Tutorial on obj. to nif.

[Mattiewagg]

NEEDED FOR MAYA, NOT BLENDER OR 3DSMax.

 

So I know there are plenty of tutorials for armor .nif conversion as well as weapon conversion, but I looked around and was unable to find one for a static object. Here's an example of the object in question:

 

http://i.imgur.com/9Mt0oCg.png

 

This is it in the Unreal Engine 4. I'll get the .obj from my modeler and just need to convert it to a useable .nif - does anyone know of a good tutorial on this? Or is it a similar method to weapons/armor?

Edited October 31, 2014 by Matthiaswagg

[neomonkeus]

Have you tried the Maya nif plugin - https://twitter.com/niftools/status/509264411794890752

[Mattiewagg]

Have you tried the Maya nif plugin - https://twitter.com/niftools/status/509264411794890752

I'm not entirely sure how it works. There's not a bunch of documentation. My modeler is pretty new to Skyrim modeling, so needs a bit of guidance.

[Kraeten]

I'd imagine it's very similar to the way a person would do it using 3DS Max. You'd download and install the plug-in, and make sure the export settings look like this. http://static-1.nexusmods.com/15/mods/110/images/5622-1-1325991396.png

 

Export your model. Now you'll have a .nif, but it will require some further editing to work in Skyrim.

 

You need to copy a vanilla BSLightingShader property onto your new .nif using NifSkope. Set the BSNumUVSets to 4097 so normal maps work, then run the .nif through NIFCONVERT which is included in NifUtilsSuite. You'll then have to apply collision onto your mesh. Typically this would be made from a low poly version of your model, but otherwise you would simply copy your .nif and select it as the Collison File in ChunkMerge. ChunkMerge is also included in NifUtilsSuite.

 

If your modeler wants someone to chat with, he's welcome to PM me with questions. If it's only a few simple statics I could also convert them for you if you'd like.

Edited November 3, 2014 by Kraeten

[Mattiewagg]

I'd imagine it's very similar to the way a person would do it using 3DS Max. You'd download and install the plug-in, and make sure the export settings look like this. http://static-1.nexusmods.com/15/mods/110/images/5622-1-1325991396.png

 

Export your model. Now you'll have a .nif, but it will require some further editing to work in Skyrim.

 

You need to copy a vanilla BSLightingShader property onto your new .nif using NifSkope. Set the BSNumUVSets to 4097 so normal maps work, then run the .nif through NIFCONVERT which is included in NifUtilsSuite. You'll then have to apply collision onto your mesh. Typically this would be made from a low poly version of your model, but otherwise you would simply copy your .nif and select it as the Collison File in ChunkMerge. ChunkMerge is also included in NifUtilsSuite.

 

If your modeler wants someone to chat with, he's welcome to PM me with questions. If it's only a few simple statics I could also convert them for you if you'd like.

I'll certainly tell him that you offered to help, and link him to this post.

 

It's not quite only a few simple statics. It is for now, but there will be more in the future so it's probably best of my modeler learned how in general.

[Tamira]

My experience with obj files:

You can use the exported obj and import it to Nifskope if you use an older version of Nifskope.

The newer Nifskope versions from Version 1.1.0-rc7 on do not longer support the import of obj files as the UV is messed up.
The last Nifskope version that could handle obj import properly was Version 1.1.0-rc6 (from 02/2012 !)
http://sourceforge.net/projects/niftools/files/nifskope/1.1.0/nifskope-1.1.0-rc6-i686-w32.7z/download

 

Just import it in Nifskope into an existing NiTriShape, rotate and scale if needed and adjust the texture paths.

Edited November 3, 2014 by Tamira

[Mattiewagg]

My experience with obj files:

You can use the exported obj and import it to Nifskope if you use an older version of Nifskope.

The newer Nifskope versions from Version 1.1.0-rc7 on do not longer support the import of obj files as the UV is messed up.

The last Nifskope version that could handle obj import properly was Version 1.1.0-rc6 (from 02/2012 !)http://sourceforge.net/projects/niftools/files/nifskope/1.1.0/nifskope-1.1.0-rc6-i686-w32.7z/download

 

Just import it in Nifskope into an existing NiTriShape, rotate and scale if needed and adjust the texture paths.

Thanks!

[Jokerine]

I was trying to follow Tamira's instructions to convert her teddy bear resource to New Vegas, but it seems like I keep failing to get the texture paths to import properly so the obj has no texture. Why must this be so hard :pirate: I really wish there was more documentation on the process...

[Tamira]

@ Jokerine: What did you do? How did you manage to turn my teddy bear into an obj? :D

 

Matthiaswagg's modeler has made his model from scratch and has obviously proper texture, material and UV settings when exported as obj so there should not be a problem with his mesh.

[Jokerine]

Oh, well, I had downloaded the original obj you used for your teddy bears in Skyrim (it was linked in the description), triangulated a mesh from NV (I think that's what the option was called in Nifskope) and imported the obj into it with Nifskope. Only the snout had working textures, though, but the rest didn't :laugh: I guess I can live without it. Maybe I'll try again some other time :)