SSE How to Start Modding

[xVff12]

Hello! I'm rather new to modding. I've been using mods for years, but only recently have I started doing more. I learned how to convert mods from Oldrim to SE using the Creation Kit and a bunch of other tools. Despite that, I know almost nothing about how to actually make a mod. All the guides I found were either so vague and broad that they were useless to me, or expected me to have so much knowledge about the Creation Kit that it was like building a rocket from IKEA. So I am asking for your help!

This is what I want to do: make a mod that adds something that I can wear to give me animal ears. I want to make the ears myself, not just cut them off of some animal. I'm shocked by the lack of these types of mods on Skyrim, so I've taken it upon myself to learn to mod. I'd like to know what I'll need (programs and files), and how to use it (step-by-step instructions and tips).

 

Here's what I can do:

• make digital artwork using photoshop-like programs. I'm no Leonardo da Vinci , but I'm very skilled with producing art.
• Cry when things get too difficult.

Here's what I cannot do:

• Anything that requires intelligence. I'm really dumb. It took me almost 2 days to learn how to convert a mod. If you do not explicitly tell me how to do something, I will fail it. Once I'm familiar, I will be set. Until then, assume I have the mental ability of a 5-year old.

Here's what I have:

• Creation Kit
• BSAopt
• SSE NIF Optimizer
• Nexus Mod Manager
• Winrar
• A lot of coffee and time on my hands

Thank you for the help!

[yian]

You will need to learn how to use 3DSMax or Blender. Unfortunately, there is no shortcut when it comes to 3D modelling. You must learn those from the ground up.

[Conquestus]

It simply depends on what your mod should be about. Depending of what you want to achieve it could be harder or easier.

 

The easiest way would be to work with only existing files of skyrim, so no new modelling or retexturing would be necessary. For example, by placing more enemies or new NPCs into different parts of the world or redesigning the existing world.

 

Harder would be to "duplicate" existing models and give them new textures and implement those new objects/creatures/armors/weapons into the world, but after some trying it is possible to gain a pretty nice workflow, if you are motivated.

 

Very hard would be to remodel existing models (I would never recommend to create new models from zero, because it would take much time, when I think about all the rigging and stuff like that. The only exception I can think of to create models from zero would be for weapons, clutter and static meshs). Yet, especially for Skyrim SE, it is a pain in the butt, to create models for Skyrim SE, because there are no current modules for blender (only outdated ones for the first skyrim), which could work with the .nif format (skyrim meshs) of Skyrim SE without converting meshes manually back and forth, again and again (pretty unecessary micromanaging sh*t).

I somehow hope that someday may a new version of nifscripts would come out, but it seems the project is pretty dead... (sadly)

 

And when you want create new events occuring in skyrim, you would need to understand the quest-system of skyrim via creation kit. And to gain full power over the quest- and event-system, you would need to understand the scripting language of skyrim - which is "Papyrus"... Which is also a pain in the ass. I understand some small parts of it, but I find the online documentation very bad and useful and advanced tutorials are very hard to find (if not impossible).

 

And generally speaking, the creation kit is very endangered to crash for many, many stupid reasons. The Creation Kit for SE is even worse than the one for the first skyrim.

 

So... It really depends on what you want to achieve.

 

EDIT:

 

 

This is what I want to do: make a mod that adds something that I can wear to give me animal ears. I want to make the ears myself, not just cut them off of some animal. I'm shocked by the lack of these types of mods on Skyrim, so I've taken it upon myself to learn to mod. I'd like to know what I'll need (programs and files), and how to use it (step-by-step instructions and tips).

Whoopsi, sorry. This sentence somehow got lost while reading the first time.

 

To achieve your aim I guess you need to work with blender and niftools... And I promise you, it's pretty hard work (not the modeling part itself, but everything else around it)... I wouldn't do such a thing, as long as there is no "easy" (normal) way to work with .nif models in blender and to export them correctly for skyrim SE, which is currently simply impossible and can only be avoided by using 3-4 programs to port and convert models into different programs and filetypes (.obj -> .nif -> .nif (SE version)) and reedit the models a thousand times, just to have some sort of Frankenstein's monster-nif, that wont work properly in the creation kit in the end... I think that's the main reason too, why there are not many of such mods around, because it's MUCH work, making no fun at all... I think pretty much every new model-mod for skyrim se I saw so far, is some sort of Skyrim-Original port.

Edited January 21, 2018 by Conquestus

[N7R]

I think pretty much every new model-mod for skyrim se I saw so far, is some sort of Skyrim-Original port.

