Issues with Modelling, Textures, and Insanity

[Allannaa]

Okay, that makes sense from both of you and I appreciate it.

 

But the problem I'm having is, How to correct the path in NifScope?

 

It seems no matter what I do within NifSkope, when I select a texture, it DOES NOT show the file path. At most it will show \sma\texture.dds -- It won't go anywhere near \textures first.

 

What am I doing wrong in NifSkope? I went to NifSkope's site and re-read every tutorial posted, and I still don't understand what I'm goofing up.

 

I'm either going to go crazy soon, or start eating mort flesh again.....

[JDGameArt]

Are you entering this information in the area I showed in the SS with the red arrow?

 

I'll break this down into bite size chunks...

 

Step 1: Open you're .nif file in NifScope.

 

Step 2: You will see the file information stack compressed down into 1 line it might look like. "0 NiNode Scene Root" Off to the far left will be a small triangle arrow. Click that arrow...

 

Step 3: Now we see a big list of information you might see NITriStrips or NiNode? Look for the name of your mesh. What ever you called it, or was called apon exporting from your modeling program. Mine is called BagBelt1.

 

Step 4: Once you find your mesh click the triangle arrow off to the left of its data block. In those blocks of data, you should now see NiTexturingProperty. Once you find that click on its arrow.

 

Step 5: Now you will see an NiSourceTexture, and off to the right a purple icon with a directory path. It might look like.. C:\Beth\Obliv\Data\Textures\someFolder\someFolder\myImage.dds or it may just be Textures\someFolder\someFolder\myImage.dds. which ever it is, this is the file path the texture should be pointing to. If you need to change the file path, click the purple flower icon, and a window should pop up.

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

[DrakeTheDragon]

If NifSkope's file browser is giving you the wrong pathes, then just don't use the flower icon. Enter the path "manually".

 

However, you're right in that it should not give you a path like your's when using the flower icon to browse to your files. Might I ask for the exact path of an example texture you're using? Maybe it's something wrong with their location to begin with and that's why NifSkope "thinks" it has the folder offset right. For reference, the game will refuse to use any textures outside of the "textures" folder inside your data folder, while NifSkope will treat this as a valid path inside NIF files. Additionally certain resources may only reside within certain predefined folder structures. The number is manifold, as are the different types, so I don't know the right place for all, but among my first bets when the game won't use a file NifSkope accepts would be I put it outside of its expected location.

 

For what it's worth my game path settings in NifSkope only point to the data folder, which in your case would be "C:\Oblivion\Data". Remove "all" other entries! Let's not perhaps confuse NifSkope by the multiple entry levels you set up there. Maybe then the flower icon texture browser will yield the correct pathing again.

 

edit: That is of course only if "sma" isn't a folder actually on the same level as "textures". Then it simply will not work ever.

Edited August 2, 2011 by DrakeTheDragon

[Allannaa]

woops, didn't read your other post as closely as I should have, about how to correct the paths, thank you both for the added info.

 

My problem may actually be with GMax, because apparently even though I've read the tutorial a bazillion times, I'm texturing incorrectly there -- to the point where last time I pulled in my little dresser tray, the file names of the textures were programming gobbledygook symbols, and it wouldn't let me correct them. Needless to say I didn't export that file for use elsewhere.

 

Here is my EXACT path -- from a file that works (I took the upperclassroundrug, retextured it, made the texture into a DDS and n_.DDS using photoshop, brought it into NifScope, and clicked the flower)

 

c:\oblivion\data\textures\sma\textiles\mybluerug.dds

 

 

That one works, and works perfectly.

 

In the Render > Settings window, I did make sure that the top file is C:\Oblivion\Data\Textures. It won't Auto-detect, so I just didn't worry about that. However, upon first open of NifSkope, it had --

 

./textures

./skins/standard

./

 

I did know from trying something once before, that Oblivion switches MUST be the \ and not the /

 

Is it possible I need to change or delete or move down or something, the folder locations with the / to them?

 

I swear if it wasn't such a fascinating thing to work out, I'd go bats over the mystery here, you know?

[Allannaa]

Okay I've just brought this object into NifSkope, corrected the texture paths manually, exported it as a NIF, and opened it in GMax (which will only open 3ds or NIF files)

 

In GMax, it once again scrambled every single texture into unreadable garbage.

 

GMax is supposed to work exactly like 3DS (which I no longer have; my child owned it and when she moved out, so did her computer).

 

I'm starting to think this entire issue has to do with GMax.

 

When I bring the OBJ into Daz and give it "fake" jpg textures (Daz won't read DDS), then load the proper textures in NifSkope, I seem to get farthest toward actually having what I want to happen.

 

And, I did download and try Blender this morning -- I will admit, I can't even figure out the commands in the UI, the program completely frustrated me.

