How to add custom images to Oblivion

[compassionwisdom888]

Hello all,

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

 

I was just wondering if it was possible to add custom images to Oblivion somehow?

I would be putting them around the cities etc.

 

I would like to use the construction kit if possible

 

Thank you

Sonam

 

 

[Oblivionaddicted]

Which way do you want to add these images?

[compassionwisdom888]

I was going to play around with what was available, if I could put them in frames around towns and cities, something like that, but I am open to what is available.

 

Thank you

[compassionwisdom888]

Might anyone know of any type of way of adding custom images to Oblivion?

 

Bump : )

[RomanR]

Images in the paintings are attached as extra texture in frame .nif model, so you need something witch can export your image as .dds texture (like GIMP or Paint.NET) and a tool for changing a texture path in .nif (NifSkope should be enough). Also you need a tool to extract a bsa files (I use BsaCommander but there are more for this).

 

To make your custom painting follow these steps:

1. Extract Oblivion mesh archive somewhere (for extracting models of frame).

2. Going through meshes\clutter\middleclass\paintings\ you will see a dozen paintings models, presenting from A through D variants:

A - a rectangle frame without attachment

B - a square frame without attachment

C - a square one with attachment on top

D - a rectangle one with attachment

All frames are same, just with different image attached, so choose the ones you want.

 

3. Load your image to graphics program capable of exporting it to dds and resize it to aspect which frames use. Original images in frames are 256x128 or 256x256 pixels, but you can try higher. Save it as dds to Oblivion Data\Textures\ dir (originals use Textures\Clutter\Paintings\ dir).

 

4. Now start NifSkope and load a nif of frame you want (after loading you will see it from behind, so rotate model to front side). In Block List window expand a tree of blocks until you see the ones named NiTriStrips. Expand the last one and expand its NiTexturingProperty. Now you will see a NiSourceTexture block (variant A and B has a number 23, C and D 29) with a path starting with "textures\clutter\paintings\" string. Double-click on path and change it to one you want. It's very important that a changed path must stay relative. Or right-click and in context menu select Texture->Choose. After changing a path save model as different (by Save As...) to somewhere Oblivion Data\Meshes\ dir (originals are using Meshes\Clutter\Middleclass\Paintings\ dir).

 

5.Back in Construction Set define your new painting as static object and place it anywhere you want.

 

I'm assuming that you can work with these tools, so I'm not discussing details like NifSkope path settings or which texture compression you must use for dds textures.

Edited September 12, 2023 by RomanR