Znake13

I haven't seen the sword in skyrim, but to make it bigger should be relatively easy. All you really need is to use nifskope. Changing topology you would need 3d software for, but nifskope luckily can scale the model. What you need to do is get nifskope, open nifskope, open the sword file (will be a *.nif file), and it will be viewed. Now please take careful note of the following: 1.) nif sword files often contain multiple meshes 2.) we need to scale the thing entirely 3.) We need to scale down the view size for this When you loaded up your nif, you wil see in a small window to your left something along the lines of NiNode. It might be something else, but this is the root/topmost node in that window. Click on the name and it will open the node information on the bottom window. scroll down till you see scale and add your scaling (1.5 or 2) now expand the root node. Look for a node that says BSInvMarker and click on it. Change the scale accordingly. This sword that I modeled is about as big as the sword of Aeons, so I used a scaling of 1.25. You can try that and play around with it. This is just for inventory purposes so that it doesn't appear too big or too small. hope it helped [Edit]: I forgot to add that there will be 2 files you need to edit. One is 1stperson<swordname>.nif (should be one like that) and <swordname>.nif The former, the one that starts with 1stperson, is the one that has the BSInvMarker node in it. The latter doesn't. You will need to change the scale of both of these models in order to get the size out correctly, but you will only need to adjust inv scale on one of them (in the bsinvmarker node)

Ya ghosu basically answered that. Thing is using it right though. Like for example using 1 scale size and rotation will not only make some things look too small or too big, but everything will also be the same angle which can be dull. If you make a new claymore, make sure the handle is the size of another skyrim weapon you are making (and the rest of the sword in proportion to the handle/hilt), then you would need to make 2 nifs. one for world static and one for 1st person equip. The 1st person equip needs to have that INVMaker node named INV. If you make a claymore, use the INVMaker settings of a skyrim claymore. If it's a dagger, use the settings of a dagger. I've now gone and made a whole bunch of working weapons here If you have any more questions just ask :P

NEVERMIND! I'VE DONE IT!!! :D Anyone interested in knowing?

