Completely NEW mesh import possible?

[sef24]

I always wanted to add my mew custom meshes from sketchup/blender but I only see tutorials for altering current meshes...

 

So is it possible to add completely new meshes/textures?

[Matth85]

Of course it is!

There are a few ways to do it. It all depends on whhat kind of mesh we speak of here.

- For the object itself, all you need to do is export it as a .nif. There are plugins for this.

- The textures goes as .dds. files. Also note that the specularity map will be found at the Normals alpha channel. So, at the most basic, you need: Difuse and Normals with alpha. For metal you'd also want some kind of reflection, or environment, map.

- Get Nifskope.

- For starters, simply open a similar mesh to what you got, and import your mesh into the same .nif file. Then delete the original mesh.

Example:

1) Make a sword. Import Iron sword nif file from the BSA files -- which you unpack. Google it. Try to match your sword with the iron one. Especially the handle.

2) Open the Iron sword NIF file. Open your sword .nif. Copy and paste the mesh from your nif to the iron sword one. Delete the mesh at the iron sword one.

3) Save as something new. "Yoursword.nif".

4) Place at Data/Meshes/*whatever*. Also place Textures at "Data/Textures/*Whatever*"

5) In the Ck, find the Iron Sword, then edit the mesh is uses to your mod.

6) Place it somewhere, then save your mod.

 

As you get better at it, you don't actually need to do half otf the things above. You simply need to make sure the pivot is at your handle, and the weapon is at 0,0,0. Then simply find the functions inside Nifskope itself. I tend to do that, but it requires knowledge of Nifskope.

 

- If you talk about statics you can do it the same way. However, for most static all you need to do is make a collision, then link it to the mesh. I got no idea how you do that in Blender, so you'll better google it. But it's quite simple.

 

- Armors are a little different. You would do the same as you did with the weapon, but you might need to tweak the rig. I do not recommend this at start. Rigging is no fun!

 

So yeah, it's quite easy. The biggest problem you will bump into is Nifskope. You should try to learn some of the functions inside it by studying models allready made. It will save your skin actually knowing what the different things does. If unsure, there are tons of tutorials on the net about it.

 

Note: There are probably a hundred tutorials about it, so I am not going get into details. But a little check-list for you:

- Import and export out of Blender.

- BSA unpacking.

- Nifskope, and nifs

- Different texture maps.

 

Google these things, and you're good to go.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Matth85

[sef24]

Thanks for the great reply. I'll be looking into it.

 

Basically what i want to import is completely new buildings I have made rather than armors and weapons.

 

I had always had trouble with my model to come up in nifeskope when I exported it as a nif in blender. Only showed it in gray and only like 5% of my actual model.

 

Gonna have to mess with it a bit.

 

Those guidelines help a lot though

[Arimikami]

I could be wrong but, I think it's possible to use the newest version of blender without even downloading any nifscripts for it by saving a file in 3ds format and then importing that to nifscope and exporting it as a nif.

[sef24]

  On 11/7/2013 at 4:12 AM, Arimikami said:

I could be wrong but, I think it's possible to use the newest version of blender without even downloading any nifscripts for it by saving a file in 3ds format and then importing that to nifscope and exporting it as a nif.

 

looks like I can, awesome. My model from sketchup to Blender never had any UV mapping. Apparently if I export it from Sketchup as .kmz -> change it to a .zip -> then extract it it would work.

 

My model is now showing up in nifSkope! Happy to see that, was never able to before, because I would get a "no UV mapping" error. I am just not sure if the textures will be transfering over at all. I applied them in sketchup and make each face with the same texture a group. (basically what I would do for RCT3)

Edited November 7, 2013 by sef24

[sef24]

Well here is a picture of it showing up in nifskope. What I would like to do is just see it within the creation kit, and able to set it anywhere in game. Doubtful the textures will show, but would it just show up as complete white in game or invisible without them?

 

I am just confused as to how to get get to that point of putting it in game.

