SSE Cubemap not working on custom armor mod

[TheWilloughbian]

 

Try renaming the ....armor_basic_m.dds to something that gets rid of the "m" suffix. Anything without the "_m" at the end. I've run into times where the mesh won't work with it for some reason.

 

Other than that I'm kind of stumped.

I just tried renaming it but sadly it's still the same.

 

I still think I made a mistake along the way in this. I find this too strange, because it clearly works on other .NIF files, so it has to be something I did. I'm going to cover my steps and you can check to see if I did everything correctly.

 

1. I modeled my armor in Blender;

2. I optimized it, and unwrapped it and exported it into Substance Painter for texturing;

3. Textures are done in Substance Painter and exported into Gimp;

4. I adjust the textures and export them out of Gimp as .dds files;

5. I open Outfit Studio64x for Skyrim SE and select "New Project";

6. In the New project window, I select a reference from file; The file is the DaedricCuirass_0 since it matched rather well with my armor;

7. I select "Next" and I don't select or do anything else in the next view except pressing "Finnish";

8. I import my .OBJ file that contains my armor into Outfit and adjust it until it's in the exact same position as the Daedric armor;

9. I copy the weights to my mesh;

10. I go to the properties of my mesh and change the shader type from "Default" to "Environment Map" and save and close;

11. I export my armor as a .NIF file;

12. I open it inside Nifskope 2.0 and start applying textures;

13. All textures are applied and showing except for the cubemap that is not affecting the mesh at all.

 

These are all the steps I took. Considering I'm a novice at modding, I assume I must've done something wrong to cause this.

 

EDIT: Okay, I think now I'm certain there is something I'm doing wrong. Because I just did this whole process with a vanilla armor using the vanilla textures and the same happened. The .NIF exported from Outfit doesn't read the cubemap at all. So whatever is going on, it happens inside Outfit Studio.

 

1. I modeled my armor in Blender;

2. I optimized it, and unwrapped it and exported it into Substance Painter for texturing;

3. Textures are done in Substance Painter and exported into Gimp;

4. I adjust the textures and export them out of Gimp as .dds files;

5. I open Outfit Studio64x for Skyrim SE and select "New Project";

6. In the New project window, I select a reference from file; The file is the DaedricCuirass_0 since it matched rather well with my armor;

7. I select "Next" and I don't select or do anything else in the next view except pressing "Finnish";

8. I import my .OBJ file that contains my armor into Outfit and adjust it until it's in the exact same position as the Daedric armor;

9. I copy the weights to my mesh;

 

Skip this bit and do it in nifskope instead 10. I go to the properties of my mesh and change the shader type from "Default" to "Environment Map" and save and close;

 

 

11. I export my armor as a .NIF file;

12. I open it inside Nifskope 2.0 and start applying textures;

13. All textures are applied and showing except for the cubemap that is not affecting the mesh at all.

[Deleted16138374User]

 

 

Try renaming the ....armor_basic_m.dds to something that gets rid of the "m" suffix. Anything without the "_m" at the end. I've run into times where the mesh won't work with it for some reason.

 

Other than that I'm kind of stumped.

I just tried renaming it but sadly it's still the same.

 

I still think I made a mistake along the way in this. I find this too strange, because it clearly works on other .NIF files, so it has to be something I did. I'm going to cover my steps and you can check to see if I did everything correctly.

 

1. I modeled my armor in Blender;

2. I optimized it, and unwrapped it and exported it into Substance Painter for texturing;

3. Textures are done in Substance Painter and exported into Gimp;

4. I adjust the textures and export them out of Gimp as .dds files;

5. I open Outfit Studio64x for Skyrim SE and select "New Project";

6. In the New project window, I select a reference from file; The file is the DaedricCuirass_0 since it matched rather well with my armor;

7. I select "Next" and I don't select or do anything else in the next view except pressing "Finnish";

8. I import my .OBJ file that contains my armor into Outfit and adjust it until it's in the exact same position as the Daedric armor;

9. I copy the weights to my mesh;

10. I go to the properties of my mesh and change the shader type from "Default" to "Environment Map" and save and close;

11. I export my armor as a .NIF file;

12. I open it inside Nifskope 2.0 and start applying textures;

13. All textures are applied and showing except for the cubemap that is not affecting the mesh at all.

 

These are all the steps I took. Considering I'm a novice at modding, I assume I must've done something wrong to cause this.

 

EDIT: Okay, I think now I'm certain there is something I'm doing wrong. Because I just did this whole process with a vanilla armor using the vanilla textures and the same happened. The .NIF exported from Outfit doesn't read the cubemap at all. So whatever is going on, it happens inside Outfit Studio.

