# Totk As Xlink > Inspect and explain Tears of the Kingdom AS animation-sequence wiring. Use when tracing .asb.zs command graphs, .baev.zs animation events, ASRef, ASInfoRef, AnimationRef, or ELink, SLink, and XLink effect or sound routing that is tied to actor animations. Cross-reference totk-toolkit for file plumbing and totk-local-operator for compact local inspection. - Skill: `cargocult-mods/totk-as-xlink` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 4 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add cargocult-mods/totk-as-xlink` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/cargocult-mods/totk-as-xlink/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: cargocult-mods (https://skillmd.com/u/cargocult-mods) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/cargocult-mods/totk-as-xlink --- # TOTK AS/XLink Use this skill for Tears of the Kingdom animation-sequence investigations: ASB command graphs, animation-event files, actor animation components, and the ELink/SLink/XLink routing that often fires effects and sounds around animation timing. ## Vanilla RomFS Rule Use a vanilla TOTK `romfs` path already supplied in the current turn or registered project guidance. Otherwise ask the user for it before inspecting game files. Treat the path as read-only; do not search unrelated folders or guess a location. ## Use With - Use `totk-toolkit` first for shared file mechanics: ZSTD dictionaries, actor pack inspection, SARC/BYML helpers, and compact RSDB/component output. - Use `totk-local-operator` for token-efficient searching, inventory, and large-file summaries. - Use this skill once the question is specifically about AS, ASB, BAEV, AnimationEvent, ELink, SLink, XLink, animation command names, or why an animation-adjacent effect or sound does or does not fire. ## Investigation Workflow 1. Start from the actor wiring. Inspect the actor pack component files for `ActorParam`, `ASInfo`, `AnimationParam`, `ELink`, `SLink`, and `XLink`. 2. Follow `ASRef` to `AS/.root.asb.zs`, then summarize commands, node count, and string references. The externally visible verbs are usually AS command names such as `Wait`, `Open`, `Attack`, or `Sleep`. 3. Check `ASInfoRef` for autoplay behavior, slot counts, and controller settings. `AutoPlayASName` often explains what starts without an explicit AI/EventFlow command. 4. Check `AnimationRef` for the animation resource project. This usually points toward the model or animation resource names used by skeletal and material animation nodes. 5. Tie timing to BAEV. `AnimationEvent/AsNode/*.root.baev.zs` belongs to ASB event nodes; `AnimationEvent/Animation/*.anim.baev.zs` belongs to animation names. In TOTK, BAEV is normally the meaningful animation-event timing layer. 6. Trace XLink separately from ASB. `ELinkRef` and `SLinkRef` commonly give a `UserName`; `XLinkRef` usually points to an XLink property table list. Search ELink2/SLink2 users for asset call keys and compare those keys to BAEV, gameplay actions, or actor logic. 7. Cross-check action sources. BSA, AINB, and EventFlow action/query calls often request AS command names, so a command can be valid even when no visible file has a direct text link from AI to the ASB. TKVSC-derived ASB/BAEV handling is a useful experimental reference: treat ASB and sibling BAEV as a coordinated pair, because an ASB write may need to update BAEV output too. For this skill, use that lesson for inspection and round-trip testing only. The bundled `inspect_asb_summary.py` remains the proven read-only starting point; do not trust TKVSC-derived ASB/BAEV writers for installable mods until they pass reparse and behavior validation. ## Local Inspector Run the bundled read-only ASB summary helper when you need a compact first pass: ```powershell python scripts/inspect_asb_summary.py --romfs "" --actor SpObj_TimerBomb_A_01 python scripts/inspect_asb_summary.py --romfs "" --asb "AS/TBox_Field.root.asb.zs" python scripts/inspect_asb_summary.py --asb "" --json ``` The helper prints ASB magic/version, command count, node count, parsed command names, and string-pool references grouped into likely tags, paths, and animation-like names. It is an inspector, not an editor or a full decompiler. ## Interpretation Rules - Treat ASB as the animation command graph, not as a plain list of files. A single command can traverse selectors, frame controllers, simultaneous nodes, random nodes, material animation nodes, skeletal animation nodes, and event nodes. - Treat command names as actor-facing verbs. AI, BSA, AINB, EventFlow, and component logic usually care about these names rather than low-level node IDs. - Treat BAEV as the timing bridge for animation events. In TOTK, ASB event nodes by themselves are not usually the final effect/sound mechanism. - Treat ASB/BAEV editing as unproven unless the exact writer has round-tripped the target pair and the sibling file behavior is understood. - Treat ELink and SLink users as lookup namespaces. An actor component may contain only `UserName`, while the large ELink2/SLink2 product files contain the actual asset call tables. - Treat XLink as routing/config, not as proof that a key is fired. Confirm the caller through BAEV, gameplay code data, actor logic, or observed in-game behavior when possible. ## Reference Read `references/as-xlink-field-guide.md` for the subsystem map, file roles, examples from vanilla actors, and common investigation recipes. For user-facing questions about what AS can visibly do in-game, read its "Perceptible Capabilities" section.