Editing Ship module NIF's - NIFskope - Blender & other tools

[SkySharkC17]

What would it take to make each module rotation in all 6 directions? N, S, E, W, up, down. I'm looking to do this with a mod, but it seems a bit complicated for someone new to creating mods. I'd going to give a stab at it though...

[Gilibran]

What would it take to make each module rotation in all 6 directions? N, S, E, W, up, down. I'm looking to do this with a mod, but it seems a bit complicated for someone new to creating mods. I'd going to give a stab at it though...

 

At this moment I dont know exactly untill we have at least Starfield editor so I can have a proper look at how everything interacts and we can actually add extra modules to the game and buildmenu.

 

But for a start you just need the NIF file of the module and you can edit it's orientation in NIFskope and then save it "as new" for each new position.

I already did this rotating for alot of modules and once the proper tools are out I will be adding 100+ extra orientations of existing modules, hopefully, we dont know if their are limitations to the total number of modules in the shipbuilder. (also I need to adjust the snappoints for all those "new" modules first)

 

OInce I figured it all out and have it properly ingame I will write up a proper guide. If in the meantime you delve into it yourself and have anything to add or ask, please share it here so we can all benefit.

 

This is all new for me to.

[HeyYou]

Figuring out the logic of door/ladder placement would be good too... What I would like to see, is REMOVE the 'autoplacement', and have 'parts' that are doors/ladders, so they are place manually. Would make ship building much more flexible.

[niston]

The game already has logic for this, it's used with habs where you can select a wall and activate it to switch between door/wall, or wall/different types of windows.

Not sure why they didn't use this for the ship parts as well. It would make sense.

[Gilibran]

Figuring out the logic of door/ladder placement would be good too... What I would like to see, is REMOVE the 'autoplacement', and have 'parts' that are doors/ladders, so they are place manually. Would make ship building much more flexible.

From what I have seen they are nodes that are added to a module similar to the snapnodes.

 

A 1x1 hab has 2 ladder nodes (1 top, 1 bottom) and 4 door nodes (1 aft, 1 fore, 1 port, 1 starboard) What I have not found is the script that is responsible for the logic behind where a door and where a ladder is placed if you connect habs and have 2 door nodes or ladder nodes touch each other and why more then 1 loop is not possible.

 

Somebody will figure it out or create modules that represent "blind walls" you place on the hab so no door or ladder will be generated on that spot. Or they remove the door and ladder nodes and make those into object we can place on a hab so a door or ladder will be created at that spot only.

 

If it turns out that is not possible, creating an item or via scripting, well there is a solution I thought about but it's an insane one really.

 

"Just" create habs with those nodes removed.

 

for a 1x1 hab that would mean remove the top ladder node = 1 module, remove the top ladder node and aft door = another module, remove the top ladder node and fore door, remove the top ladder node and aft en fore door, remove the top ladder node aft en port door, etc. etc. etc. etc. I think you get what I mean and how many habs you would get and have to scroll through. Not to mention creating them would be a work of biblical proportions considering 2x1, 3x1, 2x2, 3x3 habs. You'd probably go insane, throw your PC out the window and become a hermit :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

 

 

 

[HeyYou]

 

Figuring out the logic of door/ladder placement would be good too... What I would like to see, is REMOVE the 'autoplacement', and have 'parts' that are doors/ladders, so they are place manually. Would make ship building much more flexible.

From what I have seen they are nodes that are added to a module similar to the snapnodes.

 

A 1x1 hab has 2 ladder nodes (1 top, 1 bottom) and 4 door nodes (1 aft, 1 fore, 1 port, 1 starboard) What I have not found is the script that is responsible for the logic behind where a door and where a ladder is placed if you connect habs and have 2 door nodes or ladder nodes touch each other and why more then 1 loop is not possible.

Somebody will figure it out or create modules that represent "blind walls" you place on the hab so no door or ladder will be generated on that spot. Or they remove the door and ladder nodes and make those into object we can place on a hab so a door or ladder will be created at that spot only.

