Fallout Modelling - Mini Tutorial

[SpeedyB64]

In the TXxx area I only have the Texture.dds and Texture_n.dds

I have 6 entries in the TXST area, each of those with a EDID, TX00 and TX01. I might try removing all but the original ones and just have it load the low res textures and simply replace the low res textures with the high res ones and forget about this hi/lo texture swapping thing altogether. If that doesn't work I will try to enter all the extra textures into the STAT record along with the 2 originals. The funny thing is the only texture other than the 2 original textures from the laser rifle is the texture I made myself out of a photograph of a coil i took, the other textures that don't work are from the combat shotgun clip and the rifle clip.

 

P.S. I will upload a pic of it textured and a screenshot of it in my next post.

[Moraelin]

actually stats and txtxs dont seem to be needed for the textures to display correctly... the form ids might be or a missing entry somewhere or you exported the mesh wrong somehow... sadly i dont know what the 6 slots you have in nifskope are all for, the 1st difuse, 2ndbump/normal, 3rd probably glow, why not add a whole new textureset?

 

As I was saying, TXST entries and the STAT->MODS used to apply them, are just a way to replace the standard textures (defined in the .nif) with more detailed first person ones. But bear in mind that "first person" really just means "equipped" here. You'll see them even when looking at your character in 3rd person.

 

Essentially, look at your .nif in tree view in NIFskope. Look at the "top level" branch, i.e., right under BSFadeNode. Imagine them numbered from 0 to, well, however many you have minus 1. For example for the Chinese Assault Rifle, that's 0 to 4. If I were to do my one-trick-pony thing and add another branch with the silencer, it would now be 0 to 5.

 

Those numbers you'd have to use as the last integer in a STAT->MODS list-entry to say you want to retexture that particular part.

 

Bear in mind that STAT->MODS is actually a list of several such variable-length list-entries (for lack of a better word). So for a Chinese Assault Rifle it would start with a "05 00 00 00", meaning 5 such sub-sub-records follow, followed by the 5 actual list-entries. Each such list-entry contains the name of the top-level branch it replaces (first an integer meaning the string lenth, then the actual string), the form ID of a TXST entry, and then the node's number. Actually the node number is what seems to matter.

 

If I were to add a silencer and a 1st person texture for it, I'd have to define a new TXST for the actual texture, and add a new list-entry for it in STAT->MODS. (And also bump the first integer to "06 00 00 00" so it knows it has 6 replacements int the list, of course.)

 

But you're also right that they aren't strictly needed _and_ they are only used to save memory. That they aren't strictly needed: if I _don't_ add a 6'th list-entry in STAT->MODS, it will just take whatever texture was defined in the .nif file. That they just save memory: well, the weapons lying on shelves or dropped by dead raiders would use the lower res textures referenced by the .nif.

 

Or I can just set the whole STAT->MODS to "00 00 00 00", basically making it a 0-length list, and the 3rd person textures from the .nif would apply. (Which is kinda moot anyway, since you can use the highest textures as the standard textures referenced by the .nif. I did just that for the silenced revolver.)

 

I'd advise that road for anyone who isn't a complete nerd like me: just set the STAT->MODS to "00 00 00 00", forget the TXST entries, and use the high res textures in the .nif. You save yourself from a lot of hex editing that way, and elliminate a cause of doubt. Without those to suspect, if the textures glitch, then you probably just set the paths wrong in the .nif or something.

 

If you want to still do the memory-saving thing, you can add all that later, after your gun works the easy way.

 

Sorry if it sounds like a lecture or anything :P

[SpeedyB64]

I fixed it! I simply set the STAT to 000000 and just set it to use the hi-rez textures works great. :thumbsup:

[SpeedyB64]

My mod is uploaded! Here is a link

THE LARG

 

Has a custom icon ;)

[jaysus]

wow nice to see you two got your stuff sorted :) 4 mods released in one day is not bad with the possibilities offered atm... and makes me feel that tut actually helps someone lol :proud:... updating it again now with a link to moras tut... (no clue why it aint stickied yet anyway)

[SpeedyB64]

The tutorials where invaluble in creating my mod coulden't have done it without the info and people on this site!

Now it's time to start on the Nukalauncher and Atomic mine!

[throttlekitty]

-TXST snip-

Thanks for the explanation, very helpful!

[LadyDeadlock]

You are my absolute hero for this.

+++Kudos!! :thanks:

[LHammonds]

jaysus, can I convert this to a tutorial in the Article Database?

 

The images will be uploaded to the Image Share and then directly linked in the article (will not use your bandwidth)

 

I've done this for both tutorials written by Rekicker.

 

Thanks,

LHammonds

[jaysus]

pm sent LH :)