw?

Stevie

It's b3d. I don't have issues with surfaces when I use copymesh, but I can't copy the animation.

CopyMesh only copies the mesh frame 0, not the whole mesh.
Why: Animation is not part of the mesh but additional information attached to the entity the mesh is part of (a mesh is additional information to the Entity Node).

If you want to have animation, you must use copyentity
if you need different versions of the same entity, load them several times.

There is no way around that, sorry