Req: How to replace Enemy Models

[Demeggy]

Lo all,

 

Ive been waiting to kickstart my Dalek Enemy mod for a while now, and now seems like a better time than before.

 

I basically want to replace an enemy model, possibly the Robobrain, with the simple Dalek model, and then possibly modify the NPC's stats in GECK.

 

http://www.themindrobber.co.uk/new-dalek/new-series-dalek-side.jpg

 

http://www.themindrobber.co.uk/new-dalek/new-series-dalek-front.jpg

 

If you're unfamiliar with the Dalek concept, it stands around, or just short of the Roborain's height, which makes it a seemingly willing candidate.

 

Any directions would be greatly appreciated.

[BadPenney]

I am curious. Why do you want to replace an existing unit rather than to introduce a new one?

[Demeggy]

Hi there, thanks for replying :)

 

I'm not sure really, in past experience of modding other games, it's always been a favoured approach, generally the easiest I spose. Is that not the case with Fallout?

[Baelkin]

Hi there, thanks for replying :)

 

I'm not sure really, in past experience of modding other games, it's always been a favoured approach, generally the easiest I spose. Is that not the case with Fallout?

 

Basically, if you can replace something in Fallout making a completely new item/monster/etc. is just a step away, but whether you want to make a replacement mod or add new content depends on if you want to consistently replace vanilla content or add new content to the game.

 

In any case, making a replacement mod is a good place to start if you haven't modded the game before, so once you get your Daleks working as a Robobrain replacer, you can always consider making a version where they work in-game simultanously, such that people, who would like both enemies in their game, can have that option as well.

[BadPenney]

Replacement would be easier. Nice model, BTW.

 

Bringing Dr. Who, as well?

[Demeggy]

Replacement would be easier. Nice model, BTW.

 

Bringing Dr. Who, as well?

 

Heh, I didn't make the models, using them as ref shots :) but thanks anyway lol. I've been looking, but I can't seem to find any tutorials in particular that deals with modifying existing creature models, any idea where I could head?

[Baelkin]

As far as I know, replacing the mesh of a creature is done basically the same way as you'd make a new armour, so you could check the stickied thread on modelling out to get the gist" of what needs to be done to get the model from your 3d editor ready for implementation in NifSkope. I could imagine the basic production pipeline would be something like the following:

 

1. Build the model in a 3d editor.

2. Import a suitable creature skeleton (in this case I'd pick the Brain Bot) and skin your model to it.

3. Export the model as a .nif for Fallout.

4. Port over your model to a model which uses the same bone rig (Again, the Brain Bot model will probably come in handy).

5. Adjust weapon nodes and other misc. stuff in NifSkope.

6. Texture the model once everything else is working as intended in-game.

[Cakester]

As far as I know, replacing the mesh of a creature is done basically the same way as you'd make a new armour, so you could check the stickied thread on modelling out to get the gist" of what needs to be done to get the model from your 3d editor ready for implementation in NifSkope. I could imagine the basic production pipeline would be something like the following:

 

1. Build the model in a 3d editor.

2. Import a suitable creature skeleton (in this case I'd pick the Brain Bot) and skin your model to it.

3. Export the model as a .nif for Fallout.

4. Port over your model to a model which uses the same bone rig (Again, the Brain Bot model will probably come in handy).

5. Adjust weapon nodes and other misc. stuff in NifSkope.

6. Texture the model once everything else is working as intended in-game.

 

For animation files they need to be named properly. for example a proper name for attacking right with a 2handed assault weapon is 2haattackright . inside the .nif the nicontroller sequence's name should be attackright. also if you use blender to export you may need to edit the textkeyextradata strings to be start and end.

 

All movement animations and idle animations should be set to loop in the nicontroller sequence.

 

Some animations require keys in the textkeyextradata such as a:L and hit. A good idea is to extract an animation from the mesh archive.bsa using fomm to see how things should be set up. Or alternatively you could look in the geck for textkey information.

 

finally you will need kfupdater. once you use it you will need to open the .kf it exported and delete the 'string palette'.

 

One tricky thing about adjusting the weapon node of your skeleton is that any animation that has keys about the weapon node will also need to be updated to match the changes you make in the skeleton file. alternatively you could just position the weapon node properly from the start.

 

Making a custom creature is alot of work!! But it gets easier once you have done it a couple times.

[Demeggy]

Cheers for all the help guys. I'm going to use this project as practice I guess.

 

So ideally, I need to;

 

1) Model the Dalek in 3DSMax

 

2) Rig it to a Skeleton in Nifskope

 

3) Animate in Nifskope

 

4) Import via GECK?

[thetrueNOIR]

I would tweak a Dalek's stats to reflect how powerful they are, but that hardly matters if you can put them in. I'd love to see Daleks roaming around the Wasteland! Will you be using the sounds from the show, too? Its blaster has a distinct effect, and of course there's no replacement for "EX-TER-MIN-ATE!"