applying custom clothing mesh to PC only

[Ambrya]

I am having a bit of trouble and the friend who is my usual advice source for this sort of thing is busy having a life, so I'm seeking help here.

 

The backstory:

 

I have a custom HF Noble Clothing mesh that was made for me by NewByPower. I want to use it on just my PC. (Specifically, I want her to look pregnant for a heavily RP playthrough based upon a story.)

 

Of course, if I just dropped the custom hf_cth_nbla_0.msh in the Override folder, all human females in noble clothing would get that mesh, and I wanted just my PC to have it. Right? Right.

 

So, with the help of Oblivion_gallo (author of the Nude Variety mod) and another friend, I was able to create (well, Oblivion_gallo was able to create) a custom clothing item using that mesh (mesh is renamed something else so it doesn't override the defaul hf_cth_nbla_0.msh, of course.) In theory, only my PC should have had the mesh at that point.

 

Buuuut... it didn't work out that way.

 

I wasn't using the mesh until late in the game, namely around the Landsmeet. I put the custom noble clothing item that uses that mesh on my PC, then go into Arl Eamon's estate to have a little chat with Anora... and in the cutscene, Anora is also using that mesh.

 

What I THINK is happening is the same thing that is a bit of a problem with the Nude Variety mod, an issue which Oblivion_gallo sussed out back when I was trying to get that to work. Namely, the way the game works, it will load the first mesh called upon for a certain race/sex/item type and apply that mesh to all toons in a cutscene, because it expects them all to be using that mesh. This is why there are issues with the Nude Variety mod where your PC might not have its intended mesh, or NPCs might have your PC-specific mesh. For example, if I strip my PC, that mesh gets loaded into the game. Then if I launch a nude scene with Leliana, Leliana will have my PC-specific mesh. If I strip Leliana and launch the nude scene, my PC would have Leliana's mesh. If I don't strip either of them and launch the scene, they would both get the default human female nude mesh that I set up in Natural Bodies all-in-one.

 

So I think what is happening is that the game is loading up my custom human female noble clothing mesh and applying it to all human females in noble clothing, rather than using that mesh just on the PC. Very annoying.

 

At the advice of my friend, I then tried to create a new base item type and make the item my PC is wearing that base item type, so it's no longer read by the game as noble clothing, but as something else. I followed tutorials for making a new weapon type such as this one (because I couldn't find any for making an armor/clothing type) and just kinda tried to replicate them as best I could while applying the principles to making a new clothing type rather than a weapon.

 

However, it doesn't seem to be working. I was able to create the item and give it to myself, but the textures are glitchy around the hands and legs (you can see part of the leg through the skirt, which never happened before) and Anora is STILL using that mesh when I launch a cutscene with her.

 

At this point, I don't know what I am missing. I can provide anyone who asks more specifics about what my step-by-step process was for creating the item. I kinda had to guess at a good deal of it.

Edited January 20, 2011 by Ambrya

[Ambrya]

Does anyone have any input on this issue?

 

As I thought about it some more, I realized I don't seem to have this issue with light armor. If the problem were that the game only loads one mesh per race/sex/item type, then Leliana should have been using the custom light armor mesh I was using also, but she wasn't.

 

Is it just a problem with Anora loading the same mesh as the PC, despite wearing different clothing? If so, how do I prevent it?

[Codifer]

I do not know if this would help but if your objective is to have a pregnant look while Anora does not there is a simple way. Of course, from me, it would have to be simple because I know zilch about modding.

 

There is a mod for total stealing which will remove everything from an NPC. If utilized, in that important conversation (confrontation?) with Anora, you would have the dressed pregnant look while Anora would look like she just stepped out of the tub.

 

Sorry I could not of more help.

Edited February 22, 2011 by Codifer

[Ambrya]

LOL thank you, but that wouldn't work for my purposes, either. Especially in the Landsmeet.