programs for mods

[BoddackChill]

i would like to become a modder ,but would like to know what programs (except creation kit) everyone use for modding as well as each description. many would-be modders would appreciate the info. regards from- Boddackchill

[gamefever]

Nifskope--->Allows you to port your objects into Skyrim, also nifty little feature allows you to quickly mix and match pieces from other sets as long as the pieces are not one object...IE swap shoulder pads or remove.

 

Blender--->Allows you to make your own armor ie the objects you'll port to Nifskope

 

Gimp--->Paint program to make your own textures ie color your objects

DDS convertor a Script file for GImp or Photoshop that converts your texture file to the DDS texture format for the game

 

Pyffi-->Scripts needed for Blender

Python-->Scripts needed for Blender

 

Sculptris-->A modeling program for creating fine detail work and can make your normal maps...Normal maps are texture files that FAKE 3d just about every armor and object in the game uses them

 

Total cost free

 

Use the search box on Nexus to find some Tut's

Also Google to find stuff you need like programs, tuts, and troubleshooting

Youtube is a great resource too.

 

Good luck

 

Edit

Nvidia DDS plugin You need this to make normals with photoshop or gimp.

 

Time investment is huge,

I personally found that Texture work with existing armor's like vanilla Assets was the fastet way to start modding stuff to share with community.

Nifskope takes a few afternoons to get the hang of but was you got how to swap pieces in and out to mashup new sets out of exsisting stuff it goes pretty fast like a new armor in an afternoon mybe even just an hour.

Trouble is a lot of stuff is not resource so your mashup's will likely never see public use. requires a lot of citation of artists when you publish mashup's of other people's stuff.

 

I have not managed yet to make a totally new armor or conversion with all the stuff working aka

Nifskope>Blender>Gimp>Nifskope>Troubleshoot>Construction-Set>Game

 

I have done 2 fully functional mashups

I've only just gotten into the 3d modeling since last week, I just downloaded Scupltris today :D

 

Edit 2

You need

BSA-opt or basically a .BSA unpacker to unpack games files like textures and meshes.

 

I say first thing to start learning is

 

Nifskope-It'll take you a solid afternoon with TUTs on youtube and google but learn "Copy Branch" "Paste Branch" that'll get you started in a hurry.

Unpacking your .BSA game files is fast like 30 minutes of waiting for the program to unpack its a no brainer

Just save over meshes like Cuirass_1.nif like the iron armor to see your creation.

Edited October 7, 2012 by gamefever

[IsharaMeradin]

Along with the above

 

Wyre Bash (WB)

-- to flip the toggle between esp and esm status of any plugin to make compatibility patches between mods or just use a standard plugin as a parent.

-- to copy a finished esp into a esm for release if it will be necessary to be required by other mods (makes life for other modders easier)

-- also useful for other things not related to making mods: bashed patch for merging leveled lists between mods; checking your save games to see what mods each of them are associated with

 

BSAopt

-- extract the contents of bsa files: useful when you need stock content or to have access to content from other mods

 

This page will guide you thru getting things setup with Blender, NifSkope and all the associated other things needed to get the two working with Skyrim stuff. Plus they have several tutorials available

http://wiki.tesnexus.com/index.php/Installation_of_Blender

 

I know you didn't want to have the Creation Kit mentioned but some very important ini edits (step 5 of the following linked tutorial subsection) which will make life so much easier along with instructions that better explain the use of WB to create parent plugins

http://isharameradin.zxq.net/MakingAPlayerBasedMannequin.html#ESPparents <-- shameless plug :P

[IsharaMeradin]

Edit

Nvidia DDS plugin You need this to make normals with photoshop or gimp.

I beg to differ. GIMP has the option to make normal maps too.

Filters menu - Map - Normalmap

 

What the settings to use, I'm not sure. But it is there as an option.

[Allannaa]

I actually use the bare minimum I can get away with, because the more "stuff" you add to a system, the more things can go nutzoid on you and frustrate you.

 

I consider the following to be the basics:

 

Creation Kit (Get it off Steam), which allows you to make and decorate world spaces, fill your own containers, and create your own character actors. You can even write and edit your scripts in the CK (and you have to compile them within the CK anyway, even if you've made them in some other program).

 

BSAOpt (unpacks BSA files so you can look at textures and meshes among other things)which you get here.

 

Photoshop for painting textures, with nVidia's plugin for making Normal maps; however, PS is not a free program, whereas GIMP is. GIMP has the advantage of already having the "normals" option as part of the program instead of a plugin.

 

Poser, 3DSMax and Maya for modelling; however, like PS, Poser, 3DSMax, and Maya are not free programs; Maya has a hefty price tag, in fact. You can try such programs as GMax, and I know some people are rabid supporters of Blender, which I can't stand. There's also Anim8or, which is an absolutely superb freebie, and which is much easier to use and understand than Blender.

(I seriously do not recommend Blender for a beginner (or really for anyone else) because it teaches bad habits that you may try to carry over into real modelling programs, and aside from that, the bulk of the "Blender community" isn't as helpful as it could be sometimes -- if you have Blender questions you're better off asking them here, and not on the program's own website, I notice. But that's just MY opinion as a professional CGI artist, and like most opinions, it's worth what it cost you. *wink)

 

Nifskope which you can get here, for bringing my own models and textures together for use in Skyrim (or even in Fallout). Nifskope is sort of a "decoder ring", and it's a little weird to figure out, but you can learn it in an afternoon.

 

However, keep in mind -- you can mod completely without anything other than the Creation Kit, if you're willing to use only what's already available in Skyrim.

 

Oh, and PS, before anyone flames me over my hatred of Blender -- Don't bother. Some folks like chocolate, and some folks like peanut butter. Same with this!

Edited November 6, 2012 by Allannaa