Please Help to create own user/script-controllable 3d avatar with animation

Dear Unity3d community, I have an idea of making own 3d-avatar with animation. i already have a static (completely zero animation) 3d-model in 3d-studio-max format, and it is loadable into unity3d. But it cannot be animated as normally 1st- or 3rd-person character do: I want to apply "walk", "run", "jump" and other user animations to it. So what programs I need to do it (if they are free or trial - that's better, but if only payed are available - ok, tell me which programs to use. I have MS Windows and Mac-OS-X)??
What i think is most important, that I should be able to copy a head from my 3dstudio-max model into some "default" human avatar/3d-character. But I think just to copy-and-paste a head (because face is most important to distinguish one person/character from another) is not enough. I would naturally need to apply other attributes including at least clothing, shoes etc, and other things which could be taken into hands etc (if that is weapon as usually in games - ok, i hope you understand what do I mean).
So I want to convert a 3d-sculpture into 3d-animated character/avatar (I just add my own head/face, I think it must be not so hard).
As far as i understand 3d studio max cannot make 3d animation for unity from my static 3d model. I need some extensions or some other programs. i am just complete newbie, but I want to use unity3d for my 3d model. it is best if all those editing/copy/pasting/animation-applying etc actions to be done in one program, so I don't need many different programs for this.
Well, actually I don't really understand, which file-format unity3d is using for 3d animated characters/avatars?
For example, when i create a new project in unity3d, and add a character-controller, I see a man with a Wrench, and that guy has a Helmet on a head. I am happy with it, but it is not enough. I want to use my own character instead, with (at least) a head from my 3d-sculpture. So how to put my own 3d-model instead of this man in helmet with wrench? and I also want to know how to apply make script("Artificial intelligence")-controllable character. There are manuals to make robots, which are controlled by AI/scripts, but I want to change those robots into own 3d-avatars/characters with my faces/heads etc.
is unity3d using same file format for user-controllable (mouse/keyboard-controllable) 3d-avatar, and for script-controllable characters (robots etc), or no? if no - what is the difference (though I know that to control from keyboard/mouse I just apply one script, to control completely by AI - I attach another script, but still it seems that these 1st-person and 3rd-person-models are in different file formats or have different additional settings, like navmeshagent etc, and i'm not really catching how it works, but i want to understand it).

thank you in advance

 

Hey, I'm no expert, but I know it can be frustrating waiting for an answer so I will try to help. The main problem with your character is that it's legs are crossed. to animate a mesh you need to add a skeleton for the mesh to follow. For the most part, it is the bones that are animated. You have to attach the mesh to the bones. The ideal mesh has it's legs apart, and its arms out in a "t" pose. As far as a head transplant, it could be done, but you would have to know some modelling skills. A free resource for a human mesh would be Makehuman.http://www.makehuman.org/ You could create a mesh and export it with a skeleton to a program like Blender,(similar to 3ds max) but free. http://www.blender.org/ There you could cut of, and attach the head to the Makehuman mesh. Not to hard for a person with intermediate modelling skills, but challenging for a newbie, Blender can be intimidating for a new user. You may find using the Makehuman program to create a human mesh that you would find acceptable easier. Hair, (for Makehuman) is somewhat difficult to find, and the stock hair you can get with the program can be problematic with animation. Furthermore, the outfit your character is wearing would prove challenging to animate because of the hanging sash and large hanging necklace. If you have a few bucks to spend, you might find something at Mixamo, https://www.mixamo.com/3d-characters They come rigged, (attached to bones) and are $20, some are free. Your character/avatar would be very hard to find in an animation friendly format. You just don't see many characters like that, You may have to compromise/lower your expectations.