Seamless OCOv2 overriding HGEC body options

[Striker879]

I use a couple of different methods when picking and choosing which body to assign to a particular NPC in my ongoing project to Blockhead Tamriel.

 

The tool I use for picking candidate bodies is NifSkope.

 

I have all of the many body replacer mods downloaded and extracted to their own individual folders in my OblivionDownloads folder on my big Data drive. NifSkope creates a file extension association with the NIF extension so it's just a matter of double clicking the body part file in the extracted download and it opens in NifSkope. When opening multiple different body types each opens a new instance of NifSkope, so I can use the preview of each of those to quickly see how each differs from another.

 

To compare how each will look in the game world I use Blockhead itself.

 

Blockhead works via a simple system for naming files used, so I just do a little renaming of candidate body files to make my tests. Here's an example from one of my early projects.

 

I've always had a soft spot for BanditMeleeFemale3B (FormID 0003DB35 in Oblivion.esm). Let's say I'm trying to decide between femaleupperbody_Natural.nif and femaleupperbody_SPB15.nif from SetBody Reloaded Blockhead Edition (found in the folder Data_Pack\data\meshes\characters\Bombshell\DMRA\UpperBody in my extracted download). I copy each NIF file to Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion\Data\Meshes\Characters\BodyAssetOverrides\PerNPC\Oblivion.esm (note that I have created the BodyAssetOverrides\PerNPC\Oblivion.esm folders to conform with Blockhead's folder naming conventions).

 

To start I copy and paste femaleupperbody_Natural.nif to the Oblivion.esm folder above and change the file name to 0003db35_UpperBody.nif (of course for a proper test there will be lower body, hand and foot files copy and pasted and renamed as well). I check out how my favourite bandit llooks sporting that body in game then exit and rename 0003db35_UpperBody.nif to xDMRANat_0003db35_UpperBody.nif (append the xDMRANat_ part so that Blockhead will ignore the file and it will sort in the file list to be easier to find later).

 

Next I copy and paste the femaleupperbody_SPB15.nif file from the SetBody extracted download to the Oblivion.esm folder and rename that file to 0003db35_UpperBody.nif and check in-game to see how that body looks.

 

To go back and compare to the Natural body option I just rename the SPB15 option to xSPB15_0003db35_UpperBody.nif and then change xDMRANat_0003db35_UpperBody.nif to 0003db35_UpperBody.nif and jump back into the game.

 

Making an actual side by side comparison can be done by making unique copies of BanditMeleeFemale3B (each with it's own FormID) and then assigning the different body types to each copy, but this goes beyond this simpler example.

[MattKelly77]

Hi again Striker, hope you don't mind me raising a separate topic?

 

Just spent the morning looking for solutions to another anomolly I've had and found a post of yours in the posts section of Coronerras skeleton download. It refers to visual stretching from the upper body. At first I didn't think this was the same problem as mine, because my upper body stretching only occurred when I wore the Hero of Kvatch cuirass or a chainmail cuirass and only when I was viewing in 1st person. No other cuirass had the similar effect. I thought I had an armour mod conflict. Anyway I found your reply in the post from 30 October 2020 about installing the Coronerras data files manually. So I did and it has solved it. Thankyou - your answers to peoples queries are very clear and dummy proof - I've just proven that. Could I ask however, after manually replacing the Data files for Coronerras, in my Wrye Bash installers tab, the Coronerras Skeleton install has a yellow background and according to the readme this means that install has 'underrides'! The solution it offered was to anneal, which I tried and it has cleared the yellow background but has brought back the visual stretch problem. I have again manually installed the data folder, the game is working fine but I am left with a conflict warning...

 

= Higher ========================================
==190== ORC180-51927-1-8-0-1685361618.7z
meshes\characters\_1stperson\skeleton.nif
meshes\characters\_male\Skeleton.nif

Am I okay to leave this and the 'underride' in place?

[MattKelly77]

When I posted the previous message I hadn't refreshed the page and not seen you reply at 2pm today. Thanks for that Striker, I'll read and have a go.

[Striker879]

On the skeleton.nif question it is quite common for mod authors to include a version of skeleton.nif with their download ... which leads directly to the situation you are facing.

 

Keep the 'last installed' rule in mind when ordering your WB Installers tab. What you should have is your preferred version of skeleton.nif installing last, or at least after every other mod that includes a skeleton.nif (and also note there are skeleton.nifs for first person, third person and third person beast races).

 

The advantage of my old school manual install practices is I know exactly what files are included in a mod and I decide what gets installed and what doesn't. I've never aspired to live in a 'one click' world.

[MattKelly77]

Hi Striker

 

So I have read and re read your earlier post about using NifSkope and Blockhead to manually select body options. Initially it looks way above my ability, but I have a weeks leave coming up after this week and because you have kindly spent time sharing your wisdom, its only right I make efforts to have a go. I'll let you know how badly I do. Thanks again

[MattKelly77]

Hi Striker

 

erm...your job is safe for now haha...as i anticipated I'm messing up carrying out your process somewhere.

