Is this a viable import/export method for custom models?

[Mystress]

Hello,

 

I am pretty new to both 3d modeling and to modding itself aside from retexturing - I have made progress nonetheless! I managed to get several fully textured custom models into Oblivion in the form of statics, which was quite exciting.

 

What I ultimately want to do is a bit more complicated though. I'd like to get custom hairs, weapons, and armors (in particular, boots I made) into Oblivion and playable. I use 3dsmax 2011 32-bit which atm doesn't have a NIF export plugin. So here is what I did to get statics into the game (was basically a test, little else) and I need to know if this process will (basically) work for the things I want to do.

 

1. I create or import the mesh I want to edit into 3dsmax.

 

2. I texture it (still reading up on collision and such, not there just yet) and export it as a 3DS file.

 

3. I import said 3DS file into Nifskope and texture/etc there, save as a .NIF and get it into Oblivion via the CS.

 

Now, I realize that is a far more simple process than getting a set of boots/etc would be. As I said, I'm still trying to find good guides for stuff like getting hair and armors from 3dsmax to Oblivion. But will exporting as a 3DS file, and importing that into Nifskope, work with stuff more complicated than statics? I have looked all over for guides and just can't find anything that really hits the specific bases I am trying to cover.

 

If anyone can offer any guidance or advice (I have a lot of issues getting Blender to run with any kind of stability, hence my trying to make 3dsmax work) or anything really, I'd be very grateful. Thanks in advance. :)

[LHammonds]

I don't know anything about 3dsmax but I do know about Blender.

 

I specialize in creating stable "packages" of Blender with detailed installation instructions so it works well on Windows XP, Vista, Win7 and either 32-bit or 64-bit versions of the operating system (I used to use WinXP 32-bit and now use Win7 64-bit). I have no stability problems with Blender. Here is the download page...I recommend the 2.49b Experimental file...it has newer versions and has been stable ever since I uploaded it.

 

Blender Article: How to Import / Export Armor

Blender Video Tutorial - Convex Collision

 

Good luck,

LHammonds