Simple Static Mesh -> Skyrim

[UrKungFuNoGood]

Hi all,

 

This has been giving me trouble for a couple of weeks now. I want to import a simple static mesh of my own creation into Skyrim. It's a simple billowy plane that I need to use to cover a large amount of floor space (dirt floor) that is impossible with the existing retail meshes.

 

All the tutorials I find assume you are modifying an existing nif file and the closest one I can find for a completely custom mesh is at the CK Wiki and is impossible to follow.

 

I use a version of Maya that as of yet has no nif plugin.

 

I can import an OBJ into nifskope and add a BSFadeNode as a parent but from there the creation kit wiki breaks down. It tells me to click on properties in the block data for the NiTriShape but it's greyed out.

 

Also some of the other steps have missing nodes on my end.

 

I have tried both using the suggested collision.nif and straight importing the OBJ as I said earlier with no success.

 

Someone also told me another forum that I won't be able to have collision on my mesh??? I'm stuck with the collision model from the collision.nif? I'm completely lost and yea, far beyond aggro.

 

I've just gone through the process of following a blender nif tutorial and then got to the end of installing everything and it says oh by the way, skyrim isn't supported without using workarounds. smfh

 

Does someone know of a tutorial that shows how to get an obj into the CK?

[Percevan]

Hi,

 

I'm also using maya to model my meshes.

But the easiest and cleanest way to export your statics is to load your file into 3DSMax and use the nif plugin, that's what I do. For now, I advise against importing obj into nifskope, though upcoming development versions are improving the reliability of this option.

 

You can use Figment's or ww182's version, respectively:

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/5622/?

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/40209/?

 

There was an old maya plugin, but it's not being developped anymore. You can make a search for it on the niftools forums though.

 

Even though the 3DSmax exporter does a pretty decent job, you'll still need to make some cleaning in nifskope. If you use figment's, start by deleting the old nimaterial nodes. Save your nif.

 

For the Next steps, you WILL need this tool: nifutilsuite. Even if you prefer to stick with your obj/nifskope manual parenting workflow.

http://niftools.sourceforge.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=4128

it's pretty easy to use. The nifconvert tab will make your nif much more skyrim friendly. It will convert your root ninode into a correct bsfade node, and iron out a few other things by itself.

the chunkmerge tab will create a collision meshe for you, and integrate it into the nif file, with correct parenting.

The suite is pretty intuitive to use, just follow the numbered steps on its UI.

 

Lastly, open that updated nif into nifskope and make your last adjustments, texture path, glossiness tweakings, that kind of things.

 

If you have any doubts, there are several tutorials covering the process in more details over at darkcreations. They also have several tutorial about exporting from Blender, and as far as I know a bit more up to date with the latest worflow, plugins and tools than others I've seen on youtube or elswhere.

Edited June 12, 2014 by Percevan