If it turns out that is not possible, creating an item or via scripting, well there is a solution I thought about but it's an insane one really.

 

"Just" create habs with those nodes removed.

 

for a 1x1 hab that would mean remove the top ladder node = 1 module, remove the top ladder node and aft door = another module, remove the top ladder node and fore door, remove the top ladder node and aft en fore door, remove the top ladder node aft en port door, etc. etc. etc. etc. I think you get what I mean and how many habs you would get and have to scroll through. Not to mention creating them would be a work of biblical proportions considering 2x1, 3x1, 2x2, 3x3 habs. You'd probably go insane, throw your PC out the window and become a hermit :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

 

 

 

 

Yeah, the number of possible permutations would get stupid in a hurry. :D And doing that for ALL the ship parts???? Truly scary. This is likely one that will have to wait for the CK to come out, so we can get a better idea of what's going on.

 

Placeable nodes would be ideal. :D

[Gilibran]

Ok, been busy adding the "new flipped" modules but it's not going well, so far i have added 31 modules but only 1 actually shows up properly ingame, the rest is "selectable" but just invisible. Added new categories in the build menu, but they remian empty/filled with invisible modules.

So it's an ongoing investigation and struggle, the one module that does show up does function 100% as intended including the correct snappoints, so at least i know i did something right somewhere :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: now to figure out where the rest goes wrong. been at it for 2 days without result, but we plough on through rain and wind :laugh: :laugh:

[Gilibran]

Not dead at all, but finally succes:

 

So for the past few days been busy troubleshooting with the help from some people at the Exedit discord, i had eveything set up correctly but none of us could figure out why my modules remained invisible.

Finally through the process of ellimination we figured it out, there are still some engine quirks and Xedit is still in very experimental stage.

For now, it had to do with having to copy existing entries and then edit them instead of creating all new entries. Some info is still hidden or something.

Anyway, I can now start some prep work for the copy pasting and figure out a good workflow. It's not going to be fast work, quite a few entries need to be created to add just 1 extra module and quite some links needs to be carefully managed to not make an accidental edit to the wrong file.

Figured out how to get modules into their own build categorie as well as add them to existing ones. You will be able to flip with Z between fore top and bottom, go the next entry which will be the aft top and bottom, flip with Z etc. etc.

Each new module needs to get it's own Storagecell, Snaptemplate, Generic Baseform, Moveable Static and Packin, every set of two it's own From ID list and those have to be added linked to the original constructible object. The COBJ being the link to having them show up in the buildmenu. That's just the files needed to be created, not the edits to the various values and figuring out the correct snappoint position. I can copy existing ones for some modules but will have to manually adjust them for others, especially the Equipment attachpoints.

Right now I have re-oriented the NIF's for 105 modules for which I now have to start creating all the above mentioned entries :ohmy:

So, what I will probably do, depending on how fast the re-orientation of equipment snaps goes, is release, perhaps, if everything keeps working and I dont run into some yet unknown limit for adding modules, is release Deimos flipped belly, cowls, Skeg and spines by the end of NEXT week.

Followed by Hope and Novatech modules.

I have not yet worked on the NIF's for Stroud and Tayio that I want to see flipped.

Once this is all done and i have the right workflow figured out I will make a guide since this process will be the same for adding modded NIF's. I'm no 3d modeller, but if someone is, They might be able to mod existing modules to create smooth corner pieces or make other tweaks, for instance a 1x1 length version of the sloped Deimos side cowl.

Any other re-positioned modules, like Cargo and Fuel tanks that now only have a side position I will start working on as a next project.

Whish me luck and hope I keep my sanity :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[HeyYou]

Sanity is over-rated. :D

 

Doing some really good work here though. :) Thank You!

[Gilibran]

SUC6

 

It's life

 

https://www.nexusmods.com/starfield/mods/6029

 

 

Tutorial in the making, for now i'm first going to release more updates and iron things out. In the meantime go bonkers building ships ;-) :-)