[LE] **EXPERT MODELING SKILLS NEEDED** - Creating new meshes in 2018

[BIZZnice]

Hi Modders,

 

The question I have for today's modding professionals in 2018 is how exactly are new meshes (.nif files) being created for Skyrim SE or Oldrim?

 

Let's say I have a workbench that I want to edit and change/scale or add to the design, or if I want to create new tree meshes, how exactly do I do that?

 

Currently, I am working on a mod and what I would like to do is introduce new species of trees in Skyrim SE. I would like to add in some more exotic types of trees while also adding in fruit trees and different types of conifers and deciduous trees. I started designing and naturally I am using blender for my designs. The designs look great so far and I wanted to test some in-game; but after a long back and forth installing different versions of blender and different plugins and several other nif utilities I have no way of creating a .nif for my new designs. Is there another mesh format that will work with Skyrim or is there another design tool out there that I could import my blender files? I am hoping that it will retain the design so I could actually export the .nif I wanted with quality resolution not an altered version. Blender 2.49b does allow for nif import and export once you download the 2.59 version of nif scripts. The issue is a design from blender 2.79 will not import into 2.49 or at least it didn't work for me with type of design I created. I tried to export a .obj from blender 2.79 which exported successfully but the import of the .obj into nifscope didn't work and then it brings up the topic of getting nifscope to work properly. I'm really at a loss here and I could use some expert advice or assistance in creating and designing new tree meshes.

 

I also need expert skills when it comes to actually getting new tree meshes and lod's to work in game effectively. This is of course if I can in fact create new .nif meshes for different types of trees. Please PM me if you would like to be involved in helping create this mod or have some expert advice on getting this to work the way I would like.

 

Thanks in advance,

BIZZ

 

 

[Hannes821]

I strongly advise you to check Dark Creations, in our Beyond Skyrim Community, Lord Hayden made a detailed tutorial for Blender export.
https://www.darkcreations.org/forums/topic/10525-blender-27-nif-exporter-tutorial/

on top of that, we have the arcane university to teach modders (who want to work in one of our teams).

The other well-used programme is 3ds (Maya and 3ds Max mostly), (Mudbox is nice for sculpting, Maya for shaping; and Max for exporting it in NIF, but you can do anything in Max)
Since you know what is where in Blender, I strongly would recommend you to stick to it though.

There is only the Gamebryp nif formate being used by Skyrim, indeed.
And it is also advisable to get a basic understanding of Nifskope for quick checks of your UV map on the textures (if you use external programs)
and dont forget to update tangents for converted meshes....

[TheWormpie]

Tutorials exist almost only for Blender 2.49, and it's really torture to find and install the right versions of everything to get it to work, and using it afterwards isn't much better...

 

I haven't tried this out yet, but it can only be better than the old days :wink: Take a look and see if it makes sense.

 

Otherwise, I might be willing to help to convert your meshes to nifs, depending on the amount (it'd still be without collision though).

 

EDIT: :ninja:'d by Hannes.

Edited January 26, 2018 by wormple12

[BIZZnice]

I strongly advise you to check Dark Creations, in our Beyond Skyrim Community, Lord Hayden made a detailed tutorial for Blender export.

https://www.darkcreations.org/forums/topic/10525-blender-27-nif-exporter-tutorial/

 

on top of that, we have the arcane university to teach modders (who want to work in one of our teams).

 

The other well-used programme is 3ds (Maya and 3ds Max mostly), (Mudbox is nice for sculpting, Maya for shaping; and Max for exporting it in NIF, but you can do anything in Max)

Since you know what is where in Blender, I strongly would recommend you to stick to it though.

 

There is only the Gamebryp nif formate being used by Skyrim, indeed.

And it is also advisable to get a basic understanding of Nifskope for quick checks of your UV map on the textures (if you use external programs)

and dont forget to update tangents for converted meshes....

 

I was using Dark Creation's tutorial and started with version 2.76 but I could never get the .zip plugin file to install properly, it kept saying it was installing to my app data folder, which I found it installed there and cut/pasted it into my scripts addon folder for blender but it never worked I could never even install the plugin. The plugin worked with 2.49b like I said but pretty much everything that was done in 2.79 was causing it to fail to open in 2.49b.

 

I can try 3ds, I think I can export .3ds files from blender I just have to get it to Max. And I will need to keep watching tutorials on nifskope because I'm getting lost when I use it.

 

Tutorials exist almost only for Blender 2.49, and it's really torture to find and install the right versions of everything to get it to work, and using it afterwards isn't much better...

 

I haven't tried this out yet, but it can only be better than the old days :wink: Take a look and see if it makes sense.

 

Otherwise, I might be willing to help to convert your meshes to nifs, depending on the amount (it'd still be without collision though).

 

EDIT: :ninja:'d by Hannes.

 

I will give 3ds a try first and see if I can get it to work using that route. stay tuned.... :-)

[BIZZnice]

Well I'd say the Autodesk studio was a mild success. Using 3ds Max 2016 and a nif plugin that I found I can now import the blender file into 3ds Max which retains my camera, light, objects, and I think materials (although I cannot actually view the materials in render mode in 3ds Max) and then allows me to export to a .nif file. It asks me all the options for exporting which I could be doing wrong but I did follow a tutorial which shows the options to choose. However, I am running into issues with there not being any triangles to export.

 

3ds will eventually be okay but I still prefer blender because I have grown accustomed to the controls and options.

 

Ideally, I'd like to test at least one tree .nif in Skyrim to make sure I am on the right track but it is seeming to turn out to be a very technical and complicated process, although I seem to be getting closer now that at least the plugin and tools seem to be working. I think it is now just about fine tuning and understanding the options and controls better.