Custom Monster in Skyrim

[genz123]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to add a character i did into Skyrim.

I am thinking on offering him as a boss character with quests and everything.

I don't have enough experience with modding TES, however i learned a lot and i'm able to make quests and insert meshes in it.

The only problem i have so far is to adapt a skeleton to the proportions of this character.

I've read somewhere that you can stretch and fix bones to a new mesh and then skin it.

Does anybody know or have a tutorial?

Also what is the best way to export a rigged character?

Btw,here's my character as a static mesh so far :)

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5939028/Screenshot2025.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5939028/Screenshot3028.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5939028/Screenshot4482.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5939028/Screenshot7977.jpg

[SilverfeetStudio]

I cant actually help you with your question but that character looks sensational! Thats really really good work and it fits in perfectly as a boss character! Well done you! All the best of luck getting that working :)

[OrbikL]

I cant help either but hoping that you could help me. Is this a new model or have you replaced an existing one?

If it is new could you tell me how to do it please. I have tried by going to the object window, Right Click, select new, select my model but then I am running into errors with textures and stuff that I will work out but just wanted to know if I was going down the right path.

Thanks.

[genz123]

SilverfeetStudio thanks! i really hope to finish it into a complete mod :)

 

I cant help either but hoping that you could help me. Is this a new model or have you replaced an existing one?

If it is new could you tell me how to do it please. I have tried by going to the object window, Right Click, select new, select my model but then I am running into errors with textures and stuff that I will work out but just wanted to know if I was going down the right path.

Thanks.

This is a new model. All i did was to duplicate one of the existing static meshes (a pillar for this as far as i remember) and replace the mesh with my own version (editet in nifscope with correct shader and textures)

Then i just changed the name of the duplicate and it was ready to be placed in the level. very easy :)

[jsnider193]

Luvly looking creature that .. an Ogre maybe. If understand question (entirely possible I don't) and I really don't know all the in and outs of getting new creatures into Syrim, have only done 1 so far and it was based off an existing creature. For this would say use possibly the giants as a template an then build from there .. this means will use the giant skeleton and movement files as the base for this creature would then have to build up an entire new series of records based on what want the thing to do. For the new crabs made (not posted yet still testing) I had to change the 'naked' ARMA record (refs the nif here), then did the ARMO and then created a new race record. Other records ended up touching are:

 

CLAS

SPEL .. if creature has, crabs have water breathing and for giant extra damage (mod'd this last one since making a bigger crab).

INGR .. if get such when kill the thing .. for crab this is yes.

NPC .. for each version and a LvL record .. I did 3 diff crabs so had more then 1 entry in a lot of the record areas.

Leveled Actor ... for who/what shows up when place the M on the map, had some issues with this in terms of getting alt levels to work so made everything the same level and worked, have to do more work here.

Leveled Item .. If have a treasure that is called when the dude dies .. in addition to the ingredient.

Load screen .. Description and pix of the thing.

 

A lot of things reference the other records change so have to make sure all have been ref'd were needed or the dang thing won't display in the CK .. if doesn't then missed one some place ... good luck really would like to see the above stomping thru Skrim.

 

Oh will have to make a weapons list record for this thing .. haven't done that yet in skrim .. did in FNV .. so have not look for it here yet. Whatever creature go with the easiest way to get all the base records showing is say going with giants ... type giant in the filter and then select All at the bottom, will get you all the records might need for your creature and that will need copied/changed.

Edited February 10, 2012 by jsnider193

[genz123]

Luvly looking creature that .. an Ogre maybe. If understand question (entirely possible I don't) and I really don't know all the in and outs of getting new creatures into Syrim, have only done 1 so far and it was based off an existing creature. For this would say use possibly the giants as a template an then build from there .. this means will use the giant skeleton and movement files as the base for this creature would then have to build up an entire new series of records based on what want the thing to do. For the new crabs made (not posted yet still testing) I had to change the 'naked' ARMA record (refs the nif here), then did the ARMO and then created a new race record. Other records ended up touching are:

 

CLAS

SPEL .. if creature has, crabs have water breathing and for giant extra damage (mod'd this last one since making a bigger crab).

INGR .. if get such when kill the thing .. for crab this is yes.

NPC .. for each version and a LvL record .. I did 3 diff crabs so had more then 1 entry in a lot of the record areas.

Leveled Actor ... for who/what shows up when place the M on the map, had some issues with this in terms of getting alt levels to work so made everything the same level and worked, have to do more work here.

Leveled Item .. If have a treasure that is called when the dude dies .. in addition to the ingredient.

Load screen .. Description and pix of the thing.

 

A lot of things reference the other records change so have to make sure all have been ref'd were needed or the dang thing won't display in the CK .. if doesn't then missed one some place ... good luck really would like to see the above stomping thru Skrim.

 

Oh will have to make a weapons list record for this thing .. haven't done that yet in skrim .. did in FNV .. so have not look for it here yet. Whatever creature go with the easiest way to get all the base records showing is say going with giants ... type giant in the filter and then select All at the bottom, will get you all the records might need for your creature and that will need copied/changed.

 

Hey thank you for the reply.

Dd you edit the skeleton? Thats what i need to do,the rest is self explaining i guess.

I just need to learn a way to adapt the skeleton to my character's propotions without breaking it.

And possibly in max too.

Time to experiment :) thanks!

[Zenl]

Hey I recognize this model. Can't remember where; Polycount, Zbrushcentral? It's very beautiful work. :)

There's this tutorial:

http://cs.elderscrolls.com/index.php/3ds_Max:_Custom_Creatures

I have not come across an up-to-date one.

Good luck.

[jsnider193]

Nope didn't need to edit the skel as worked for what wanted .. somebody here had a post on editing skeletons, was weeks ago but they added wings (if recall correctly) to one of the basic skel's. Might search for that, not sure but they might also have posted it as a mod/resource so ck there also. If find i'll let your know .. have you tried using an existing skel and see what happens, orc or giant something that can use weapons, just curious as I being lazy try hard to avoid making new things if something exist that can make work for what after.

[jimmycalhoun]

Wow, amazing work.

[Ghogiel]

What you are asking is kinda not as simple as manipuating an existing skeleton in the strict sense. you may as well create a new rig altogether and go custom creature, as editing the skeleton would be best done in a 3d app, I mean you'll have a hell of a time placing joints where you want via manipulating nodes in nifskope. the you can export that to the a nif, then build all the ragdoll constraints, collision etc in nifskope. I did this is with F3 and it does take a while, and I knew more or less what I was doing at that point from having several years experience modding this engine and using nifskope. Mostly you would probably be copy pasting and fixing data out of a similar vanilla skeleton you are using as a template so to speak.

 

Now I know havok animation can procedurally retarget animations between differently proportioned skeletons on the fly, but have no idea or experience on getting that feature to work. Baring that you'd have to either make new animations or retarget some vanilla ones via maya, motion builder or webanimate or something, then process them back out as new set of character animations altogether. Usually what happens is that the bone transforms made for one sized skeleton won't transfer very well to another rig that is completely different unless it's run through some retargeting. I think it is a fairly long winded process.

 

That havok animation retargeting would be very useful to have worked out though, which would mean that you could edit bone proportions all day long and have a wide variety of creature proportions without a huge massive animation faff.

 

So yeah It's probably not a case of just transforming the bones in the skeleton and it you have as many proportion variations in any vanilla rig. You can always try messing with some bones in nifskope and see how it affects the animations.. I think it is a worthwhile experiment :biggrin: .