Convert Standalone Armors into Replacer Armors

[LeoWhiteLion]

Ok, i'm new to this whole thing, so I apologize if the question has been answered everywhere, or posting in the wrong area, or whatever.

 

I have looked around, and found different ways of making custom standalone armors, or replacers into standalones, but that's not what i want to do, I want to take custom armors and make them into replacers. I've found several standalone armors around the nexues that I like, but I would rather have them as replacers in the game, then standalone ones.

 

I'm not asking for someone else to do it for me, I just want to learn to do it myself, for myself. I've never modded before so I don't really know my way around...anything really lol.

 

 

Conclusion (summary): Easiest (step by step) way to convert custom standalone armors into replacer armors.

 

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help, or point me in the right direction at least.

~Leo

[ScrollThief84]

This is just an example, but shows the process needed:

 

 

[LeoWhiteLion]

Hmm, ok so I spent a while and got things in order, and ran a few tests...this works great for the meshes, worked first try! So thanks for that!

 

But, the textures wont work, I assumed I'd do the same thing for the textures (use the program, grab the files, extract, rename new ones to be able to overwrite old ones), but in game the textures are still just solid blue, any ideas?

 

Thanks again btw though, you got me 50% of the way there :D

~Leo

[ScrollThief84]

That's my fault, I forgot to mention sence the armor you are trying to use is custom, you need to install the folder for the textures the same as it is in the mod. So you need to keep the mods texture folders and files as they came because that's where the models will look for their textures. If you want it to be completely stand-alone, then your going to need NifSkope to alter where the nif. files point to their textures.

[LeoWhiteLion]

Ah, I see, ya I hadn't guessed that it still used the mods textures as default (not renamed, moved to texture folder).

It's all good now, though, worked perfectly! Thanks a bunch! But no not trying to make it standalone, as the OP states, I was trying to convert some standalones into a replacers, which with your help I have now done :)

 

Another question, if you don't mind, some of the custom armors I am changing over to be replacers don't really look so good on the opposite gender, is there a way to designate that only males use one set of meshes/textures, and females use another set?

 

For example, I am replacing the dawnguard armor meshes/textures, but I don't see a way to designate a gender. I know in vanilla the daedric armor looks different on the male, than it does on the female, but i'm not sure how it does, as it is the same armor piece.

I hope my question isn't confusing, i'm not always the best at wording things.

 

Anyways, again, thanks very much for your help, your amazing!

~Leo

[ScrollThief84]

Ok, I think I got it. The only way that would work is if the mod came with female models. If this is the case, you need to find all the female meshes for the armor you want to replace and follow the same steps ( armor for females usually ends with "_f") . If the armor didn't come with them, then, just skip creating the models for females. You could even use a different mods armor that is only for females and have two different looking sets... I hope that helps, I've been up for a while :smile:

[ScrollThief84]

Rename the female armors the same as they are in game. They are named different then male models.

[LeoWhiteLion]

Yup that worked, ya my bad I replaced both genders, didn't realize..lol thanks.

 

Although there doesn't seem to be gender specific pieces for other pieces to the armor...like the gauntlets and the boots only have the one file. The other gender doesn't have the vanilla meshes/textures for those pieces. Is there a way around that?

[LeoWhiteLion]

Nevermind.. I lied...lol there are gender specifc boots/gauntlets....I just missed them, sorry.

 

I do have yet another question, if you don't mind.

One of the armor mods I am using has different colors for texture sets...in the vanilla dawnguard armor, there are 2 heavy, and 3 light armors...each has its own color...i wanted to use that to my advantage and use different sets of the same meshes with different colored textures, but since the meshes files look for its textures, is there an easy way to tell like for example the 2 heavy armors, same mesh, but have the 2nd one like to blue instead of black or something?

If that makes sense...lol

 

Thanks again for everything, and no, I can't thank you enough! lol

~Leo

[ScrollThief84]

If the mod didn't come with the female meshes you'll have to either leave the female files out or use a different mod for the female armor. Sence there seems to only be the cuirass?, find the equivelent models for the guantlets and boots from the game and use the male meshes for those two.

 

 

Edit: You bet me to it :)