 

1. I modeled my armor in Blender;

2. I optimized it, and unwrapped it and exported it into Substance Painter for texturing;

3. Textures are done in Substance Painter and exported into Gimp;

4. I adjust the textures and export them out of Gimp as .dds files;

5. I open Outfit Studio64x for Skyrim SE and select "New Project";

6. In the New project window, I select a reference from file; The file is the DaedricCuirass_0 since it matched rather well with my armor;

7. I select "Next" and I don't select or do anything else in the next view except pressing "Finnish";

8. I import my .OBJ file that contains my armor into Outfit and adjust it until it's in the exact same position as the Daedric armor;

9. I copy the weights to my mesh;

 

Skip this bit and do it in nifskope instead 10. I go to the properties of my mesh and change the shader type from "Default" to "Environment Map" and save and close;

 

 

11. I export my armor as a .NIF file;

12. I open it inside Nifskope 2.0 and start applying textures;

13. All textures are applied and showing except for the cubemap that is not affecting the mesh at all.

 

I've done this, and sadly still nothing. :\

[TheWilloughbian]

I don't what else to try. Maybe Nif Optimizer?

 

This is a model you made? Blender?

[Deleted16138374User]

I don't what else to try. Maybe Nif Optimizer?

 

This is a model you made? Blender?

I never tried Nif Optimizer, might as well give it a shot.

 

Yes, I've made this model in Blender. I've been using Blender for several years as a 3D Artist. But I've never attempted things related to game design or modding. This is my first time. Thus why I believe I somehow messed up somewhere along the way.

[TheWilloughbian]

Well. I'm not much of a 3d artist, but I have become pretty good at importing models from blender to Skyrim. I've only done armours a couple of times but, I didn't have any issues with EVN maps not working.

 

If you like, I could have a look at your mesh. Upload your OBJ to Google Drive or something and PM me a link.

[Deleted16138374User]

Well. I'm not much of a 3d artist, but I have become pretty good at importing models from blender to Skyrim. I've only done armours a couple of times but, I didn't have any issues with EVN maps not working.

 

If you like, I could have a look at your mesh. Upload your OBJ to Google Drive or something and PM me a link.

Actually, I just noticed something, and I'm rather ashamed I didn't saw this earlier. But my mesh is dark in Nifskope, usually your meshes are suppose to be white but mine is this dark grey/black shader. I think this might be the issue, for this is the only mesh I have that shows up black in Nifskope. At first I thought it was the UVs were somehow broken during export, but I checked them in Nifskope and they are fine, so maybe it's the Normals? Is there anyway to check the Normals inside Outfit Studio or NifSkope? Because the normals are fine within Blender.

[Deleted16138374User]

Oh wow. This is was so simple that I even burst out laughing when I saw it! xD

 

So yeah, somewhere along the way the normals got flipped and all I had to do was simply select "Mesh->Face Normals" and it made my mesh white and the cubemap immediately started working. I just wish I had seen that first! ^^

 

Although I couldn't find these options in NifSkope 2.0. I had to use Nifskope 1.0.0.4 which creates a" NiTriShapeData" and in there I saw the options to face normals. Where are they in the latest version of Nifskope? Nifskope 2.0 doesn't create me that shapedata block.

[TheWilloughbian]

Yeah there's a lot of options that got nerfed in later versions of Nifskope. I keep Nifskope 1.2 around just for the fact it will import 3ds and OBJ files.

 

Also many of the options for facing normals, flipping faces and updating tangents will no longer be available once a mesh is optimized for SSE.

 

If your going to get into making your own meshes for Skyrim, your going to want things like Chunk Merge, NifUtilsSuite , and Nif Optimizer. I'm not sure what all you plan on getting into. I convert a lot meshes for custom statics (buildings and such) and I use these utilities all the time. If you are only looking to make armours you should be good with just Outfit Studio, though.

 

Anyhow, glad you got it sorted.

 

Cheers

[Deleted16138374User]

Yeah there's a lot of options that got nerfed in later versions of Nifskope. I keep Nifskope 1.2 around just for the fact it will import 3ds and OBJ files.

 

Also many of the options for facing normals, flipping faces and updating tangents will no longer be available once a mesh is optimized for SSE.

 

If your going to get into making your own meshes for Skyrim, your going to want things like Chunk Merge, NifUtilsSuite , and Nif Optimizer. I'm not sure what all you plan on getting into. I convert a lot meshes for custom statics (buildings and such) and I use these utilities all the time. If you are only looking to make armours you should be good with just Outfit Studio, though.

 

Anyhow, glad you got it sorted.

 

Cheers

 

As for now, I only plan on doing weapons and armor, then we'll see. But this current workflow I got of using both Nifskope 1.0.0.4 and 2.0.0 along with Outfit Studio seems to work well for me. But thanks for the help though. :)