Blender - Read This 1st

[danielsaccount]

i dont belive this has been said but a tut on how to convert files to nifs

Convert "files" to NIFs? Like MS Word to NIF? What files are you talking about...I don't have a clue and don't think any tutorial can target that request.

 

Are you talking about just exporting Blender models to a NIF file? When you select the NIF export option, the Blender NIF scripts export screen is fairly simple to grasp so if you are talking about Blender models to NIF format, I could guess you are talking about what "has" to happen to an object to be correctly exported to NIF...which is quite a bit different depending on what the target object is. Is it a sword, a shield, helmet, armor, creature, animation, etc.?

 

LHammonds

 

 

oh shoot sorry i meant how to convert blend files 3ds files and maya files and stuff like that to nifs

[lostone1993]

i wouldent mind knowing how to convert .3ds files to .nif file fallout 3 can use like a static object Edited September 15, 2010 by LHammonds
Added FO3 request

[Nadimos]

Wow, oh my god, thanks for posting all this ressources in one place Hammonds! This needs to be put into an article on the page under models.

 

PS: I second the above request.

 

Hint: Go to the Oblivion Page and search for blender. Atm it is all abit spread out.

 

 

 

Also i think it would be great to have a tutorial for furniture with active markers as a next step. There are just so many free quality meshes in .3ds format, that i would like to practice with abit by converting them into a game ready format.

Edited November 26, 2010 by Nadimos

[LHammonds]

Taking a .3DS file that somebody else created can be fairly easy or extremely difficult to make "game-ready"

 

You can import most .3DS files into Blender since it has native support for .3DS files (specific versions).

 

Once you get an object in Blender, it completely depends on the model and what you want done with it that determines how much work you need to do to get it game-ready. Whenever I say "game-ready", I am talking about an exported NIF file that has been cleaned up with NifSkope and has a functional diffuse texture (a.k.a. Color Map) and normal map.

 

If the model does not have a UV Map, you will need to create one.

 

If the model was designed for high-resolution renders, it probably isn't something you should import directly to a game since it will probably be way too high in poly count. You might need to just re-create the object as a low-poly version and possibly use the original as a source for the normal map baking process. Again, completely depends on the model.

 

If we are talking about a static object light a fire hydrant, then you'll need to create a static collision object before you export and make sure the collision remains a static havok model after export.

 

If we are talking about a jacket, it will need to be rigged to a skeleton so it will be animated correctly when worn...this also assumes a texture, normal map and UV map are provided or you will have to make those as well.

 

For anything other than a static object that already has a UV Map and textures, you simply cannot get around not having to know how to do all of it from scratch anyway. The ONLY step you are saving yourself is the actual model itself. And sometimes that isn't even worth converting if it wasn't created as a low-poly, game-ready model with UVs and textures.

 

LHammonds

[dunmermaiden]

I would like a Oblivion tutorial for how to make statues out of NPCs using their custom/modded hair, wings, armor, weapons and clothing. Every time I try to import it with a body it goes weird and doesn't sit correctly. I would like to know how to make a statue, thus far I have imported a full body with my chosen pose animation but when I export it the pose does not hold to the body nif and I'm a bit confused really.

 

I would like another Oblivion tutorial on how to alter preexisting building interiors and exteriors (original models from the game) please.

[LHammonds]

Turning items into statues is pretty simple...it is a matter of exporting them with the collision / havoc set to static...which means the item cannot be manipulated in-game...it has to be placed in the construction set. As for poses I think all you have to do is click the "apply" button on the armature...which is always a no-no unless you want the change to be permanent (e.g. a statue)

 

One other potential solution is to shortcut the process by using a DirectX object capture tool so that when you "capture" a scene that is in front of you, it dumps all the current models in their current state into a folder that you can later sort through to pick-n-choose what you want. I have not used such tools but I know they exist and people have used them to capture objects that are harder to obtain otherwise.

 

LHammonds

[heavywaters]

Turning items into statues is pretty simple...it is a matter of exporting them with the collision / havoc set to static...which means the item cannot be manipulated in-game...it has to be placed in the construction set. As for poses I think all you have to do is click the "apply" button on the armature...which is always a no-no unless you want the change to be permanent (e.g. a statue)

 

One other potential solution is to shortcut the process by using a DirectX object capture tool so that when you "capture" a scene that is in front of you, it dumps all the current models in their current state into a folder that you can later sort through to pick-n-choose what you want. I have not used such tools but I know they exist and people have used them to capture objects that are harder to obtain otherwise.

 

LHammonds

 

I would really appreciate a link to such a program...

 

Such a link would make a nice addition to the 3D modeling thread.

 

-heavywaters

Edited December 18, 2010 by heavywaters

[LHammonds]

It is called 3D Ripper DX and from what I read, it really wouldn't be a good alternative solution as I was thinking it might for capturing poses since this article said it does not retain any bones or animation information. Again, not something I've used so I didn't know better.

 

LHammonds

[LHammonds]

With the Nexus Article Database at the end of its life, all of my articles have been converted to the new Nexus Wiki and all links in the 1st post have been updated to reflect this as well as a dozen more tutorials that have been added recently.

[yoshi455]

i am trying to install blender on my laptop but when i get to the blender part it skips the two steps before "click Finish" and when i install PyFFI it wont let me select the correct python or the blender option. can anyone help?