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Working with SCLP files [Info + Tutorial]

FiftyTifty

By FiftyTifty
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FiftyTifty Mentor

FiftyTifty

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Now that I've made a properly working .sclp creator, along with Zilav's .sclp import script for FO4Edit, I ought to get this info noted for posterity.

 

 

What are SCLP Files?

 

SCLP files are simple, plain text files that have XYZ scaling values for certain bones. The bigger the values, the larger the triangles that use them. The smaller the values, the smaller the triangles. If you pay attention when swapping under armour, such as the vault suit and raider leathers, your equipped armor pieces will change in size. This is due to the difference in bone scales.

 

The bones that are used by the engine, to scale armour pieces over underarmour, are denoted with the suffix _skin. Other bones should not be added to the .sclp file.

 

 

 

How does the game use SCLP Files?

 

The .sclp files themselves are not used by the game at runtime. Instead, they are added to armor addon records ahead of time. The .sclp file's data gets imported to an .esp/.esm file, through the Creation Kit or FO4Edit.

 

 

 

How to create SCLP Files

 

It's actually fairly simple. As I use 3ds Max, I can't guarantee that other 3D packages will export the bone data as text in the same format. Other users would have to see for themselves and report back.

 

Install the nif import plugin for 3ds Max 2015/2016. Note that if your 3ds Max install is in a folder other than C:\Program Files\Autodesk\..., the installer will place the plugin there anyway. Simply cut and paste it to where your actual install is located. The link: https://github.com/figment/max_nif_plugin/releases

 

Load 3ds Max, and the following .nif files in order:

 

- Skeleton.nif

 

- The nif file for the outfit, uncheck importing the skeleton when prompted.

 

- The nif files for a full set of heavy armour, also without importing the skeleton. For example, import these files for a full set of heavy metal armour: FArmL_Heavy_1.nif, FArmR_Heavy_1.nif, FLegL_Heavy_1.nif, FLegR_Heavy_1.nif, & FToroso_Heavy_1.nif

 

Once imported, select the outfit and collapse the skin modifier (modifier list -> right-click Skin -> Collapse to). This avoids the outfit from being scaled. I also recommend freezing the outfit object.

 

Before you modify the scales, be sure to select all of the skeleton bones and export them as an ASCII file (.ase). This gives us the default, un-modified values for the bones. These will later be compared to the modified bones. You only need to export the unmodified skeleton once.

 

Use the following settings when exporting:

 

ASE_Export.png

 

Remember to often export and import the data into the game, so you can see what will need fine-tuned in 3ds Max.

 

Now use my program to generate a .sclp file, from the source .ase file (the unmodified skeleton), and the modified .ase file (modified skeleton). You need only download the .exe from here: https://github.com/MajinCry/Fallout-4-SCLP-From-ASE

 

Use this Fo4Edit script by Zilav to import the .sclp file to an armor addon record in Fo4Edit. : https://pastebin.com/raw/0SWSbm04

 

~Fin~

 

 

 

Bugs and pitfalls

 

1. The first big caveat, is that the Creation Kit's SCLP importer is broken. Don't use it, it messes up the values for certain bones.

 

 

2. The second, is that there are particular scaling bones that armour pieces use, but are ignored by the engine. Certain scales are also ignored for some bones. I'll update the list as I discover them. An asterisk indicates the bone itself is ignored, #0 means the Z scale is ignored, #1 = Y scale, #2 = X scale. Suffixed is where on the body they affect:

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

3. There is a discrepancy between the bone scaling you see in 3ds Max, and the game itself. Possibly due to the race records containing bone scaling data (as well as rotation & position data) themselves, but that's just a guess.

 

To demonstrate, compare the armour pieces in these two images:

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

As a result, you must often compare the modified scaling data between 3ds Max & Fallout 4, as you go through the _skin bones.

 

 

5. Fallout's XYZ axis are different from 3ds Max's. In the bone data for the ARMA record, Value #0 = Z. Value #1 = Y. Value #2 = X.

Edited by FiftyTifty
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SenorSliceyHands Newbie

SenorSliceyHands

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Dang, nice! Don't suppose you have any plans to release a mod like this for the Vanilla/DLC layered armor sets do you?

I may try my hand at resizing a single piece of armor I've always wanted to fit over a particular piece of clothing, but if you've got something in the works already...

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  • 6 months later...
SQr17 Rookie

SQr17

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Great work. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get your tool to work.

 

Opening up the .exe in notepad shows only this '../../Visual Studio 2010/Projects/Fallout 4 - SCLP From ASE/Fallout 4 - SCLP From ASE/bin/Release/Fallout 4 - SCLP From ASE.exe'.

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