Problems adding meshes to hairstyle in Nifskope

[ToxicCosmos]

So I'm currently trying to create a new "hairstyle" for Oblivion. It's basically a modification of a bald hairstyle, except that I've added earrings where the ears would be. The problem is they're not showing up in the CS or in Game.

 

I'm still pretty new to this sort of thing and have pieced together some info from around the net to get this far, so I'll lay out the steps I've taken lest the errors can be seen.

 

• In Nifscope I started by taking a head mesh (1) and the ear mesh (2)
• I copied the NiTriStrips block from 2 onto the NiNode of 1
• I aligned 2 to 1
• I then took a modder's resource simple ring that I found, opened up its mesh (3)
• Coppied 3's NiTriStrips block to the NiNode of 1
• Repositioned it to fit the ears
• copied and pasted that block again a few times as I had before
• Repositioned them how I wanted
• (I did remember to apply the Transformations)
• Then changed the file paths of the ear/rings
• I then opened up an existing hairstyle (4), copied each NiTriStrip block of the earrings I had positioned in 1 and pasted them onto the NiNode of 4, one by one
• They showed up in the correct positon

Now, I think I did more than I needed to, but it didn't quite occur to me that there might be a simpler way about it until I was just about done.

 

I saved that as a new nif (their textures were the correct filepath and showed up fine) I then opened up the CS and added the new hair with the new nif... though I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do about the texture so I copied what was being used for the bald.nif and just renamed that. It's my understanding that the earrings would use whichever dds I pointed them to, right?

 

So I added the hair to the races that I wanted, opened up an npc and changed the hair. I get the bald—it uses a small object inside the head that can't be seen from the outside—and that is textured correctly. But there are no earrings showing. Nothing to indicate that they're there at all.

 

I feel like I'm missing a step; and not just because it isn't working. :wink:

Any help—suggestions, links to relevant tutorials—would be very much appreciated. :)

Edited January 3, 2015 by ToxicCosmos

[IkeCoast]

Toxic, here go the bad news: you can't create Hairs this way, just wigs.

 

Hair in Oblivion must be composed of a single, unique mesh. All the "separate" or "floating" elements, like earrings, MUST be a part of the same mesh as the hair itself. So, while I suppose your method could serve as a way to create a WIG, it doesn't work for a HAIR.

 

You need to do all this with a Modeller software (I personally use Blender), but bear in mind that for your finished hair you will need additional files: the egm file to allow the hair to be colorable, and the tri file to allow the hair to "adapt" to the head and change length. In absence of these two files, the hair will be of a fixed color, and a fixed shape and length.

 

In the modeller, you can add as many elements to the hair as you need, but the ears will NOT adjust to the head mesh, nor its coloration will adapt to the skin tone of the character. Moreover, the hair itself will not change color and always will display the corresponding color in its colormap.

 

Not sure if I'm making much sense...

 

Cheers!

[ToxicCosmos]

Yes, your explanation makes perfect sense.

 

I was attempting to just have the earrings show up, no ear meshes, no hair mesh. I had no idea if it would work correctly or not, but I wanted to give it a try anyway.

 

That is indeed bad news as I didn't want to touch Blender while working on my NPC changes. But that's alright. I'll just have to put that idea on the back-burner for a while until I'm further along with all the other changes I wanted to make. :smile:

 

Thank you, Ike. As always, you've been very helpful.

Edited January 3, 2015 by ToxicCosmos

[Striker879]

What about amulet slot but still rigged to the ears (working above my pay grade again, but I know amulet slot gets used for a lot of stuff other than amulets).

[ToxicCosmos]

What about amulet slot but still rigged to the ears (working above my pay grade again, but I know amulet slot gets used for a lot of stuff other than amulets).

I'll have to try that I'll let you all know how it goes. Thank you. :smile:

 

EDIT:

That didn't work for me. The amulet shows up fine in the CS and in game, but the earrings do not. :/

Edited January 4, 2015 by ToxicCosmos

[IkeCoast]

If you try using the Amulet slot for the earrings (and yes, this is a very usual way to implement them), be aware that all the armors and clothes that have the "Hide Amulet" function enabled will make the earrings disappear. Same as if you use the Ring slot instead ("Hide Ring" function).

 

A way to circumvent this is using the Tail slot, but then the beast races will not be able to wear them, or even possible, lose their tails if wearing the earrings. I know that the earrings you're trying to create are intended for human races, so I'd suggest you to try first the Tail slot. This has another advantage: ensures that Companion characters will be able to wear them (Companion characters usually have troubles with the Amulet slot items. Or was it the other way around? Damn, I miss my computer :( ).

 

Cheers!

[IkeCoast]

Just posted my warning, and then saw your edit to your previous message. This could be what I told you, the armor having the "Hide Amulet" function enabled. Try wearing the earrings while going commando. If the earrings show up fine, then that's it, the Hide Amulet thing. Change to the Tail slot and let's see what happens.

 

If while going au naturell the earrings still don't show up, then something is wrong with the nif file.

 

Übrigens, ich habe Sie als Freundin hinzugefügt und Kudozed Sie. Willkommen in der Modding-Community.

 

Cheers!

[ToxicCosmos]

Hi, Ike. :smile:

 

The NPC I'm editing is only wearing a pair of pants. Checking them, the hide amulet slot isn't checked. In creating my nif, I used an existing amulet one. That amulet shows up fine, just not my additions... so I have no doubt I did something wrong. :smile:

 

I've attached an image of what I have in NifSkope, if that's at all helpful.

 

Dankeschön! Es ist schön (und ein kleines bisschen frustrierend) hier zu sein. :wink:

 

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q79/ToxicCosmos/amuletearrings.png

Edited January 4, 2015 by ToxicCosmos

[IkeCoast]

Hmmmmmmmm, I find your NiTri branches a little bit messed up. For instance, your rings seem to not be properly rigged (no NiSkinStance present).

 

I also think your nif needs some cleaning. Check out this article http://www.loverslab.com/topic/3475-cleaning-nifs/

 

Sooner or later, you will find yourself forced to start using Blender, I'm afraid. I have a really good tutorial found here at the Nexus, when you decide to take a deep breath and give Blender a chance, here will I be to assist you and slap you in the face when you undergo the inevitable first nervous breakdown.

 

Don't worry about frustration, it's an unavoidable path all modders must endure in our journeys. I see potential in you, my young Padawan.

 

By the way, my German is still very basic, but this year I am planning to move to Leipzig. I'm Spanish, incidentally.

 

Cheers!

[ToxicCosmos]

haha. Yes. Thank you, master. *bows*

 

I fear the answer to this question is no, but is there a way to fix this—add those NiSkinStance—with NifSkope? The original file I used for the rings didn't have them either:

 

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q79/ToxicCosmos/origring.png

 

I'll bookmark the link for cleaning. I'm guessing that won't help much with my current non-working nif.

 

*sigh* yes, Blender. I was hoping to be able to wait until I had time to just sit down and go through the Noob to Pro tutorial instead of having to try and piece things together. But it's looking like I may have to find time to do it sooner than I wanted. D:

 

I'm with you on the German. Mine is pretty good since I've been living here for a year, but I'm originaly from the States. Y tambien puedo hablar espanol (mas o menos) - mi familia es de Mexico/Puerto Rico. ;)