UV maps not working for .nif

[Vatueil]

I'm trying to import a custom weapon into Skyrim. I made the mesh and UV maps in Blender, exported it as .3ds. Textures are 1024 x 1024, .dds format, DXT5 compression. They are called backalleyshiv.dds (diffuse), backalleyshiv_n.dds (normal) and backalleyshiv_m.dds (specular). All are in texture/weapons/backalleyshiv. I am using NifSkope 1.1.0, because 1.3.0 currently has issues. UV and textures work perfectly in Blender. I cannot see textures in NifSkope (simply a white mesh), even if I have folders set in Render.

 

Here is my NifSkope layout:

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w209/XodeAtPhotobucket/niftroubles1_zps62823dea.png

 

I get an unusual UV map when I do Edit UVs, above the central square. Otherwise, totally correct. Also, grabbing the UV maps and dragging them down to approximately the right position doesn't change the situation at all:

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w209/XodeAtPhotobucket/niftroubles2_zps59c4eead.png

 

Also, this is what it looks like in the Creation Kit [increased contrast & brightness]. As you can see, the texture is being used, albeit incorrectly:http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w209/XodeAtPhotobucket/niftroubles3_zps3ed83afe.png

Edited July 29, 2013 by Vatueil

[Vatueil]

Bump.

[KettleWitch]

Hey man, for what it's worth.

 

Change object to tri shape not tri strip.

 

Your environment map is in the wrong slot and they don't work unless you use a cube map with them.

 

Slot 5 = cube map

 

Slot 6 = environment map

 

re-extract the vanilla steel dagger from meshes .bsa and pop them back in/compare.

 

Can you throw up a shot of your BSLightingShaderProperty. There's a lot that can wrong in there, compare it to the vanilla dagger you just extracted at least.

 

The UV map being above the grid happens to me all the time, do centre it.

 

Try nifskope 1.1.0-RC7. It's the one I stick with.

 

It's a long shot but the way the textures are being used in CK suggests that some where along the line the UV on the low polly (model in nifskope) and the UV you used to texture may have changed and are not the same.

 

Extract the uv from your nifskope model into blender. Export UV from blender then overlay it on your diffuse just to make sure it's a perfect match. Don't just check the version you think it is :smile:

 

re-import as .3ds the low polly model you are texturing on just in case.

 

I don't trust nifskope nor blender, nor CK for textures. In game is the only way dude :smile:

 

 

 

Edit:

 

The specular actually goes into the alpha of the normal map for skyrim. Those _m.dds or _em.dds files are just a greyscale of your diffuse (probably add a little extra contrast). There not actually specular as such. Like I say, cube maps.

 

http://wiki.polycount.com/CubeMap

 

 

Unless you have an alpha channel in your diffuse you can use DTX1 compression and half the size of the .dds with no quality loss. Don't re-compress the DTX5 one, go back to your photo shop/ gimp base file.

 

If you have created your own normal map you have to flip the y channel of the normal for skyrim. -y. do it just before you export to .dds (nvidia normal map tools/plugin)

 

 

hope some of this helps!

Edited July 30, 2013 by KettleWitch

[Vatueil]

Thank you very much for your offered assistance, KettleWitch! I am extremely grateful. I am setting about applying your suggestions, in the meantime, I have a question: is there a way I can centre the UV map with a defined translation, and not by hand? There's no way I can get it right by eye.

 

I will let you know what I get.

 

EDIT: NVM. Seemed to have got the UV maps in the right place.

Edited July 30, 2013 by Vatueil

[KettleWitch]

Too late, i typed it so you get it :)

 

 

In nifskope once your getting a uv somewhere on the grid, like you are, nifskope should just map the thing.

 

The fact your UV 'Looks' fine from you screen shot in .nifskope just makes me suspicious. If it was a wire frame mess, then fine, didn't export or something. But it looks good so simplest answer is it's an older/different version.

 

Not saying i'm right there, just that i've done it myself loads of times :)

 

 

Before you unwrap for the last time in blender make sure you go into object mode, select your object and

 

CTRL+A

 

Apply Scale

 

if you don't you'll never get a decent UV map out of blender for skyrim. Well I can't :)

 

Also apply scale and check out the auto unwrap UV in Blender suddenly work a lot better!

[Vatueil]

I have some screenshots for you, KettleWitch. There has been some progress. By the way, I realigned the UV maps by selecting all UV vertices and doing 'Scale and Translate Selected'. For some reason, a y value of +2 moved it back into place.

 

Specular maps and normal maps, seem to be working, as far as I can tell. The whole thing is metal, so it's possible the normal map got shuffled about and I simply haven't noticed, but judging by the indentations on the blade, and the texture I used to generate the normals, the normal maps are working. Note that I haven't inverted the y value of my normal texture, and I got rid of my _m texture. I want the diffuse working before I apply it, for now.

 

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w209/XodeAtPhotobucket/Untitled_zpsab1007ab.png

 

Textures in NifSkope:

 

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w209/XodeAtPhotobucket/Untitled2_zpsacbc0500.png

 

BSLightingShaderProperties, as requested:

 

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w209/XodeAtPhotobucket/Untitled3_zps9a3f3782.png

 

Skyrim screenshot:

 

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w209/XodeAtPhotobucket/2013-07-30_00001_zpsfc26f13d.jpg

 

As you can see, it looks like just the diffuse is borked. But those specular maps are far too strong as well, but I imagine that's an easier problem to fix.

 

My scale is -0.032 for X, Y and Z in Blender. I'll reset the Scale like you suggested and see if that changes things.

Edited July 30, 2013 by Vatueil

[Vatueil]

Changing the scale doesn't seem to change the situation at all.

[KettleWitch]

BSLightingShader property

 

skyrimShaderProperty flags 2

 

delete SLSF2_double_sided for starters, shouldn't be in the iron dagger base nif and spreads your texture over both sides of the mesh as far as I know, looks like a contender?

 

If it's not that start clean mate.

 

Extract a vanilla iron/steel dagger from .bsa, import your model as .3ds, clean up material properties an such.

 

leave the texture paths as they are and build a replacer mod using the new nif as a base.

 

Rename your textures to irondagger.dds and such so you can be sure these flags behave.

 

A new mesh and textures should be all you change along with import/export clean up to start.

 

The resolution of your UV map should be the same as the resolution of your texture as far as I know. Make sure the UV map is 1025*1025 or what ever as well.

 

Let me know how you get on.

[Vatueil]

Is there a way of checking whether NifSkope has the UV maps set to dimensions 1024 x 1024?

[KettleWitch]

edit: make sure you press 'a' in uv editor and select all parts of UV.

 

When you have unwrapped in blender, in the UV/Image editor window click that big 'NEW' button.

 

If you already gave a uv a name or 'NEW' isn't there click the 'X' three to the right of 'Untitled' or what ever until it is.

 

 

A pop up menu appears.

 

You can set the UV resolution here. Don't worry about other stuff.

 

When you click OK you should get your UV with a black background at defined resolution.

 

Now go to object mode and export as .3ds or .obj.

 

This last defined UV resolution is the one that gets exported with the object best as I know.

Edited July 30, 2013 by KettleWitch