Modifying an existing cell's collision geometry

[aveltium]

Hi everyone,

 

I've been trying 3 days, but still have not figured out the correct way to make this to work.

 

I'm completely new to G.E.C.K. and Fallout 3 modding. I have read some tutorials, Growlf's How to edit FO3 meshes in 3D programs, Miax's Training Manual: 3D Object/Texture Creation for Fallout3, and Bethsoft's "My First Vault" Tutorial Series. But Growlf's tutorial seems too complicated and difficult for me to understand and follow, since I'm not good at English.

 

I've been trying to modify the collision geometry of "EcvWarRoom01" object (in World Objects/Static/Dungeons/Enclave/Custom/). I want to make a Enclave War Room (the round room) with 4 doors. It originally has only 2 doors, so I want to "drill" two holes on its invisible wall (collision) to open two new doors.

 

This is what I've done so far, please tell me what's wrong:

 

1. Extract the EcvWarRoom01.nif file from "Fallout 3\Data\Fallout - Meshes.bsa" using FOMM.

 

2. Open Blender, delete all default objects.

 

3. Import EcvWarRoom01.nif into Blender (using Blender NIF Scripts 2.4.7 - running on Blender 248, PyFFI 2.0.0, Python 2.5.4) with the following setting:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/01blender_import_settings.png

And I get this:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/02blender_after_import.png

 

4. Select and remove 3/4 of the collision object:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/03select_and_delete_3quarters.png

After deleting:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/04after_delete_3quarters.png

 

5. Apply "Mirror" modification:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/05mirroring.png

Mirror settings:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/06mirroring_settings.png

Result:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/07after_applied_mirroring.png

Perspective view:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/08after_applied_mirroring_perspecti.png

Now you can notice there are 4 door-holes instead of 2.

 

---- To be continued ----

 

** I'm sorry for the triple-posting, but the forum doesn't allow me to put all the pictures into one post.

[aveltium]

6. Select all objects and export to .nif file:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/09blender_export_settings.png

It runs for a few seconds and *ding*, it shows two errors messages (same content):

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/10mopper_exe_error.png

But still creates a file:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/11exported_file.png

 

7. Open NifSkope, load the original "ecvwarroom01.nif" file, and remove its original "bhkPackedNiTriStripsShape":

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/12nifskope_remove_original_bhkPacke.png

 

8. Open a new NifSkope window, open the modded "ecvwarroom01.evefort.test.nif" file, copy the new "bhkPackedNiTriStripsShape" (the modded one):

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/13nifskope_copy_new_bhkPackedNiTriS.png

 

9. Switch back to original file window, and paste into the "Shape":

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/14nifskope_paste_new_bhkPackedNiTri.png

 

10. Resort, so it matches the original file:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/15nifskope_resort.png

Result:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/16nifskope_after_resorting.png

 

 

---- To be continued ----

[aveltium]

11. Open G.E.C.K., open Fallout3.esm, duplicate "RavenRock02" cell:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/17geck_duplicating_ravenrock02.png

 

12. Change the name of the duplicate to "FortEve":

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/18geck_change_name_forteve.png

 

13. Clean the new cell:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/19geck_clean_forteve.png

Click OK for every questions (there were like 16 similar questions):

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/20geck_clean_forteve_confirm_01.png

 

14. Remove the NavMeshes:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/21geck_remove_cell_navmeshes.png

 

15. Turn on "Snap to grid" and "Snap to angle":

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/22geck_preferences.png

 

16. Duplicate "EcvWarRoom01" object (which contains the collision geometry of the War Room) to create a new one:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/23geck_duplicate_EcvWarRoom01.png

Choose to create New one:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/24geck_confirm_create_new_EcvWarRoo.png

 

 

---- To be continued ----

[aveltium]

17. Edit the new EcvWarRoom01FortEve object, and replace its 3d model with the modded nif file:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/25geck_select_modded_nif_file_as_mo.png

Result:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/26geck_EcvWarRoom01FortEve_view.png

 

18. Create the South West quarter of the War Room:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/27geck_warroom_create_SW_quarter.png

 

19. And duplicate it 3 times and rotate to make the complete War Room (with 4 doors):

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/28geck_warroom_finish.png

 

20. Add hallways, doors, and a COC Object:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/29geck_add_door_and_hallway_and_coc.png

 

Result:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/30geck_forteve_test_finish.png

Perspective view:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/31geck_forteve_test_finish_perspect.png

 

 

But when I test it ingame, the collision seems to be disappeared.

 

When I try to shoot at the floor, or the walls, the flame just flies through it.

 

And when I try to walk on it, I got dropped through the floor:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l214/Aveltium/Fallout3_Modding_Collision/33fallout32009-05-1601-16-01-62.jpg

-------------------------------------

 

In the tutorial of Growlf, she/he mentioned not to change the vertex, edge, and face count. So I tried to optimize the object in Blender, to make it fit the vertex and face count. Didn't try for the edge count.

But the result is not much better. Now I can walk on the floor, but still can walk through walls. I think it's because the wall "element" is what I modded, not the floor.

I also tried not to change any thing but just to move them (not to delete or add vertexes/edges/faces, but to change their position). It works. But if I must not delete or add vertexes/edges/faces, it would be difficult to make the object to match my design.

 

 

Thank you for reading such long thing.

Any help would be much appreciated!

[BadPenney]

My approach, being ignorant of much of what you are discussing, is pragmatic. Keep It Simple is the approach that was drilled into me. Since you say that you are completely new to GECK I will mention a simpler method to get 4 doors in the room that has only 2 as a default.

 

That room, like most of the architecture in Fallout, is made up of prefabricated meshes. There is a unit of floor, wall and ceiling called 'EcvWarRoom03' which makes up a quadrant of the total room and already has openings for doors. I would copy that unit and paste it in place of the units that have no doors. You can paste exactly by copying the absolute x,y,and z coordinates and rotation of the doorless sections. Then I would lower the doorless units out of play and disable them (do not delete them) and have my 4 doored room that way.

 

You may wish to do it with modelling software for your own purposes, though. I just thought I would mention this in case your unfamiliarity with the GECK did not make this approach evident.

[aveltium]

Hi BadPenney, thank you for helping me.

 

But if I just put four 'EcvWarRoom03' around, move the no-door pieces lower, (and I don't know how to "disable" them), and use the original 'EcvWarRoom01', it doesn't seem to be working, there will still be only two physical doors (the other two will still get blocked by the invisible wall). All the collision data seems to belong to the 'EcvWarRoom01' piece. Even if I put on the full room, but without that piece, I will still drop through floor and walk through walls. Because all the pieces of the 'War Room' other than 'EcvWarRoom01' don't have any collision data, so the game engine will only render them graphically but not physically, I think.

[Pax1138]

There are invisible collision squares called OffRmSqInvis01 that you may be able to arrange in such a way that it appears as though a set of four EcvWarRoom03's are in fact a solid item.

 

Also, any static available can be duplicated and given the Null Texture set which will effectively make it an invisible collision marker of whatever shape the original static was in. It might take a bit of trial and error to assemble your own set of in-game collision meshes this way, but I'd think it'd be easier (and less filesize on finishing) than actually editing the nif.

 

-Pax

[aveltium]

Thanks Pax1138!

 

Your solution is simple and effective.

 

I'm sorry for being so dumb, but how do I give the duplicated static object the Null Texture set?

 

---- edit ----

Nvm, found it. :D

[Demeggy]

Its funny, I put up a similar post regarding this very room.

 

Im trying to get only the quarter shaped meshes to be used without the need for the large raised platform in the model, but they have no collision geomtry. Guess I'll have to follow the above tutorial.