Index: trunk/src/formats/assimp_loader.cc
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/formats/assimp_loader.cc	(revision 474)
+++ trunk/src/formats/assimp_loader.cc	(revision 475)
@@ -307,5 +307,5 @@
 					NV_ASSERT( result->size() < MAX_BONES, "Too many bones to merge!" );
 					uint16 index = uint16( result->size() );
-					result->push_back( bone );
+					result->append( bone );
 					names[ bone->get_name() ] = index;
 					translate[b] = index;
@@ -334,4 +334,5 @@
 		}	
 	}
+	result->initialize();
 
 	return result;
@@ -360,6 +361,7 @@
 	for ( auto set : temp_ref )
 	{
-		result->push_back( set );
-	}
+		result->append( set );
+	}
+	result->initialize();
 	delete temp;
 	return result;
Index: trunk/src/formats/md3_loader.cc
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/formats/md3_loader.cc	(revision 474)
+++ trunk/src/formats/md3_loader.cc	(revision 475)
@@ -429,6 +429,7 @@
 		access.set_name( make_name( name ) );
 		load_tags( access.add_channel<md3_key>( uint32( md3->header.num_frames ) ).channel(), name );
-		result->push_back( set );
-	}
+		result->append( set );
+	}
+	result->initialize();
 	return result;
 }
Index: trunk/src/formats/nmd_loader.cc
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/formats/nmd_loader.cc	(revision 474)
+++ trunk/src/formats/nmd_loader.cc	(revision 475)
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@
 		data_channel_set* set = data_channel_set_creator::create_set( element_header.children );
 		load_channel_set( source, set, element_header );
-		m_node_data->push_back( set );
-	}
+		m_node_data->append( set );
+	}
+	m_node_data->initialize();
 	return true;
 }
Index: trunk/src/gfx/skeletal_mesh.cc
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/gfx/skeletal_mesh.cc	(revision 474)
+++ trunk/src/gfx/skeletal_mesh.cc	(revision 475)
@@ -11,37 +11,5 @@
 #include "nv/stl/unordered_map.hh"
 
-void nv::skeletal_animation_entry::initialize()
-{
-	m_root      = uint32(-1);
-	m_prepared  = false;
-	m_children  = nullptr;
-	m_offsets   = nullptr;
-	m_bone_ids  = new sint16[m_node_data->size()];
-
-	NV_ASSERT( m_node_data, "node data empty!" );
-
-	if ( !m_node_data->is_flat() )
-	{
-		m_children = new vector< uint32 >[m_node_data->size()];
-		for ( uint32 n = 0; n < m_node_data->size(); ++n )
-		{
-			const data_channel_set* node = (*m_node_data)[n];
-			if ( node->get_parent_id() != -1 )
-			{
-				m_children[ node->get_parent_id()].push_back( n );
-			}
-			else
-			{
-				if ( m_root >= 0 )
-				{
-					m_root = uint32( -2 );
-				}
-				else
-					m_root = n;
-			}
-		}
-		NV_ASSERT( m_root != uint32( -1 ), "Animation without root!" );
-	}
-}
+#include "nv/core/logging.hh"
 
 void nv::skeletal_animation_entry::update_skeleton( mat4* data, uint32 a_ms_time ) const
@@ -70,97 +38,10 @@
 	}
 
-	if ( !m_node_data->is_flat() )
-	{
-		if ( m_root == uint32( -2 ) ) // multi-root
-		{
-			for ( uint32 n = 0; n < m_node_data->size(); ++n )
-				if ( ( *m_node_data )[n]->get_parent_id() == -1 )
-					animate_rec( data, fframe, n, mat4() );
-		}
-		else
-			animate_rec( data, fframe, m_root, mat4() );
-		return;
-	}
-
-	for ( uint32 n = 0; n < m_node_data->size(); ++n )
-		if ( m_bone_ids[n] >= 0 )
-		{
-			const data_channel_set* node = (*m_node_data)[n];
-			nv::mat4 node_mat( node->get_transform() );
-
-			if ( node->size() > 0 )
-			{
-				raw_channel_interpolator interpolator( node, m_interpolation_key );
-				node_mat = interpolator.get< mat4 >( fframe );
-			}
-
-			sint16 bone_id = m_bone_ids[n];
-			data[ bone_id ] = node_mat * m_offsets[ bone_id ];
-		}
+	m_data.animate( data, fframe );
 }
 
