A little help with a custom model I'm making

[XDoggStrafe]

First off, I'd like to say that I'm not sure if this topic goes here, or if it's even something that can get answered, but basically I'm making my own mod for a custom headgear that would show up as a hat (not a helmet so hair would still show). I made the model in MilkShape (as Blender doesn't wanna work with my OS and Nif files at the same time oddly.) I exported the model properly and then imported it and set it up properly in NifSkope, but for some reason, in game it's not showing up at all. Just remains invisible, yet is equipped. What's really perplexing is that if I change it from tail to hair, it appears several feet above my characters head. I also wasn't able to pick it up from the ground, despite it showing up in game (it had no collision nodes I think). I'm at my wits end, since most of the tutorials for NifSkope seem to assume I'm either a master of the program and just need tips on how to do something so simple, or go in a roundabout way of explaining stuff I already know, but nothing new. I've also tried simply editing an existing custom headgear nif file, and just adding my own object into it, and copying all the nodes from the existing files into the new ones. And still it doesn't show up, so I'm rather confused, if anyone has any advice it'd be most appreciated, and would help me out a great deal. I've also attached a picture of the hat in the version where I copied basically everything from a previous nif file, to see if someone could notice something I did wrong with it.

 

[Natterforme]

Before I can try to help with your situation, I must ask some questions first.

 

1. What type of texture are you using? Are they proper .dds files? Do you have normal maps for each texture?

 

2. In nifscope, are the file paths to each texture correct? Are these files in their own folder? If so, does the extension begin with textures/your folder/ your textures?

 

3. What is your experience with bone weighting? Assuming you have little to none, I will give you a step by step how to depending on your response.

 

4. What is your OS? What is the program you use? What file type is used in that program? Example: Blender uses a .blend file.

 

What you will need to know about item gear is very specific. If an item takes up the head slot, nothing head and up will appear. If it takes up the hair slot, the head will appear but your character will be bald. This is why it showed up in the tail slot. Items that take the tail slot accomodate where your tail would be if you are using a beast race. So for hats, pouches, capes, amulets, and other accessories, it is best to use either the amulet or tail slot since they dont make another body part disappear if you use a human or other tailess race. If your gear is appearing an X distance away from your character, this is usually bone weight related. If your item is not properly weighted, it will drop to the floor, raise off to a side, or just generally appear randomly in the space. In blender at least, a file can not be exported to nif format without weights so your item does have a weight of some sort, it just isnt right for what you want. Get back to me on these questions and I will see where we can go from there. Fear not! This is likely a small hiccup to finishing your mod! I often think of modeling as the easiest part of the process. For me at least, its the texturing, weighting, painting, animation, an so forth that can hang up a good idea.