Blender/Nifskope UV map difficulty

[xaosbob]

I model using Lightwave 9.3, and I have the appropriate versions of Blender/Python/Nif plugin/Pytthi (sp?)/NifSkope suite all installed correctly and working well. So the tools are not an issue. It is definitely user error. Here's the problem.

 

* I modeled a googie-styled sign (for Fallout) in Lightwave and created a UV map. I then hand-painted a texture map for the UV. I apply it in Lightwave, and it looks great.

* I import the .lwo (Lightwave object) into Blender, and it shows up with its base surface colors (set up in LW's Surface Editor for simplicity in seeing what parts are what), just fine. However, I cannot find anywhere (and I have been searching for hours) how to attach my UV texture. There is plenty of info out there for how to make a new UV in Blender, but that doesn't help me. I want to attach the UV I already made.

* I export the model from Blender to .nif format. When I open this in NifSkope, I have no block entries of BSShaderPPLighting Property or its very important sub-entry, BSShaderTextureSet. The closest I have is NiMaterialProperty, which isn't the same thing at all. Again, everything I have found discussing textures in NifSkope is inapplicable, because the assumption is always that BSShaderTextureSet is already present. I have tried to manually add the block (and its parent), but it never configures like it does in native .nifs pulled from a .bsa or a mod, and where it lands otherwise seems to be incorrect because the UV texture doesn't show up (no texture shows up).

 

I know Blender, with the plugin, adds the material properties, etc (all the stuff in the block list in NifSkope), so I imagine if I could get the UV attached there (packing seems to do nothing--I think Blender just sees my UV texture as an image map, though I know the .lwo carries the UV map as part of the file), it would export the appropriate block entries for NifSkope. That failing, I thought there must be a way to manually add those entries in NifSkope, but I'll be jiggered if I can figure out how.

 

I feel like I am so close to getting this, but my google-fu has failed me (and searching forums like this one has been similarly unfruitful). Any help at all, even a link and an exasperated "L2search, noob!" would be fantastically appreciated.

Edited October 6, 2012 by xaosbob

[wetblanket]

Have you seen this (post at bottom of first page)? Edited October 6, 2012 by wetblanket

[xaosbob]

I had not seen that, but I am going to give it a go right away. I'll report back after. Thank you!

 

Edit:

Despite a lot of time searching (again), I cannot find that extremely useful-sounding "sync UV and Mesh Selection" option mentioned, but it seems like it may be the missing link, so I'll keep trying to find out where Blender has hidden it on my machine. Thank you again! :)

Edited October 7, 2012 by xaosbob

[xaosbob]

Final Update:

 

wetblanket's link got me searching farther afield, and after more frustration (a lot of tutorials assume you have a certain amount of basic knowledge about Blender or Python), I found this:

 

IronicEcho's Blender Tutorials

http://oblivion.nexusmods.com/mods/19303

 

So, thank you to wetblanket, and thank you to IronicEcho, because I finally got it all to work! Kudos for everyone!

 

Edit: For future reference and others' google-fu, the .lwo has to have only one defined surface with the UV applied. Then it imports into Blender like a charm. Now to figure out how to add collision data!

Edited October 7, 2012 by xaosbob

[bizzclaw]

Thanks for this forum post! Got my custom hairs to work, and I was beginning to fear I was the only one who used Lightwave these days.