3ds Max import/export Texture issue

[craftychicken]

Using the MAX 2010 trial, I've tried to import and export some existing FO3 models to start modding. They all work fine, except the skin color is messed up. I'm a total noob and none of the oblivion/fallout tutorials have explained this. i can only describe it as a white plastic doll look, as if the skin color is not being applied. I think it's got something to do with a parameter no being exported, perhaps some variable/value that I should add in Niffscope?

 

I've attached a screenshot of the upperbody.nif to as a visual example. In it, you can clearly see the head and hands have the toned color, but the skin is pale white. All I've done is imported into Max, and exported back into the Data directory without making any changed.

[Ghogiel]

All I've done is imported into Max, and exported back into the Data directory without making any changed.

the materials shader flags are reset to what the exporter dumps as default- they are actually imported as niftools shader, which as yet has limited support, and doesn't allow you to edit the many shader flags unfortunently, nor does the standard blinn material know anyting about bethesda nif shaders ;). you have to enable/disable them post export via nifskope.

 

also it'll auto asign material names, which aren't used in F3, and just add many new entries to index in the nif, you can use the eyedropper to snatch mats off of the imported model, then reasign all your mats to your correct parts, then simply delete the mat name, leave it blank, then it'll export without mat names

 

 

also note that the vertex normals aren't always calclated very well by the niftools exporter. so you would do well to run the update tangent space spell in nifskope post export.

 

with those 2 things post export it should come out virtually indistinguishable from the vanilla one.

 

further editing the mesh besides simply importing and exporting has more nuances.... its all workable.

[craftychicken]

with those 2 things post export it should come out virtually indistinguishable from the vanilla one.

 

Talk about an ID10T Error! I worked and worked on this four hours, and was ticked that I couldn't figure out what you meant, until I noticed how the shader flags worked in Nifskope. Changed it to skin and env, and viola. It all works great, and now I can walk around in my custom vaultsuit/leather armor, so thank you!

 

Now, my only problem is some of the more detailed meshes, such as the stealth suit and power armor, seem to export with 'holes' in them. I'm def having trouble figuring that out, but I'm working on it.

[Ghogiel]

dropped faces at export?

 

if its not flipped faces, but missing ones, often those dropped faces corelate to a part of the mesh with jumbled up UVs. and possibly stripifying. it seems it's always the same faces that get dropped as well..

 

try looking over that area of the mesh, and in particular the UV offseting or welding any messy UV shells or overlapping ones.

 

the more heavy the polycount on the geometry is the more likely that you'll get dropped faces. But I have managed to tweak them so it'll export properly. Usually from cleaning up the UV