Setting up new skin model in nifskope

[tjakal]

Hi. I'm new to fallout modding, but I thought I'd had a go at it and export a personal 3D game model I've made a while back into the game.

 

this one:

http://forums.3dtotal.com/showthread.php?t=78203&highlight=cyberpunk+soldier

 

I've managed to get the guns imported correctly to fallout, but I'm stuck with the skin. Looking at the vanilla content I see that the skeleton links are broken up and linked to a root node I imagine is used by the game to control the model, but exporting from max I get a .nif with a regular skeleton all the weights are okay though. Looking at vanilla models weights seems to be held by a tree called nifshapes, but my export only have a nifstrips tree. If someone could help explain what to do or provide a link to some info that be real cool.

 

Thanks for reading

[Deleted19761User]

Make a back up of your NIF file. Then you can copy and past that nifshapes node from one of those other vanilla models. Now provided your groups are similarly named as the other model the copy/past should work. If that doesn't, that node is essentially the blue print for your model weights. You can alter it as needed after you've copied the other node over.

 

But that's about as much as I can tell you. Try searching around some more on NIFSkope tutorials. If you find something for oblivion or anything that will work, mostly because its an older but similar engine to Fallout 3.

Edited December 10, 2010 by Guest

[tjakal]

Thanks for the quick reply!

 

Following your instructions I've managed to get the skin inside the game. Everything looks good but there is a catch. When loading a game using 'continue' with the skin equipped - game will crash to desktop. Loading latest auto save (with skin equipped) works just fine. I can then keep playing enter/exit zones quick save/load as I please. But if I unequip the skin, and then reequip it - soon as I press it in pip-boy game will crash to desktop. Any clues?

[tjakal]

Resolved: Even after replacing the NiTriShape block one need to copy in the NiMaterialProperty node from a vanilla file, otherwise game will CTD when switching armor.

[Ghogiel]

Looking at the vanilla content I see that the skeleton links are broken up and linked to a root node I imagine is used by the game to control the model,

Actually these are a bone list... not the actual skeleton the mesh will use. These are obejcts that are found in the meshes skin instance. The bones themselves are located in the skeleton.nif, not the outfit itself

 

but exporting from max I get a .nif with a regular skeleton all the weights are okay though. Looking at vanilla models weights seems to be held by a tree called nifshapes, but my export only have a nifstrips tree. If someone could help explain what to do or provide a link to some info that be real cool.

 

Thanks for reading

Basically your export settings are not optimal. Firstly you want to enable flatten hierarchy in the export dialog, this will flatten the hierarchy.. also enable everything in under the skin parameters as well.

 

The reason why you have nitristrips instead of a nitrishape mesh objects is also export options. you simply disable the generate strips option in the export dialog. < every single developer using gamebryo exports nitrishape mesh objects for skinned geometry. I presume there is a reason for this, and as such follow suit. and always export trishapes for skinned meshes.

 

outfit meshes work in game 100% without ever needing to open it in nifskope. If not, you are missing something.

 

Or you could waste your time fiddling in nifskope till it works in game.

Edited December 16, 2010 by Ghogiel

[tjakal]

Ghogiel:

 

Thanks for the input, I've managed to work out the export for everything except some types of animation that use NiBspline data for quaterion rotation controlers. They don't export from my version of max ( 2008 64bit )but I've already recived promising information on how to resolve that one ( use max 8 + civ4 tools ). You're absolutely correct about my export settings being messed up when I posted this question. I do however need to use Nifskope for some minor adjustments sorting nodes no matter what settings I use, this may be to me using max 2008 that apparently is ill-supported by the exporter. Using Nifskope isn't all that bad when you get the hang of it though, it's a extra step that's for sure, but compared to the time that goes into modelling/texturing/skinning it's just a few extra minutes spent.

[Ghogiel]

I have used max 8,9,2008, and 2009 with niftools exporter. you shouldn't need to do any 'sorting nodes' in post if you are set up correctly in max 2008. This only applies to skinned meshes. there are several things that you cannot define in max for other flavor objects.

 

for anims, I do use the civ4 plugin + max 8 out of simplicity sake, I have exported character and other transforms animations with niftools. however if it is at all possible i really do recommend using the civ4 plugin simply for animation export as it will just save time, faster content turn around. And it also gives access to all manner of controllers and interpolators you can't export with niftools. materials, alpha, vis, all that can be xported with the civ4 plugin.

 

well at least you can get the right data and the right keys into a nif.. but while kfs are workable with the kfupdater, the set up/use of any data in nif objects exported with the civ4 will basically be completely useless in fallout3 version nifs. i'm not even sure the data copies across correctly between the versions. :shrug: well you could hid any of those controllers and data into a kf, and then import the kf into the nif is one way to do it. anyway yeah. the less amount of that sort of thing you have to do the better imo

Edited December 19, 2010 by Ghogiel