 

But, from what you say, it IS safe to remove everything from that Render>Settings, except C:\Oblivion\Data -- If I understood you?

 

 

And on another note..... I haven't changed one single thing in the ESP I'm using to work on this right now -- but every now and then, stuff I retextured is showing up either as pink or black -- even though I've done NOTHING to the item, and certainly haven't moved the NIF or the DDS and n_dds files.

 

Have I got gremlins on my computer or something?

Edited August 2, 2011 by Allannaa

[DrakeTheDragon]

Yes, there should not be a "C:\Oblivion\Data\Textures" in this list, as this may be the cause for the browser starting your pathes 'inside' "textures", not 'at' "textures". There should only be "C:\Oblivion\Data".

 

Don't bother too much with the weird texture pathes in GMax or 3DS. As long as you correct them "post" export everything's fine.

 

As for randomly missing textures or normalmaps with retextured items, maybe that's related to Archive Invalidation or even folder access permission issues. What method for Archive Invalidation are you using? Considering your path being "C:\Oblivion\..." there should not be an issue with the UAC or something. Do they only show up pink in the CS or also in the game? And does the pink go away when trying again or is it persistent?

Edited August 3, 2011 by DrakeTheDragon

[Allannaa]

Okay, so just to be clear -- the path in NifSkope's Rendering settings window is supposed to be:

 

C:\Oblivion\Data

 

And do I get rid of the other paths then?

 

And, should that be the ONLY thing, or am I supposed to also have the

./ (which was changed to .\)

./skins/standard (which was changed to .\skins\standard)

 

Do I let those alone or get rid of them?

 

As to the pink and black, this is random in the TESCS. To be totally honest, since I've had all these goofy issues, I've been scared to load the ESP into Ob and try it for real, so I don't know what happens in game.

 

I mean, what if I load it, and the world suddenly explodes into neon pink and flat black? Monsters would get me. I'm sure of it.

Edited August 3, 2011 by Allannaa

[DrakeTheDragon]

Yes, I said 'remove "all" others' for a reason. I've got only one path there and it's working. I don't remember ever having had more than one path in there and it was always working. So it should for you, too.

There is not even a path like "skins" or "standard" anywhere in the game, so I've got no idea where they were coming from to begin with.

 

I'm still rather clueless as for the random pink and black in the CS though, sorry.

 

But to your last line, there actually are people playing the game this way! I know there are as I've seen their screenshots! :blink:

And honestly, a neon pink monster in a pitch black world... what are the chances for such a thing coming even remotely close to you without you noticing it from miles away already? :rolleyes:

Edited August 3, 2011 by DrakeTheDragon

[Allannaa]

snipped...

As for randomly missing textures or normalmaps with retextured items, maybe that's related to Archive Invalidation or even folder access permission issues. What method for Archive Invalidation are you using? Considering your path being "C:\Oblivion\..." there should not be an issue with the UAC or something. Do they only show up pink in the CS or also in the game? And does the pink go away when trying again or is it persistent?

 

Drake, what on earth is Archive Invalidation and folder access? If it's a win7 thing, I'm running everything on lowest possible settings, as "administrator" for everything. Is that what you mean?

 

The pink is utterly random and ... well, I expect I'd better suck it up and try it in game. I've been afraid to thus far because I was worried it'd mess up Oblivion.

 

Is it obvious that I'm scared of my own computer these days?

Edited August 4, 2011 by Allannaa

[DrakeTheDragon]

Maybe a little. :rolleyes:

But don't be. It will not eat you or anything. At least I never heard of such happening to anybody up to now.

 

While searching for A.I. I first found this wiki link which might come in handy for future reference: http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/Retex_Troubleshooting

And here's the one for A.I., finally: http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/Oblivion_Mods_FAQ#Archive_Invalidation

 

Basically it is for telling the game which external texture files to use instead of its internal ones, as without this the game just won't do it, ever. The current approach to proper A.I. is by simply invalidating the need for A.I. itself, through the BSA Redirection approach also explained over there. It's a one-time-only fire-and-forget solution and thus my favourite to suggest to others.

 

Yes, the folder access and UAC issues would have been a Windows thing. But as you are outside of program files with your game, you should be fine in regards to this. However, you never know for sure what related issues your OS might throw at you. In some situations they're just more protective than is good for the user nowadays.

 

Starting your game when anything's out of order with your files will only mess up the current session you're playing in. Repair whatever's wrong with your files and your game will no longer be messed up either. There's more or less no way I know of for such issues to become stored in your savegame, if that's what you're worrying about. And unless you don't use BSA Alteration for A.I. (directly altering the BSAs' contents, requiring a reinstall if messed up) there can't be much "persistent" harm done to your game either.