 

I am not sure on blender workflow but with 3ds Max it is very possible to have correct SSE nif models. All my scratch built models work in SSE in the proper format. All that was needed was the nif plugin someone made (which is hosted here on nexus) to be able to export the proper SSE nif format.

 

There is also nif optimizer program which I believe a user could make their models with the old nif file and then said program can convert it to SSE nifs. I've not tried this method before but that would be one way to take it from blender to the new SSE nif format too.

[Conquestus]

 

I think pretty much every new model-mod for skyrim se I saw so far, is some sort of Skyrim-Original port.

 

I am not sure on blender workflow but with 3ds Max it is very possible to have correct SSE nif models. All my scratch built models work in SSE in the proper format. All that was needed was the nif plugin someone made (which is hosted here on nexus) to be able to export the proper SSE nif format.

 

There is also nif optimizer program which I believe a user could make their models with the old nif file and then said program can convert it to SSE nifs. I've not tried this method before but that would be one way to take it from blender to the new SSE nif format too.

 

Really? Oh, I didn't know that. 3ds Max is not accessible for me.

[N7R]

 

 

I think pretty much every new model-mod for skyrim se I saw so far, is some sort of Skyrim-Original port.

 

I am not sure on blender workflow but with 3ds Max it is very possible to have correct SSE nif models. All my scratch built models work in SSE in the proper format. All that was needed was the nif plugin someone made (which is hosted here on nexus) to be able to export the proper SSE nif format.

 

There is also nif optimizer program which I believe a user could make their models with the old nif file and then said program can convert it to SSE nifs. I've not tried this method before but that would be one way to take it from blender to the new SSE nif format too.

 

Really? Oh, I didn't know that. 3ds Max is not accessible for me.

 

 

I think the outfit studio in bodyslide for SSE you can import obj files from blender and convert them to SSE nifs as well. You'd have to do some post cleanup but that method is free and could get you SSE nif files as well.

[ArchPhaeton]

To directly answer OP:

 

As these people have stated, making models from scratch for Newrim is a total PIA. The current 3dsmax plugin doesn't have full functionalities (at least I havn't got them to work as they are supposed to) It can export nifs (model files) that Creation Kit and the game recognize, but for stuff like collisions you'll need all the oldrim tools needed for this.

 

To make kemono wearables you'll need...

 

A. Oldrim software

1. A modelling program. I use 3dsmax 2011.

2.The corresponding nif export/import plugin. There's one for max and other for blender.

3. A graphics editor that can export DTX5 .dds textures, I use Ps.

4. Nvidia plugin to export the textures.

3. Nifskope, the old one for oldrim files.

4. ChunkMerge or NifUtilsSuite, to add collisions and other tweaks.

 

B. Newrim Software

1.Nif Optimizer, to convert oldrim files into newrim format.

2.Nifskope, the new one, to tweak the nifs as needed.

 

I barely managed to get my hands on a max2011 version. If you're gonna get it from the internet do it asap - it's nearly extinct.

The nif plugins are in the oldrim nexus.

The nvidia plugin is available from them, I think.

Old nifskope is in the nikskope website.

Chunkmerge/NifUtilsSuite, you can find them if you look hard enough

Nif Optimizer is in the newrim nexus.

Newrim Nifskope is in their website.

 

Personally I have not made any armor mod , figuring out how to make a static with collision took me like a week... But there's a tutorial in steam that teaches how to implement a hat model using the skyrim files as guide. I know there's a bunch of things you need to set up like bones, world model, etc. it's all covered in that tuto.

 

To make the ears themselves it's not that difficult - here's a rudimentary example:

1. box shape

2. FFD modifier, moving control points

3. Clone as copy, resize, reposition and cut out the ear hollow with a boolean.

4. Unwrap UVW modifier, render template and use it to create the texture.

5, Clone, reposition. Better with a vanilla file as guide, for sizing and positioning.

 

I find UV mapping and texturing to be the most boring task. If you really have the will and time to go for it, i'd suggest you to try and do this with just a box or cylinder shape, from zero up to the game, so you learn the process. If you nail it then you can take your sweet time modeling and texturing.

 

I put this long answer 'coz, while it is a long and tedious process, I don't think we should discourage you right away. The world needs more strong willed people. Who knows, perhaps this is down your alley. If I get a little time I could even model something simple like this and you do everything else.

Edited February 6, 2018 by ArchPhaeton