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Posted

I doubt I will get much help from such a subject, but it's worth a try!

 

I have 3DS MAX with Bethesda's official NIF export script and I need to morph a static object. The engine doesn't seem to have a way to do this with keyframe animation, so how do I get such an animation to function when exported? Do I need a HKX or will it "just work"? I doubt it will be as easy as just exporting with this game, which is why I am hesitant.

 

If anyone explain the steps or know of any tutorials that would be fantastic.

 

Thanks!

Posted

Aren't keyframes connected to the .nif itself somehow? I haven't really looked into it, but I thought that was how the spinning barrels of the minigun and laser rifle worked.

Posted

The only example I can think of that Bethesda would use this in those crappy-looking placed waves. I think they would use skinning and bones to morph and transform them, but I need to double check that. I was going to try and do a similar morphing test.

 

Or am I totally over-thinking this and you can actually keyframe the vertices? Actually, now that we have a New Vegas modder here: How did they do those flag animations in New Vegas?

 

Any help is appreciated.

Posted

Flags use bones for each vertex of the mesh which is then animated either manually or using some techniques I'm not aware of. If your animation requires morphing at subobject levels, bones are where you go.

Posted (edited)

Thank you very much!

 

I'm honestly pretty new to MAX as I prefer Maya for animation. Would you just pretty much export it as you would a character then? Could I partially follow some character export tutorial and have it apply to what I want to do? I have never done anything like this with NIFs, only statics and keyframes so far.

 

Edit: Those flags would have probably used a looping wind simulation and then a script to convert the animation to bones? I need to find such a script if available, but I could honestly just be wishful I don't know. :wink: I probably need to learn how to parent and bake them in MAX I guess.

Edited by Guest
Posted

No, you export it as a static unless it has stages, in which case it should be a PE Anim (no fadenode)

Posted
  On 2/5/2018 at 12:11 PM, Ethreon said:

No, you export it as a static unless it has stages, in which case it should be a PE Anim (no fadenode)

 

 

I'll give it a try, thanks again. I mean, it would be cool if someone could write a tutorial on this for future reference. Not saying you, but if I get anywhere I'll have to have a go I guess. Honestly, I wish this community didn't keep this kind of stuff to themselves as exporting to a NIF is vastly more problematic than exporting to FBX and dragging into a modern engine with top-tier animation tools.

Posted

There's a wiki article in regards to basic animation and export. The rest is you knowing how to setup scenes independent of the engine - how to skin, animate etc.

Posted

I guess you are right in that respect, it's just I'd like it all in one place if possible. As you have proven though, there's always great help to be had here and you have put me on the right track. I'm glad it's just pretty much the same process in all honesty!

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