[LE] Custom creature vertices broken in Creation Kit preview (3DS Max)

[mdberg]

Dear All,

I'm planning on making a custom monster model for Skyrim (with a vanilla skeleton used) but I wanted to first test with a vanilla mesh. So I test a mesh from Dragonborn DLC (it is just a skin for Draugr skeleton). My plan was to just import the OBJ form of the base body mesh into 3DS Max and do the basic steps. I exported the body as an OBJ and started. Here is what I did step by step:

1. Import ashman.obj (just the body of Ashman.nif from actors/dlc02/ashman/ashman.nif)

2. Import ashman.nif with these options

3. Align ashman.obj to the vanilla mesh (they're both the same anyway)

4. Add Skin Wrap modifier to ashman.obj

5. Add Ashman vanilla mesh to Skin Wrap parameters.

6. Using Face Deformation and Weight All Points Checked, click convert to skin

7. Delete skin wrap

8. Add BSDismemberSkin modifier and set it to Skyrim, Main Body

9. Delete vanilla meshes (not bones) and export witht these options

10. Save

11. In Creation Kit preview left arm vertices stretch to infinity but animations work.

I don't know why it's happening as it is just the exported mesh itself being wrapped to the original.

Also I want to know what it means if there are no vertex errors but no animations work.

[Di0nysys]

It can be a number of things:

1- Either the arm mesh area is not properly skinned to a corresponding bone. Check that stuff out in the envelops rollup, tick "vertices" on, and select that general area to check the skinning.

 

2- You have way too many bones per single BSDismemberModifier. The solution to this is to make several BSDismemberPartitions within the same mesh to spread out the bone distribution. It's fine to have multiple partitions assigned to the same body part (ie Skyrim, Main Body). The game especially hates this. I found this out the hard way after 3 weeks trying everything.

 

3- One last thing is to watch out for the BSLightingShader, make sure the "skinned" modifier is turned on.

[mdberg]

Thanks. It looks like it may be the 2nd issue which I will check.

 

Another question I have is do you have to have your mesh wrapped in some way to every bone? So it pretty much has to be in the same overall shape as the original mesh? Or if your mesh doesn't have vertices in some places where the bones are will that work out?

 

I edited this for people who are wondering...

 

i figured out that you can have only certain bones influence certain vertices and the whole body doesn't have to be there. So some bones can be ignored if needed.

 

And another question, what does it mean if no animations work? I assume it has something to do with the skin not properly wrapped?

 

Edit: Ok for people who are wondering it looks like the animations stop working when I modify the hierarchy of the Nif file (i.e. manually add a block like a BSLightingShaderProperty) so I have to have the blocks included in 3DS max before export.

Edited July 5, 2018 by mdberg