How to set the texture properly using nifskope? Weapon addition causes

[halo4life]

What I'm doing is odd. I have an ak47 model, but instead of one part it has two, what this means is two textures. I continued normally with nifskope, and when I failed to create a new group for the new model part to go in successfully, I replaced the trigger with the new model part. At this point, I made it a model replacement and tested it ingame, and it worked fine. I want it to be a new weapon and have new textures, so I added TexturingProperty's to the NiTriStrips and changed the 4 texture entries to 3 files on my desktop (one texture\entry is the clip, which I also imported a model over, though it was an actual clip model that I imported, one entry that uses the main texture is the lever, which I also imported over, the other two are the main part and the trigger). The model turned black in the window, so I knew something happened. I then hex edited the places in the nif that had my texture directory, to the textures' files in their fallout 3 data folder, in the format of textures\halo4life\ak47whatever.dds.

 

Then, I followed this tutorial normally, though copying 3 TXST's instead of one. When I changed the STAT's MODS entry using hex I replaced what I thought the hex for the trigger texture was with my 3rd texture, the clip for my clip texture, and the main for my main texture. I think there was also another texture entry which I also replaced with my main texture, as that was the texture it used.

 

The problem is that when I add the weapon ingame, and switch to it, and lower my pipboy, it crashes. I'm assuming this has something to do with textures. I DO have normal maps for each. What I'm thinking is it has something to do with STAT and/or the way I applied textures in NifSkope.

 

Sorry for the ridiculous editing, I can't seem to explain it right.

 

The title is supposed to say 'Weapon addition causes crashes.'

[Moraelin]

Since I wrote that tutorial, maybe I can help:

 

1. If you hex-edit a binary file, _always_ replace with strings which are the exact same length. (Well, unless you know why not, and are 100% sure. But here that's not the case.) Otherwise you _will_ destroy the .nif.

 

Point in case: "textures\weapons\2HandAutomatic\1stPersonAssaultRifleMag01.dds" is 62 bytes, "textures\halo4life\ak47whatever.dds" is 35. Or assuming you replaced "weapons" with "halo4life", you replaced a 7 byte string with a 9 byte one.

 

Note though that only the total string length must be the same, so you could "borrow" two letters from 2HandAutomatic. E.g., make your path be something like "textures\halo4life\2HdAutomatic\1stPersonAssaultRifleMag01.dds".

 

Yes, you have to be literally a bean counter :P

 

2. For that matter, you'll make your life easier if you do what I did there: copy the default textures to a renamed directory (paying attention to path lengths) and don't rename them. E.g., put your textures in "textures\halo4life\2HdAutomatic\", but let them keep their original names otherwise. E.g., "1stPersonAssaultRifleMag01.dds" stays called "1stPersonAssaultRifleMag01.dds". That way you do the counting letters only once.

 

3. The existing groups also have attachment nodes for when you hold them, plus animations. E.g., your finger goes over the trigger. I don't know what the game does when you tell it that, say, the finger goes over the silencer.

 

On the bright side, though, on page 2 of that tutorial you'll see it's possible to add new parts. Alexscorpion's silenced G3A3 has 5 parts instead of 4 for a normal G3, for example and works just fine. So you don't really have to replace anything.

 

Also, you'll see the format of the MODS entry there, which should make the hex replacement less stressful IMHO.

[halo4life]

Thanks for the help. In the hex, the directories showed a different directory than the default, and I made sure to make them the same size when I replaced them with the textures in the actual fallout 3 directories. The reason they weren't the default is because I made the new TextureProperty's and applied a new texture. But, I still probably screwed something up, and I'll look at the second page and completely remake it with a new group instead of replacing the trigger.

[jaysus]

had that problem aswell but deleting the vanilla BShaderpplightproperty, saving, reloading and creating a new one let me choose any textures i want

 

you might want to check that sticky tutorial i made as it explains the texturing a bit more than i would be willing to do here again ;)