Problems creating reflective water in FO3 GECK and other troubles

[RaffTheSweetling]

Hi Prensa.

 

Yes, you are always helpful. :)

 

I more or less worked out that I did select that mod as active file and changed my own mod (which wasn't set as active file) and this is probably what caused the duplicate cell to be created.

I went back to my morning save file and rebuilt and redid all the work. Sucks, but has to be done some times.

The "Underground Hideout" backup saves were in the backup save folder inside my data folder.

The FO3edit backup saves are 2 in number I think, corresponding with changes I have made to my mod and then saved in FO3edit. So that's good to know what those backup saves are.

 

If I could change the topic back to needing help..

 

I have tried to place mannequins, and these are tricky buggers, which crash my GECK when I load it up after trying to make a mannequin and then saving the work. I would really really like to know how they can be made/scripted, pretty much exactly along the lines of Danthegeek's amazing Mannequins in his Underground Hideout, but also designed in shape and form to be able to wear other modder's attire like "Ling's finer things" clothing, and clothing designed for Type3 bodies etc etc, perhaps using SemiJames' Type3 and Breeze Mannequins, (despite the absurd male genitalia).

 

Could you possibly teach me how to do this if you have the time?

 

Thanks always Prensa :)

 

Griffin

[prensa]

Griffin - Hello!

 

Glad you got your mod back on track. :)

 

"I would really really like to know how they can be made/scripted, pretty much exactly along the lines of Danthegeek's amazing Mannequins in his Underground Hideout"

 

I've never used the Mannequin mods so I've little knowledge of them I'm afraid.

 

I see Underground Hideout by danthegeek uses Mannequins by AndyW1384:

 

http://fallout3.nexusmods.com/mods/2060

 

That Mannequin mod is very kindly listed as free to use by AndyW1384.

 

Since that's used as the base for all the other Mannequins that seem to be out there, seems best to use that.

 

So you could merge it with yours (giving thanks to AndyW1384 in your credits), I use FO3 Plugin Utility to merge mods as it's very simple to use & a great tool:

 

http://fallout3.nexusmods.com/mods/5104

 

Type3 and Breeze Mannequins by SemiJames mod is using AndyW1384 as a base too but with Type 3 & Breeze compatiblity added.

 

So you'd need permission to use that in your mod.

 

Prensa

[RaffTheSweetling]

Hi Prensa.

 

Thanks a lot for the input. I will keep bashing those mannequins about and I should eventually get it right. :)

 

Another modding question...

 

I have tried to make batch lighting work using a single activator to activate a group of lights. Through trial and error I have had very mixed results. Using a script also to reference an X Maker.

I can't seem to get this right. Do you know how to do this?

 

 

Cheers as always :D

 

Griffin

[prensa]

Griffin - Hello!

 

You mean a light switch that will turn on several lights all at once?

 

That's easy & looks really nifty. :)

 

You need to write a simple script for on/off.

 

Click on the Scripts button in GECK (the little pencil near the top).

 

In that click Script - New.

 

Now copy the below script & paste it in:

 

ScriptName yourmod'snameLightSwitchScript

 

ref light

 

Begin OnActivate

if light == 0

set light to GetLinkedRef

endif

 

if light.GetDisabled

light.Enable

else

light.Disable

endif

Activate

End

 

You can't use the normal copy/paste dialogue box so use CTRL V to paste the script in.

 

Then click Script - Save.

 

Now go to the Activators in the Object Window & filter:

 

ElectricalSwitch

 

Double click on the ElectricalSwitch, in the box that comes up make it a new object by renaming it's ID, something like ElectricalSwitchLightOnOff.

 

In the Script box, just below the Name, browse that to the "yourmod'snameLightSwitchScript" you made above & select OK.

 

Now all you have to do is place the switch & lights.

 

Place the lights as normal around the light fittings.

 

Place that ElectricalSwitchLightOnOff you made wherever you want.

 

Choose the light that's nearest the switch & double click on it (that's the actual light not the bulb or lamp etc.), tick the Persistent Reference at the bottom (so it can be used as a reference) & tick the initially Disabled (so it starts the game off).

 

Now select the ElectricalSwitchLightOnOff, in it's details click on "Linked Reference" then "Select Reference in Render Window" & select the light you set as Persistent, click OK.

 

Now in game that light should come on when the switch is activated & off when activated again.

 

To link other lights to this same switch is easy, click on the light you want tied into this switch, tick the initially Disabled then select "Enable Parent" & "Select Reference in Render Window" & connect it to that first light you made Persistent.

