I followed your steps as closely as possible. I still only get nodes when importing something like "anim_human_ready_thrust_twohanded.smd", but I can see the whole mesh when I import the "skel_human_skin_A.smd." Additionally, in the first smd the f curve has a bunch of coloured squares all the way across the line, whereas the latter smd has them only where i put key frames, like you explain in the steps.
Sof or clarification, which do you open when you want to animate from scratch? I've been using the skel_human_skin...