 

So I installed NifSkope and have been able to view all meshes as you suggested. Its quite phenomenal the programs and programming that goes on.

 

I then basically tried to copy word for word what you had done with your Bandit 0003db35. So I had to research console commands to find out how I see 0003db35. I thought I could see NPC's in Testinghall but not. I placed 0003db35 at me using console, I should have forseen she is straight in combat mode and StopCombat command only pauses her temporarily. So had to dispatch her sadly. Having found a way to view her in game, I began creating the BodyAssetOverrides folder and copied and pasted and renamed files for upperbody, lowerbody, hand and feet. Then went back in game meeting up with Bandit 0003db35 again. Despite multiple attempts and different body meshes, the NPC body is same, incidently as my character's.

 

Was going to send a screenshot of my folders but not allowed.

 

 

Forgive me if I'm missing the obvious....any ideas? Thanks

[Striker879]

First step is confirming that OBSE is working.

 

A simple way is to start the game and make a save. Exit and then check your Saves folder (by default found in the Windows My Documents folder). If you see two save files with the same base name and different file extension (e.g. MySave09.ess and MySave09.obse) then OBSE is working.

 

If OBSE is confirmed as working then look in Oblivion\Data\OBSE\Plugins for Blockhead.ini (should be right there with Blockhead.dll if you start the game after installing Blockhead).

 

Another spot to look for info regarding Blockhead loading is OBSE.log (found in the Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion folder ... look for a line saying Blockhead.dll loaded correctly).

[MattKelly77]

Thanks for getting back to me. I have checked to confirm OBSE is working and it appears to be.

 

• Have both .ess and .obse save files per save.
• The Blockhead.ini file is right there next to the .dll file
• And checked the OBSE log and found the line Blockhead.dll loading correctly.

[Striker879]

Then it must be an issue with file renaming or folder structure.

 

My personal opinion if it's only your character that you want to be unique is to select a body style you want and then use Blockhead to apply that body to only your character.

 

I'll just pick any female body from SetBody Reloaded and use those files as a step by step example (similar to the one I did in the Robert Male comments). From the extracted download for SetBody Reloaded I'll use HGEC EBE as the unique player body.

 

In your game create the following folder structure ... Oblivion\Data\Meshes\Characters\BodyAssetOverrides\PerNPC\Oblivion.esm (you will create the folders from BodyAssetOverrides and down).

 

In the SetBody extracted download find the file femaleupperbody_EBE.nif (found in the Data_Pack\data\meshes\characters\Bombshell\HGEC\UpperBody folder) and copy it. Navigate to your game's Oblivion\Data\Meshes\Characters\BodyAssetOverrides\PerNPC\Oblivion.esm folder and paste it there (so you will now have Obilivion\Data\Meshes\Characters\BodyAssetOverrides\PerNPC\Oblivion.esm\femaleupperbody_EBE.nif). Right click on the file femaleupperbody_EBE.nif and select Rename from the context menu and change the name to 00000007_UpperBody.nif (so now you will have Oblivion\Data\Meshes\Characters\BodyAssetOverrides\PerNPC\Oblivion.esm\00000007_UpperBody.nif).

 

Do the same copy paste and rename on the file femalelowerbody_EBE.nif (found in the SetBody Bombshell\HGEC\LowerBody folder ... it will be renamed to 00000007_LowerBody.nif in the game's BodyAssetOverrides\PerNPC\Oblivion.esm folder). The hands and feet use the standard HGEC files from the folder Bombshell\HGEC\HandAndFeet folder and will be renamed 00000007_Hand.nif and 00000007_Foot.nif in the PerNPC\Oblivion.esm folder.

 

Go into the game and strip your character down and you should now see the EBE body (will be more obvious if your base female body install is something other than Ecup ... maybe Ccup or smaller).

[MattKelly77]

Hi Striker

 

Firstly thanks to previous information you provided and me playing around I have managed to alter my character's body shape by copying NIF.files from SetBody and putting them in my Data\Meshes\Characters\_Male folder. This has worked for me somehow. Is that the wrong way?

 

Secondly can I ask a really stupid question...So you've said regarding BodyAssetOverrides, which originally was to try and alter a specific bandit NPC character, to create a new folder structure in Oblivion\data\meshes\character\bodyassetoverrides\perNPC\Oblivion.esm - what does the Oblivion.esm refer to as it's not a folder after perNPC nor do I see any reference to it in properties or in folder names. I know esm's are master files aren't they, when you mention Oblivion.esm on the end of a folder structure theres nothing I have to actually add or create? I presumed it meant that all those folders are in the main Oblivion directory which contains the Oblvion master file. The more I type the more confused I'm getting.

 

I see in the last advice you have referred to files after the Oblivion.esm i.e. ...PerNPC\Oblivion.esm\00000007_UpperBody.nif

 

Really sorry if it sounds like I'm not getting it, I did add a disclaimer at the start haha