Now that I have your attention, can I have a moment of your time to talk about Talos? XD Just kidding. I'm sorry if there are any Imperials or Nords that found that offensive. Now then to the real matter. I have been looking for a way to export something I have made in 3D and import it into Skyrim. More specifically, a massive sword. Now I have found a few useful tutorials saying do this and do that. I have managed to actually get the sword into the game. Problem is, in a trader's menu, which I put the weapon under, the weapon appears as a massive orb. The thing is it is probably being viewed from the bottom of the hilt up the sword. I can buy it, but it does the same in my own inventory. If I equip it, the game crashes, BUT, if I drop it, the game doesn't. The sword in question however floats in the air, has no collide and cannot be picked up again. It DOES however have its texture on. Now I am mainly just an artist so most of the technical things goes right over my head. I CAN however tell you what I have been able to do from what I have gathered. This is going to take up a bit of reading time, so you might as well get some popcorn or snacks, a pillow and blanky and a nice hot cuppa. (If you don't feel like reading everything, just skip to the bottom. I'll put it in a nutshell in magenta along with some questions) First thing's first. The actual sword in question. The images are big so I'm rather going to post links. Sword Render Plain Sword Render Fancy Ain't she a beaut! I probably won't be able to get the same sheen and metallic look inside Skyrim. As it is there, if triangulated, it will have over 5000 triangles (ain't that exciting. No? ::okay:: ) Skyrim doesn't seem to like having topology with that many triangles. And as it is, the UV's are all jumbled up and there are no normal maps, diffuse maps, specular maps or environment maps, except for the middle part where the strange squiggles are at. (I'm working in Maya just by the way) So what I did is sort the UV, created a diffuse texture (sorry mates, no normal, specular or environment maps as of yet), had some food (lovely dinner mind you), got me a cuppa and made the texture file into a dds (just so that Skyrim can stop b****ing). Sorted right? Not entirely. Still had a massive amount of Tri's (that's triangles not tripods or tries or whatever sports terminology you want to add). So I had to reduce it down to a more favorable amount with which both Skyrim and I can be happy with (quite the compromise mind you) Now I have used an elven great sword for "sizing up" my sword (its about 2 to 3 times bigger), but the hilt is the same size. Also made sure the rotation (or rather where it was sitting and pointing at) was inline with the elven sword. (don't get wrong picture here. I am talking ACTUAL swords not.. well you know) SO GREAT... Now what? Export to obj? 3ds? Well from maya to Max or blender sure. But Nifskope seems to not pick up some information when exporting in obj which exporting in Nif from blender or max puts in. SO after I exported in nif format, NIfskope told me "Have you gone bonkers? There's no way I can read that! Give me a better decryption THEN I'll read it." Was about to stuff it, but then I saw Technokitty's nif.xml and I thought "Bloody Hell, where was this when I needed it from the start?" So I downloaded it, many thanks Technokitty, and it sorted that little annoying error. Great so now what. Well Nifskope accepted my model. Though it was all grey (read somewhere that Nifskope doesn't like reading Skyrim's texture files). But that's fine, I mean at least it's reading it. But now I have a bunch of things I did not understand (seeing as I haven't worked much with Nifskope). When I say I didn't understand I meant it lightly. I was confused was hell. (was, past tense, meaning not so much anymore) Now I discovered what is what. The NiTrishapeData is what contains the data for the model and is put under the NiTriSHape which is under NiNode. This is what you get from plainly using obj. But I discovered that writing in .nif format adds the BSLightingShaderProperty node (which has a texture node that links to the location of your texture files already) After a long time of playing around, I figured out the parent node needs to be BSFadeNode, a Havoc collision node is needed too (for pottery of course, NAH I'm joking, course it's for collision), the BSLightingShaderProperty node needs to be a child of the NiTriShape node (which you link using Properties Link 1 at the bottom), the BSLightingShaderProperty node needs a BSShaderTextureSet node under which (on the first texture string) is the diffuse. The diffuse string is "textures\weapons\<folder name>\<texture name>.dds" Didn't work so I copied the BSLightingShadeProperty node branch from the elven sword to my sword (and just changed the texture location). Texture now displays At first it crashed when I put it in Skryim, so I figured it was topology. Fixed the topology, but same again. Added it to a trader's menu. Sure fine. Bought it, equipped it and now I can whack people with an Invisible sword... They will NEVER know what hit them (quite literally in fact). Now putting the sword in Skyrim via either the Skyedit program or the Creation kit, I understand there are certain issues you have to deal with and certain things you have to do. Firstly you have to create a static object (under static > weapons). This will add the model into the game for 1st person purposes. Then you create a weapon under items > weapons. I did not know that. Only discovered it after fiddling around. So I used the same model for both the weapon in and outside of 1st person view mode. Good hey? Not really. Total bugger up. I used Skyedit to try and set a scale. Didn't work out all that well, so I figure something about the size here is wonky. When I add the nif to the weapon or static item thing, it says the normal maps are missing, environment maps are missing and at a point it said something about skinning is missing. But now, having added it to Adrianna's (the blacksmith in Whiterun's) inventory (or rather merchant chest), I was able to buy it. Problem is this -> http://daizune.com/images/sword/InGame1.jpg That is how it appears in the buy menu and inventory menu. So that is why I said the size is a bit wonky. I can't equip it now either (crashes the game, probably due to massive size or maybe because it's not 'attached' to any skeletons) I can drop it and Skyrim will render it, But then again, it has no collision so it doesn't fall, you walk right through it and you can't pick it up again (a guard also told me I'm not allowed to leave weapons lying around. Apparently someone will stub their toe on it and get a nasty cut, though I think in this case it's more like getting beheaded.) http://daizune.com/images/sword/InGame2.jpg So in a nutshell: Modeled own sword, reduced topology, created proper UV's, exported in Nif, added BSLightingShaderProperty from elven sword, adjusted texture path, added Collision node (and collision box) from havoc, added BSXFlags node (I have no idea what to do with this), added the mesh to weapon and static weapon in creation editor, added sword to Merchant Inventory, sword shows massive in menu, crashes game when equipped, can be drop but has no collision therefore doesnt fall, can't be picked up and can be walked through. Now my questions are, what did I do wrong? Does the sword need to be "skinned" or attached to the skeleton? How do I downsize it to fit in the buy menu? What do I do with the BSXFlags node? Do I need to create a custom mesh for collision? (one that I make myself I mean) How do I get it to be properly equipped as a two-handed sword without making the game crash? (I have put it in the same position as the Elven sword and the hilt is exactly the same size as the elven sword's)?

I would love to take part in this whole website and release some mods that I have some good ideas for. However I want to work on these myself if possible which is why I'm posting here. The only thing I have no clue about is how to fetch the skyrim skeleton and how it is bound to the the figure. Obviously I do know that the skeleton binding itself would be up to me if I were to rebind a new mesh to the skeleton (i.e. in the case of creating armor, clothing, hair or smoother models) What I just want to know is how or from where do I import the skeleton to use and then how do I export the mesh. Does it have to be exported in a specific way?