Nifskope

[Nadin]

Can anyone point me to a good nifskope tutorial?

 

It's too difficult to get a modeler to make a model.

[ecksile]

blender is pretty easy and doesn't cost nothing except some time. Id suggest it, with nifskope you can only edit existing meshes (piece together) you cant create new ones afaik at least with ease..If you were to edit each and every vertices point in space using the transform numbers and some math you might be able to make a new mesh but that's highly unpractical otherwise, there are many tutorials stickied at the top of general mod talk (including nifskope) have a look. The best tutorial is just learning from trial and error save a base mesh and then make a copy and go crazy fastest way to learn what everything does. You cant really give a single tutorial as theres much that can be done with nifskope if perhaps you specify exactly what you want to learn (animation/particles/mesh work/etc..) someone might be able to point in the right direction.

[Nadin]

Actually, just that. Animating items, adding things like LEDs, changing their basic shape, and changing their texture.

[Ghogiel]

nifskope is not a 3d modeller and does not afford you the same power one has. it is a nice nifblock editor, with some extra tools a modelling program would have, though nothing to the extent one has. It will not do any type of modelling at all.

 

you can tweak a UV map in it for example, but you couldn't actually UV map in it efficiently. Nor can you 'changing their basic shape' in any way that would be worth doing- it would be INSANE to do so.

also unless it is basic, and has less than say 10 or so keys, animating would be rediculously tedious to literally hand key stuff.

 

tescs wiki probably has the best info on nifskope. there is a whole series, working with nifs iirc, written by throttlekitty i think are very good. there is a basic animation tutorial there(as well as on nexus) writen by XMS. most everything is quite dated tutorial wise, or just retarded to begin with. ie look at the "tutorial" for UVing in 3ds max in the TESCSwiki. lol wtf?.

off the top of my head those 2 tutorials i mentioned will contain good info. user be warned!

 

niftools home page has documentation as well.

 

if you have specific questions, those would be easier to answer.

[Nadin]

Wait--so then what modeling program should I use?

I'm sorry, I just know absolutely nothing about this.

[Ghogiel]

for a complete modelling solution, around here there are primarily blender and max users- simply because the exporters are the most funtional for those packages. though there are a few maya users as well. I honestly haven't heard of anyone using xsi. only really seems to be at all popular in cryengine modders.

[BadPenney]

Use Blender. It is a free download with plenty of support. 3DS Max may be better in many ways but it also costs about £2323 ($3495). So unless you have plenty of discretionary income or plan to go professional as a modeller, Blender is a better way to get your feet wet.

[Nadin]

Alright, thanks.