 

http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/4118/jl52.png

Edited November 7, 2013 by sef24

[ghosu]

http://youtu.be/IE52dS5sdSw

 

Use FO3 Archive Utility to open Skyrim - Meshes.bsa in Skyrim folder, extract the .nif of a random building (in this case i pickeda tent from archictecture/tents) with a similar shape so you can use the same collision box.

 

Open this .nif in Nifskope and your .nif in a second window, in this case i clicked on the tent and deleted the NiTriShapeData (CTRL DEL), clicked on the house mesh and copied NiTriShapeData (CTRL C)...in the original .nif i selected NiTriShape and in the block detail window down below i marked the DATA line and pressed CTRL V to paste my house model.

 

In the same NiTriShape block is a BSLightingShaderProperties block with a texture block within that links to the textures (saved as .dds - you need NVIDIA DDS plugin for GIMP or PS to convert your original file).

 

Afterwards you have to save the whole thing, open the forms of the original .nif in CK (in my case imperial tent), copy/rename them and link them to your new .nif.

Edited November 7, 2013 by ghosu

[sef24]

I am just having a lot of trouble on getting this to skyrim...

If anyone wants to try themselves...here is my nifskope file with the textures!

 

Really want to work on a long modding project using full static models that I make myself, but I just can't find a way to get it to show up in the CK. I try to open it up in CK for viewing and I just get a big !.

 

http://novafile.com/se3kp01h56j1

 

If you are able to get it in game, id love you forever.

[Percevan]

I took a quick look at it, and yep, this is not the nif format that Skyrim engine will accept. The root node isn't a BSFade node, there's not bsx flag node, in short the usuals foundations of a working nif.

 

I'm not trying to bash your efforts really, on the contrary, as long ago I've been exactly where you are now and I know that the first steps are a bit confusing. So, while I'm not a blender user myself, since it's one of your main modeling tool I'd suggest taking a look at this DC sub-forum, as there are a few tutorials regarding exporting meshes from blender to skyrim :http://www.darkcreations.org/forums/forum/132-tutorials/

 

You will also need some other tools, beyond Blender and Nifscope, essentially: NIfUtilsSuite...

http://niftools.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=4128

which is quite simple to use. Even if you end up doing a correct nif file for Skyrim you'll at least need to use it's Chunkmerge tab to add a correct collision mesh to it, as Matt advised you earlier in this thread I think, since initial exports from blender (or max or whatever) almost never gives us a correct collision mesh for statics, except for some very basic stuff maybe.

 

Also, I would really advise you to reconsider the way that you split and attach your meshes parts, though I'm guessing that it may have to do with your current export settings and experiments. You have far to many NiTriShapes in this one nif file (I didn't count but something like... 50 or probably more?); just an example: in your current file, each and every glass pannel should not have its own NitTriShape; that's overkill. It's not only making it more tedious to setup the materials afterwards, it also makes for a slightly less efficient nif files (unecessary drawcalls). The different meshs parts don't have to be connected by common vertices btw, they can be quite distincts, and should be combined based on their common material/texture. So, to get back at the windows/glass example: you should have one NiTrishape for all the glass pannels, and one for the wooden window frame, unless not all the windows share the same texture set, your call.

 

Also, since NiMaterialProperty nodes are not used anymore with skyrim, BSLightingproperty nodes are, I suggest that you read this very well written summary of them, posted here on nexus forums :

http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/1188259-bslightingshaderproperty-basics/

 

Hope this helps.

Edited November 9, 2013 by Percevan

[sef24]

Thank you for the post, and everyone who has helped me. Basically I use sketchup for my modeling because it is the only one I spent time learning and is very user friendly. I have to do a lot of exporting from sketchup -> blender -> .nif format. I actually don't use blender at all, but am able to load my sketchup model to blender. exporting it as a .dae in sketchup seems to not keep the UV mapping (reason why I couldnt see my model in Nifskope before). I then found a post to export it as a .kmz (google earth format), change it to .zip, and unpack it to a .dae. That ended up fixing the nifskope issue.

 

Basically I think I just shouldn't be using sketchup, but don't have the time/patience to learn a more advanced modeling program.

 

Edited November 9, 2013 by sef24