Problem with 3ds Max Nif Importer-Exporter

[Stemin]

As I understand it this plugin isn't supported anymore according to the discussion page... Anyways, here is the problem I'm having.

 

I have the full version (not student version) of 3DS Max 2012, 64 bit. It says Design. I don't know if that's a specific version or not. But I installed the import/export plugin using the install file and it installs to a directory titled 3ds Max 2012. My 3ds max is in 3ds Max Design 2012. I can't just move the files because it doesn't create a MaxNifTools.ini file. So I download the .zip file instead and manually install the plugins and the ini.

 

The problem is, while this technically works, I never got a chance to setup any directories, so it doesn't load the textures when I import the .nif. I have tried playing with the .ini file with no luck.

 

As near as I can tell the piece of code for the directory config is as follows:

[skyrim]

NiVersion=20.2.0.7

NiUserVersion=12

NiUserVersion2=83

; Installation Folder

InstallPath=[HKLM\SOFTWARE\Bethesda Softworks\Skyrim]=@"Installed Path"

RootPath=${InstallPath}Data

ExtractFolder=$(RootPath)

MeshRootPath=${ExtractFolder}

TextureRootPath=${ExtractFolder}

UseSkeleton=1

Skeleton=${MeshRootPath}\Meshes\actors\character\character assets\skeleton.nif

RootPaths=${RootPath};${MeshRootPath};${TextureRootPath}

TextureRootPaths=${RootPath};${TextureRootPath}

TextureExtensions=.dds;

TextureSearchPaths=${RootPath}\Textures;${TextureRootPath}\Textures;${TextureRootPath}

SupportPrnStrings=1

Rotate90Degrees=NPC Head

SkeletonCheck=NPC*

DummyNodeMatches=* NonAccum;_;NPC COM

bhkScaleFactor=69.9912

 

Now I'm no expert, but it looks like the key here is I need to setup the Install Path, because that sets up the Root Path, which is where the data directory is, etc. I don't know what the purpose of the "HKLM" part is, but I tried changing the rest of it to the following and it still doesn't work:

 

InstallPath=[HKLM\download\Skyrim]=@"Installed Path"

 

So then I tried:

InstallPath=[c:\download\Skyrim]=@"Installed Path"

 

 

And still nothing. c:\download\skyrim\data is where my temporary meshes and textures are located that I work on before actually putting them in the skyrim directory.

 

If someone could help me figure out how to get textures into 3ds Max when I import, I would be grateful.

[wulfharth]

You could just manually path each texture as you need it by pressing m in 3ds, selecting maps, diffuse map, bitmap, and then going to the appropriate directory. You might also be able to just copy all the vanilla textures to the maps folder inside your 3ds max folder. That's a waste of space, but it should work.

[Stemin]

Hmm. I hit m to open the material editor, and down at the bottom was a button marked "general maps". Inside there was another text marked diffuse and when I clicked the button next to it another menu came up and I selected bitmaps and selected the appropriate file and it loaded the base texture I then had to hit two buttons.. one that applied it and one that showed it, but it didn't display the normal maps or specular. Is that normal?

 

Sorry, I'm trying to follow a tutorial that's supposed to teach me to do this stuff, but the first step in the tutorial didn't work out when I couldn't load textures.

 

I also noticed that when I loaded one of my custom textures it wouldn't show up the way the stock textures do.

 

Also.. unrelated... I've found that rendering crashes 3ds max when I'm using an imported .nif file.

Edited June 28, 2012 by Stemin