Can you import or link existing BGSM files into Blender?

[Crash180]

An overdue question is can Blender directly use BGSM files to swap materials? Can you bring them in like you can a texture?

The few times I've wanted a different one I have appended or copied it in from a previously imported NIF. Usually it has a long name ending in .MAT which I assume is a 3ds material library.

In this case I am wanting to create my own concrete foundations and then do a material swap in the CK for other variations. I can change the texture in Blender but the CK only sees BGSM files in the material swap area so that won't work. I can create a new material but I have not found a way to browse to my desktop and select a material like I would a texture.

[RoNin1971]

Yes, it can't.

 

There is no way to only import a .bgsm, afaik. PyNifly does however import, preserve & export them. The long name you see for the material is given by the importer. Based on the file/mesh name I believe.

 

I always change those to reflect the texture name. e.g.: VltBoxcar05Hazard.mat for VltBoxcar05Hazard_d.dds

 

Then I assign that material to all objects using that same texture.

When exporting all the materials & textures will be intact that way.

 

To create something new is very tedious, if it can even be done, within blender.

For new textures I usually copy the material and swap the diffuse texture for my own while modeling.

After exporting the .nif I use Nifskope & the Material Editor to create a custom material file & add it to each part using that texture. (By copying the BSLightingShaderProperty Branch)

 

[Crash180]

Good to know. Wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something obvious. My new tedious method I am trying out is when I find a material I like I import the NIF, temporarily save it, open an existing file that has a 256 unit cube, append the material from the previous Blender save, rename the material to match the texture and save it with the material name. It's a bit convoluted but In theory this will gradually build a material library that I can pull from.

For others I've replaced the path in the BSLightingShaderProperty to the material I am interested in but I don't know if it captures all the data. I don't know what is included in the .MAT and if the fields in the Blender material palette are an accurate reflection of it.

[RoNin1971]

Basically the .mat contains all info needed. Except for the need to add a node for transparency. You could omit the textures entirely. Most of the settings for the shader too, although that's not 100% 'watertight'. There are visible differences with Nifskope, at least.

Best practice however is to make sure it is all the same. Especially when importing it to use for other objects within blender. Remember, what you see there is the supplied texture (if there is one to be found) not the material. As these can be different you could get some unwanted or unexpected results after exporting. (as the material will overule the texture & many shader settings ones more.)