Combining Oblivion .nif files

[AH1]

Hello,

 

I'm wondering if someone could help me out by giving me some pointers on merging two pieces of armor into one continuous set in NifSkope. Basically, I have a set of armor I've been working on, but in separate pieces. I'd like to combine the branches in NifSkope, but I'm not sure how. It isn't as simple as "Copy" and "Paste" [branch]. I figure there must be some other setting I need to mess with in there, but I'm not experienced enough with it to know what I'm doing. I've checked various FAQs, but I couldn't find anything.

 

The problem is, when I just copy and paste a branch, the final product does not show up in game, even when I add a body mesh or make sure the skeleton is set, it still just makes that part of the body invisible, while the main portion of the .nif, the part I'm combining into, appears fine.

 

I apologize for this basic question, and if there is a good comprehensive guide to it, please direct me to it. I know it is a newbie question, but hey, got to start somewhere right?

 

Thanks for the input!

[WastelandAssassin]

i hope that this will have all the answers you need

[AH1]

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

I was actually already using that guide. But the problem I mentioned is still cropping up. For instance, if I merge my helmet with my armor base using the method the CSWiki prescribes, I'll see my armor just fine, but my head will simply be invisible if I put the armor on in-game.

 

Maybe I'm just misreading that, but perhaps someone more experienced could point out what I'm doing wrong or simply not doing right.

 

Thanks again.

[WastelandAssassin]

there is one other part that you need to understand (one about the actual armor in game, in the esp)

 

you see, if you combine the helmet as well, it must take the head slot as well, otherwise you will get the invisible head

 

just make sure to check all the taken slots when you make the armor, and that should solve your problem

 

hope this helps :)

[AH1]

Yup, I've been doing that too. In fact, that seems to be why the head (in the example) disappears. When I don't do that, the head or other part, continues to appear normally, and the armor will just cover the chest like a normal piece of armor with no further problems.

 

Perplexing and frustrating!

[GreatLucifer]

Firstoff let me say that I am a modder, and not a modeler. What I say here is merely speculative.

 

But I've had this problem before too (with getting meshes ingame) and it turned out they were missing a connection to the skeleton. The skeleton itself was present, but the suit (in my case) had not been connected to it, making all slots it used invisible...

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

Lucifer

[WastelandAssassin]

well, have you ever seen a working armor with helmet??

quite frankly, i don't even know if this is possible to do.......

 

but i think that you will need to first load the head mesh into the nif file, combine it with the body, and then add the helmet

maybe this will solve the problem.....

[AH1]

Thanks for the advice.

 

I am not in a place where I can try that out right now, but I will later tonight when I get home. I'll keep this updated once I know more.

 

In the meantime, if there are any more suggestions, I'd appreciate them too.

 

@WA: In general, yes I have. I can think of several mods that include on the mesh itself a headpiece attached to the skeleton with a chestpiece or other piece of armor. However, please don't take my example too literally. Chest and head were the first things I thought of. The actual problem I'm having is multiple, and involves attaching greaves and gauntlets and subsequently having invisible legs and armors.

[WastelandAssassin]

@WA: In general, yes I have. I can think of several mods that include on the mesh itself a headpiece attached to the skeleton with a chestpiece or other piece of armor. However, please don't take my example too literally. Chest and head were the first things I thought of. The actual problem I'm having is multiple, and involves attaching greaves and gauntlets and subsequently having invisible legs and armors.

 

it's ok, i understand

it's just that i am not a modeler, so i'm just trying to think of a solution for you

 

do try my suggestion (if you want to, of course) and tell me if it works

and good luck, of course :)

[AH1]

Will do. At this point, any help and any suggestion is worth a try since I'm beyond my expertise. Thank you for sharing yours with me.

 

EDIT: This is completely off-topic but warrants a comment. LOL@CSWiki. Add the "super cool" Daedric pauldrons to the Arena armor! By the way, that is definitely NOT what I'm doing :)

Edited November 30, 2010 by AH1