[Help] Creating a Mod

[4sostrander]

Okay, so I know how to add an item to Fallout 3 by using the G.E.C.K., how to rename an item, and give it appropriate stats. My question is how can I put an Iron Maiden logo onto a set of Metal Armor, without replacing all Metal armors, and making it a unique Metal Armor. I am really new to modding, besides knowing how to place an item. I basically want to put this:

http://www.cdfory.com/images/1601195726201.JPG

on the back of a set of Metal armor. I have the picture, I have the Game, I have the G.E.C.K. I have no more than that. I would really appreciate if the Nexus forums could give me a step-by-step tutorial that is easy to follow on how to do this. I have tried looking at some of the other ones here, but they usually just lose me halfway through. Thanks!

Edited May 27, 2011 by 4sostrander

[Moraelin]

If you can edit a bitmap image, quite simply in fact.

 

Common step: use FO3Archive or the FOMM to unpack the texture and meshes .bsa files somewhere in another directory. Now find the one you want to change, make a copy, convert it from .dds with the NVidia command-line tools (just type "readxt <texture_name>.dds" in a command box in that directory, where you replace <texture_name> with whatever it's actually called), edit the 00.tga file it created with some graphics editor to add the logo, pack it back to .dds ("nvdxt -dxt5 -file <texture_name>00.tga"). Rename it to whatever you wish, if you wish.

 

You'll want to leave any _n.dds and _m.dds textures alone, btw, unless you want to make some embossed stuff. Those are for manipulating the normals to make the game simulate relief. Works great for making, say, that head look 3D, but for now let's stick to the simpler stuff. You can wrestle with normals afterwards on your own.

 

While you're at it, go into the GECK and make a copy of the item you want to duplicate. E.g., find the existing metal armour, double click it, change the ID, hit OK, say "yes" to the question whether you want to duplicate it. Then you can edit the copy to give it whatever stats, price, etc, you wish. We'll be returning to it though, so don't close the GECK quite yet. But it's a good time to save your mod.

 

 

 

Method 1: the quick and easy. Make your own subdirectories under Data\textures and Data\meshes. Let's say, Data\textures\4sostrander and Data\meshes\4sostrander

 

Copy the texture you just made in the textures sub-folder you just created. Copy the .nif mesh you want to change in the meshes sub-folder you just created. (Actually, there will likely be three: male, female and folded on the ground versions.)

 

Open the .nif in NifSkope. Look for some BSShaderTextureSet node in the tree that has the old texture. Change only the first texture to your changed one. Again, leave any _n or _m textures alone for now. Save.

 

Go back to editing the mod in GECK. Edit the mesh paths for male, female and world object to point out to your edited ones. Clear any first person entries the item may have. Clear any texture sets applied to it in the list of parts in that dialog. Save.

 

 

 

Method 2: the better way, in that you don't also distribute a mesh when you really don't need to. For bonus points, if someone changes the original mesh for Type III bodies or whatnot, your work via this method will automatically inherit the changes. (Neat, huh?)

 

Do like above, but only the textures. Don't bother making a meshes subdirectory. Copy the original _n and (if applicable) _m textures in the textures subfolder you just created too, not just your edited texture, for reasons which will become apparent in a jiffy.

 

Forget about NifSkope entirely, just go back to the GECK.

 

Look under Texture Sets. If you're lucky, the original already has a 1stPerson set which we can duplicate. If not, we'll just duplicate a texture set for some suit or something. (You know, double click, change id, save, "yes". Same routine for duplicating these too.)

 

Edit the duplicate texture set and replace the textures in that table with yours. Be sure that the _n one goes in the normal map slot, the _m one goes in the environment map slot. (Here's where it helps that you copied those too, because the dialog to select one can't look inside .bsa files, so it helps if you have them as separate files where it can find them.) If you have no _m texture, make sure you clear the environment map. Save.

 

Go back to editing your item. You'll still need to hit the "Edit" button for the male, female and world object meshes, BUT you don't actually set a new mesh. Instead, you apply your new texture set to the armour parts (but, obviously not to the body parts like neck and limb caps) in the table in that dialog. This makes the game still load the standard mesh, but apply your texture to it. Which is pretty cool, if anyone asks me.

 

Save.

 

 

 

Common part again: ok, so now you have a new item, but no way to get it in the game. (Well, not entirely true, but no comfortable way.) So we'll need to somehow put that item in the game world, where the player can get it.

 

There are a ton of ways to do that, but to pick a random one, let's just make someone sell it. Like, say, Karl in the Family hideout. (Same applies for any other vendor. Just picking him as a random example.) Again, this can be done in more than one way, but let's say we put it in a box owned by him. Vendors automatically offer for sale whatever is in the containers they own.

 

So first we'll need to find some suitable container and duplicate it. (You know the drill. Edit, change id, etc.) Edit the copy, change its name, kick out whatever was already in its contents list, drag-and-drop your new armour from the armours list into the contents list of that crate or box. Hit OK.

 

Now we'll need to place that box somewhere. Actually anywhere will do, but the most logical place to place it is in the Meresti subway station where Karl is. Find it in the window in the bottom-right, double click it. Zoom in the render window, drag, etc, until you find a good place for your crate. Then just drag-and-drop the crate into the render window.

 

Find it in the list in the right-most bottom list, right-click, edit. Set the owner to Karl, so he knows he can sell the contents. Set it to be locked locked if you wish.

 

Now at this point the crate is probably floating somewhere in the air, which can be immersion breaking, unless you're making a Twilight Zone themed mod ;) So you can neatly position it somewhere, where it looks natural. Or you can be an evil barstard like me, and just set its Z coordinate to something like -30000, so it's buried deep and good. Karl will still sell what's in it, but now the player can't just loot the armour, but must fork over the bottle caps to buy it. Down side: if the player killed the vendor (e.g., you gave it to Chief Gustavo and the player let the ghouls into the tower to kill everyone) and your crate is buried, the player can't get your new item, which sucks too. Anyway, your choice. Up to you if you want to cater to thieving players or make them buy it, since it's your mod.

 

And that is basically all. Now you can go buy your new armour in-game from Karl.

Edited May 27, 2011 by Moraelin

[4sostrander]

Common step: use FO3Archive or the FOMM to unpack the texture and meshes .bsa files somewhere in another directory.

What texture and meshes? Do you mean every one found in the game? If so, I did that already, and I'll follow your instructions from there.

[Moraelin]

Well, you could unpack just the ones for the armour you modify, but if my experience is anything to go by, it's kinda like a tiger tasting blood. Next thing you know, you get an itch to modify something else, and next thing you know you have whole collections of modified weapons and armour. So, I figure, might as well unpack everything in advance :P

 

Well, maybe not everything. You probably won't need the voice files and whatnot. But you'll need the meshes and textures.

[4sostrander]

Okay, so I opened the .dds file without converting it, since my image editor can open .dds files and edit them. But when I open it, I just get the metal armor and it's all chopped up into different segments....how do I put the logo onto that?

[Moraelin]

Well, modelling textures is a bit like tailoring. You have a 3d shape of what the final coat will look like, and you have a big square piece of dyed cloth from which the pieces are cut. The texture is the latter. That's what you're seeing there. So now you have to figure out which of those chopped-up pieces is the back and put your logo there.

[4sostrander]

You know what, after looking at it, I concluded that putting the logo on it would be nigh impossible. I'm going to try it with combat armor instead.

 

Edit: Okay, I got to Method 2. What do you mean, "Look under Texture Sets?"

 

Edit2: Nevermind! I totally got it to work! Woohoo! Thanks so much, I'll give you a kudos!

Edited May 28, 2011 by 4sostrander