mesh or texture causing a CTD

[Descivii]

Ok, so I retextured the M2216 gun and created new material files for the scope and suppressor so that the ones on my gun can be different than the rest found throughout the game. The .nifs point to the correct mat (.bgsm) files and texture (.dds) files. The mat files point to the correct textures and when loaded up in Nifskope, they look right. HOWEVER, when I load my game it CTDs as soon as I equip the gun or click on it in the gun bench. I have a save where Im holding the gun and that save loads and then CTDs as soon as the save is fully loaded.

 

 

Any ideas?

Thanks

J

[brokefoot]

Its probably the shader flags. If the material file is saying 'use these flags' but the nif file's shader flags are different, then you can easily get CTD. As an example, if your material file has 'environment map' flag checked and your nif does not include this, you might CTD. Same if it was the other way around, where your nif had environment map flagged but the material file does not.

[Descivii]

Thanks for your reply and Ive been using a few of your mods for years, BTW

 

ok, so for the scope the mat file says "Shared/Cubemaps/mipblur_DefaultOutside1.dds" for Environment and the same is found under BSShaderTextureSet between the normal and specular in the .nif. I think it has to be the scope or the suppressor because I retextured the changed the mat of those 2 specifically today but I DO NOT have the suppressor in game yet but I do have the scope equipped. What should be my next step?

 

Thanks again

After looking a little closer, there are 3 places for BSShader and 1 of them is as above but the other 2 actually are "DefaultOutside1_dielectric.dds" Is this a problem that DefaultOutside1_dielectric.dds is not mentioned in the mat file?

Edited February 5, 2016 by Descivii

[brokefoot]

I wouldn't focus on the 'dds' (texture) files. If textures are missing or your material/nif points to one that does not exist, you'll just get a bright purple color on the model in-game. That's FO4's way of saying it can't find the referenced texture. But your problem isn't with missing textures, I think. You're more likely getting CTD because as I mentioned in the previous post - its the shader flags themselves. Now, it could very well be another issue - but I know lots of folks trying to edit material files and nif settings end up getting CTD because of minor oversights (and I've been one of them!). Here's what I would do:

 

Open Material Editor and keep the program visible on one side of your monitor, then open Nifskope and keep it visible on the other side of your monitor. Now look through the Material File check boxes, being sure to examine each of the three tabs (general, material, effect) and take note of the check boxes. While doing this, glance over in NIfskope with the appropriate shader property selected and review the shader flags. If between these two they do not match, something needs to give. Not sure what your end goal is, but you'd want the material settings to match your shader settings for the nif. Again, not talking about texture paths - just shader flags (i.e, environment mapping, two-sided, skinned).

 

Repeat this comparison for each material and matching shape in your nif.

 

Also, not sure what program you use to edit/create textures - but I know the latest Bethesda patch is causing instant CTD for some users and its partly because of texture formatting. I can speak this truth, because my source of CTD after the patch was a simple little laser beam retexture mod. And many were saying their source of CTD was the Enhanced Blood mod or a settlement flag retexture mod. So something has changed after the patch where the game is treating certain texture formats differently (likely the CTD is due to improper formatting, but I haven't investigated it much).

[Descivii]

Well, I went ahead and changed the mat file to DefaultOutside1_dielectric.dds because dielectric is the texture that's actually used and now mat totally matches .nif. It worked! Here's the problem; in my haste and reading as you mentioned about some textures causing issue. I had tried both the Intel plugin (I use PS 6) and the Nvidia plugin for .dds and that didnt make any difference so I reverted back to 1.2 for FO4. So I don't know if it was reverting to pre1.3 that worked or my balancing the .nif and mat files that worked. I will test and report back if for no other reason than to learn something.

Mucho Gracias, Senior

[brokefoot]

I'm glad to hear you're doing the testing like you mentioned. This, sadly, is the only 'real' way to learn - trial and error. Many things I've learned through rigorous testing. It can be frustrating, but once you conquer something - even something as little as textures/materials - you tend not to forget and grow stronger as a mod author ! ;)

 

No problem, glad you got things working for now. Oh and thanks for supporting my mods all these years. Much appreciated !

[Descivii]

Im BA'ACK......SO........game crashes with the update and Im 100% confident in my material and texture files being correctly set for the mod that is causing the CTD. PLUS...my game runs great pre-1.3! So my question is; Is there a specific format for texture files since Ive read a LOT on textures being the cause of crashes with 1.3! Ive tried .dds with Nvidia and Intel both but not sure what other format might work.