 

Do this for any other light to be linked into this switch.

 

You can save time by selecting all the lights you want linked to the master one & press the - key to batch set their Enable Parent.

 

You can also link in any light effects that need to go off with the light (like shafts or fills) by linking them in the same way.

 

I think I covered it all. :)

 

Prensa

Edited July 2, 2012 by prensa

[RaffTheSweetling]

I think I covered it all.

 

Phew, hehe, You're naught if not extremely thorough! I like that. Cause other people read these forums inevitably and no word goes to waste.

Ok, so to the lights, I more or less knew all the first stages already from trial and error (no offense), but the last stage, using the first light as the parent activator for the other lights, that was the missing ingredient in mama's soul ketchup. :) So once again, you are the best! Thanks Prensa.

 

On a side note, and to explain why I have not replied sooner, My wife just gave birth to our first child. A little baby girl we named Josie Simone (first and middle names) she is a mixed ethnicity baby (the very best kind I think) with a Chinese mum and Australian Dad and she looks like me :D. My wife did an amazing job without drugs and a good delivery in two hours. Life is pretty wonderful sometimes.

Modding will take a backburner for a while. But I can work on finetuning my plugin here and there.

 

Probably This site wouldn't approve to my putting pics on my album of a baby, so when my wife blogs photos I will send a link to you. :)

 

Thanks always Prensa!

 

Griffin

Edited July 3, 2012 by RaffTheSweetling

[prensa]

Griffin - Hello!

 

"but the last stage, using the first light as the parent activator for the other lights, that was the missing ingredient in mama's soul ketchup."

 

Glad it helped!

 

"On a side note, and to explain why I have not replied sooner, My wife just gave birth to our first child. A little baby girl we named Josie Simone"

 

Congratulations!! :thumbsup:

 

"she is a mixed ethnicity baby (the very best kind I think)"

 

Certainly is, best of both worlds. :)

 

"and she looks like me"

 

I'll take your word for it that's a good thing. ;)

 

"Life is pretty wonderful sometimes."

 

It is indeed, just remember you said that when she's keeping you up at nights. :)

 

Best wishes!

 

Prensa

[RaffTheSweetling]

Hi Prensa.

 

thanks for the nice words!

 

Baby is fine :)

 

I have a few troubleshooting questions today.

 

I recently installed Ling's Finer Things and Pretty Things and in all fairness, I don't know a lot about this mod, and they gave me constant CTD when I loaded the game. I am wondering if they require Breeze and Type3 body mods to work? is there a particular mod needed for these Finer/Pretty mods to work? Can you recommend an optimal set up for Ling's stuff?

 

I mentioned the CTD, I eliminated what I believe caused the crashes, by turning off the most recent mods installed. Ling's being the culprit. Yet I still have a very nasty full system crash when I play and then quit the game. Up until I quit, nothing is wrong. Then opt to quit, Freeze, and no response from my system. Requiring a full computer restart. (this is with Ling's turned off)

 

After restarting my computer, I also find that FOMM wont load.

 

In addition to Ling's mods (just Finer/Prettier, no others) I also recently installed (by your recommendation I saw on DC Interiors Project thread) the Level 99 Cap, Wasteland Mastery, And the UPP mods (all of them). and These do run fine, but I suspect are causing the quit/freeze. Any advice?

 

I can't check FOMM because it is non-responsive. and needs to be reinstalled unfortunately I think.

 

Finally, if it is really no trouble, could you try out these two mods for me please? They are resource files for modders, and the submitters do not reply to their comments anymore. I am having trouble with textures that dont display. On both of these mods. And I don't know what I am doing wrong.

Like I said, I only trouble you with this, because the guys who made these mods are not replying.

 

here they are

 

http://fallout3.nexusmods.com/mods/7219

 

http://fallout3.nexusmods.com/mods/15505

 

Hope it's no trouble Prensa :)

Thanks in advance

 

Kind regards

 

Griffin

[prensa]

Griffin - Hello!

 

"Baby is fine"

 

Glad to here it! :)

 

"Yet I still have a very nasty full system crash when I play and then quit the game. Up until I quit, nothing is wrong. Then opt to quit, Freeze, and no response from my system. Requiring a full computer restart."

 

That is very odd. Crash on exit is a common thing for moded Fallout, as it was with Oblivion before it & Morrowind before that.

 

But normally it's a minor irritation, just a warning that Fallout crashed that you click on & move on.

 

Speculation is it's caused by dirty mods (mods with bad edits etc.) but I've had it happen occasionally seemingly dependent on what you were doing just before exiting.

