About changing monsters meshes

[Gary3]

The thing about bones etc. was in this thread I think,

http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/478312-tutorial-3ds-max-skinned-meshes-into-game/page__hl__bones__st__360

 

but it shouldn't have anything to do with crashing / invisible mesh.

 

That seems to come from BSDismember / wrong setup in the nif-file, unfortunately I do have absolutely no clue what is causing it.

 

I've imported the nif-file with standard settings (but without camera checked).

The mesh was not modified and at once exported with the following settings "checked on" from the thread in the link above:

Flatten Hierarchy

Collapse Transforms

Zero Transforms (0,0100)

Export Skin Modifier

Enable Multiple Partitions (18 / 4)

Remove Extra Bones

Generate Partition Strips

Transforms (0.0)

 

Then I copied the BSLightingShaderProperty for all of the 4 horse meshes in the nif over from the original to the just saved nif.

Tried to load it -> game crashes.

 

I've uploaded the nif here:

http://www.fileuploadx.de/942825

If anyone can tell what's wrong with the nif / workflow, please help!

I've already have 100+ hours of work on this mod, without even the slightest result ingame. :sick: :dance: *goingmad*

 

Best regards,

Gary

[Gary3]

Hi,

 

so, this is the latest try for the NIF:

http://www.fileuploadx.de/932368

 

Copied the shader branches for all 4 meshes in the nif over from the original.

Changed some values (has vertex colors, Num UV Sets, Unknown Short 1).

The BSLightingShaderProperty had to be BEFORE the NiAlphaProperty in horse:1 and horse:2

 

The mesh is still not working (weird shadows, no skin, etc, try it), but at least Skyrim isn't crashing, though all 4 meshes are in the nif.

Still searching...

 

Best regards,

Gary

[SilverfeetStudio]

I would really appreciate some help with this too!

 

Could anyone who has this working post a screen shot of their export settings? I've managed to get this working as a .NIF but neither my exported version or the original (using a saber cat) seems to have the dismember nodes.

 

When I try to place the mesh in the creation kit, i get loads of errors and it crashes?

[Gary3]

Hi Silver,

 

as far as I understood, the BSDismember is there to disable certain bodyparts if other meshes/situations are active:

Person uses Helmet -> BSDismember -> Head gets disabled

 

So perhaps the saber cat has no BSDismember because it wasn't wanted to use any parts/armor that would block parts of its body?

If this is wrong, please anybody provide info about this.

 

Best regards,

Gary

[zdzichorowerzysta]

Gary, i donwnloaded your mesh, tested, and all what i saw was invisible horse. I remember i struggled with this problem, but now all what i did is:

imported your horse.nif to 3ds max, converted horse:0 to editable mesh, attached all other meshes with option "do not modify mat ids or material", added skin modifier, added all bones to skin modifier, added BSDismemberSkin Modifier, exported using those settings:

 

 

 

 

 

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h333/izomuli/Untitled-23.png

 

 

 

 

Then opened hoers in nifskope, changed body part value to 30, and(that's important, overwise Skyrim will crash) delete textures\actors\horse\Horse01_n.dds and textures\actors\horse\Horse01_sk.dds in BSShaderTextureSet

 

 

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h333/izomuli/Untitled-24.jpg

 

 

 

After that model was almost flawless, at least for me

But will it work on your Skyrim? Here's fixed model, check it

[Gary3]

Hello zdzichorowerzysta,

 

tested the NIF and it worked, except for some animationn and some bumps because of the merged mesh.

Then I did the exact same steps with the original NIF using Studio Max 2012 (same plugin version as you have) and -> static mesh again.

 

I spent the whole day testing and copying branches between the original and the modded nif, without success.

I'm not sure where to continue ...

 

Modding static items (shields etc.) works absolutely correct, it's just this damned horse...

 

Thank you!

Gary

Edited February 11, 2012 by Gary3

[Gary3]

Hi,

 

ok, so now I've installed 3D Studio Max 2011 and 3D Studio Max 2010 in a virtual machine, each with the NIF plugin 3.7.1 (.fdef17d).

 

I've exported all 4 meshes in the horse.nif and I've exported all merged to one mesh and exported all of this each with 3 different export settings and edited everything in Nifskope.

I always get either an invisible horse mesh with strange triangles or a static none moving horse mesh which is at weird colors and only partially visible.

 

 

 

I've used NIF plugins version 3.7.1 and 3.7.2.1 and NIFSkope Version 1.1.0 RC 5.

 

 

zdzichorowerzysta, can you please tell me which version of NIF plugin and NIFSkope you are using?

 

If anyone has had this problem, here are the NIF-Files for debugging, please help if you can:

http://www.mediafire.com/?24ekuy69j96thjd,zfq870wqqmbfkda,h36l3idbypbb2bg,tnsj8a1s4xjnq65,8w330ciegz7cc42,srpsya8zdahc46r,dg7719fwc9ch847

 

Best regards,

Gary

[Gary3]

A partial success, at last!

 

I merged the 4 meshes to one, as described above by zdzichorowerzysta.

 

Then I exported with the following settings:

 

 

In Nifskope, I didn't need to remove the dds files, but in NiTriStripsData set

HasNormals to No and HasVertexColors to Yes and change the BodyPartType to 30 (as described above).

 

That gives me the following, which is identical to your nif on my Skyrim, zdzichorowerzysta:

 

 

Because it's one mesh, the animation of the eye browes(?) and shape of the tail are weird, also the texture is strange of course.

 

 

So, instead of NiTriStripsData, the NIF-file should containt the four NiTriShapeData-Blocks.

 

Not to mention, of course I didn't get that ones to work already :tongue:

 

It would be nice, if you could check if you get the same result with the mentioned settings, and if a full bones/animation/texture-model is possible somehow (I know, I know, I'm asking for hours of testing again, but I may fantasize, don't I :whistling:

 

Best regards,

Gary

[Gary3]

WOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I DID IT :woot:

 

I'll post the tutorial tomorrow, I'm currently to tired (1 am here in Germany) :)

Edited February 12, 2012 by Gary3

[AkariWolfgirl]

So how do you apply a texture using nifskope and the same methods used here, because i cant seem to figure it out.