Transformation problem (and some other stuff)

Hello. I am requesting any methods I can use to prevent a transformation/alternate form from using the alternate animations of a unit. This is my main issue at this point.

Long story:
I'm creating a hero that has a latent skill which switches the hero between two forms, and when the hero switches forms his skill set and his attack will change (goes from a fast melee attack to a slow ranged attack). Furthermore some of the skills from one form map to the other in levels (level 3 mana burn becomes level 3 chain lightning, level 1 attribute bonus becomes level 1 evasion). I've actually had some mild success in doing this by using a two-level Engineering Upgrade that is toggled by the transformation.
The problem now is that I desire using the normal Demon Hunter model for the hero's normal form and the normal Evil Illidan model for the hero's demon form. But using transformation skills forces the second form to use alternate animations regardless of what I put into the animation fields for the hero, so the hero's demon form turns into the wacky black demon thinger and not the normal Evil Illidan model I want to use.

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While I still have your attention, I hope you don't mind contending with my next issue; it isn't urgent but would pretty things up. I've been trying to find ways to hide (or make less obvious) the EU skill that I'm using to switch around the hero's skills. If I could make the skills switch without using EU at all while keeping direct mapping of leveling between skills, I would like to hear about that as well.

Here are some ideas I've tried:
1. Add and remove an EU skill that transforms the normal skill set to the demon skill set: Has the unfortunate side effect of removing the hero's skills once the EU is removed, without returning any skill points and without returning the hero's skill set to normal.

2. Creating a single Spell Book with the two-level EU and toggling the EU: Will end up erasing the hero's current skills without returning skill points, like the first case.

3. Creating a single two-level Spell Book with each level containing an EU that swaps from one set to the other, and toggling the Spell Book: Will end up erasing the hero's current skills without returning skill points, like the first case.

4. Created two Spell Books with each containing an EU that swaps the skill set in one direction or the other and adding/removing the Spell Books: Will end up erasing the hero's current skills without returning skill points, like the first case.

The Spell Books are not disabled in the tests I've listed above, in case that makes a difference.

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In case you're still reading this post, here's some information I've found out about using the two-level EU for switching abilities:
1. If one switches an aura with another aura, the second aura will have no effect and the first aura's effects will be doubled. Switching back will return the first aura to normal.
Example: If EU transforms a level 3 Devotion Aura into a level 3 (any other hero aura besides Devotion afaik), the second aura will have no effect and a Devotion Aura granting +9 armor will be present.
2. If one switches an aura on while the hero has an item with the same aura, it causes a fatal error.
Example: If EU transforms an aura into Devotion aura on a hero with the Stormwind horn item, the game will crash.

So anyways thanks to anyone who's read my post. I look forward to your responses!

Have you tried the Night Elf Druids' transformation spells?

If you are feeling hearty, you could also do the whole thing with triggers.

At the moment I'm using a custom Bear Form skill to apply the transformation between units, so yes I've tried using at least one Druid transformation skill.

I am not sure if I want to be using triggers for this occasion, as I am not sure if I can make a clean transformation using triggers. As I understand, I can have the casting 'normal' hero be replaced by the 'alternate' hero and vice versa using triggers, and I can also record items and skill point distribution in this way. However that results in loss of targeting for attacks and spells directed at the hero, and also messes up the player's selection group if the hero is selected with other units when using the transformation. This will be problematic as I plan on giving the transformation skill a low cooldown and negligible mana cost.

This will give the unit the correct animations if called after morph: call AddUnitAnimationProperties(unit, "alternate", false)

Ah, thanks Alex, that worked very well =]