Modifying Custom NPCs?

[wildgravity]

This is my first post on the nexus forums, I've been modding my game for a while and have just recently begun learning how to create my own mods. I'm still a beginner, but I'm a quick study, and I've hit a snag and needed some advice from more experienced modders if anyone would be so kind as to help me on my current project. I wanted to start by thanking all of the modders on nexus for all of the wonderful work they do. Your creativity, imagination and vision never ceases to amaze me. Its genuinely inspires me to see into peoples own vision of Skyrim and how they put that vision across to each other. So again, seriously, thanks for being so awesome. ^.^

 

Now for my question: I have created my own custom follower. She exists as her own ESP and works just fine (with very basic AI) I would like to give my custom NPC a hairstyle from lovely hairstyles (http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/7403) rather then apachii. I have seen other peoples custom NPCs with custom hair that wasn't apachiis hair set. If there is a tutorial floating around that instructs on how to do this, I haven't seen it! I know how to change hair on a vanilla NPC to a custom hair mod in the creation kit, I just don't know how to do the same for my custom follower. I have been browsing the forums, I'm sure this has been asked before, but I couldn't find anything solid. Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

- Dala

[wildgravity]

If there already has been a thread discussing this at length I would totally appreciate a link to it. Thanks again

[maload]

i need to improve my english a little more .

 

1 u need to change that hair esp to esm

- u need to google for this /skyrim how to covert esp to esm /

 

i use Wrye Bash

 

2 u change your ck setting for use more than 1 esm at the same time .

 

Add bAllowMultipleMasterLoads=1 under [General] in SkyrimEditor.ini in your /Skyrim folder.

 

3 u go to use that hair in ck .

 

if you never use it before u can find a lot of yideo on youtube. search for /skyrim create new npc/ .

 

open ck and load that hair s esm+ your npc esp

 

-u must click on npc s esp file and should set as active file.

 

4 all avaiable hair now can be find in charector\head part \ female or male your choise \ head part

 

 

5 u learn basic from youtube right now. open your follower <double click on it>

 

go to charector gen part and drag your new hair to /base head part / -change color at hair color.

 

6 save you npc s esp . end.

 

the process is very easy but my english create a bug wall between you and me -.-

[wildgravity]

Thank you so much for your input! I really appreciate your help and will look into what you've told me here. Edited November 11, 2012 by wildgravity

[wildgravity]

**Edit:

I figured out how to make the esm from lovely hairstyles esp using wrye bash, I've loaded the ESM in CK and I changed my followers hair, but It still isn't showing up in game :(. I feel like I'm overlooking something. If anyone could give me any ideas as to what it is I need to rectify this issue, I would be grateful! Thank you!

Edited November 11, 2012 by wildgravity

[KingsGambit]

I don't know about many of the programs and techniques you're trying but there's a much simpler way. In-game, open the console and enter showracemenu. Create the character you like, including custom facial features and give them a name. Finish creation and open the console again. Type in spf NPCNAME and you'll have a file in your skyrim directory called NPCNAME.npc. This is the morph data for the character. In the CK, open your mod and the mods containing any custom features used, ensuring your mod is Set Active. Now open the properties for the actor whose face you wish to change and on the Character Gen Parts tab, click import and open the morph file exported earlier. Save and you're done.

 

The NPC will only display the custom features as long as the mods from which they came remain active, and other players who download your mod will need the associated mods too.

[wildgravity]

Thank you so much for your reply! This how I created the follower I'm currently working on :) will these steps help me give me custom follower custom hair?

[wildgravity]

Alright, after trying both methods as specified, I still have not been able to get the custom hair to show up on my custom NPC. :( The hair shows up on her in creation kit, and I have the morph data for her face, everything is importing except for the custom hair (the hair is still set to default in the head parts menu) I really do appreciate everyone taking the time to explain it to me, I'm at a loss as to why my npc isn't showing up with the hair. I am unsure of what it is I'm doing/not doing thats preventing the custom hair from showing up on my NPC. I'm working with skyrim creation kit, and if another program would make this simpler, I would gladly download it. (provided its free) Lovely hairstyles is an ESP and so is my NPC.

 

When my NPC is in the creation kit after setting her file to active and selecting skyrim, skyrim update, lovelyhairtstyle and my npc (setting that file to active) everything loads up. I import the face morph data (that has been saved in skyrim console command under spf hername ) her face shows up, but the hair is set to default in the head parts data. (and I have been hitting CTRL+f4 after importing her face data) If I go into game, she has the default hair (no black face bug) Now, if I were to change her hair in the head parts data, the hairstyle I do want will show up on her in the render window. But, if I change it that way (hitting CTRL+F4 after words) She still has default hair, but with the black face bug.

 

That got a little rambly, but I wanted to explain my process. If I can figure this out, I think I'll make a tutorial on it because a tutorial for this would be mega-handy.

 

I thank everyone for their replies and their input. If anyone could tell me what it is I'm doing wrong I'd be grateful. ^.^

Edited November 12, 2012 by wildgravity