Custom Mesh Topology Question For Skyrim

[THEANCESTOR]

I am trying to bring a model a made into Skyrim just for testing purposes for the mean time, but I would eventually like to make it into an actual mod. I want to do is add my own custom statues to Skyrim. For now I am just working on one mesh.

 

I sculpted the meshe using Pixologic's Sculptris application, so naturally, the mesh topology is made up of triangles instead of quads. However, I don't need the mesh to be animated since it will be a static statue in the game. However, when I try to import the mesh into the creation kit, it crashes.

 

Here are some details:

 

- The mesh is made up of triangles as I said before.

- The triangle count is about 65 thousand tris.

 

After sculpting, I used 3DS Max 2012 and the niftools plugin to export a nif. I then followed this tutorial (http://www.darkcreations.org/forums/topic/3883-exporting-static-meshes-from-3d-studio-max-to-skyrim/) for the first test). While it did not crash the creation kit, the model itself did not show up. It only showed the big red exclamation marker.

 

For the second test I followed this tutorial (http://www.creationkit.com/Exporting_meshes_to_Creation_Kit). This is where I get the crashes when trying to import my mesh into creation kit, so I don't know if I would have worked or not.

 

My thoughts:

 

- Is the fact that my mesh has 65k triangle the problem?

- Did I do the collision wrong?

[Twizzler77]

TheAncestor,

 

That is a pretty high polygon mesh! I can't tell you specifically that this is the issue, but I would try the following:

 

- Try importing a simple box with no collision instead of the statue. If it still crashes, then you know it's not the mesh and something else is going on.

- Import the mesh without the collision first. If it still crashes, then at least you know it's not the collision that is the issue.

- If it still crashes without the collision, then I would reduce the polycount significantly.

 

Other things to try:

- Reset XForm (Command Panel > Utilities Tab > Reset XForm)

 

Hope this helps!

Edited April 1, 2013 by Twizzler77

[THEANCESTOR]

TheAncestor,

 

That is a pretty high polygon mesh! I can't tell you specifically that this is the issue, but I would try the following:

 

- Try importing a simple box with no collision instead of the statue. If it still crashes, then you know it's not the mesh and something else is going on.

- Import the mesh without the collision first. If it still crashes, then at least you know it's not the collision that is the issue.

- If it still crashes without the collision, then I would reduce the polycount significantly.

 

Other things to try:

- Reset XForm (Command Panel > Utilities Tab > Reset XForm)

 

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks, Twizzler

 

I will test out what you've told me.

[wiikki]

I'm not entirely sure if this helps but while I was making one a hammer for the set I'm working on I stumbled upon a pretty strange problem. When I imported the model into a nif file, everything was the way it was ment to be. Once I tested it in-game parts of the meshes were gone leaving holes in the mesh. After a while of googling I found a thread on Niftools forum that was about the same problem I had. The reason why it was happening was that there is a maximum number of vertices (or tris, sorry can't remember. ) that you can have in one NiTriShape. After having separated the mesh it worked without problems.

 

Lilith's Slayer (spear version) has about 85k tris (in 2 parts in the nif) and works without problems.

 

The fact that you have the exclamation mark there probably is because of something else though.

 

- Wiikki

Edited April 3, 2013 by wiikki

[THEANCESTOR]

I think you may be right about the tri count, wiikki.

 

When I tried to export my original statue model from 3DS Max, it told me that the limit was 65k. Though, I don't actually know what the true limit is.

 

However, you guys, I did finally get my 65k mesh into the game. So the tri count was not the issue for me. I first tried exporting the nif from max with slightly different settings, but I don't think that is what solved my problem. Twizzler77's suggestion to create a version without collision did the trick. So for now, my mesh is in-game, but there is no collision.

 

I'm sure I did the collision version right to a certain extent, but I guess I will have to do some trial and error. I was able to follow Bethesda's tutorial I posted above using the teapot example and it worked out fine with collision and all.

 

I guess a more complex model such as a humanoid form needs different collision settings or something.

 

Back to the drawing board.