Blender Tutorial - How To Make Swords With Scabbards

[LHammonds]

Name: How To Make Swords With Scabbards

Version: 1.0

Date: 8/29/2008

Category: Tutorial

Requirements: Blender and the fundamentals of using Blender

Author: LHammonds

Source: http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=12248

 

Please download the file called "Sword Scabbard Tutorial" that is attached to my Blender page which contains the examples files mentioned in this tutorial.

 

Software used in this tutorial:

 

- Blender 2.47

- Python 2.5.2

- Blender NIF Scripts 2.3.7

- PyFFI 1.0

- NifSkope 1.0.12

 

DESCRIPTION

 

This tutorial will step you through the process of how to create a sword with a functioning scabbard.

 

It has been asked many times on how to create custom scabbards because the process is tricky.

 

Currently, it is not possible to create a 100% custom mesh with a working scabbard. If you export it directly from your 3D application and try to make it work in-game, it won't happen. The NIF structure can look identical to a vanilla weapon but there is something that is not yet known that prevents us from doing this.

 

The process to make this happen is to arrange our model so that it matches the expected structure, export to NIF and copy the parts of the model on top of a vanilla weapon that alreay has a scabbard (completely replacing the original models)

 

TUTORIAL

1. Create your sword model
   
2. Create your sword's scabbard model and rename the object to Scb:0
   
3. Create a UV Map for your model and add a material with the appropriate settings and attach an image to it
   
4. See example file called "MySword1.blend"
   
5. Add an "Empty" and rename the object to Scb
   
6. Select your scabbard, then Shift+RightClick the Scb empty and press CTRL + P, Make Parent
   
7. If it was done correctly, you can grab the scabbard and move it around with an attached line always pointing to the Scb empty object and the Scb does not move
   
8. If the parenting is messed up, select both objects and press ALT + P to clear the parent then try to re-create the parent relationship again
   
9. See example file called "MySword2.blend"
   
10. Select all objects and export to NIF such as MySword_WIP.nif
    
11. On the export to NIF screen, make sure the following settings are made:
    - Oblivion button is depressed
    - Smoothen Inter-Object Seams is depressed
    - Stripify Geometries is depressed
    - Force DDS Extension is depressed
    - Export Geometry + Animation (.nif) is depressed
    - Weapon button is clicked (does not stay depressed)
    - Metal is depressed
    - Solid is depressed
    
12. See example file called "MySword_WIP.nif"
    
13. Take a vanilla sword such as the Steel Longsword (longsword.nif) and copy / rename it to MySword.nif and treat this as your template and end-result file
    
14. See example file called "SteelLongsword.nif"
    
15. Use NifSkope to open MySword.nif and delete both NiTriStrips but take care not to delete the Scb NiNode (this is the special scabbard container)
    
16. See example file called "SteelLongsword_Template.nif"
    
17. Open a new NifSkope window and load MySword_WIP.nif and Copy Branch the NiTriStrip called "Scb:0" which is your scabbard mesh
    
18. Switch to your MySword.nif, select the NiNode called Scb and then Paste Branch which should put your scabbard mesh under the Scb NiNode
    
19. Switch to your MySword_WIP.nif and Copy Branch the remaining NiTriStrips one at a time and paste them into MySword.nif at the Scene Root
    
20. Save MySword.nif and delete MySword_WIP.nif since it is no longer needed
    
21. We need to specify this weapon as a BackWeapon or SideWeapon. Right-Click on the NiNode called Scene Root and choose Node --> Attach Extra Data --> NiStringExtraData
    
22. Change the value of NiStringExtraData to "BackWeapon" for a 2-handed claymore or "SideWeapon" for a 1-handed sword (for scabbards, you had better use "SideWeapon")
    
23. Select the NiNode called Scene Root and from the NifSkope menu, click Spells --> Sanitize --> Reorder Blocks
    
24. Save MySword.nif and exit NifSkope
    
25. See example file called "MySword.nif"
    
26. You might need to make adjustments to the collision model or create custom collision and if you do, you would also copy the bhkCapsuleShapes from your WIP file to replace the same objects in your target NIF file
    

[LHammonds]

Please forgive me if I made any mistakes. I spent an hour putting this tutorial together and fell asleep doing it several times and had to erase the "extra" characters added during my snooze. Let me know if you spot any errors but I know some things are not fully explained such as how to model a sword and create UV maps which are not the focus of this tutorial.

 

Thanks,

LHammonds

[ShadowLance194]

bookmarked, thanks LHammonds

[myrmaad]

bookmarked, thanks LHammonds

I'm going to need this, too! Thanks. I'm praying I can actually pull it off.

[DirTek]

Nice work LHammonds :).

 

But I use the NifSkope method which for me is faster :wacko:.

 

Anyway I'll give a shot to your method too :).

 

 

Your tutorials keep us well taught :D.

 

Cheers :thumbsup:

 

Maafiaman

[UK47]

Thank you

[Jj45]

Sweet :) ,was going to ask you until i found this,will help a lot too ^_^

 

 

Thanks

[LHammonds]

Yer velcome!

[ihateregisteringeverywhere]

Which means that creating two handed swords with scabbards isn't possible?

 

Could it be bypased by script equipting the player with a virtual arrow quiver that would have the scabbard mesh?

[LHammonds]

You would need to use script to swap the model.

 

Reference: Nicoroshi's scimitar.

 

LHammonds