 

Is this a full Blue Screen Of Death? Or is it a warning box that says Fallout has crashed or some such that you just cannot click on?

 

On Win7, for some reason, the mouse pointer often disappears after this kind of crash meaning you may appear stuck. That can be simply got around by pressing CTRL ALT Delete togehter & bringing up the Task Manager, that will restore the mouse pointer & allow you to close the Fallout crash warning box & resume normal services.

 

As I say, a crash on exit of Fallout every so often is something I kind of expect but not a serious one.

 

"the Level 99 Cap, Wasteland Mastery, And the UPP mods (all of them). and These do run fine, but I suspect are causing the quit/freeze. Any advice?"

 

Completely remove the suspect mods including Ling's & see how it goes.

 

If all is well then reinstall those Level 99 Cap, Wasteland Mastery, And the UPP mods & see what happens.

 

I've used them for a long time with no trouble at all.

 

I don't use Ling's so can't comment personally though I know many us it.

 

"Finally, if it is really no trouble, could you try out these two mods for me please? They are resource files for modders, and the submitters do not reply to their comments anymore. I am having trouble with textures that dont display. On both of these mods. And I don't know what I am doing wrong."

 

For the plane wreckage resource, it does not matter where the models/meshes go but the textures must be in your:

 

Fallout 3\Data\Textures\vehicles

 

You see the models/meshes have the path to the textures set in them so unless you redirect them to a new place they will look for their textures there.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

New schematic weapons - modders resource

 

These model's texture paths are wrong. The way it is set now means the custom textures would have to be in a folder called "nweps" that sits outside of the main Textures folder.

Which would work, once you create a new folder called "nweps" & placed the custom textures in it, but is considered bad form.

 

Much tidier to place that inside the Textures folder.

 

Also some of the models like the Chipper are using textures from the vanilla game, these paths are also missing "textures\" at the begining of their paths.

 

Simple to fix though.

 

First create a new folder called:

 

nweps

 

Place the acid grenade, chipper, coilgun, Icons, laser saber, plate thrower & solar schorcher folders into that nweps folder.

 

Place the nweps folder into your:

 

Fallout 3\Data\Textures\

 

You now need to correct the paths in the meshes.

 

For example I'll use the Acid Grenade mesh.

 

Open the acid_grenade mesh in Nifskope, in the Block List window expand the details of the first node by clicking on the arrow next to it.

 

Under the BhkCollisionObject (Block 6) you will see Block 7, expand it's details by clicking on the arrow.

 

You'll now see a Block 9 listed, expand that.

 

You'll now see a Block 10, left click on it & it's info will be displayed down in the Block Details window at the bottom.

 

You'll see "Textures" listed down there, expand that & you'll see where the texture paths are.

 

If you click on the little purple flower symbol you can navigate to where your textures are.

 

In this case though all we need to do is add textures\ to the begining of both listed textures here.

 

Double clicking on the Texture path allows it to be edited.

 

You just need to copy & paste:

 

textures\

 

To the begining of the diffuse & normal map textures in the meshes.

 

So the paths:

 

clutter\junk\sodabottleclosed01.dds

 

&

 

clutter\junk\sodabottleclosed01_n.dds

 

Should become:

 

textures\clutter\junk\sodabottleclosed01.dds

 

textures\clutter\junk\sodabottleclosed01_n.dds

 

There are two more blocks using textures in here, Block 12 & Block 17 expand them to locate the textures & change them by addin that textures\ in the same way as above.

 

When you are done the model will now be showing the correct texture.

 

A fast method for getting to the texture block is to left click on the part you want in the Render window & the Blocks will open in the Block list. The Textures are always in the BSShaderPPLightingProperty Block.

 

REMEMBER to save the .nif after making the changes.

 

You need to repeat this for the other models.

 

Make sure to correct the texture path for each part of a model, some models only have one set of textures but others have multiple sections.

 

You can see if something has the wrong path as the model in the render window will have no texture.

 

Prensa

[RaffTheSweetling]

Hi Prensa.

 

I'm having troubles with this. Nifskope is new to me and I might have accidently minimized the panes that I needed to keep open. Now I can't get them back. How do I restore the default display on Nifskope to show those panes?

[prensa]

Griffin - Hello!

 

"How do I restore the default display on Nifskope to show those panes? "

 

If Block List or Block Details are missing when you open Nifskope, go to View at the top of Nifskope & make sure Block List & Block Details are both ticked.

 

Those two windows can also be dragged around to bolt into other locations as desired but I find it's best to leave them in the default positions.

 

Prensa