Help make simple Katana

[leot486]

I just couldn't do that...I tried in oblivion... couldn't get it....

[leot486]

How do people incorporate new meshes into the game if the nifscript for blender isn't out yet? I have seen it done, but I don't get how.

[CampanaAliquanta]

Was the thought of making a mesh easy really that obscure? Come on man destroying the little bit of motivation I had :( haha

 

Making the mesh is just one part of it. The mesh itself is a very simple idea in theory, but in practice there are lots of things that can go wrong, and if you aren't confident with the UI or the commands you can spend hours trying to work out what mistake you just made and how to fix it. The first few times you make a model you will spend a lot of time having to backtrack and fix mistakes you made ealier on without realising, or just having to start again from scratch.

 

Basically, you need to be patient, not get easily frustrated, and to methodically troubleshoot your way through the many issues your 3d editing software will attempt to throw in your way.

 

As for replacing the mesh, you can in theory export an .obj from blender, then import that into nifskope and export a .nif there - not tried this yet myself though. Adding a new item to the game is a bit complicated, but I expect you could simply replace the .nif and .dds files of the new katana with the current one in game, even if just to test how it looks.

 

Edit: Replaced "small" with "one" to keep a certain person happy

Edited December 15, 2011 by CampanaAliquanta

[leot486]

Alright thanks again Campana ^_^ Really appreciate the offer you made, hope you can do it. And thank you for clarifying the tediousness of making a mesh :P It would take me quite some time to get good at that.

[Matth85]

Hey, I picked it up pretty quickly considering I hadnt touched it in 6 years.

If you've learned it once, you can take a break for the next 25 years and still pick it up without too much problem. You've learned to "see in 3d".

New people do not got that, and will not be able to.

 

Some critisism on the katana, if I may. I mean no disrespect with this!

 

- Too bumpy texture. It's too bumpy for any real leather.

- No texture on the gold/Yellow part. Is this gold/metal? I suggest some metallic texture on it.

- The handle looks ... I am not sure, either bumpy or blurry.

- Did you use photos? Remember to prepare them, and not slap them on.

- The blade needs a more defined metal texture. It doesn't look bad, but a scratch here and there is good, and will not ruin the clean look if the specularity is decent.

 

Making the mesh is just a small part of it. The mesh itself is a very simple idea in theory

What? Small part? Simple? .... The mesh is 50% of the model, and about 80% with sculpting. It is the majority of a model, and needs to be good. There is nothing simple about it, other than what a mesh actually is.

A mesh is a model without colors. A texture is the colors to the model.

A good texture is needed, of course. As well as a good UV layout. However, if the mode is lacking, you've done wrong. A good texture can save a bad model. But no texture can make a bad model look superb. You need both to do that, balancing them perfectly.

 

 

If anybody want to do 3d, remember this: 3D itself is a hobby. Do not learn 3d if your hobby is just to mod. Long nights, painfully houres - they are all here. Looking at a good model, however, is worth more than anything.

 

"Modelling is like getting through a brick wall with your head. You could ask somebody else for the door, but you learn the most by breacking through it. A headache is surely to follow though!" - A friend of mine. It's true in more than 1 way.

 

Cheers,

Matth

[CampanaAliquanta]

Alright thanks again Campana ^_^ Really appreciate the offer you made, hope you can do it. And thank you for clarifying the tediousness of making a mesh :P It would take me quite some time to get good at that.

 

No probs, should be able to have a look at it on Saturday.

 

It's worth it as a hobby, and while it can be frustrating sometimes, it's a lot of fun when you get it right :)

[CampanaAliquanta]

Ok, leot486, you want it to look sort of like this?

 

 

 

Why do you want the front part of the blade to be darker? Is it made from a different material?

[leot486]

Ok, leot486, you want it to look sort of like this?

 

 

 

Why do you want the front part of the blade to be darker? Is it made from a different material?

 

Yeah that is about right :D and I wanted the front to just be like a black steel and the back like a silver steel, just a design I liked. Also, I wanted the handle and the area where it starts to widen to be flush, if you could do that some how. Oh and as shown in my original epic paint picture (:P) I wanted the handle to have a pommel the same color as the back of the blade, and a center piece in the middle of the handle again the same color. and instead of a wrapping like a normal katana I just wanted it to be spiraled around the two sections of the handle. Kind of like how the blade of woes leather is just wrapped around it. Of course I wanted the leather on my blade to be black though.

 

If this is getting all to specific I'm sorry and thanks again ^_^ Really glad someone took this up, I have wanted this sword since I bought Oblivion way back when.

Edited December 16, 2011 by leot486

[CampanaAliquanta]

No problem, I like katanas too. So anyway, more like this then:

 

http://www.menacetoperpetuum.com/Campana/pics/katana2.jpg

 

1) What material should the middle bit of the handle be? Because that's where your hand would hold it, so presumably it needs to be leather or some kind of binding to give it a good grip. Or are you intending it to be a 2h katana? :P

2) I think it lookds more balanced if there is kind of attachment at the top of the handle (as on the left), where the blade comes out, or would you prefer without (as on the right)?

3) And do you prefer the flare at the top of the handle on the left version or the right version?

4) When you say spiral binding like the blade of woes do you mean this?

 

I don't mind being specific about it, might as well get it right before I make it ^^

[leot486]

No problem, I like katanas too. So anyway, more like this then:

 

http://www.menacetoperpetuum.com/Campana/pics/katana2.jpg

 

1) What material should the middle bit of the handle be? Because that's where your hand would hold it, so presumably it needs to be leather or some kind of binding to give it a good grip. Or are you intending it to be a 2h katana? :P

2) I think it lookds more balanced if there is kind of attachment at the top of the handle (as on the left), where the blade comes out, or would you prefer without (as on the right)?

3) And do you prefer the flare at the top of the handle on the left version or the right version?

4) When you say spiral binding like the blade of woes do you mean this?

 

I don't mind being specific about it, might as well get it right before I make it ^^

 

Oh god they both look great I have honestly been staring at them the last 5 minutes trying to decide. The one on the right is the closest to my original design, also the center piece is steel, part of the tang of the handle. The theory behind the sword is that the whole thing is one big piece of steel. then the handle is thinned in those sections so that the leather wrap will fit in it flush to the metal.

 

But the one on the left looks really cool. I think I will go with the one on the right though, but hey if you want to go ahead and make both, that would simply be awesome :D

 

and also, yes to the leather strap on the blade of woe, pretty much just looks like it was wrapped around.