Problems with custom armor meshes

[LeoPS]

First of all, hello everybody.

 

 

I've been messing around with mods (usually small ones, for personal use only) for Fallout since 2009, and now I decided to learn how to work with meshes (transport armors from a body type to another, basically).

So, I’m trying to port T6M armors to the Alice body. I've figured out how to do all the modeling using 3ds max and transport the armor into the game using Nifskope, but the “dismembering part” is giving me sooo much trouble. I’m trying to fix this for two days now, but honestly, looks like It’s beyond my current abilities.

 

I’ll illustrate the problem with a picture:

 

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/732/idkf.jpg

 

See, the armors works fine, but when I shoot someone wearing it and slice away any body part from the poor npc, the problem in that pic happens.

Another thing that I’ve noticed. When I use V.A.T.S., the whole body is highlighted, as you guys can see in the next picture:

 

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/3949/idk2.jpg

 

Can anyone help me figure out how to fix these problems? Maybe it will help if I describe all the process that I do until the armor gets ingame, so I’ll leave this in the spoiler:

 

 

 

Basically, I import the armor mesh in 3ds max, then I proceed to delete the vanilla body and import the custom body that I’ll use.

When I import the body, this window shows up:

 

http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/3856/sbs1.jpg

 

Not sure if I’m doing something wrong already, but I hit ok to all the “import name conflicts” and carry on to edit the armor mesh.

So, when I’m done, I don’t mess with anything else, including that “BSDismemberSkin Model”, I leave it exactly the same thing as the original mesh. I think that this is what I need to work with to fix my problems, but I’m not sure, haha.

 

http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/8871/sbs2a.jpg

 

Then I export the nif file and open it with Nifskope. In another window, I open the base body.

After that, I copy only the armor mesh and paste into the base body. Then, I open the original mesh in another window with Nifskope, copy the textures and paste into the base body window (after deleting the one that is already attached in the armor mesh). Maybe it’s confusing by just reading it, so these steps can be viewed at

. (basically, I’m learning how to do these things with his tutorials, that are aimed to Skyrim armors).

So, yeah, I think this is it. Not sure if I really need to write all that but… well.

 

 

So, anyone know what I’m doing wrong or what and how I need to do to fix these problems?

Thanks in advance (and sorry for any English mistake :3).

Edited August 8, 2012 by LeoPS

[LXD9]

Try taking a look at this and see if there are any steps that help, it is closer to what you would find in Fo3. Armor tutorial. you can ignore the quest script at the bottom.

 

One thing I find that I need to do, for whatever reason I don't know, is to run the batch spells on the exported armor before I transfer it to the base file. At the top of nifscope is a menu item labeled Spells. Under spells there is section called Batch> under batch there are 3 items to run. Run all three before you transfer them to the base file, do not run them in the base file as this will make your body caps appear all the time. I am not sure if I have to run this because I am not using the correct export settings or what, but it usually fixes any weirdness. This also cures the invisible mesh problem some people are experiencing when they load the armor into the geck.

Edited August 8, 2012 by LXD9

[LeoPS]

Try taking a look at this and see if there are any steps that help, it is closer to what you would find in Fo3. Armor tutorial. you can ignore the quest script at the bottom.

 

Hmm, I've tried that and the problems persists, as you can see:

 

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/8964/fallout3201208081101112.jpg

 

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/9219/fallout3201208081112376.jpg

(don't mind the weird 'block look' of the armor. I've got an error in 3ds while exporting but I'm using it anyway just to test things)

 

Same weird dismemberment with body disappearing and same weird V.A.T.S. highlight.

 

 

One thing I find that I need to do, for whatever reason I don't know, is to run the batch spells on the exported armor before I transfer it to the base file. At the top of nifscope is a menu item labeled Spells. Under spells there is section called Batch> under batch there are 3 items to run. Run all three before you transfer them to the base file, do not run them in the base file as this will make your body caps appear all the time. I am not sure if I have to run this because I am not using the correct export settings or what, but it usually fixes any weirdness. This also cures the invisible mesh problem some people are experiencing when they load the armor into the geck.

 

By 'before transfer to the base file' you mean before copy the armor and paste it to the base body in nifskope? I'll try that.

 

Thanks for the help. Also, thanks for the moderator who moved my topic to the right forum. :)

 

 

 

 

EDIT:

So, I finally came home and tried your tip, LXD9. Sadly, the problem persists. I've searched and read a lot of tutorials today, but found nothing about these problems. I'm lost... :(

Edited August 8, 2012 by LeoPS

[LXD9]

Well you know it looks to me like your armor is functioning just fine, the problem seems to be coming from the base body file. When you say Alice are you referring to Dimons body replacer? I am not up on all the names of the different bodies. Have you tried just transferring an unmodded armor to your base file just to see if the problem persists?

 

Oh, and are you being sure to correct the names of your NiTrishapes after you copy them in?

Edited August 9, 2012 by LXD9

[LeoPS]

Well you know it looks to me like your armor is functioning just fine, the problem seems to be coming from the base body file. When you say Alice are you referring to Dimons body replacer? I am not up on all the names of the different bodies. Have you tried just transferring an unmodded armor to your base file just to see if the problem persists?

 

Oh, and are you being sure to correct the names of your NiTrishapes after you copy them in?

 

Oh my god, the problem was really on the body after all. Yeah, I was referring to that body, but I wasn't using his original version, I was using Lookn4Mods version instead. Then when you mentioned that it may be the body who's causing all this, I realised that I've never tried out any of his armors in any NPC. So then I've tried that and bang, same problems that was ocurring with my armors.

 

Then I got Dimon99 original mesh, and:

 

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/1165/fallout3201208091153175.jpg

 

Now everything works fine. Man, you have no idea how grateful I am. For the last four days I was reading all the stuff that I can find, trying everything and the problems wasn't even on my meshes, lol. Thank you very very very much and take all my kudos, haha. :)

 

But now I'm wondering... Why this weird things happen with his body mesh? D:

 

 

EDIT:

 

Ok, now I'm trying to cut out some parts of the body that isn't necessary, but I'm getting an error when I try to export the mesh:

 

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/2305/googletime.jpg

 

Any tip? :3 Meanwhile, google time. :)

 

 

 

EDIT 2:

 

Oh, it's because the BSDismember Skin Modifier. Just need to learn how to work with it now.

 

 

 

 

EDIT 3:

 

Game crashing when I load the armor with the BSDismember created by me. This is getting painful... D:

 

 

 

 

EDIT 4:

 

Nevermind, I must have done something wrong and didn't see it. Tried again today and everything is working fine. Thanks again. :)

Edited August 10, 2012 by LeoPS