 void nv::skeletal_animation_entry::prepare( const mesh_nodes_data* bones )
 {
-	if ( m_prepared ) return;
-	nv::hash_store< shash64, uint16 > bone_names;
-	m_offsets = new mat4[ bones->size() ];
-	for ( nv::uint16 bi = 0; bi < bones->size(); ++bi )
-	{
-		const data_channel_set* bone = (*bones)[ bi ];
-		bone_names[ bone->get_name() ] = bi;
-		m_offsets[bi] = bone->get_transform();
-	}
-
-	for ( uint32 n = 0; n < m_node_data->size(); ++n )
-	{
-		const data_channel_set* node = (*m_node_data)[ n ];
-		sint16 bone_id = -1;
-
-		auto bi = bone_names.find( node->get_name() );
-		if ( bi != bone_names.end() )
-		{
-			bone_id = sint16( bi->second );
-		}
-		m_bone_ids[n] = bone_id;
-
-		if ( m_interpolation_key.size() == 0 && node->size() > 0 )
-			m_interpolation_key = node->get_interpolation_key();
-
-	}
-	m_prepared = true;
-}
-
-void nv::skeletal_animation_entry::animate_rec( mat4* data, float time, uint32 node_id, const mat4& parent_mat ) const
-{
-	// TODO: fix transforms, which are now embedded,
-	//       see note in assimp_loader.cc:load_node
-	const data_channel_set* node = ( *m_node_data )[ node_id ];
-	mat4 node_mat( node->get_transform() );
-
-	if ( node->size() > 0 )
-	{
-		raw_channel_interpolator interpolator( node, m_interpolation_key );
-		node_mat = interpolator.get< mat4 >( time );
-	}
-
-	mat4 global_mat = parent_mat * node_mat;
-
-	sint16 bone_id = m_bone_ids[ node_id ];
-	if ( bone_id >= 0 )
-	{
-		data[ bone_id ] = global_mat * m_offsets[ bone_id ];
-	}
-
-	for ( auto child : m_children[ node_id ] )
-	{
-		animate_rec( data, time, child, global_mat );
-	}
-}
-
-nv::skeletal_animation_entry::~skeletal_animation_entry()
-{
-	delete[] m_offsets;
-	delete[] m_children;
-	delete[] m_bone_ids;
+	m_data.prepare( bones );
 }
 
@@ -198,6 +79,4 @@
 nv::transform nv::skeletal_mesh::get_node_transform( uint32 node_id ) const
 {
-	if ( node_id == 0 ) return transform();
-	if ( node_id == uint32(-1) ) return transform( m_transform[0] );
 	return transform( m_transform[ node_id ] );
 }
Index: trunk/src/gfx/skeleton_instance.cc
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/gfx/skeleton_instance.cc	(revision 475)
+++ trunk/src/gfx/skeleton_instance.cc	(revision 475)
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2011-2015 ChaosForge Ltd
+// http://chaosforge.org/
+//
+// This file is part of Nova libraries. 
+// For conditions of distribution and use, see copying.txt file in root folder.
+
+#include "nv/gfx/skeleton_instance.hh"
+
+void nv::skeleton_instance::prepare( const mesh_nodes_data* bones )
+{
+	if ( m_offsets || m_indices ) return;
+	hash_store< shash64, uint16 > bone_names;
+	m_offsets = new mat4[bones->size()];
+	m_indices = new sint16[m_data->size()];
+
+	for ( nv::uint16 bi = 0; bi < bones->size(); ++bi )
+	{
+		const data_channel_set* bone = ( *bones )[bi];
+		bone_names[bone->get_name()] = bi;
+		m_offsets[bi] = bone->get_transform();
+	}
+
+	for ( uint32 n = 0; n < m_data->size(); ++n )
+	{
+		const data_channel_set* node = ( *m_data )[n];
+		sint16 bone_id = -1;
+
+		auto bi = bone_names.find( node->get_name() );
+		if ( bi != bone_names.end() )
+		{
+			bone_id = sint16( bi->second );
+		}
+		m_indices[n] = bone_id;
+
+		if ( m_key.size() == 0 && node->size() > 0 )
+			m_key = node->get_interpolation_key();
+	}
+}
+
+void nv::skeleton_instance::animate( mat4* data, float frame ) const
+{
+	if ( m_data->is_flat() )
+	{
+		animate_flat( data, frame );
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		for ( uint32 n = 0; n < m_data->size(); ++n )
+			if ( ( *m_data )[n]->get_parent_id() == -1 )
+				animate_rec( data, frame, n, mat4() );
+	}
+}
+
+void nv::skeleton_instance::animate_flat( mat4* data, float frame ) const
+{
+	for ( uint32 n = 0; n < m_data->size(); ++n )
+		if ( m_indices[n] >= 0 )
+		{
+			const data_channel_set* node = ( *m_data )[n];
+			nv::mat4 node_mat( node->get_transform() );
+
+			if ( node->size() > 0 )
+			{
+				raw_channel_interpolator interpolator( node, m_key );
+				node_mat = interpolator.get< mat4 >( frame );
+			}
+
+			sint16 bone_id = m_indices[n];
+			data[bone_id] = node_mat * m_offsets[bone_id];
+		}
+}
+
+void nv::skeleton_instance::animate_rec( mat4* data, float frame, uint32 id, const mat4& parent ) const
+{
+	// TODO: fix transforms, which are now embedded,
+	//       see note in assimp_loader.cc:load_node
+	const data_channel_set* node = ( *m_data )[id];
+	mat4 node_mat( node->get_transform() );
+
+	if ( node->size() > 0 )
+	{
+		raw_channel_interpolator interpolator( node, m_key );
+		node_mat = interpolator.get< mat4 >( frame );
+	}
+
+	mat4 global_mat = parent * node_mat;
+
+	sint16 bone_id = m_indices[id];
+	if ( bone_id >= 0 )
+	{
+		data[bone_id] = global_mat * m_offsets[bone_id];
+	}
+
+	for ( auto child : m_data->children( id ) )
+	{
+		animate_rec( data, frame, child, global_mat );
+	}
+}